Television in Cyprus is changing for the second time, as the first attempt to transition to the digital age was a failure.
From Saturday, October 10, private TV channels will be downloaded exclusively through the new frequencies and DVB T2 technology. That is why viewers must immediately take the necessary actions to avoid a new "black" on their receivers.
The differentiation in the new effort lies in the smooth and gradual transition, in order to avoid the mishaps of the summer.
What changes
The representative of Hellas SAT, Petros Theocharidis, speaking to filenews, explained that what has changed now is the reduction of the requirements in the quality of reception, i.e. TVs - antennas. "Now all TV channels broadcast high definition (HD) and within the past three months, many households and businesses have successfully coordinated."
However, he clarified that a large percentage of citizens still did not make the necessary adjustments to their devices to identify any problems.
He underlined that this is not a complete transition. "It will be a smooth and gradual transition. On October 10, the Velister system will not be switched off." As he explained, Velister's small transmitters, which do not affect many people, will initially be disabled. Mr. Theocharides explained that this will make the problems clear and the situation will be more controlled. Then the large transmitters will also be switched off.
He also said that the goal is for the transition to be completed before the commercial television season of Christmas. "There is room until November, although no specific timetable has been set. The last transmitters to go out are those in Vavatsinia and Madari," he said.
Regarding the problems that had occurred months ago, he said that the main issue was the automatic search of the channels. "We must not forget that we have switched to a high-level digital signal and there are more requirements," he said.
He added that in the last quarter, the Hellas SAT crews, in collaboration with the Deputy Ministry of Innovation, visited many households and various points to repair problems.
Problem with TVs from a well-known manufacturer
It is worth noting that a well-known company that manufactures televisions has problems in receiving frequencies.
For this reason, an expert from abroad came to Cyprus, so that the problem could be resolved. "Some models do not receive the new frequencies and so the upgrade of the devices has been set in motion."
What viewers should do until Saturday
As we mentioned above, many viewers have not made the necessary adjustments and if they do not do so by Saturday, then their screens will go "black" again.
Mr. Theocharides explained that this is a simple automatic search of the channels and if they encounter a problem, then they should contact the technical department at the 22000737 to ask for help. "Otherwise, they can call a technician."
As for old TVs, they will need a decoder, which costs €30-35.
However, Mr. Theocharides pointed out that in the time that has passed, it has been proven that there are not so many old TVs that need a decoder. "At the moment, many questions are recorded rather than complaints," he said.
In which areas is there a problem?
In addition, he explained that some mountain villages have never received the Velister badge, making it impossible for them to receive the Hellas SAT badge. "There is an agreement with the Deputy Ministry of Innovation and Hellas SAT has ordered special transmitters that will cover these areas as well."
He also stated that a problem arose in the communities of Xylofagou and Xylotymbou due to the peculiarity of the sign. "Yesterday our crews were on the scene together with the Deputy Ministry to adjust the signal. The problem is created due to interference from Syria and for this reason we made modifications in the direction of the transmitters."
He noted that the digital transition brings changes in image quality. "The viewer will find this mainly in sports shows or in high-quality films. It is a system that should have been implemented a decade ago, as was the case in the rest of Europe."
Finally, he called on citizens to check the antenna direction, cable quality and connection quality. "It's the three secrets that solve the problems."
