The transition to high-definition television is a process by which
standard-definition (SD)television signals are upgraded to a
high-definition (HD) format.[1] In this process, channels usually either
simulcast their HD signals alongside the existing SD signals or broadcast exclusively in HD. The transition to the latter is often referred to as the standard-definition television switch-off.
In most territories around the world, the complete shutdown of the lower-resolution signals has not yet begun or is still in its early stages, notably in the many countries that are still undergoing the
analogue switch-off.
In territories and services where SD signals have already ceased, television sets that do not support terrestrial HD signals are required to be replaced or equipped with
set-top boxes compatible with HD signals.[1][2][3] In some cases, this switch-off has led to a high demand for new set-top boxes and TV sets, resulting in shortages.[4]
Transition by country or territory
This section needs expansion with: missing countries. You can help by
adding to it. (May 2024)
Transitions to HD and SD switch-offs completed
Asia
Brunei:
Radio Television Brunei began incoporating HD channels by 2010[5] and fully migrated all its channels to HD digital service on 1 January 2018.[6]
Europe
Andorra: The first HD channels in Andorra were those offered from Spain, namely
TV3,
LaSexta,
Telecinco and
Antena 3.[7] The country's own channel, Andorra Televisió, started broadcasting in HD on 30 September 2019.[8][9] Regarding the switch-off, most Andorran channels switched off their SD signals in the country on 2 February 2022, with the exception of a few standard definition-only international channels such as Portuguese channels
RTP International and
TVI International.[10][11][12]
Logo for RAI's former HD channel, closed in 2013 in favour of HD simulcasts of all main channels.Italy: The first HD broadcasts in Italy took place in February 2006, during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, when
RAI experimentally broadcast some of the events in a 1080i signal.[13] In 2008, RAI broadcast the
UEFA Euro 2008 tournament in high definition under a test channel called Rai Test HD (later
Rai HD [
it]) in the areas of
Turin,
Rome,
Milan,
Aosta and
Sardinia. Rai HD was closed in favour of simulcast HD versions of the channels on 25 October 2013. Following the switchover to
DVB-T2 on 8 March 2022,[14] the HD versions of Italian channels were moved to the top of the list, while the SD versions were positioned from 500 onwards.[15] Channels still broadcasting in SD began to be shut down on 21 December 2022,[16] with the total closure taking place on 1 January 2023,[17][2] although many channels still carry the HD identifier in their logos.
Rai 3 took until May 2023 to be moved to position 3, due to difficulties with regional broadcasts, with the SD version being replaced by
Rai News 24 HD.[18][19]
An outdated TV set only supporting standard definition signals displays the SD feed of local channel
Telemadrid with the label "Telemadrid is being phased out" in
Castilian.Spain: The first television channel to test HD in Spain was
Aragón TV, and the first fully HD channel was
Televisió de Catalunya's
TV3 HD. On 19 June 2009,
Televisión Española launched a high-definition channel, first in
Valladolid, then in
Barcelona and finally statewide, under the name
TVE HD.[20] Regarding private broadcasters, the first HD simulcasts were launched by
Telecinco on 20 September 2010,[21] followed by
Antena 3 on 28 September[22] and La Sexta on 1 November. In April 2016, the first channels with just a high-definition feed began to appear:
Atreseries and
BeMad TV, as well as the public broadcasts of
Real Madrid TV. Originally, the Spanish government planned to require all standard definition broadcasts to cease on 1 January 2023, along with Italy, but the decision was postponed.[23] On 17 January 2023, a decree issued by the
Ministry of Digital Transformation set the final closing date at 14 February 2024.[24][25] The first channel to shut down its SD broadcasts was
Extremaduran channel
Canal Extremadura on 15 January 2024. It was followed by
CanarianTelevisión Canaria and all the
Catalan channels from
Televisió de Catalunya, which did so the next day.[26][27][3] TVE closed all its SD channels on 6 February, coinciding with the launch of its 4K channel,
TVE UHD [
es],[28][29] while
Telemadrid and the
Basque channels from
ETB did the switch-off on 8 February. Most regional channels carried out the switch-off on 12 February, with the exception of
La 7 in
Murcia, which did so on the 13th, just one day before the full closure of SD signals.[27] Most private channels cut out SD signals on 14 February. SD-only channels, such as
Boing,
Disney Channel,
DMAX and
DKiss, switched their feeds to HD.[30]
Catalonia: The HD version of flagship public channel
TV3 was launched on 23 April 2007, being fully implemented in March 2011.[31] On 30 October 2023, channels
3/24,
SX3,
Esport3 and
El 33 started broadcasting in HD online, through the 3Cat platform. In January 2024, Televisió de Catalunya announced the shutdown of all SD signals would take place on 16 January, with the SD version of TV3 being shut down and all the other channels automatically switching their feeds into HD.[32][33][34][26] The
Balearic channel
IB3, which until then had only broadcast in poor SD quality due to the limited space left in the multiplex, also made the switch to HD on the same day.[3] The switch-off of SD television caused queues and shortages of adapters and television sets across Catalonia.[35]
Transitions to HD started with SD switch-off in progress
ORF HD production in
Kitzbühelin 2008.Austria:
ORF 1 began broadcasting HD signals on 1 June 2008 at 17:25 local time, becoming the first German-language public broadcaster in Europe to simulcast its entire programming in HD signals.[41] On 4 December 2023, the SD versions of channels
ORF Sport + and
ATV ceased broadcasting.[42]
Estonia: On 29 June 2009, ETV launched a channel testing high-definition broadcasts.[43][44] By 1 February 2019, all channels were simulcast in HD.[45] In 2020, Estonian television channels added a tag to SD versions.[46] In December 2021, the Estonian government decided that SD broadcasts would end around the second half of 2024.[47]
Finland: In May 2011, the high-definition channel
Yle HD [
fi] was launched, being initially broadcast for a few hours in the evening.[48] All of
Yle's television channels finally became available in high definition in January 2014.[49] On 24 October 2023, the board of directors of Yle decided that SD signals on its channels would cease to be broadcast in the spring of 2025.[1][50][51]
France:
Metropolitan France closed most SD signals on 5 April 2016. In overseas territories, most channels are simulcast in SD or broadcast exclusively in SD.[52] The country plans to switch public stations to exclusive 4K UHD broadcasting and discontinue HD signals by 2029.[53][54]
Germany: Cultural channel
Arte started broadcasting in HD through the
Astra satellite on 1 July 2008.[55] ARD and ZDF began testing HD broadcasts on 15 August 2009, with full simulcasts in HD from 12 February 2010.[56] The SD versions of the German channels
One,
tagesschau24, Arte and
Phoenix were closed in November 2022.[57] ARD will follow on 7 January 2025, when Das Erste and the regional channels will discontinue their SD feeds.[58][59]
United Kingdom:
BBC HD began broadcasting on 15 May 2006 as a test channel,[60] officially launching on 1 December 2007.[61] BBC One began an HD simulcast on 3 November 2010,[62] with BBC HD being replaced with a simulcast of BBC Two on 23 March 2013.[63] BBC One HD began broadcasting regional programming in selected regions on 22 March 2023, before rolling out to all areas on 26 April 2023.[64] On 8 January 2024, the
BBC switched off its SD signals for all its television channels on the
Freesat and
Sky satellite plans,[65][66] which was necessary in order to be able to include BBC One's regional broadcasts in high definition.[67][68] The following day, ITV also stopped broadcasting SD channels on these services.[69][65] To help Freesat users, the BBC launched a test channel allowing users to check the compatibility of their equipment.[70]
Transitions to HD started
Africa
Algeria: On 28 October 2015,
EPTV launched its first HD channel, a simulcast of
TV3 in high definition, broadcast by the
Algerian Broadcasting Company through
Nilesat.[71] In 2020, following the transition to digital television, most channels started simulcasting in HD.[72]
Gambia: Gambia Radio & Television Service simulcasts HD signals.
Ghana: A limited number of TV channels in Ghana simulcast in HD, such as
GTV and
MTA, besides the international channels that already have high-definition broadcasts.[78]
Ivory Coast: Channel
NCI [
fr] began HD broadcasts through the Canal+ satellite package on 8 November 2022.[79]
Kenya: Some channels, such as
Citizen TV, as well as international channels, are available in high-definition.
Libya: Some channels are broadcasting HD signals through Nilesat.[80]
Morocco: Public flagship channel
Al Aoula had been producing its programmes in HD since 2007, but the
SNRT only switched to HD simulcasting in 2015.[83] Most channels, including all SNRT channels, as well as others such as
Medi1 TV, are simulcast in HD.
Seychelles: Although the
Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts exclusively in SD,[88] HD broadcasts are run some international channels through digital terrestrial television and private news channel télésesel, launched through cable on 24 July 2017.[89]
South Africa: Private broadcaster e.tv began simulcasting HD signals digitally in October 2013.[90]SABC 1 and
SABC 3 started their HD channels on 11 June 2018,[90] while
SABC 2 did so on 8 August 2018.[91]
Togo: Togolese Television has an HD broadcast through Canal+'s paid offer.[92]
Equatorial Guinea: Broadcasting exclusively in SD as the country has not started a digital television transition.
Eritrea: Broadcasting exclusively in SD as the country has not started a digital television transition.
Eswatini: Although the country has switched off its analogue broadcasts,
Eswatini TV continues to broadcast exclusively SD signals as of March 2024.
Guinea: Broadcasting exclusively in SD as the country has not started a digital television transition.
Guinea-Bissau: Broadcasting exclusively in SD as the country has not started a digital television transition.
Lesotho: A number of international television channels broadcast in the country, but
Lesotho Television, the country's only television channel, still exclusively broadcasts in SD.[97]
Liberia: Broadcasting exclusively in SD as the country has not started a digital television transition.
Namibia: Although the country has switched off its analogue broadcasts, all channels from the
Namibian Broadcasting Corporation continue to broadcast exclusively SD signals as of March 2024.
Niger: Although the country started digital broadcasts in 2018 besides the analogue ones, these remain exclusively in SD, both terrestrially and through satellite.