Analogue To Digital Transition By Country
See also: Digital television transitionThe broadcasting of digital terrestrial transmissions has led to many countries planning to phase out existing analogue broadcasts. This table shows the launches of DTT and the closing down of analogue television in several countries.
- Official launch: The official launch date of digital terrestrial television in the country, not the start for trial broadcasts.
- Start of closedown: The date for the first major closedown of analogue transmitters.
- End of closedown: The date when analogue television is definitely closed down.
- System: Transmission system, e. g. DVB-T, ATSC or ISDB-T.
- Interactive: System used for interactive services, such as MHP and MHEG-5.
- Compression: Video compression standard used. Most systems use MPEG-2, but the more efficient H.264/MPEG-4 AVC has become increasingly popular among networks launching later on. Some countries use both MPEG-2 and H.264, for example France which uses MPEG-2 for standard definition free content but MPEG-4 for HD broadcasts and pay services.
| Country |
Official launch |
Start of closedown |
End of closedown |
System |
Interactive |
Compression |
References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | 2004-07-15 | 2012/2015 | DVB-T | MPEG-2 | |||
| Andorra | 2007-09-25 | DVB-T | None | MPEG-2 | |||
| Arab States | 2002-01-01 (Qatar), 2003-01-01 (KSA), 2004-01-01 (Outside Qatar and KSA) | 2012-02-13 | DVB-T | MPEG-2 (local channels), MPEG-4 (national channels) | |||
| Australia | 2001-01-01 | Regional ASO started 30 June 2010 | 2013 | DVB-T | MHP | MPEG-2, H.264 | |
| Austria | 2006-10-26 | 2007-03-05 | 2010 | DVB-T | None | MPEG-2 | |
| Belgium | 2002/2003 | 2008-11-03 | 2011 (Francophone Community) | DVB-T | None | MPEG-2 | |
| Argentina | 2010-04-28 | — | 2019-09-01 | ISDB-Tb | Ginga | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | |
| Brazil | 2007-12-03 | — | 2016-06-29 | ISDB-T | Ginga | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | |
| Bulgaria | 2004-11 | 2009-03 | 2013-09-01 | DVB-T | MHP | MPEG-4 | |
| Canada | 2003-01 | 2011-08-31 | ATSC | MPEG-2, H.264(ATSC 2.0) | |||
| China | 2006 | 2006 | 2015 (SARFT reported August 2005) | DMB-T/H | MPEG-2 | ||
| Colombia | 2008-08-28 | 2019-12-31 | DVB-T | MHP | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | ||
| Costa Rica | 2010-05-04 | — | 2018 | ISDB-T | Ginga | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | |
| Croatia | 2002-07-09 | 2002-07-09 | 2011-01-01 | DVB-T | MPEG-2 | ||
| Czech Republic | 2005-10-21 | 2005-10-21 | 2010-10 | DVB-T | MHP | MPEG-2 | |
| Denmark | 2006-03-31 | 2009-02-01 | 2009-11-01 | DVB-T | MHP | MPEG-2, H.264 | |
| El Salvador | 2009-04-22 | 2018-12-31 | 2019-01-01 | ATSC | MPEG-2, H.264(ATSC 2.0) | ||
| Estonia | 2006-12-15 | 2008-03-31 (Ruhnu island) | 2010-07-01 | DVB-T | MHP planned | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | |
| Faroe Islands | 2002-12 | 2002-12 | 2003 | DVB-T | None | MPEG-2 | |
| Finland | 2001-08-27 | 2007-09-01 | 2007-09-01 | DVB-T | None | MPEG-2 | |
| France | 2005-03-31 FTA
2006/03/01 Pay DTT |
2009-02-04 | DVB-T | MHP | MPEG-2, H.264 | ||
| Germany | 2003-03 | 2003-03 Regional rollout | 2008-12-02 completed | DVB-T | MPEG-2 / H.264 (Stuttgart for non public channels) | ||
| Greece | 2006-01-16 Tests | 2008-11-01 | 2015 | DVB-T | MPEG-2 (ERT) H.264/MPEG-4 AVC (ERT, DIGEA) |
||
| Hong Kong | 2007-12-31 | 2015 | DMB-T/H | MHEG-5 (TVB) | MPEG-2, H.264 | ||
| Hungary | 2008-12-01 | 2014-12-31 | DVB-T | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | |||
| Indonesia | 13 August 2008 (Trial) 20 May 2009 (Official) |
Q2 2012 | Q4 2017 | DVB-T | MPEG-2 | ||
| Iran | 2009 | 2015 | DVB-T | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | |||
| Ireland | 1999–2002 2006–2008 31 October 2010 (90%) 26 May 2011 DTT launch, December 2011 (98%) |
2012-10-24 with NI | 2012-10-24 with NI | DVB-T | RCT abandoned, MHEG5, | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | |
| Israel | 2009-08-02 | June 2011 | DVB-T | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, AAC+ V2 | |||
| Italy | 2004-01-01 | 2012-07-04 | DVB-T | MHP | MPEG-2, H.264 | ||
| Japan | 2003-12-01 | 2010-07-24 (some regions of Ishikawa) 2011-07-24 (all cities except Morioka, Sendai, and Fukushima) |
2012-03-31 in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima | ISDB-T | BML | MPEG-2 | |
| Lithuania | 2006 | Now expanded nationwide at January 2009 | 2012-10-29 | DVB-T | MPEG-4 | ||
| Luxembourg | 2006-04-04 | 2006-04-04 | 2006-09-01 | DVB-T | None | MPEG-2 | |
| Republic of Macedonia | 2004-05-04 | 2010-01-01 | 2013, June | DVB-T | MHP | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | |
| Malaysia | cancelled | cancelled | cancelled | DVB-T as of 2009 | MHEG-5 as of 2009 | H.264 as of 2009 | |
| Mexico | 2004-07-05 | 2015-31-12 | ATSC | MPEG-2, H.264(ATSC 2.0) | |||
| Morocco | 2007-06-01 | 2007-03-05 | 2015 | DVB-T | |||
| Netherlands | 2003 | 2003-11 | 2006-12-11 | DVB-T | MPEG-2 | ||
| New Zealand | April 2008 | 2012-09-30 | 2013-12-01 | DVB-T | MHEG-5 | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | |
| Norway | 2007-09 | 2008-03 | 2009-12-01 | DVB-T | MHP | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | |
| Peru | 2010-03-30 | 2023-03-01 | ISDB-T | Ginga | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | ||
| Philippines | October 2008 | 2015-05-31 | 2015-12-31 | ISDB-T | BML | MPEG-2, H.264 | |
| Poland | 2004 (trials) 2009-09-20 DTT Launch |
2011-05 | 2013-07-31 | DVB-T | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | ||
| Portugal | 2009-04-29 | 2011 | 2012-04-26 | DVB-T | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | ||
| Romania | 2005-12-01, Full:2009-12 | 2012-12-31 (planned) | DVB-T | MPEG-4 | |||
| Russia | 2010 | 2015 | DVB-T | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | |||
| Slovakia | 1999–2004,2005–2009 | 2010 | 2012 | DVB-T | MHEG-5 | MPEG-2, H.264 | |
| Slovenia | 2007 | 2010-12-01 | 2011-06-30 | DVB-T | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | ||
| South Africa | 2006-03 | 2008-11-01 | 2011-11-01 | DVB-T | MHEG-5 | H.264/MPEG-4 AVC | |
| South Korea | 2001 | 2010-09-01 14:00 (Uljin) | 2012-12-31 | ATSC | MPEG-2, H.264(ATSC 2.0) | ||
| Spain | 2000–2005 (Previous and relaunch) | 2009 | 2010-04-03 | DVB-T | None | MPEG-2 SD, H.264 HD | |
| Sweden | 1999-04-01 | 2005-09-19 | 2007-10-29 | DVB-T, DVB-T2 (HDTV) | MHP | MPEG-2/H.264 | |
| Switzerland | 2001 | 2002-03 | 2008-02-25 | DVB-T | |||
| Taiwan | 2004-01 | 2010-07 (Pinglin) | 2012-06 | DVB-T | MHP | MPEG-2, H.264 | |
| Thailand | 2011-01-25 (trial) 2012-01-01 |
2012-06 | 2015-04-09 | DVB-T2 | MHEG-5 | H.264 | |
| Turkey | 2006-02 (trial services) | 2007 | DVB-T | ||||
| Ukraine | 2009-04-01 | 2012 | 2015 | DVB-T | none | MPEG-4 | |
| United Kingdom | 1998-11-15 | 2007-10-17 (Whitehaven) | 2012-10-24 | DVB-T, DVB-T2 (HDTV) | MHEG-5 | MPEG-2, H.264 | |
| United States | 1998-10-29 | 2007 | ATSC | MPEG-2, H.264(ATSC 2.0) | |||
| Vietnam | 2011 (tests) 2012 (official) |
2020 | 2026 |
Read more about this topic: Digital Terrestrial Television
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