8 dvb-t2 decoders to continue watching digital terrestrial without changing TV
With the arrival of the new digital terrestrial, dvb-t2 decoders have now become part of the daily life of millions of families, whether they like it or not. These are the devices that allow old televisions to keep up with the diffusion of the new TV signal transmission standard, which has been replacing the old digital standard in recent months and which will begin to completely replace it from 21 December . The transition is structured in numerous steps, but the next one is one of the definitive ones: from this winter, in fact, the transmissions of the main channels will switch to high definition, on data streams compressed with the mpeg4 method instead of the now obsolete mpeg2.
Because the old channels disappear
The transition to the new digital terrestrial means that broadcasters encode their transmissions using more sophisticated techniques, to offer high definition content and to free up radio frequencies necessary for the development of 5G networks. However, old televisions cannot receive these signals, which is why the broadcasters have temporarily moved the old channels to temporary numbers that can be reached on digital terrestrial channels 500 and later.
This is a stopgap solution, and those channels will soon be switched off as well; by 2023 the remaining broadcasts will all be set to the new video compression standard called h.265 and anyone who still owns an old television without a decoder will no longer be able to see any programmes .
The best dvb-t2 decoders
Fortunately, to remedy the problem, you don’t need to change your TV, just small devices that receive the new signal and bring it to the TV in a format that can be viewed on the screen. These are precisely the dvb-t2 decoders — gadgets with variable costs but which start from a few euros to about a hundred , depending on the features offered.
Basically, each of these products has a specific task: to receive the signal from the antenna cable, process it and send it to the old TV via a HDMI cable connection or even scart cable, for the more obsolete products. In short, with these gadgets old but still fully functional televisions are given new life , avoiding their premature end in landfills and thus also helping the environment.
Below we have selected the best ones out there for everyone’s needs , but there are also gadgets with more specific features on the market. In our galleries we have collected the invisible dvb-t2 decoders that hide behind the TV and those with smart features that allow you to watch RaiPlay, Amazon Prime Video and other streaming content.
-
01
Octagon Sf8008
Let’s start with a very performing model like the Octagon Sf8008 which, in its retro design, incorporates two tuners, but above all manages to support 4k or uhd resolution; it also connects to the internet for some smart functions. However, it lacks a scart socket and is the most expensive of the lot.
-
02
Dcolor Hevc Glowny 10
A retractable decoder, which hides behind the television by connecting to the hdmi socket thanks to a mini extension welded to the body. Extras include an infrared receiver with LCD display and USB socket to which a stick with photos and videos can be connected , or an empty unit for recording programs and the functions of pausing the current broadcast.
-
05
Humax HD-2023T2
It is not the cheapest model of the lot, but it offers something that other decoders lack: the possibility of connecting to the most obsolete TVs in circulation, those still anchored to the old scart type input . The interface is also mounted directly on the device, which therefore remains hooked behind the screen without showing itself to viewers.
-
06
Fenner Gx1
From Fenner, a popular cheap decoder for the new digital terrestrial that has the merit of being quite cheap even if it includes the ethernet one among the inputs. The remote control is also included in the package.
-
07
Tele System Up T2 4k
Among the easiest decoders to find on the market with smart functions, it is included in a set top box with Android TV operating system version 10. The result is an all-in-one device which houses the antenna cable on the back and redistributes it to television the signal in hdmi format, complete with a new interface that transforms the screen into a de facto smart tv.
-
