Europa 7 HD
Encyclopedia
Europa 7 HD its an Italian group of channels aired since 11 October 2010. It's one of the first broadcasters in the world to use the DVB-T2
technology, after United Kingdom's channels BBC HD
, ITV1 HD and Channel 4 HD
.
The DVB-T2 technology is comparable to the one used by the UK service company Freeview HD, which also has only one multiplex. Freeview HD hosts five fixed HD channels, while E7HD has twelve channels with alternating schedules, of which eight HD and four SD. As for Freeview HD, bandwidth is dynamically allocated between channels, depending on the complexity of the images – with the aim of maintaining a consistent quality, rather than a specific bit rate; video for each channel can range between 3 Mb/s and 17 Mbit/s.
Like for United Kingdom's channels BBC HD
, BBC One HD
, ITV1 HD and Channel 4 HD
, a tuner box compatible with the DVB-T2
standard is necessary. The first box was on sale in the UK on February 2010 for £130, and in Italy on August 2010 for €149.
a politically independent channel based on freedom of information, hosting the journalists and comedians controversially censored by the other broadcasters.
, pursues the original project of a free aired channel; the other for-pay eleven channels serve the purpose of assuring proper funding for the Fly channel.
Having a full multiplex for itself, Europa 7 HD hosts twelve alternating channels, all of them broadcasted in DVB-T2
. They are:
DVB-T2
DVB-T2 is an abbreviation for Digital Video Broadcasting – Second Generation Terrestrial; it is the extension of the television standard DVB-T, issued by the consortium DVB, devised for the broadcast transmission of digital terrestrial television....
technology, after United Kingdom's channels BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
, ITV1 HD and Channel 4 HD
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
.
Legal battle
In Spring 2010, after a ten years long legal battle, Europa 7 finally got assigned a national terrestrial tv frequency (that is, a multiplex), able to cover 95% of Italy's population and 80% of the territory.Start of broadcasts, coverage and technology
Europa 7 HD began testing broadcasts on July 2010, and aired its regular broadcasting debut on 11 October 2010 with the purpose of covering 80% of the population by the end of 2010. While BBC, ITV1 and Channel 4 only have one or two of their channels in DVB-T2, Europa 7 HD transmits all of its eleven channels with this technology; it has been announced as "the first broadcaster in the world to broadcast with this new technology."The DVB-T2 technology is comparable to the one used by the UK service company Freeview HD, which also has only one multiplex. Freeview HD hosts five fixed HD channels, while E7HD has twelve channels with alternating schedules, of which eight HD and four SD. As for Freeview HD, bandwidth is dynamically allocated between channels, depending on the complexity of the images – with the aim of maintaining a consistent quality, rather than a specific bit rate; video for each channel can range between 3 Mb/s and 17 Mbit/s.
Like for United Kingdom's channels BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
, BBC One HD
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, ITV1 HD and Channel 4 HD
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, a tuner box compatible with the DVB-T2
DVB-T2
DVB-T2 is an abbreviation for Digital Video Broadcasting – Second Generation Terrestrial; it is the extension of the television standard DVB-T, issued by the consortium DVB, devised for the broadcast transmission of digital terrestrial television....
standard is necessary. The first box was on sale in the UK on February 2010 for £130, and in Italy on August 2010 for €149.
Editorial line
Francesco Di Stefano, the owner of Europa 7, said that the project aims to made of Fly channelFly channel
Fly channel is the generalist television channel broadcast by Italian broadcaster Europa 7 HD on digital terrestrial television in Italy.It was launched at 3:00 PM on October 11, 2010...
a politically independent channel based on freedom of information, hosting the journalists and comedians controversially censored by the other broadcasters.
Channels
For strategic reasons, it changed its original 1998 plan of using its multiplex to broadcast a single analogic channel, into broadcasting twelve digital channels. Of these twelve, one, called Fly channelFly channel
Fly channel is the generalist television channel broadcast by Italian broadcaster Europa 7 HD on digital terrestrial television in Italy.It was launched at 3:00 PM on October 11, 2010...
, pursues the original project of a free aired channel; the other for-pay eleven channels serve the purpose of assuring proper funding for the Fly channel.
Having a full multiplex for itself, Europa 7 HD hosts twelve alternating channels, all of them broadcasted in DVB-T2
DVB-T2
DVB-T2 is an abbreviation for Digital Video Broadcasting – Second Generation Terrestrial; it is the extension of the television standard DVB-T, issued by the consortium DVB, devised for the broadcast transmission of digital terrestrial television....
. They are:
- Fly channelFly channelFly channel is the generalist television channel broadcast by Italian broadcaster Europa 7 HD on digital terrestrial television in Italy.It was launched at 3:00 PM on October 11, 2010...
, a free of charge generalist Standard Definition channel, with news, satire and culture - Five HD thematic channels based on paid subscriptionPay TVPay television, premium television, or premium channels refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by both analog and digital cable and satellite, but also increasingly via digital terrestrial and internet television...
: SENTIMENTAL, HORROR, CLASSIC, ACTION e FAMILY. These will offer movies, documentaries, concerts and international events - Three pay-per-viewPay-per-viewPay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
HD channels offering movies most recently released on theatres. - Three adult content channels, based on paid subscription and in Standard Definition. They air with Parental control and from 23:30 till 6:00 in the morning.