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DEPLOYMENTS

Where is DVB-I deployed?

This map shows countries where evaluations or trials of DVB-I have taken place.

Find mor information on the principal DVB-I trials in the table below.

If you are aware of a DVB-I service that should be included here, please let us know via using the form on the front page.

Dvb i evaluation test countries

In March 2026, Deutsche TV-Plattform (DTVP) published the first DVB-I Implementation Profile for DVB-I Receivers in Germany (Version 1.00), marking a significant step towards the commercial launch of DVB-I in the German market. The profile is the result of a two-year process led by the DTVP Task Force DVB-I, in close cooperation with the DVB-I Round Table.

The Implementation Profile specifies the technical requirements that receivers must meet to ensure interoperability with the German DVB-I service list. It covers the DVB-I and HbbTV specifications, reception technologies, DVB-I metadata, pop-up channels, service list regionalization, DRM, accessibility features, and service list updates. It also cross-references a separate test case document to help device manufacturers verify their implementations.

The profile serves as an annex to a planned “DVB-I Book Germany” (working title) being prepared by the Round Table. The aim is to launch a public DVB-I service in Germany later in 2026.

The DVB-I Implementation Profile (Version 1.00) is available from the Deutsche TV-Plattform website. (English version here (PDF).)

Previously

The DVB-I Round Table was established in 2024 under the moderation of the German media authorities, bringing together ARD, ProSiebenSat.1 Media, RTL Deutschland, ZDF, the Federal Network Agency, VAUNET, and ZVEI to prepare the conditions for the market launch of DVB-I in Germany, with consideration of media and antitrust law requirements. Working groups addressed product requirements, the organization and operation of a joint service list, non-discriminatory access for programme providers, receiver certification, and the development of a market launch roadmap. For more information, see the full press release.

A DVB-I pilot ran in two phases from IBC 2022. Phase 2, which began in September 2023, targeted the technical and organizational foundations for a market launch, including:

  • the technical and organizational provision of the German DVB-I service list
  • implementation of the public value recommendation of the German state media authorities
  • server-side regionalization by postcode
  • expansion of DRM and subscription services
  • evaluation of new use cases such as playlists, pop-up channels, and media library deep links in content guides
2024 Roadtogermanmarketdvbi

Final report on Phase 1 available in English (PDF) and German (PDF)

Updated: March 2026

In a statement released on 17 March 2026 to coincide with DVB World in Amsterdam, Freeview New Zealand confirmed its plans to deploy DVB-I services:

“Put simply, Freeview is how Kiwis watch their favourite free TV channels. And DVB-I is how New Zealanders will watch them in the future.”

The statement, available here, said that the operator had “progressed well beyond a proof of concept and is now moving toward a nationwide DVB-I production launch.”

For more background information on the television distribution market in New Zealand, see the article in the September 2025 issue of DVB Scene magazine.

(Updated March 2026)

Saorview is the national DTT platform in Ireland, owned and managed by the public broadcaster RTÉ. The company is currently investigating the creation of a next-generation hybrid platform.

Saorview DVB-I – Technical Trial

At DVB World 2026, RTÉ announced its plan to launch a trial of DVB-I.

Building on lessons learned from the Saorview PoC, RTÉ will undertake a closed technical trial to test the potential attractiveness and viability of a Next-Generation Platform (NGP) offering for Saorview. The trial, which will initially involve a small user group – up to one hundred users – will run from June to November 2026. The findings of the closed technical trial will help to inform a future decision about DVB-I and a Saorview NGP. 

Previously

At IBC2024, on both the DVB and EBU booths, visitors had an opportunity to view the latest phase in the Saorview DVB-I proof-of-concept. The following features were demonstrated:

  • Deep-linking from the EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) for catch-up, box sets and the RTÉ Player
  • Accessibility services signalled within the service list
  • Service prominence

In early 2023, RTÉ ran a first proof of concept based on DVB-I, leveraging the reference application developed by Sofia Digital on behalf of the DVB Project.

Aims

  • Develop a next-generation platform strategy for Saorview
  • Meet audiences where they are (including on smartphones and tablets)
  • Leverage the increase in IP-based content distribution
  • Address future risks to DTT (potential reduction in available UHF spectrum)
  • Consider regulatory implications (e.g. around service prominence for public service media

Features demonstrated

  • Presentation of linear channels delivered over terrestrial and satellite broadcast and delivered via IP
  • Fallback from IP to broadcast and vice-versa if the network currently being used fails
  • Presentation of the RTÉ Player at its own spot in the EPG, allowing users to directly open the app from the EPG and play on-demand content
  • Presentation of radio stations from both DVB-T and IP
  • Display of simple EPG plus channel logos delivered over IP
  • Extending LCN (logical channel number) listings beyond those carried in DTT
Screenshot of the service list, showing integration of broadcast and IP channels

See: EBU webinar presentation by Jim Higgins, RTÉ (May 2023)

Updated: March 2026

Launched Q4 2023, following Mediaset PoC.

For this real market trial of DVB-I, open to any entity meeting the basic requirements, the first compatible TVs, branded Telefunken, are commercially available. Users can buy a DVB-I compliant TV set on the open market, install it at own home, and access content delivered by IP discovered through a DVB-I service list.

Broadcasters or service providers that participate in the trial must be holders of an authorized DTT (digital terrestrial television) LCN (logical channel number) for Italy.

Currently, most of the broadcasters participating in the trial are those who lost visibility in the channel  list because of a reduction in DTT bandwidth – thanks to DVB-I, they have been able to take advantage of their allocated LCN.

Mediaset is providing four channels via the trial, delivered both on broadcast and broadband.

Manufacturers are required to have successfully passed the certification process as set out in the Italian UHD Book 2.1, which references DVB BlueBook A177r5 – Interoperability Point 2. (The UHD Books are published by the HD Forum Italia and available here. An English translation of UHD Book 2.1 is available here.)

To fully support the trial, TV sets shall also be compliant to the HbbTV Core specification.

DVB-I bollino

The trial has been used to develop the conditions for a new reference Italian “bollino” – or label – for the certification of receivers compliant to the requirements included in UHD Book.

In March 2026, version 2.2 of the UHD Book was published (in Italian and English).

UHD Book 2.2 sets out the profile to which TV sets must comply in order to pass the updated certification process rolling out in Italy. Revision 2.2 references an updated version of the DVB-I specification, DVB BlueBook A177r7, and the HbbTV Core 2.0.5.

Requiring TV sets to comply with the UHD Book guarantees for users that:

  • TV sets on the market behave as expected with respect to required functionalities.
  • Different TV set brands behave in a similar way.

As stated in the “Foreword (DVB-I related)” of the UHD Book:

“The conditions for the launch of a new “bollino” requiring DVB-I specs and testing, will be published after ruling definition by AGCOM on the matter. The market implementation will follow the standard “sunrise period” of 18 months.”

AGCOM is establishing a technical table to discuss, among other topics, all aspects that must be addressed in order to create a sustainable ecosystem where different mediums (DVB-T/S/I) coexist, observing a well-defined set of rules.

See also:

Background information

The market trial builds on the Mediaset-led proof of concept (PoC) that had been running since late 2019.

DVB I Timeline Italy
Timeline of DVB-I activities in Italy

Mediaset began implementation of a DVB-I PoC to develop use cases for an end-to-end chain that complies fully with DVB-I and related standards. It was designed so that it could, in due course, evolve into a full commercial trial.

The PoC was managed by Mediaset, which also acted as a service provider. Over the course of the PoC, many partners joined the activities: TV set manufacturers, broadcasters and service providers, technology providers.

Based on an environment very close to that of the trial, the PoC provides a completely open environment, where different entities can share their expertise for the benefit of the DVB and HbbTV ecosystems, also supporting the evolution of the referenced standards.

Italy DVB I POC outcomes
PoC outcomes

Contact

For more information on the Market Trial and the PoC contact Stefano Braghieri (stefano.braghieri@mediaset.it).

Updated: March 2026

Freeview Australia announced in December 2025 that it would undertake tests of DVB-I during 2026 to assess the use of internet delivery for the discovery and presentation of Australian free-to-air television services on connected TVs. The tests are intended to demonstrate how DVB-I can enable access to live linear channels using familiar Freeview channel numbering and programme guide functionality, including in scenarios where a terrestrial antenna is unavailable.

The tests will be conducted at the Freeview Test Centre in Sydney and in collaboration with television manufacturers and technology partners, to validate interoperability and user experience across different smart TV platforms.

See also:

(Updated January 2025)

Large-scale DVB-I verification activities have been conducted across five major Chinese cities – Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou – bringing together broadcasters, operators, device manufacturers, test centres and research institutes to demonstrate multi-vendor interoperability across live and on-demand services. The ecosystem integrates AVS3 video and audio codecs, SMT transport, and the ToPlay DRM system. A live streaming pilot was also conducted during the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The verification work builds on a 2023 agreement between DVB and the AVS (Audio Video coding Standard) Workgroup covering the translation and standardization of DVB-I in China, which enabled the creation of a Chinese-language version of the DVB-I specification.

See also: Chinese DVB-I: different market, same challenges, similar solutions (DVB Scene – Issue 67 – March 2026)

(Updated March 2026)

In September 2025, the Forum Audiovisuel Numérique (FAVN) announced that it was preparing a trial of the DVB-I specification in France. The project brings together broadcasters, operators, and receiver manufacturers, with the aim of assessing the potential of DVB-I to improve the television experience for viewers and to help shape the future of TV in France.

More information will be provided here as the project proceeds.

Updated: September 2025

Launched in September 2024 and integrating DVB-I, Sat.tv Connect is the new version of Eutelsat’s free-to-air DTH satellite service, extending the reach of the service to new generations of connected TV sets with integrated satellite tuners.

Sat.tv Connect uses DVB-I to enable unified, seamless content discovery, delivering enriched EPGs that enhance the customer experience. It is used as the standards-based solution for the ‘organization’ of the free-to-air broadcasting environment on the different satellite positions of Eutelsat to:

  • Manage multiple service lists per satellite position, with subfiltering by region, country or language (up to 33 different Sat.tv lists so far).
  • Optimize and simplify the installation of satellite channels by using the “instant tuning” and “LCN range” functions that are integrated into the DVB-I service list. These guarantee direct zapping to the chosen television or radio channel, without the need for time-consuming pre-scanning of the entire satellite position, and facilitate channel classification.
  • Enhance the user experience by enriching the native TV interface with channel logos, thumbnails and programme information that can be integrated directly into the channel’s zapping banner and television guide (with programme information for more than 500 channels to date), thanks to the prioritization, when available, of DVB-I metadata over the broadcast EIT (Event Information Table) that is traditionally used for such information.
  • Enable flexible service-list discovery, for both connected and unconnected scenarios, with service-list installation via a broadcast signal that declares either DVB-I entry point parameters or directly the DVB-I services lists.
  • Initiate service hybridization, offering the widest free choice of free-to-air broadcast and FAST streaming channels.

For more detailed information, see the article on page 7 of the September 2024 issue of DVB Scene magazine: Enhanced access to free-to-air satellite television thanks to DVB-I 

Updated: September 2024

The March 2025 issue of DVB Scene magazine included an article announcing a DVB-I pilot, as part of a collaboration between RTVE (the Spanish national public service media organization) and FORTA (the association of regional public media services).

The pilot, which will last for one year, will involve a series of technical tests related to the DVB-I standard in order to assess its suitability as a strategic tool to strengthen and enhance the positioning of the Spanish public and licensed audiovisual media service providers. It seeks to optimize the discovery and findability of their content while aiming, as much as possible, to improve the visibility and the prominence of their services.

—

Previous activities

In April 2023, the Spanish public broadcaster RTVE and the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) undertook a public test of DVB-I under the auspices of the RTVE Chair at UPM.

A live event featured the first pilot of RTVE channels delivered using DVB-I linked to a digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcast. The event included a demonstration of the channel tuning procedure.

Other companies contributing to the initiative included Cellnex Telecom, Dolby, Sapec and the Televés Corporation, all of whom are on the advisory committee of the RTVE Chair at UPM. Receivers for the tests were supplied by Vestel, who provided development software with new DVB-I support running on current range of their production TV sets.

The pilot also made use of the DVB-I reference application to generate the service lists.

DVB-I signalled over DTT

For the event, a custom DTT multiplex was created by UPM engineers and broadcast in the local area on a temporary channel. The multiplex included a link to the DVB-I service list in the DTT service information tables, and the channels were automatically available to the user by simply pressing the EPG button on the remote control. It is believed that this was the first time a DVB-I service list had been signalled over the air in this way.

The service list shows a mix of standard definition DTT programmes, HD programmes and IP-delivered programmes (along with radio programmes)

The test was built around the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament, which was being broadcast on the tdp HD channel as a single feed. Thanks to DVB-I, users were able to select the coverage of any of the seven tennis courts through additional channels, allowing any match to be chosen without the use of an app. The user was shown eleven channels (four DTT plus seven delivered via the internet) through which they could navigate.

Find more information (in Spanish) on the RTVE website.

Updated: March 2025

IRIB R&D develops innovative new products and technologies in broadcasting and broadband delivery, laying the groundwork for future services from IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting).

The testing of DVB-I in the IRIB R&D laboratory began in March 2020. The goal of the pilot was the evaluation of DVB-I with regard to its feasibility and the potential benefits for IRIB. The pilot was completed in October 2020.

You can find more information about this pilot in the articles below:

Target market:

The pilot was available in the Tehran area. The user interface was in the Persian language.

Service lists and services:

IRIB created its own service list registry, within which was the service list used for this pilot. The service list contained 60 service instances, some as DVB-T, some as DVB-DASH and some with both types of delivery. MPEG-4 video coding was used.

Receivers/clients:

The trial was based on the official DVB-I reference application (developed by Sofia Digital). HbbTV receivers and Android TVs and smartphones were used.

Future plans:

Integrating all IRIB DVB-T/T2 and OTT services into the DVB-I service list and adding the client to the main IRIB HbbTV launcher. Also under study is the use of DVB-I for service discovery in 5G.