NEC to provide DIGEA DVB-T transmitters
DIGEA, the organisation set up by the seven leading commercial broadcasters in Greece to manage the DTT platform, has signed a five year agreement with NEC Corporation to supply 300 DVB-T transmitters. By early 2010 MPEG-4 (H.264 AVC) coded DVB-T services will be available to 60% of the population rising to almost 100% when all the transmitters are operational. The DVB-T platform will initially offer TV programming from the consortiums seven members, Alpha, Alter, ANT1, Makedonia TV, MEGA, SKAI and STAR.
According to the press release services are already available in Thessaloniki and Athens. This will be extended to Patras and Larissa in the first half of 2010.
Source: NEC website and DIGEA
Item added: 8th February 2010  



DTT platform set up by commercial broadcasters
The seven leading national commercial broadcasters have jointly set up a single company to manage their DTT platform according to a report from Digitag. (attributed to Tech Blog)
The new company DIGEA, will provide both the broadcast network and multiplexing services.
The DTT platform is expected to launch this summer and provide services to approximately 60% of the population by early 2010.
Since 2006, the public service broadcaster ERT has made its DTT services available in the cities of Athens, Thessaloniki, and Thessaly.
The commercial broadcasters will use the MPEG-4 AVC compression format, which it is thought will be likely to encourage ERT to change its compression format from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 AVC.
DIGEA has announced plans to actively promote DTT services. A marketing campaign will begin this summer and a website (www.digea.gr) will soon be set up.
It is owned by the broadcasters Alpha, Alter, Antenna, Makedonia TV, Mega, Star, and Skai.
Main source: Digitag attributed to Tech Blog
Item added: 6th July 2009



DTT transmissions begin
DTT transmissions in Greece are to begin on the 1st November 2008 according to the Minister of State, Theodoros Roussopoulos, reports Broadband TV News.
ERT the State broadcaster will be the first to begin testing nationwide. This can be followed by regional and private broadcasters after DTT licences are issued.
To facilitate the granting of licences the National Technical University of Athens has been asked to produce a DTT frequency plan, which would come into effect on the 1st November 2008.
ERT started its first pilot broadcasts on January 16, 2006 using five transmitters in Athens, Thessaloniki and Thessaly to distribute the channels Prism (with sign language for the hard of hearing), Cine+ and Sport+.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 11th August 2008



Pilot SFN network around Athens
ERT, the National Broadcaster is continuing to make progress with its DTT pilot projects.
Most recently an SFN network has been put into operation covering the greater Athens area. Three transmitters with a nominal output powers of 1,500W are used to provide home reception to houses using existing roof aerials, on UHF channel 48.
A guard interval of 1/8 and an FEC of 3/4 has been used recently but this is subject to change during the pilot period.
Source: ERT
Item added: 20th June 2006

Greece starts DTT transmissions
ERT began broadcasting three DTT programmes on January 6th 2006, according to an article on the website news.ert.gr
Initially three pilot channels with specialist content will be broadcast. The first is targeted at disabled people, the second will broadcast films and the third is dedicated to sports programmes.
The initial transmissions will be extended to cover 65% of the Greek population by March 2006.
Transmissions in the Attica region are on UHF channel 48, in Thessaloniki channel 56 and in Thessaly channel 53.
The pilot transmissions are free-to-view and only the STB has to be purchased according to ERT board member Giorgos Chouliaras.
Source: news.srt.gr
Item added: 17th January 2006

Greece to create new digital channels and increase ERT licence fee
A study is underway to create three new state owned terrestrial digital channels according to Press Minister Theodore Roussopoulos. One channel will concentrate on sport with another for films and the third for blind and deaf people.
Roussopoulos also announced that the licence fee of 38.8 Euros a year, amongst the lowest in Europe, will be increased  by 30 percent to help the reform of its media landscape.
Source: Media Network Weblog (24th August 2005)
Item added: 30th August 2005
 

Background

Plans for digital terrestrial television using DVB-T are at an early stage and are not likely to materialise quickly. It was reported that DTT planning by the Greek Administration began last year with the priority being  to cover the Attiki region around Athens which would immediately cover 50% of the population.
This will also be a pilot project to define a network for the rest of Greece using both SFN and MFN networks.

The information provided comes from several sources and whilst DVB believe it to be correct we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
If you have more up to date information or corrections please send them to dvb@dvb.org
Last page update: 8th February 2010, Barry Tew