In the coming months, millions of households in Spain will be affected by a new change in Digital Terrestrial Television (TNT)which will mark the passage towards the Ultra High Definition (UHD). This change, planned for 2025, will replace the HD quality signal with 4K, which will involve a technological transformation in the televisions and antennas of many homes. The process began last year with the jump from SD quality to HD qualityforcing homes to adapt, and it will now be necessary to make new updates to be able to take advantage of the new TNT channels in UHD, which will provide an expanded television offering.
This advance is regulated by the Ministry of Digital Transformationwhich has already set the framework for change, even if the exact date is still unknown. Older TVs and those that don’t support 4K are expected to become obsolete, forcing households to purchase new devices to continue receiving the signal. In addition, the restructuring will bring three new free channels in UHDthus increasing the offer without the need for pay television. It is important to check whether televisions are prepared for this transition and thus avoid surprises in 2025.
The TNT channels which will disappear
In 2025, Spain will experience a new transformation of DTT, marked by a technological change crucial for the integration of channels in 4K resolution. This transition is part of a modernization process that aims to improve picture quality and enable a greater range of high definition channels. Even if many homes have already experienced the adaptation to HD in 2024, the next step will be to migrate to a new standard, DVB-T2which will greatly improve the signal transmission capacity.
This change is necessary to free up space in the broadcast spectrum and thus introduce new Ultra High Definition (UHD) channels. Among the new 4K channels, RTVE, Atresmedia and Mediaset They will play a key role in offering viewers better quality content adapted to new technologies. Furthermore, it is planned that this change will take place in several phases, from 2025, with the rearrangement of the DTT channels and the adaptation of the signal to the new formats. However, the process will be gradual and users should be prepared to update their equipment, including TVs and tuners.
He new TNT cut This is also a major change for older televisions, which will not be able to access UHD broadcasts if they are not equipped with a tuner compatible with the DVB-T2 standard and H.265/HEVC codecs. For those who have not yet renewed their devices, you will need to purchase new televisions or purchase external tuners to continue enjoying digital television.
In this context, it is essential that users check whether their televisions and receivers They respect the technical requirements of the new standard to avoid obsolescence of their equipment. To do this, many televisions are already equipped with the DVB-T2 tuner and the possibility of decoding broadcasts in 4K, so the transition will be easier for those who have recently renewed their equipment.
Households that do not yet have these devices should anticipate and check the compatibility of their devices. Additionally, it is likely that, as with the previous blackout in 2024, restore TNT adapt the equipment to new changes, which implies a small inconvenience for users, but a long-term improvement in terms of quality and variety of content.
Despite uncertainty over the exact date of the final blackout, it is expected that as 2025 approaches, more information will become available on the precise timeframes for the blackout. DVB-T2 implementation and the arrival of new 4K channels on DTT. In this way, households will be able to prepare their equipment and update it with enough time so as not to be left behind in this evolution of digital television in Spain.
4K technology
4K technology, also known as Ultra High Definition (UHD)offers a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, four times higher than Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels). The result is sharper, more detailed picture quality, ideal for large TVs. 4K has gained popularity in television, cinema and gaming thanks to improved visual clarity and more accurate color representation, especially on advanced displays such as OLED and QLED.
With the increase in content available in 4K via streaming platforms, UHD Blu-rays and specialty channels, users can enjoy a more immersive visual experience. To take full advantage of this technology, it is necessary to have a compatible television and access to 4K content. Additionally, 4K is essential in emerging technologies such as virtual reality, where image quality is crucial.
