Digital Television just arrived for all Portuguese
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The first television broadcasts took place 53 years ago. Portugal Telecom marks today a new era with the launch of the first Digital Terrestrial Television broadcasts. The commitment assumed at the time of the presentation of the new DTT project in April of 2008 was fulfilled. As of today 40% of the Portuguese population will have access to a new television experience, Digital Television for All
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"As of today DTT will
be a reality in the
life of all Portuguese",
stresses PT’s CEO |
Portugal Telecom just started the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) broadcasts in 29 Portuguese municipalities, surpassing the initial proposal of 10 locations, both close and far from the coastline, Azores and Madeira, through a fast implementation process that will fully cover the country up to the end of 2010. The Portuguese will have access to a new television experience, cost-free, featuring an enhanced image quality and innovative functionalities.
PT’s network management centre was the chosen venue for the press conference that marked the start of DTT broadcasts. In a symbolic way, the Minister for Public Works, Transportation and Communications pressed the button, thus starting the countdown for the beginning of the digital transmission of the four national generalist channels: RTP, RTP2, SIC and TVI, as well as RTP Azores and RTP Madeira. Augusto Santos Silva, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Paulo Campos, Secretary of State for Communications, Amado da Silva, Chairman, ANACOM, Azevedo Lopes, Chairman, ERC, Francisco Balsemão, Chairman, SIC, Guilherme Costa, Chairman, RTP, José Eduardo Moniz, Board Member, TVI, and Bernardo Bairrão, Deputy Director, TVI were also present.
“We established today a historical mark by starting DTT broadcasts in 29 locations, which means 40% coverage of the population. Our goal is to attain 80% coverage up to year end. We shall put this country at the frontline of everything that is being done in terms of DTT in Europe”, ensures Zeinal Bava, Chief Executive, PT, during the press conference that launched DTT.
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Guilherme Costa, Chairman, RTP, Francisco Balsemão, Chairman, SIC, Paulo Campos, Secretary of State for Communications, Zeinal Bava, Chief Executive Officer, PT, Mário Lino, Minister for Public Works, Transportation and Communications |
The Minister for Public Works, Transportation and Communications congratulates PT and stresses the importance of DTT’s launch in Portugal: “this is another technological step forward in the telecommunications sector. As of today Portugal is part of the developed countries in terms of DTT implementation. I congratulate PT and its experts for the competent, efficient and enthusiastic way in which they have worked for this project.
PT is creating conditions to anticipate in 16 months the analogue television switch-off deadline established by the Government. “We are preparing everything so that Portugal may carry out the switch-off in 2010, if the Government so wishes. We will implement DTT in three years, creating benefits for the economy and the users”, says PT’s CEO. Portugal will then become the European Union country with the shortest DTT implementation time.
“Portugal Telecom keeps demonstrating its capacity of satisfying its commitments. DTT was a commitment assumed in April of last year, which we proudly fulfil today”, said Luís Alveirinho, Network Planning and Implementation director.
DTT will replace the current terrestrial analogue broadcasting, which provides the four national generalist channels, RTP, RTP2, SIC and TVI, RTP Azores and RTP Madeira, by providing enhanced image quality, digital sound, and functionalities only available on pay-tv up to now, such as:
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DTT started broadcasting today
in 29 municipalities. Apart from
these locations, there are others
with DTT coverage, so the access
to website http://tdt.telecom.pt/
is advised to check the coverage
of the zone in question |
- TV Guide: shows the detail of the instantaneous and future programming of each channel;
- Programming bar: allows keeping up with the shows broadcast at the same time on other cannels and which shows will be aired next;
- Digital recording: with scheduling capability. It allows scheduling and recording the content broadcast by TV channels;
- TV Pause: allows stopping the broadcast in real time and resuming it later on;
- High Definition: existence of a high definition channel, provided cost-free, which will be broadcast simultaneously, in a sequential way, with one of the standard definition channels.
Innovation is part of PT’s ADN that has bet on its multi-platform capabilities, privileging mobility. In the case of DTT, apart from the possibility of having digital television at home, on the television set, it will be possible to have it on the PC, anywhere with DTT coverage outdoors, via the new mobile broadband board from TMN, which will have an inbuilt digital terrestrial television receiver. TMN is the only operator in Portugal to have a mobile broadband board that allows watching television. The amount of the monthly fee of TMN’s mobile broadband service will remain unchanged with this bundled offer.
This new board will allow the cost-free viewing of the national channels through a digital signal anywhere anytime, dispensing with an Internet connection. All DTT functionalities available on the TV set at home will also be available.
DTT is already a reality in the life of the Portuguese. A communication campaign both on traditional and online media, at http://tdt.telecom.pt/, was developed to disclose as much information as possible about the project. There is also a helpline: 800 200 838, apart from the information available at Portugal Telecom’s shops throughout the country.
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