The first multiplex (package of digital TV channels) was approved by presidential decree back in 2009. In 2021, the second multiplex became available almost everywhere. After which 20 free channels gradually began to be broadcast almost throughout Russia.
The final stage of the state program to provide the population with digital television occurred in the last months of 2018, and the launch deadlines were met. The question of what the free channel packages are, as well as the list of broadcasters for each multiplex, will be discussed in more detail below.
I want to know whether my television is analogue or digital?
Turn on the main central channels - Channel One, Rossiya 1, NTV, Channel Five, REN-TV, STS, TNT, Zvezda, TVC and others.
If you see the letter “A” next to the logos, then you have an analogue television, and you need to do a number of steps so that your TV can receive a digital signal.
If there is no "A" next to the logo, after April 15 you will be able to continue watching TV as before. The absence of the letter "A" means that :
- you initially have digital television (satellite or Internet TV);
- you have terrestrial television, but the transition to digital broadcasting has already been completed;
- Do you have cable TV? Moscow authorities have agreed with cable television operators to preserve analogue broadcasting on cable. But if you want, you can also switch to digital broadcasting in cable.
Please note : if you have multiple TVs in your home, they may receive TV signals in different ways. For example, in the living room the TV is connected to cable TV, and in the kitchen the reception is via an antenna.
Second multiplex RTRS-2
The second digital TV multiplex is also equipped with 10 free channels. The decision on which digital TV channels should be broadcast was made in several stages by a specially created competition commission (December 2012 and 2013, as well as September 2015). The winning participants were able to conclude lucrative contracts with the state company RTRS. On average, the annual broadcast of one channel costs a broadcasting company almost 1 billion rubles.
The package of the second RTRS multiplex included 5 entertainment channels, 1 federal channel, as well as one channel each with musical, military-patriotic and religious content. And one more channel broadcasting around the clock in the territory of the former Soviet republics (meaning the MIR TV channel).
List of channels of the second digital TV package
The second package includes the following TV channels:
- REN TV;
- STS;
- Home;
- TV 3;
- Friday;
- TNT;
- SAVED;
- Star;
- World;
- Muz TV.
The answer to the question of which digital channels are included in the 20 free ones becomes clear. In the picture you can see the logos of each of them. On the RTRS website itself, each of the logos is a link to the channel’s page on the network.
Frequencies of channels 2 multiplex
To broadcast the RTRS multiplex in a specific area, its own frequency is used. In addition to using the interactive map map.rtrs.rf, there is another way to find out the frequency of the multiplex. To do this, open the “Construction of a digital TV network” section. Under the map, click on “ Terrestrial digital television network ”. Depending on the selected region, a table will open in which the specific locality and TVC number and broadcast frequency will be visible.
Each TV channel has its own frequency. The correspondence can be seen in the table below.
TVK
- TV channel
When will the second multiplex be launched?
The active phase of the launch of the second multiplex occurred in November and December 2021. Until this time, the mounted transmitters on television towers were in standby mode. This picture could also be observed on the interactive map, where the corresponding status was visible next to the RTRS-2 package in a specific locality. Now the situation has changed, the entry “Status: broadcasting” is visible everywhere.
The inclusion of a second multiplex at the end of 2021 was one of the conditions of the state program for the development of digital TV in the country (2009-2018). The transition to broadcasting 20 digital channels should not have lasted for years, otherwise the country would have seen obvious inequality among regions in terms of access to modern digital television. Therefore, the peak of commissioning of transmitters occurred at the end of the last year of the target program.
The result of the past year was the planned and almost universal launch of the RTRS-2 multiplex, which was announced on the official website of the Russian broadcasting and television network.
How to set up digital if I watch TV through an antenna?
If you have analogue television (there is an “A” next to the central channel logos), find out whether your TV supports the DVB-T2 standard. Digital TVs released after 2012 mostly have a corresponding decoder; those released earlier may not support this format (this is especially true for older analog TVs).
You can check whether your TV supports the DVB-T2 standard in the instructions for the TV or using the “Search for information about TV” service on the website of the Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network (RTRS). You will need to enter the make and model of your TV.
If your TV supports DVB-T2, you just need to set up your TV using the remote control:
- Step 1: Turn off the TV's power.
- Step 2: Connect the antenna cable to the antenna input of your digital TV.
- Step 3: Connect the power and turn on the TV.
- Step 4. Go to the appropriate section of the TV settings menu and activate the digital tuner.
- Step 5. Automatically search for programs using the instruction manual. You can perform a manual channel search. In this case, you must enter the channel number or frequency.
Third multiplex
The question about the new list of TV channels that would be included in the third package does not yet have an exact answer. According to Deputy Minister of Communications and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation Alexei Volin, another package will not work yet, since it has no economic basis. Nevertheless, development of this issue continues.
The first important step in this direction should be to turn off analogue television. This step will free up a fairly large frequency range. The plan for the gradual shutdown of analogue television is presented on the RTRS website in the section “When will analogue TV channels be turned off.” The table indicates the day when all work is planned to be completed - June 3, 2021.
Answering the question of how many TV channels the third package will show, it is worth noting that it should include 7-8 federal TV channels. A couple more regional channels and one channel, which will be developed by the All-Russian State Television and Radio Company (abbreviated as VGTRK), will complement the package to a 10-channel standard.
- In test mode, signal transmission is also carried out from the Ostankino TV tower in Moscow at a frequency of 578 MHz (TVK34 is used). According to the decision of Roskomnadzor, 40 TV channels have received license approval and can apply for the status of “channel of the third multiplex” within the framework of the new project. It will be designed for the entire country. Due to the large number of channels, test broadcasting is carried out according to a schedule, and each channel has so far received only a few hours of airtime.
Among the indicated 40 TV channels, the following can be noted: Sport 1, Russian Roman, TNT-Comedy, Fighter, Beaver, Euronews, Kitchen TV, Men's Cinema, Amusement Park, Living Planet.
What to do if your TV does not support digital format
If your TV does not support this format, you need to purchase additional equipment - a digital set-top box (receiver). If you have two TVs that you watch through an antenna, and you want to watch different channels on them, you need to purchase a set-top box for each of them. The digital set-top box needs to be connected to the TV and configured:
- Step 1: Turn off the TV's power.
- Step 2. Connect the antenna cable to the antenna input of the digital set-top box. Connect the video and audio cables to the appropriate jacks on your TV and set-top box. The image quality will be higher when connecting the set-top box to the TV with an HDMI cable.
- Step 3: Connect the power and turn on the TV.
- Step 4. From the menu, select the required input source: HDMI, AV, SCART and others.
- Step 5. Automatically search for digital TV programs using the operating instructions. You can perform a manual search. In this case, you must enter the channel number or frequency.
homyak:
09/16/2017 at 16:50
Do free multiplexes threaten the pay TV market?
08/31/2017 > 18:11 Author: Kolyubakin Vsevolod; Levkin Alexander
Thanks to government initiatives, in Russia it is enshrined at the legislative level that all pay TV operators are required to distribute two digital multiplexes, which include 20 TV channels, free of charge throughout the country. The emergence of such a wide variety of publicly available free TV content could not but affect the domestic pay TV market.
For a pay television operator, there is nothing better than poor and disgusting quality broadcast: two channels with “snow” and ripples on the screen, 5-meter antenna poles piled above houses in a vain attempt to catch a picture, nervous attempts to catch what in the broadcast network something watchable.
This is the soil in which pay TV flourishes and brings a good harvest to the “gardeners.”
But the idyll does not last forever, and if multiplex 2 is somewhat delayed in development, then the coverage of multiplex 1 is already confidently approaching 100%.
And the wealth of Russian free-to-air broadcasting - with blockbusters, championships and premieres - has long become a familiar feature of the television landscape.
IS THE STATE WORSE THAN PIRATES?
Previously, the work of a pay TV operator in the budget sector was trivial: any minimum quality package against the background of the virtually complete absence of normal broadcasting became attractive to the viewer.
But for all its slowness and cumbersomeness, the state machine turned the gears and brought free digital multiplexes filled with 20 TV channels to remote settlements.
The nightmare of public sector operators has come true.
What should they do when the mandatory twenty becomes publicly available?
Will two multiplexes kill the budget pay TV sector altogether?
The President of the Association of Cable Television Operators "MAKATEL", technical director of Tele-Mag LLC, Alexey Amelkin, is full of pessimism in this regard.
“I have already repeatedly said on various platforms that no one - neither competitors nor pirates - has dealt such a blow to the business of small cable operators as the state with its “free” multiplexes. Already, many operators have significantly lost and continue to lose their subscriber base due to the launch of multiplexes. Also, some operators are experiencing an outflow of subscribers from paid packages to social ones, which now must necessarily include channels from two multiplexes. With the widespread inclusion of 2 multiplexes, this process will continue,” complains Alexey Amelkin.
But other operators assess the prospects more optimistically; they believe that digital TV will accustom the viewer to quality content, and this is where the horizon will open for the pay TV operator.
In addition, operators note, terrestrial TV is not entirely free - you need to buy either a decoder or a corresponding TV, that is, there is little room for competition.
Thus, Marketing Director of ER-Telecom Holding JSC (Dom.ru trademark) Andrey Chazov emphasizes: despite the fact that state digital TV includes 20 basic channels and users do not need to pay a subscription fee if the TV does not supports the DVB-T standard, they will have to buy equipment - a decoder.
Oleg Fatun, chief specialist of the television formation group (AKADO Telecom), notes that publicly accessible channels perform an important information and educational mission in regions where there is a low level of pay television penetration.
In his opinion, the creation of multiplexes 1 and 2 will stimulate the development of the digital pay TV market.
“According to statistics, a viewer watches an average of 10 channels, and the content of two multiplexes is more than enough for him. However, paid digital content is a high-quality product that is unique in its own way. And in this sense, public television cannot seriously compete with it,” the representative of AKADO Telecom is confident.
The digital television service includes channels with high quality image and sound, and channels in high definition format, which also attracts the modern viewer.
“Additionally, pay TV gives consumers many personalized viewing options. The subscriber chooses content to his taste and watches it when he wants and where he wants,” adds Oleg Fatun.
Satellite television operators suffered less than others from the mandatory distribution of digital multiplexes.
Even in cities with a population of over a million, where access to a variety of entertainment is much wider, there has been no serious outflow from satellite; on the contrary, this is the only segment of traditional television that shows growth.
Director for Development and Business Process Management of Orion Group of Companies Elena Yachmennikova believes that in small settlements remote from the center, where TV was and remains the only entertainment, subscribers often lack the required public channels.
“In accordance with the laws “On Mass Media” and “On Communications”, we provide the opportunity to watch these TV channels without paying a subscription, however, subscribers are ready to stay with us and pay for a package of 200 TV channels of different genres and additional packages to have the opportunity to choose” , she says.
At the same time, Orion CEO Kirill Makhnovsky noted at a meeting with journalists that there will not be a noticeable increase in ARPU in the near future: for this it is necessary to radically increase the cost of packages, but it is difficult to force subscribers to pay more if they have an alternative in the form of free multiplexes.
According to him, 85–86% of television viewing comes from the “public twenty.”
General Director Yuri Potapov believes that a reduction in the business of operators due to the mandatory twenty will not happen due to the fact that for an operator, TV is not the only one, he comments.
PAY TV: INDEPENDENCE IS IN QUESTION
So, operators are optimistic that their business will not be affected.
Some of them even consider free digital broadcasting to be good PR for digital television in general.
But nevertheless: 20 channels is quite a lot.
This amount is enough for the average viewer.
The content in this twenty is quite diverse.
Will operators be able to attract their subscribers in such conditions?
Alexey Amelkin’s opinion here is also pessimistic.
He argues that the pay TV market will not grow.
True, the head of MAKATEL sees the main problem not in the mandatory twenty, but in the falling standard of living in general.
Therefore, he predicts that pay TV will survive only as an app to other online services.
Deputy Minister of Communications and Mass Communications Alexey Volin at the recent AKTR conference said that pay television is premium, especially if there is a luxurious free alternative,” comments Alexey Amelkin.
He hopes that economic growth and income growth could bring back interest in pay TV, but he doesn't count on it too much as access to the Internet becomes more important to people than access to television.
This is why pay television as an addition to the Internet is becoming more relevant than as a separate service.
Other market participants, by and large, do not share such pessimistic forecasts, but agree that television is moving into the category of a premium service and subscribers need to be attracted by new services, mainly interactive.
Elena Yachmennikova observes a downward trend in linear television viewing in Russia as a whole.
“Firstly, non-linear content is in demand - on demand, delayed viewing, recording functions. Subscribers are also interested in premiere content, which previously could only be seen in cinemas. Considering the fact that today more and more people prefer gadgets to their usual TV, a service for watching TV content via the Internet is absolutely necessary for a satellite television operator to increase subscriber loyalty,” emphasizes the Orion representative.
According to Andrey Chazov from ER-Telecom, in 2021 the number of Russian pay TV users increased by 1.4 million and exceeded 40 million.
According to analysts, pay TV remains one of the few segments of the communications market that demonstrates stable growth.
Connection rates are decreasing, but remain relatively high - almost 4% of subscribers.
Operators are constantly improving their pay TV service.
Andrey Chazov listed the main directions of such development.
Firstly, this is an increase in the number of channels, thematic packages and the volume of the VoD library.
Secondly, work on quality. Increasing volumes of content in HD format, and later in Ultra HD.
Thirdly, operators are launching new set-top boxes and other subscriber equipment. The wider the line and the more functional the device, the better.
The fourth direction is the development of the mobile TV model: any content on any device, anywhere and at any time.
Finally, fifth is the personalization of the service.
TV becomes more individual due to the “TV Archive” function and a recommendation system, which is compiled taking into account viewing history.
“Currently, pay TV is watched in 3 out of 4 Russian apartments, and this figure will continue to grow,” sums up the Dom.ru representative.
Yuri Potapov from Bryansk Cable Networks believes that the determining factor when a subscriber chooses a provider is the Internet, not television.
Therefore, the presence of 20 public channels globally will not affect operators, since it is not the main component of their income.
“Only for subscribers aged 65–80 years, the determining factor when choosing an operator is the TV service. But this segment of users accounts for no more than 10% of the revenue and no more than 1% of the profit of a modern operator,” says Yuri Potapov.
Interestingly, Tele-Sputnik’s conversation with representatives of several multi-service networks showed that, on the one hand, television is perceived by operators as a mandatory service, and on the other, multi-service operators pay less attention to content.
The standard answer from providers who have recently entered the market: “We have launched the mandatory twenty for now, we’ll figure out the rest later.”
At the same time, traditional television networks, while losing in other services, are winning in the content game.
According to what specific scenario will the market develop further: the struggle between multi-services and content, or the unification of services on one platform?
This is relevant for regional networks, since in large cities this issue has long been resolved in favor of unification.
ONLINE BROADCASTING: REPLACEMENT OR ADDITION?
From all of the above, many questions arise.
It turns out that interactivity and multi-service will compete with pay TV? Or not?
What could become the main competitor and obstacle to the further growth of the pay TV market?
What potential threats in general could affect the state of the pay TV subscriber base?
And are these threats at all, or maybe, on the contrary, points of growth?
Opinions on this matter are divided. Small operators see the current state of the market as a threat to their business.
Alexey Amelkin believes that people's increasing dependence on the Internet is a factor killing the demand for pay television.
“In addition, the profanation of the anti-piracy fight, which reduced it almost exclusively to blocking sites, did not produce much results. Blocking any site is almost guaranteed to lead to the effect of the “Snake of Gorynych”: if you cut off one head, three grow, that is, several “mirrors” appear (on October 1, 2021, a law comes into force that introduces the concept of “copy of a blocked site” and allows the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications to independently accept the decision to block such “mirrors” - note by Tele-Sputnik). Moreover, the media hype about blocking, which invariably accompanies it, even if the blocking has not yet occurred, increases traffic to such sites. There are already methods for turning blocking into an increase in the number of users and, as a consequence, the income of site owners,” complains the president of MAKATEL.
At the same time, in his opinion, Internet piracy does not particularly affect the business of cable operators, because viewing pirated sites is the lot of enthusiasts, and most people like to watch TV.
But Alexey Amelkin makes a reservation that the TV is increasingly turning into an overly smart device that can show content from the Internet on its own, so another problem is brewing - Smart TV, in which many TV channels are included in the form of independent applications or are available through OTT services of third-party developers .
“For now, using these functions requires a little more mental effort than the ability to click on the “on-forward-back-off” buttons, and also does not significantly affect our business, but the influence of smart TVs will grow, especially if their interfaces are similar to smartphones” , he fears.
Yuri Potapov also names the development of online television viewing and the availability of video content as part of the Internet access service as the main threats to the pay TV market.
“Young viewers have gone to the Internet, television is increasingly being replaced in households by the World Wide Web. The last point will be the mass introduction of smart TVs,” the head of Bryansk Cable Networks is confident.
Major market players are more optimistic.
According to Andrey Chazov, the number of platforms on which you can watch TV content is increasing, and the popularity of mobile and Smart TV is growing.
Dom.ru does not consider these trends to be threats and plans to further increase the number of digital TV subscribers.
Oleg Fatun from AKADO Telecom also does not see potential threats to the pay TV market.
And many analysts agree on this opinion, predicting market growth in the coming years, both in subscribers and in revenue.
In two years, the total number of pay TV subscribers and subscribers to OTT services may exceed the number of households in Russia, and operator revenues will grow due to the development of additional services.
Also, many note an increase in digital pay TV subscribers and a decrease in the analogue television subscriber base.
“Pay TV is in a strong position. Subscriber base churn is unlikely. But if it does happen, it will be small and mainly due to viewers of sports channels, since sports content is presented in a very high quality in the multiplex. Rather, we will observe a flow of subscribers from one pay TV operator to another,” predicts Oleg Fatun.
The Orion Group of Companies also does not see a threat in new trends.
“In our case, new trends, if used correctly, are not a threat, but additional opportunities for business development, and the demand among subscribers of the Telekarta Online project clearly proves this,” says Elena Yachmennikova.
In her opinion, the economic crisis, new trends in television viewing and regulation are not threats, but rather challenges that market players are learning to cope with.
Legislative regulations, be it banning advertising on niche TV channels or banning foreign companies with a share of more than 20% from participating in media, were initially perceived as a serious threat to the market.
In practice, most companies have adapted and continue to operate.
In the answers we see the diversity of the market: some consider online broadcasting or the use of Smart TV a threat to pay TV, while others consider it a way to attract new subscribers.
Apparently, the question is terminological and partly marketing: do we consider online TV to be part of pay television or a competing technology?
Apparently, the further division of the market depends on how the operators respond to it.
Answer
How can I switch my TV to digital if I have cable TV in 2019?
If you have cable TV and want to set up a digital signal, you need:
- Step 1. Enter the menu using the special button on the remote control.
- Step 2. Go to the “Channel” section, which usually has a satellite dish icon.
- Step 3. Select "Auto search".
- Step 4. Select “Cable” from the proposed connection options.
- Step 5. Next, select “Digital” and click on “Start”.
- Step 6: If you want to keep the analog channels, select “Analog and Digital”.
If you have any additional questions, you can contact your operator's support team.
Please note: if you receive a TV signal through cable, but still see the letter "A" next to the center channel logos, you will need to contact your cable operator's support team and ask about how you can connect to digital TV within the current tariff .
How to connect digital TV using a collective antenna
First you need to make sure that a collective television antenna is installed on the roof of a multi-story building. If it is missing, then you can order the installation of the device, but first this point must be agreed upon with other residents. How to connect digital TV without a common antenna? You can use a regular indoor receiver.
To set up digital television in Moscow via a collective antenna, contact representatives of the company responsible for concluding the relevant agreement. The subscriber will be offered affordable tariffs. Depending on the list of channels, the subscription fee will change. To tune in channels, run an automatic search on your TV or receiver.
Digital and analogue television together
In many regions, only the first multiplex operates, which includes 10 TV channels. In such situations, a common house antenna is not capable of providing digital television. The problem is solved by setting up analog channels.
To tune in analogue and digital channels, use a community antenna. Of course, much will depend on the year of manufacture, configuration and model of the device. However, practice shows that common TV antennas can be used to simultaneously receive analog and digital signals. Signal transmission is carried out over one cable. Branching is carried out directly in the apartment. To do this you need to install a special adapter.
Analog TV and digital TV differ in the specifics of broadcasting. The signal is transmitted from different repeaters. If the collective antenna provides DVB-T2 digital television in good quality, you can contact the appropriate organization to deactivate the broadcast.
Using only one type of broadcasting will allow the subscriber to save on utility bills.
However, practice shows that residents of houses are charged a relatively small subscription fee. If the analog TV service is turned off at your request, then specialists will attach a special device to the distributor that blocks the signal. The cable is located in the apartment. The user will be able to restore analog TV in the future if such a need arises.
What channels will be available to me after switching to digital TV?
If you watch television through an antenna, after switching to a digital signal, 20 mandatory TV channels of the first and second multiplexes will be available to you. Anyone with an antenna can receive a signal and watch these channels for free.
- The first multiplex includes: Channel One, “Russia 1”, “Match TV”, NTV, “Petersburg - Channel Five”, “Culture”, “Russia 24”, “Carousel”, OTR, “TV Center - Moscow”.
- The second multiplex includes: REN TV, Spas, STS, Domashny, TV-3, Friday!, Zvezda, Mir, TNT, Muz-TV).
If you have cable television, you will have access to those channels that are provided for in your agreement with the operator. Moreover, by agreement between the Moscow authorities and operators, more than 50 TV channels will be available in digital quality.
The first multiplex RTRS-1
Ten channels of the first multiplex are free and accessible to anyone who has the necessary equipment. The decision on which TV channels should be included in the list was made back in 2009. The presidential decree determined the initial list (No. 715 of October 24, 2009). Subsequently, new decrees introduced amendments, the most recent of which was made in July 2015. The government decision was motivated by the idea of the need for direct access to information of social significance. Today, the first digital television multiplex in Russia includes 10 free channels: 7 federal TV channels, 1 sports channel, 1 children’s channel and 1 information channel.
List of channels of the first digital TV package
The first multiplex contains the following channels:
- First channel;
- Russia 1;
- Russia K;
- Russia 24;
- Channel 5;
- NTV;
- OTR;
- TV Center;
- Match TV;
- Carousel.
Attention! One of the main differences between digital television and analogue television is that the list of channels is not affected in any way by the region of residence. The standard set is the same throughout Russia.
Channel frequencies
Packet transmitters are installed in almost all corners of our country. Each of these transmitters operates at a specific frequency. How can I find out which frequency is used in a particular locality to broadcast one of the packages? For the convenience of TV viewers, RTRS presented an interactive map of CETV - digital terrestrial television. You can find the service at map.rtrs.rf. You can find out the broadcast frequency as follows:
- Type the address or name of the object in the search bar of the map and click the “find” button. You can hover over the map itself, then select the desired location.
- A small window will open with the full name of the object and an indication of the direction to the nearest TV tower (the black end of the arrow points to it).
- In the same window, packages of TV channels and their broadcast frequency will become visible.
The picture below shows that in the city of Strunino, Vladimir Region, the frequency of 586 MHz is used for broadcasting the first RTRS multiplex, and for RTRS-2 - 482 MHz.
Digital coverage of all settlements without exception is impossible due to their inaccessibility. In total, about 800 thousand people live in the territory outside the access zone. Providing these residents with high-quality digital television will be carried out through satellite television. Operators have already agreed to provide access to watch 20 TV channels.
Where to go with questions about digital television, hotline?
If you have terrestrial TV, then you can find all the information about the transition to digital terrestrial television on the website of the Russian television and radio broadcasting network rtrs.rf (aka smotritsitru.rf) or consult with RTRS specialists by calling the hotline.
If you are a cable TV subscriber, contact your operator's support services.
You can also contact the Moscow Unified Information Service by phone. Video instructions on how to switch from analogue television to digital:
Which way to choose
Towards the end of 2021, analogue television broadcasting will be switched off throughout Russia. Therefore, there is no point in spending money and time setting up digital and analog television at the same time. Digital is capable of broadcasting content in maximum resolution. Owners of paid subscriptions have access to HD channels.
Digital television is less dependent on changes in weather conditions. Therefore, even during heavy rain or wind, the quality of the broadcast image will not decrease, which cannot be said about analogue broadcasting. Considering the arguments presented above, it becomes clear that digital TV is the optimal solution for residents of apartment buildings. Practice shows that collective antennas allow you to set up 2 multiplexes with free channels. It is very comfortable.
Available free channels
Depending on the location of the user, broadcasting is possible from two broadcasters at once. The permissible distance is at least 10-15 kilometers. At a greater distance, you will have to change the antenna to a more powerful one .
Each of the broadcasters transmits 10 channels available for free use:
- RTRS - TVC, channel 11, NTV, Russia K, Russia 1, Match!, Carousel, channel 5, Public Television of Russia, Russia 24;
- RTRS-2 - Ren-TV, STS, MIR, SPAS, Domashny, Zvezda, Friday, TNT, Muz-TV, TV3.
The repeaters operate independently of each other; in order to watch all 20 channels of both packages, it is necessary to receive the signal from RTRS-1 and RTRS-2 simultaneously.
The first multiplex broadcasts channels around the clock, with a single TV program. The list of TV channels is supplemented by 3 radio channels broadcasting around the clock.
The second multiplex appeared later, its coverage area was smaller.
Currently, test broadcasting of 3 multiplexes is underway from the Ostankino Tower at a frequency of 578 MHz, distributed within a radius of 100 km from the source and available to residents of Moscow and the region. The list of channels for it has not yet been approved; it is only known that it consists of 40 channels.
What equipment do you need to purchase?
Digital television works on the same principle as analogue television - the signal distributed by the broadcaster through terrestrial repeaters is distributed throughout the area and received by antennas. The digital signal operates in the UHF range; suitable equipment is required to receive and decipher the signal.
To receive a digital signal, you will need a TV with a built-in receiver that supports T2 and a screen resolution of more than 720 pixels to watch TV shows in HD quality.
TVs released before 2012 do not have a built-in tuner, so it must be purchased separately.
The device is presented in the form of a digital set-top box connected to a TV and in the form of a board designed to be soldered into the device. The device converts the binary signal into a familiar form and displays it on the screen.
An antenna is also required that is capable of receiving and transmitting via cable a signal received from the emission of decimeter waves.
Antennas are divided into several types:
- Collective. Provides TV signals to all residents of an apartment building. The power does not differ from the external one.
- Outdoor. Suitable for country houses and cottages. Installed on roofs or walls. Depending on the model and the presence of an amplifier, they are capable of picking up a signal at a distance of 10-50 km from the repeater, ensuring high signal quality, including in difficult terrain.
- Room. The range is 3-10 km, installed in areas of reliable reception in direct visibility from the television tower, in the absence of interference along the way.
Of the variety of types of antennas, the best ones are Polish antennas , which do their job well in conditions of uneven terrain and obstacles in the way in the form of forests. Or delta type devices operating in the HF and VHF bands, capable of receiving and deciphering even a weak signal.
The antenna is positioned towards the transmitter and is securely fixed.
The easiest way to provide television broadcasting in digital format will be for cable television subscribers, since this process is organized by the company providing this service. All you need is a TV with a built-in receiver or purchased separately.
