The space for new TV channels is growing, the frequencies for 5G mobile phones are freed up. But the counterpart, in the transition to the new digital terrestrial TV, is heavy: the broadcast quality dropsdespite promises. The responsibility lies with the new digital signal compression technologies, certainly more efficient in the relationship between occupied frequencies and perceived quality. The fact is that with the obligation to make room for the MPEG-4 AVC signal (otherwise known as H.264), which progressively takes the place of the MPEG-2 standard, the reduction of the space occupied in the air rewards so much that we impose a often lower quality, just as the size of the screens and the expectations of all of us are progressively increasing.
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Considering that there is still the problem of changing a good number of old televisions within a few months, so why not switch to the free satellite platform Tivusat? THE benefits they are innumerable: we will have almost all the normal digital terrestrial channels plus many others, Italian and foreign, and for free. No subscription but the simple purchase of a decoder to connect to our TV, equipped with a dedicated card that can be bought together with the decoder or can be requested (perhaps to have more in addition) from Rai. Possible negative effects? The classic ones of satellite transmissions, which in the event of strong disturbances or failures of whoever transmits the signal (trouble that can also affect digital terrestrial) can temporarily obscure our TV.
The costs and how to do it
Tivusat is in any case an excellent solution for those who want to keep their old TV no longer suitable for the new digital terrestrial but equipped with an HDMI audio video socket (the old "Scart" is not good) to connect the external decoder. Or, alternatively, a "cam" with a Tivusat card to be inserted in the TV slot, if our TV set is equipped with it. A hundred euros or so, both for the first solution and for the second, and the basic material is ready.
Then we need a connection to the satellite antenna, which we may already have, either our exclusive property or through a condominium system that reaches all the apartments, pointed and calibrated (as practically always happens) on the satellite Eutelsat Hot Bird 13 EST, which sends us the signals of the most widespread paid satellite platforms, such as Sky. The different devices can easily coexist in the same television or even, with the system adapted to the needs, on all the televisions in the house. And together with the satellite we can of course also keep our digital terrestrial, ready to intervene in case of problems with the satellite.
The cost of the satellite antenna, if we don't already have it? Between 200 and 300 euros, including material and installation, for systems that are not particularly difficult to build and if you don't need masonry work inside your house to pass the antenna cable to the "pan" to be placed or on the roof ( the legislation gives us the full right to do so if there is no condominium satellite antenna and if we pass the cable without creating problems for others) or on the balcony (in this case the condominium regulation may provide for restrictions or prohibitions). The expense, in hindsight, is largely convenient, especially if in this way we avoid the purchase of a new television by recycling the one bought maybe a few years ago but no longer suitable for the new digital terrestrial.
Some comparisons, examples
Let's make some comparisons, in more detail, between digital terrestrial and what Tivusat offers us. The Italian satellite platform gives us all the traditional digital terrestrial channels for free as well as hundreds of television channels from every nation. Looking closely at the schedule, we actually find at least one exception, painful for racket lovers: the excellent free SuperTennis channel, offered by our tennis federation (FIT) on digital terrestrial, hasn't appeared on Tivusat for a few months. Commercial problems deriving from agreements with paid platforms, obviously. For the rest we find practically everything. In addition to the normal national digital terrestrial channels, there are even six free-to-air channels very high definition (which digital terrestrial does not yet have), visible to those equipped with a 4K television: among these is Rai 4K and the amazing NASA TV 4K which practically takes us on board as if we were astronauts. It's really unlikely that digital terrestrial, with its problems of space in the frequencies, can do the same.
