Changes to TDT - Spanish Digital Television - Changes to TV in Spain

Changes to TDT - Spanish Digital Television - Changes to TV in Spain

TDT - Television Digital Terrestrial - is broadcast through waves, occupying a part of the frequency spectrum. This spectrum is shared by TV, radio, telephone and other communications.

So far TV has been using those between 21 and 69 channels.

However, in 2007 the European Commission agreed to allocate part of the spectrum occupied by television to mobile phones of the latest generation, known as 4G. In accordance with the European Directive, the Spanish Government stated that before January 1, 2015 channels 61 to 69, ie, the last 9 in the band used so far, will become available for the 4G.

This is what is called Digital Dividend.

Will my Freeview box work in Spain?

Many UK Freeview boxes do work in Spain and you can use a Freeview receiver / set top box in Spain.

The UK Freeview receiver will only receive the Spanish digital TV channels.

A UK Freeview set top box will NOT be able to receive UK TV channels like BBC ITV C4 and Five in Spain.

This is beacuase the Freeview box connects to a TV aerial, and in Spain only SPanish TV vchannels are available via a TV aerial.


Just like in the UK where you can only receive the UK Freeview channels via a TV aerial and not the SPansih TV channels in the UK via a TV aerial.

However, there may be some problems with using a UK Freeview set top box in Spain.

Firstly, you must ensure the box can scan frequency 69 – a frequency that is not used in the UK but it is in Spain.

Also UK boxes may not be able to change programmes into their original language as some UK boxes are programmed to look for English, Welsh and Gaelic language “tags”, where as in Spain they use different language tags like “Dos” or “VO” (Version Original), or “Multi” or “Und”, SET does use an “English” tag.