What is DTT or Digital Terrestrial Television: origin, analogue switch-off and how to access its channels

If you are over 25 years old, you surely remember those television channels that started Digital Terrestrial Television, better known as DTT.

The adoption of this new standard brought improvements at almost every level, from speed to the amount of content available, all with an installation that did not even require additional antennas, since it took advantage of the existing ones and achieved a much stronger signal.

Today, it is impossible to imagine a world without it. Here I tell you Everything you need to know about DTT: its birth, the analogue switch-off and how to watch free channels on any devicealso in your car.

What is Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT)

The Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) refers to the application over time of digital technology to the television signal, with the aim of subsequently transmitting it through terrestrial Hertzian waves.

These are capable of being transmitted through the atmosphere without the need for cables or satellites, thanks to conventional UHF antennas.

Although there are different standards for DTT transmission, Spain has adhered to the most widely used one, which is also used by all countries in the European Union, known as DVB-T. This allows different neighboring antennas to reuse the same frequencieswith a more robust signal.

Thanks to all the advantages of DTT over analogue terrestrial television, the great analogue switch-off would come in 2010.

The analogue switch-off and the definitive arrival of DTT

A year before the beginning of the 21st century, there was already a channel that used the digital spectrum to offer additional pay channels, without the user having to carry out any kind of installation. It was Quiero TV, previously called Onda Digital.

However, the high prices at that time and a debt of more than 6 million euros generated distrust among investors. So this market was delayed considerably and, with it, the arrival of DTT.

In this context, Spain had already marked a date on the calendar to make the definitive leap to digital television, which was brought forward a couple of years, to April 3, 2010, due to the Introduction of flagship channels in 2005such as La 1, TVE 2, Canal 24 Horas (RTVE), Antena 3 and Telecinco.

Thanks to the introduction of these, the improvement of televisions and a state plan that had been in the making for years, DTT managed to reach all homes in Spain.

How to watch all DTT channels

Unlike streaming platforms such as Max or Prime Video, you won’t have to pay a monthly subscription to access DTT, as it’s completely free.

As very positive news, I have to tell you that you will also be able to watch DTT on any device you can imagine, be it your television, a computer, a mobile phone or even the screen of your car.

First of all, here are several options to watch DTT without having to install anything, from your own web browser and on any device:

• Iteleflix. On this website you can find More than 350 free channelscompletely legal, sorted by themes and countries. Thanks to its interface, using this tool is really easy if you want to delve into the television channels it offers.
• LyngSat. The service offers more than 4,000 channels with a wealth of content available, including Internet radio stations. With it, you can tune in to channels on your favorite player or by mastering each channel.
• SquidTVThe best thing about this platform is that it allows you to search for DTT channels from different countries around the world, which can be perfect if you live in a country other than the one you were born in and want to stay up to date with the news from your region.
• Worldtvmobile. With More than 3,000 channels from all over the planetis one of the most complete on this list, due to a very user-friendly interface. In addition, you can access local and regional channels regardless of your location in Spain.

How to watch DTT in the car

If you have a car with a screen to which you can connect your mobile phone with Android Auto, you are in luck, since you can use that panel so that your co-pilot and passengers can enjoy DTT.

It is worth remembering that this option is ideal if you are travelling with someone, as under no circumstances should you watch television while driving, even though it may seem obvious.

Either way, if you’re looking to have a TV available on your car’s screen, follow these steps:

1. Download an IPTV list with DTT channels. Don’t worry, it’s completely legal and free. Just go to TDTChannels and choose the one that suits you best, always in m3u8 format, the one required by the player. Save the link and continue with the next step.
2. Install AAStore on your mobile. This app store allows you to access third-party apps that are not available in the Google Play Store on your mobile. In its GitHub repository you can access the APK file.
3. Download IPcarTVFrom AAStore, search for this app and add it to your collection, as it will be the one that allows you to watch television in your car.
4. Copy the IPTV list. Access IPcarTV and choose the option Playlist and favorite channel manager; then click on the + and type the name of your new list. Once you have selected Nextdirectly paste the IPTV list link you copied at the beginning into TDTChannels.

As you can see, watching television in a car – or on any other device – is not complicated, since DTT has favored extending its use to almost any terminal.

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Tags: Television, IPTV, DTT