Television in France
TNT ( Télévision Numérique Terrestre ) is the name for the digital terrestrial television in France (DVB -T). Called by eight public and private broadcasters to life in 2004, it was on 31 March 2005 in many regions of France at the start and then reached 35 % of the population. After the expansion of the network TNT achieved today over 88 % of the population and the end of 2009 had a market share of 20% compared to other receiving methods. As a result, the switching off of analogue terrestrial television 30 November 2011 it was decided.
The offer TNTs currently 18 free channels including (among France's "big station" TF1, France 2, France 3 and M6), 10 paid pay-TV channels and regional channels, depending on the region in different numbers.
Since November 2008 Arte broadcasts its program in HDTV format on TNT.
Since mid- 2009, the 18 TNT channels and the four HD TNT channels are broadcast in addition via the satellite Atlantic Bird 3 ( Eutelsat, 5 ° West ). This will also allow residents without TNT cover over DVB -S to receive the free channels in digital quality. The satellite program package TNT programs named Fransat. The programs are broadcast coded. To receive a pack Fransat is needed, which is commercially available. It consists of a digital satellite receiver with ' VIACCESS' card module and the valid lifetime, free Fransat decoder card. The card has been exclusively in the context of the packs available (as of October 2009). Also the 5 main French TV channels are transmitted unscrambled in analog via Atlantic Bird 3 also.
As an alternative to Fransat, a similar package via Astra 19 ° East are received. It uses the same type of decoder and Viaccess card, but under the name " TNTSAT ". This is a) important for sites without regard to Atlantic Bird 3, and b ) practical for German immigrants in France that can receive with the TNTSAT decoder by means of an additional channel search, the German free - TV digital channels.