First step of the path towards the new digital terrestrial : today the transmission of some Rai and Mediaset channels in the new Mpeg-4 standard starts.
For many Italians it is necessary to check the compatibility of their TV and possibly change it, taking advantage of the TV bonus.
The transition to the new standard of digital terrestrial allows you to enjoy a much higher image quality than the previous one and to receive more channels. The process was determined by the need to free up the 700 Mhz band, widely used in Italy, especially by local TVs, to make room for the 5G network for telephone operators.
The switch off of the signal, just over ten years after the transition to Dvb-T1, which has radically changed the viewing modes on the small screen, begins with a first phase, in which the choices are left to the individual broadcasters.
Rai has decided to broadcast only the specialized channels in Mpeg4 (Rai 4, Rai 5, Rai Movie, Rai YoYo, Rai Sport + HD, Rai Storia, Rai Gulp, Rai Premium and Rai Scuola), while the general channels remain visible in Mpeg2. The same goes for Mediaset (TgCom 24, Mediaset Italia 2, Boing Plus, Radio 105, R101 Tv and Virgin Radio Tv are switching to the new standard).
The definitive disposal of the Mpeg2 encoding, with the obligation for broadcasters to comply, will be established in a provision to be adopted by the end of 2021.
The calendar for the reorganization of the frequencies in the regional areas foresees that the passage will take place from 15 November 2021 to 18 December 2021 in the area 1A - Sardinia; from 3 January 2022 to 15 March 2022 in area 2 - Valle d'Aosta, Piedmont, Lombardy except the province of Mantua, province of Piacenza, province of Trento, province of Bolzano; in area 3 - Veneto, province of Mantua, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna except the province of Piacenza; from 1 March 2022 to 15 May 2022 in area 4 - Sicily, Calabria, Puglia, Basilicata; Abruzzo, Molise, Marche; From 1 May 2022 to 30 June 2022 in area 1B - Liguria, Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, Campania.
