Positive views on Hungarian digital transition
The majority of Hungarians take a positive view of the transition to digital broadcasting, according to a study undertaken by Ariosz Ltd for the country’s National Communications Authority (NHH). In a report on the Broadband TV News website, Chris Dziadul goes on to say that according to the study, cable remains the most popular way of receiving subscription TV services, with 59.8% (2,392,100) homes being connected in H2 2009. Although 820,000 homes rely principally on terrestrial TV, the majority of viewers are located in under-populated areas.
In Budapest, cable or IPTV services were received in 84% of homes and DTH in 6%.
By the end of 2009 over a quarter (26%) of all Hungarian homes were receiving some form of digital TV according to the report.
Analogue switch off in Hungary is planned to take place in 2011.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 15th March 2010
DTT receiver sales increase by 67% in Dec 2010
The number of DVB-T MPEG-4 compatible DTT receivers sold during the month of December 2009 was 67% higher than those sold in the previous month. At the end of 2009, 4.4% of Hungarian households were ready to receive DTT programmes. Comparing terrestrial only homes, the DTT penetration rises to 19.7%. Four new DTT transmission sites will launch in 2010 increasing coverage to 95% by the end of the year. The sites are Sopron, Gerecse, Komádi, and Csávoly.
Source: Antenna Hungaria
Item added: 8th February 2010
DTT ERP increase in Budapest
The Hungarian Army has permitted the partial cancellation of a current TV transmitter power restriction in Budapest. This will result in the permitted Effective Radiated Power (ERP) of transmissions to increase from 6.3 and 10kW to 40kW in both multiplexes in the Budapest area.
In addition, the maximum ERP at the Száva utca transmission site will increase from 0.6 kW to 2.4 kW on the 10th February.
Viewers will be able to benefit from the increased power levels with improved reception conditions.
Source: Antenna Hungaria and DigiTAG
Item added: 8th February 2010
MiniDig grows in popularity
Hungary’s MiniDigTV service continues to grow its customer base. In October the sales of compatible DVB-T MPEG-4 receivers were 63% higher than in the previous month. In total 86,000 receivers had been sold by the end of October, equivalent to 2.3% of all households. DTT penetration in Hungary is given as 10.2%.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 7th December 2009
DTT coverage increased
The MiniDig DTT TV service is now available in the Györ region of northwest Hungary following a recent increase in coverage.
Another 10 launches are planned before the end of the year increasing the overall coverage to 88% of the population.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 30th November 2009
50% growth in DTT receiver sales
Antenna Hungária reports that recent sales figures show that there was a 50% growth in the sales of DVB-T MPEG-4 compatible equipments during September compared with the previous month. During the same month average receiver prices decreased by 8%. Overall these trends indicate that around 4% of Hungarian households should be equipped to receive DVB-T programs by the end of this year.
Antenna Hungária’s transmission coverage is also set to reach 88% of households by the 1st December 2009.
As the website says all this good news makes a DVB-T receiver the ‘perfect gift’ for Christmas.
Source: Antenna Hungaria website
Item added: 2nd November 2009
DTT row in Hungary
The National Communications Authority (NHH) has fined Antenna Hungária, the operator of the DTT platform MinDigTV, HUF40 million (€151,460) for failing to meet its licence obligations. In response Antenna Hungária has said that they refuse to accept NHH’s ruling and fine and will contest them in court.
According to the NIH, Antenna Hungária has failed to provide a new general interest television programme service on the DTT platform, does not fully comply with its requirement to provide information on digital switchover and is in breach of market obligations regarding its DTT set-top box financial scheme. The also maintain that the roll-out of DVB-H services has not fully complied with the required population coverage.
The move has also resulted in Antenna Hungária formally requesting that the NIH and competition authorities launch an investigation in to market distortions between the different television delivery platforms.
Sources: NIH Antenna Hungária
Items added: 26th October 2009
DVB-T viewers exceed 55,000
According to an Antenna Hungaria report on the recent Digital Switchover Conference, Hungary is already on the right track for Digital Terrestrial TV.
Just over two months since the launch of DTT services the number of receiving equipments launched reached over 55,000 (end August 2009).
Already 1.5% of Hungarian households are MiniDig TV ready and most of them with an HD screen, according to conference participants.
Coverage is expected to reach 88% of the population by the end of the year and the government is also considering making amendments to the media legislation to come into effect during the first half of 2010.
Source: Antenna Hungaria website
Item added: 19th October 2009
Champions League added to DVB-H platform
Viewers of the current DVB-H trial in the Budapest region have had an additional service added, they will now also be able to watch Champions League matches.
Viewers can access six television programme services including m1, m2, Duna TV, Duna II Autonomia, ATV, and Hir TV. It is estimated that over 10,000 DVB-H receivers are in use.
All DVB-H services are currently available free of charge.
Source: Antenna Hungaria press release
Item added: 6th October 2009
Assistance for DTT receiver purchase launched
A financial assistance programme has been set up to enable consumers to buy DTT receivers and STB’s through a monthly payment plan.
The payment programme has been put in place by the broadcast network operator Antenna Hungaria, the Credigen Bank, the manufacturer TechniSat Digital, and the retailer BestByte.
From the 1st October consumers could buy the TechniSat Digital's HDT4 receiver at BestByte and pay a monthly fee of 715 Florint (€2.7). The receiver allows access to HDTV programmes.
The present DTT service provides access to 7 free-to-air and 2 pay television services and is available to nearly 60% of the population. Coverage will increase to 88% of the population on the 1st December when 9 new transmission sites start operation.
Source: Antenna Hungaria
Item added: 6th October 2009
DVB-H service gains more programs
Public channels m1 and m2 have been added to the DVB-H service, by operator Antenna Hungária. The trial services, which started in December, is receivable in the Budapest area and is offered free of charge. Current estimates give the viewer numbers as 10,000, all of which have mobile devices equipped with DVB-H receivers.
The other services offered are Duna TV, Duna ll Autonómia, ATV and Hír TV.
A firm date for the commercial service launch is still being discussed amongst all stakeholders but it is expected to be in a few months time.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 18th September 2009
DTT market share grows
Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) subscribers in Hungary grew by 20,000 in July reaching a total of 1,061 million TV homes according to data attributed to the National Communications Council (NHH), reports Broadband TV News.
The figures from NHH show that 3 million Hungarian households now receive pay-TV services from one of the available platforms.
The free to air DTT platform MiniDigTV now offers 7 television programmes and 3 radio services following the recent addition of Euronews.
Sources: Broadband TV News and Antenna Hungaria
Item added: 7th September 2009
DVB-T STB’s available for monthly fee
TechniSat Digital is now supplying Set Top Boxes (STB’s) to Antenna Hungaria, reports Broadband TV News.
The boxes designated, HDT4, receive and decode DVB-T, MPEG-4 coded programmes and were specially developed to fit the requirements of Antenna Hungaria. They are to be made available to the Hungarian population for a fee that is said to be no more than 1% of the Hungarian net minimum wage.
The boxes are primarily for the reception of the MiniDigTV service, which offers a total of five free to air channels, three of which are in HD.
The services are on two multiplexes one of which also offers Terra+, a two-channel pre-paid service from Antenna Digital.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 31st August 2009
Digital TV in over 1 million homes
More than 1 million Hungarian homes now receive digital TV services according to a recent announcement from the National Communications Authority (NHH).
The NHH used sample data from 14 leading providers of TV services in Hungary, covering 80-85% of the market.
Around 3 million homes in Hungary now receive Pay-TV from the various platforms. UPC claimed a 33.4% market share followed by Digi TV with 24.1% and Magyar Telekom, 18.2%.
Digital cable accounts for 12.9% of the market; DTH, IPTV and wireless, 29.5% and 57.6% still watch analogue Pay-TV services.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 17th August 2009
Two HD services added to DTT platform
MiniDig TV, the free to air platform, is to make two new HD services available on the DTT platform. The new services m1 and m2 will be available on the DTT platform from the 1st July.
Following the addition of the services viewers will have access to three free to view HD and three free to view SD services as well as two pay TV services.
By the end of the year it is expected that MiniDig TV on the DTT platform will reach 88% of the population.
Source: Antenna Hungária Press release
Item added: 6th July 2009
RTL Klub channel joins DTT platform
RTL Television and the Antenna Hungária Group have signed an agreement which allows its service RTL Klub to be made available free-to-air on the MiniDig DTT platform. The service was planned to start on the 8th May.
The MiniDig TV service was launched on the 1st December 2008 from the Budapest, Kabhegy and Szentes transmitting stations covering 60% of households.
The Hungarian DTT platform includes two DVB-T multiplex using the MPEG-4 (H.264, AVC) compression format and one DVB-H multiplex. Pay-DTT services, from Terra+ are also available.
Source: Antenna Hungaria website
Item added: 12th May 2009
DTT platform assessment released
The National Communications Authority (NCAH) has released an assessment of the performance to date of Antenna Hungaria’s DTT platform.
The NCAH is critical of the Antenna Hungaria’s service, which was launched in July 2008. Its report says that the DTT platform has not contributed sufficiently to competitiveness in the television market and has also failed to reach distribution agreements with broadcasters. So far commercial operators from the analogue platform have not joined and only public service broadcasts are available on the digital platform. In addition the NCAH notes that the digital coverage is also lower than expected.
At present the existing DTT platform comprises of two DTT and one DVB-H multiplex.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 27th April 2009
Over 500 channels available on DTT platforms in Europe
Recent data from the MAVISE TV database, developed for the DG Communication of the European Commission by the European Audiovisual Observatory, shows the continued expansion of television channels in the European (EU 27 + Croatia and Turkey) television market. More than 200 new TV channels were launched in 2008. There are now a total of 5587 channels (plus 412 non-European channels) available in the 29 countries.
Digital terrestrial television (DTT) has experienced significant developments in the last year.
Six of the 29 countries included in the MAVISE database have already ceased analogue terrestrial transmission.
France, Italy, Spain and the UK (four markets with large use of terrestrial television) have reached very high levels of DTT penetration in households and two of these have started regional switch-off of the analogue signals
The market will see more rapid development this year with the expected launch of new services in Slovenia, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Poland, Greece, and Slovakia. Full article at: EAO press release
Item added: 7th April 2009
Overview on DTT in Hungary
The latest Digitag Web Letter provides a comprehensive view of the DTT situation in Hungary and can be found on the Digitag website at the following link.
Digitag Web Letter February 2009
Item added: 23rd March 2009TechniSat
Digital to supply STB’s
TechniSat Digital is to start supplying Antenna Hungária with DVB-T MPEG-4 set-top boxes for its DTT platform MinDigTV from May, reports Broadband TV News. The boxes designated TechniSat HDT4 will be developed especially for the Hungarian market.
HD test transmissions of MTV, m1 and m2 were finally switched off on the 28th February 2009.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 2nd March 2009
HD DTV trial extended
Antenna Hungária has extended the HD test transmissions of the national public channels m1 and m2 on its DTT platform MinDigTV until the end of this month reports Broadband TV News.
HD TV transmissions started on December 23 last year, and now offers both HD channels subscription-free on MinDig TV in Budapest, Kabhegy and Szentes.
There are currently believed to be 200,000 HD ready sets installed in Hungarian households.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 16th February 2009
DVB-H services launched in Budapest
Antenna Hungariá and Nokia announced at a joint press conference that a DVB-H service was launched in Budapest on the 1st December 2008.
The service provides good coverage in most of Budapest and even inside some buildings. Outdoor coverage reaches beyond the city borders.
The DVB-H service is transmitted from an SFN on channel 38 made up from three synchronised transmitters located at Széchenyi Hill, Száva Street and Hármashatár Hill.
Source: Antenna Hungaria press announcement
Item added: 16th December 2008
MiniDig TV launched
MinDig TV, the subscription-free digital terrestrial television service was launched on December 1, 2008 at 17:30 with Duna TV HD in HD and Duna II Autonómia in SD format
The services are coded in MPEG-4, H.264 AVC and require an HD compatible DVB-T STB or receiver to view all the transmissions. Services are available to 60% of the population.
Negotiations are still underway for the inclusion of commercial broadcasters but the need for a revised broadcast legislative framework is said to be complicating the process.
Source: Antenna Hungaria press release
Item added: 9th December 2008
Duna TV to join DTT platform
Duna Television and Antenna Hungaria have signed a 12 year contract about its participation in the MiniDig TV DTT platform.
Duna will offer its Duna TV, television service in HD format and Duna II Autonómia, in standard-definition both of which will be broadcast from the same multiplex and free to view.
Duna TV had only previously been available on the cable and satellite platforms.
At the time of launch, DTT services will be available to 60% of the population.
Source: Antenna Hungaria press release
Item added: 1st December 2008
DTT STB distribution deal signed
Transmission company Antenna Hungária has signed a four year distribution deal with P-Sat Hungary for the supply of DTT set top boxes for its MinDig TV service.The deal will end following the successful completion of digital switchover in mid 2012.
Source: Antenna Hungaria
Item added: 24th November 2008
New Media Law being considered
Hungary may soon have a new Media Law, reports Broadband TV News.
The website attributes index.hu, Fidesz and MSZP as the sources of the information.
The country’s two leading political parties are preparing the final text of the new law which is expected to be voted on in Parliament before the end of the year.
The new legislation calls for the establishment of a new broadcasting regulator to replace the existing National Radio and Television Board (ORTT).
In addition, the leading commercial broadcasters, RT Klub and TV2, would be allowed to launch new television services.
Main source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 11th November 2008
Digital Christmas is coming
Antenna Hungaria, the network operator, has announced that the free to air DTT platform MiniDig TV will launch on the 1st December 2008.
To ensure that the launch can take place work has begun to revamp the Kabhegy transmitting station. This will be followed by further work on the Szentes station in November.
The Kabhegy station will provide DTT coverage for North-West and Central Dunántúl, the central part of Budapest. The Szentes station broadcasts to the South East of Hungary.
The MiniDig TV service will be available in Budapest, Szeged, Gyor, Kecskemét, Székesfehervá Tatabánya, Kaposvár, Békéscsaba, Veszprém and the Zalaegerszeg region.
In all Christmas services will be available to 6 million Hungarians around 60% of the population.
Main source: Antenna Hungaria press release
Item added: 27th October 2008
NHH and Antenna Hungária sign contract
On the 5th September 2008 Hungary’s National Communications Authority (NHH) officially signed the contract awarding Antenna Hungária (AH) the digital-terrestrial TV and digital-radio transmission rights in Hungary.
Antenna Hungária has been granted a licence to operate 5 DTT multiplexes and 1 radio multiplex, both for 12 years. AH will start DAB radio broadcasts and DTT broadcasts on mux.A, mux.B (mobile TV) and mux.C before the end of the year. Broadcasts on mux.D and mux.E will start after the switch off of analogue broadcasting in 2011.
Once completed transmissions from both the DAB and DTT platforms will reach 94% and 96% of the population respectively.
Initially the DTT platform will cover 60% of the population at switch on in 2008 and will operate from three sites, Budapest, Szentes and Kabhegy.
In 2009 another 8 transmitting sites will be added increasing the coverage to 88% and then further transmitters to bring the coverage to 95% by the end of 2010.
As expected DVB-H services will also be started in and around Budapest in 2008 with population coverage of 16%. By the end of 2009 services will be available in 7 larger cities and the area of lake Balaton increasing the coverage to 30% and then to 50% of the population by the end of 2012.
Source: Antenna Hungária press release
Item added: 9th September 2008
DTT broadcasting launched by the end of 2008
Parliament, in a session on Friday the 25th July, approved the decision by NHH to award the licence to operate the countries DTT network to Antenna Hungária Zrt.
Antenna Hungária will eventually operate 5 DTT multiplexes, 3 of which can begin as soon as possible, with the remaining two starting after spectrum is made available by the analogue switch off in 2011/12.
Services are expected to begin by the end of the year and initially cover 59% of the population. DVB-H services covering 16% of the population are also expected to begin by the end of the year.
DVB-T services will use MPEG-4, H.264 audio video coding.
Source: NHH website
Item added: 22nd August 2008
Antenna Hungária awarded DTT platform licence
The National Telecommunications Authority (NHH) has awarded the licence to operate the countries DTT platform to Antenna Hungária and Broadcasting is expected to begin by the end of the year. The 12-year licence covers the eventual provision of 5 TV and 1 radio multiplex which can all become operational after the ASO at the end of 2011.
At service launch 3 multiplexes will be available.
The licence also gives Antenna Hungária the right to operate a DVB-H service on the 3rd multiplex.
Source: Antenna Hungaria website
Item added: 28th July 2008
Two bid for DTT licence
The National Communication Authority in Hungary (NHH) reports on its website that it received two bids for DTT licences to operate all five DTT multiplexes. The bidders were network operator Antenna Hungária and the Slovakian company, Digital Broadcasting.
NHH will check on the eligibility of the two bidders during the next two weeks and is expected to announce the winner in August. It is hoped that DTT services can be launched by the end of the year.
Source: NHH website
Item added: 28th April 2008
Hungary issues call for DTT tenders
The Hungarian National Telecommunications Authority (NHH) has issued a call to tender for five DVB-T and one T-DAB multiplexes for a 12year period.
The results of the tender will be announced in the summer, with the winners of the first two TV and one radio multiplex licences expected to start broadcasting by the end of the year.
The third DVB-T multiplex will have space allocated for mobile TV services, while the remaining two will be introduced following analogue switch off.
The tender will not be open to analogue TV broadcasters with over 300,000 subscribers, and the deadline for bids is April 24.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 1st April 2008
Hungary to issue DTT tenders soon
Hungary’s National Communications Authority (NHH) is to issue tenders for digital TV and radio broadcasting before the end of this month.
One will be for five DTT multiplexes, and the second for one radio VHF radio multiplex.
The move follows a decision by an ad-hoc parliamentary committee earlier this week to approve the tender documentation regarding digital broadcasting network operating rights.
A DTT service may now make its debut in Hungary before the end of this year.
The announcement came soon after comments made by Ilkidó Sarkady, the Hungarian government commissioner for audiovisual media, at the recent DVB World 2008 conference held recently in Budapest.
She had expressed her hope that Hungary would finally see the launch of a DTT platform later this year.
Main source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 23rd March 2008
Hungary prepares for DTT
Hungary’s National Communications Authority (NHH) has announced that it will hold a tender for a national DTT licence this March, reports Broadband TV News.
The regulator will offer five multiplexes, three for TV and DVB-H services and the remaining two only after analogue switch off, which takes place on the 30th June 2011.
DTT services could be up and running by the end of 2008.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 5th February 2008
NCAH announces delay to Digital tendering
The National Communications Authority of Hungary (NCAH) has announced that it is unable to issue invitations to tender for operating rights to the digital radio and digital TV networks because parliamentary approval still needs to be granted.
The tender process was to be for one digital radio and five digital television free-to-air broadcasting networks and is expected to continue when the NCAH ad-hoc committee receives approval for its tendering documentation, which was completed in September.
The Act on Broadcasting and the digital switchover had called on the NCAH to issue the license tender by 31 October 2007.
Source: NCAH website
Item added: 7th November 2007
Regulator prepares for DTT licensing
The National Communications Authority (NHH) has issued its plans for the allocation of DVB-T licenses for consultation.
Eventually licenses will be issued for the operation of 5 national DTT multiplexes.
Spectrum is immediately available for 3 of the multiplexes with space for the remaining 2 multiplexes becoming available after analogue switch-off is completed at the end of 2011.
NHH is expected to allocate the DTT licenses in early 2008 with services to follow soon thereafter.
The invitation to tender for the DTT licenses is expected this Autumn, not later than 31 October 2007, and following the publication of the responses to the current consultation.
Viewers will be able to access free-to-air television services, including interactive services.
In addition, space on the second multiplex has been reserved for DVB-H services.
DTT services must be made available to 94% of the population.
Main source: Digitag
Original source: NHH website
Item added: 28th August 2007
Hungary prepares for digital broadcasting
György Kovács, the president of the Hungarian National Radio and Television Commission (ORTT), has told Broadband TV News that the country is likely to have a full digital strategy in place by the second half of July.
The first step was taken earlier this week, when parliament approved the launch of DTT services. A tender for the right to operate up to four multiplexes will take place this autumn, with the winner then selecting what channels will be carried. However, most of the first multiplex will already be reserved for existing services (M1, M2, Duna TV, RTL Klub, TV2, HirTV, ATV and a new national commercial channel) and part of the second for mobile TV. Hungary plans to shortly pass a new media law and is aiming to complete the transition to digital broadcasting in 2010. In another important development, the Hungarian parliament has overturned a controversial rule limiting the maximum number of subscribers any cable operator can have to a third of the population.
Source: Chris Dziadul at Broadband TV News
Item added: 21st June 2007
Antenna Hungaria begins mobile TV trial
Hungarian broadcasting and transmission company Antenna Hungaria in conjunction with T-Mobile have begun a mobile TV trial using DVB-H technology. The trial, which is expected to last several months, will distribute public channels M1, M2, Duna and Duna2 Autonomia. Launched on the 1st April the trial will test the interoperability of the two companies systems. The trial is expected to last for several months.
Source: Various plus Antenna Hungaria
Item added: 19th April 2007
DTT licensing likely in 2008
The National Communication Authority of Hungary (NHH) has announced that the country will start to sell DTT licences in 2008 subject to parliament passing new legislation regulating DTT frequencies beforehand.
At present limited DTT transmissions are broadcast in Budapest and Kabhegy.
2012 has been set as the date for analogue switch-off.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 27th March 2007
Debate over digital TV bill hinges on regulation of content
A bill on digital television in Hungary is being contested by those who wish to see the mediums broadcast content overseen by state authorities rather than liberalized according to an article on the Budapest Business Journals website. It says that speedy approval of the bill could give Hungary an advantage when frequency allocations are made in May and June.
The debate is expected to continue.
Source: Budapest Business Journal
Item added: 25th January 2006
Previous
A better content proposition and regulatory framework are needed if Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) is to be a success in Hungary. Says Géza Laszlo, CEO of Antenna Hungaria (AHRT), the organisation responsible for bringing DTT to Hungarian consumers, "I believe today the major obstacles are the regulatory framework. The Hungarian media law does not really cover DTT. There are some debates on whether it is open enough to start the project, or even whether we should change the law to get started with professional broadcasting."
Mihaly Galik, who heads the institute of marketing and media at Corvinus University in Budapest, also believes there are significant regulatory issues impacting DTT in country. "There is kind of a deadlock, because our broadcasting law does not fit the requirements of DTT," he says. "Secondly, the government has not decided yet on the strategy of introduction of DTT. I am quite sure the cable companies will protest against the state subsidies attached to the introductory process."
He continues, "The problem is that Hungarian media law needs to gain a two-thirds majority in Parliament. This is the main obstacle. Right now, there are two big political parties in Hungary, and they do not agree on anything."
The Hungarian market is covered 60 percent by cable television, with the largest player being UPC and the second largest being Matav, the incumbent telephone operator. According to Laszlo, the stance of cable players and the telecoms operator Matav are not helping DTT.
Laszlo still is optimistic that DTT in Hungary will be a success, but not in the near future. "In around three to six years, [DTT will] take over the analogue signals," he says. "Regarding the pilot project, in one year, the regulatory body can decide about the additional channels. We can fill the 10 channels installed, but we are at least three years away from a full commercial DTT launch."
Thes extracts are taken from a longer in depth article attributed to the following people
Contact Géza Laszlo, Antenna Hungaria, 00 36 1 203 6060; Csilla Voros, AGB Research, 00 36 1 461 7050; Mihaly Galik, Corvinus University, Galik@uny- corvinus.hu
Background
Although DVB-T pilot trails began in Budapest during 1999 the transition to DTT has been slow.
However a new electronic communication act replacing the existing telecom law is hoped to speed up this process.
The law has already resulted in the creation of a new regulatory body called the National Radio and Television Board (ORTT) and the provision of a new grant to Antenna Hungária .
The grant enabled the DTT project started in Budapest back in 1999 to be extended to Kabhegy near Lake Balaton in May 2002.
According to Antenna Hungária a free-to-air pilot broadcast with 10 programmes in two multiplexes will be launched during the last quarter of 2004 covering the Budapest region.
For more up to date information look at the Antenna Hungária website
http://www.ahrt.hu/en/services/1FCC9EB7E1AF428A89E065D4B74090B9.php
