Is switching to DVB-T2 difficult? The route to a rich choice of TV channels is easier than you think.

Technology

22. 5. 2020

Many households are currently working hard on the switch to the new terrestrial broadcasting standard. A rich offer of TV channels and radio stations does not necessarily mean buying an expensive new set-top box or even a new television – a full-fledged alternative is the IPTV service, i.e. television over the internet.

The current DVB-T standard will be definitively a thing of the past by mid-2020. Its successor is meant to be the more technologically advanced DVB-T2, which requires certified equipment. However, you do not necessarily have to buy the corresponding equipment, and you will still not miss your favourite broadcasts.

The solution called IPTV

IPTV does not need any high-tech equipment or a dizzyingly fast internet connection to work properly. A number of platforms that hold licences to broadcast retransmitted TV already offer streaming of TV broadcasts. Well-known, purely Czech platforms, both originating in Brno, are Kuki.TV and SledovaniTV.cz. A number of internet connection providers, such as UVTnet, also offer IPTV services free of charge with some connection packages. With these IPTV services, as well as with other platforms on the market, you can also watch broadcasts not only on your television but also on your computer or smart mobile devices.

TIP: Take a look at our four feature-packed internet TV services. Since 2023, we even give you NejPřipojení TV for half a year at CZK 1/month with every internet connection from us.

Other advantages of IPTV include the option to plan a schedule, add favourite programmes and set up recordings stored in the provider's memory. With a single button you can set a recording of a whole series, so you will not miss anything. An important feature is the option to pause live broadcasts, and the logically connected function of fast-forwarding back into the past, i.e. watching back. Don't tell anyone, but this way you can skip adverts. So why stress about a DVB-T2 antenna and technical problems?

Setting up IPTV is a very simple matter – registering with your internet provider takes only a few moments, and you can start using the service straight away. We recommend ordering the service from your provider, because if it delivers the data stream via its own servers, it can manage the flow of data very well if you do not have a fast line at the moment, and can advise you on a suitable plan. The service is not particularly data-intensive; with HD quality and the MPEG4 or HEVC codec it may not take even 4 Mbps of the connection's capacity. Moreover, quality platforms offered directly by operators can imperceptibly reduce picture quality if you overload the line. Some providers also separate the data capacity for television services from the capacity of the connection, so you will not notice your data usage at all.

Selected smart TVs, most often Smart TV Panasonic, Samsung and LG, come with pre-installed apps, or the apps can be downloaded from the manufacturers' app stores. This is the simplest way to watch internet television, and you have just one remote control for everything. If you have a basic television, or no app is yet available for your Smart TV, your provider will supply a suitable set-top box.

Ordinace (the Czech medical soap), football and The Simpsons on the go

While DVB-T2 is exclusively terrestrial broadcasting, limited to television sets, with IPTV you can take it with you everywhere on your smartphone or tablet. Providers of these services offer apps for smart mobile devices with iOS and Android operating systems, and a rich video library is a pleasant bonus with many providers. And thanks to new European regulation, IPTV platforms are generally not blocked even when you are abroad. Take your favourite series with you on a business trip, on holiday in case it rains, to a hotel, or even to a campsite or into a tent.

The benefits of IPTV are therefore clear: easy setup without high technical demands, quick installation, mobility, an offer of hundreds of channels, a video library and many other features, all at significantly lower (and more flexible) costs than DVB-T2.