Cape Town TV is now available on DTT! Before we jump straight into the blog, let me explain to you what DTT is. DTT stands for ‘Digital Terrestrial Transmission’. This means that a digital signal is broadcast across land-based transmitters straight to your TV.
As South Africa makes the switch from analogue TV to digital we are proud to be available to our long-standing viewers on multiple platforms, which includes both analogue and digital broadcasts along with our presence on Sentech’s Freevision Play streaming platform.
As CTV Station Director Karen Thorne explains, “The DTT transmissions extend CTV’s broadcast footprint considerably. It now extends up to Yzerfontein on the West Coast. Stellenbosch to the north-east and it reaches all the areas on the southern peninsula that previously could not receive the signal from Tygerberg.”
Cape Town TV prides itself on being “for you, by you” and that is why our audience and the communities we serve are an essential part of our channel. By being available on DTT, we can help our loyal viewers avoid the costs of subscription TV. Yes, you heard that right. With DTT there is no monthly fee, you just pay for a decoder or digital TV set to get access to all the available channels. These include six SABC channels, six e-TV channels, the Parliamentary channel and of course CTV in the southern Cape region.
How to get a DTT signal
Basically you just need the right equipment. The cheapest solution is to buy a set-top box (decoder) from select retailers. This box costs around R450 and is plugged into your TV with an HDMI cable or the three breakout cables that go to the Video and Audio inputs on your TV set.
If you already have a DTT decoder you may need to re-scan the frequencies in order for the box to pick up the new CTV channel. Optimally you should use an outdoor aerial instead of the “bunny ears” indoor aerial, and this is just the old ‘grid-type’ UHF aerial that brought you the analogue signal. 
You can also use a computer monitor instead of a TV set because the decoder picks up the TV signal and sends it to the monitor, although you will need speakers too for the sound. Or you can get a TV card to turn your PC into a television set.
If you have a household income of less than R3,500 per month you can register at your nearest post office to get a free set-top box with installation. The closing date for all registrations is 30 September 2022. Yes, that’s the end of this month! So if you qualify, get to your nearest post office today to place your order.
If you feel that now is a good time to replace your analogue television set, you can opt for a new digital TV. Bear in mind that the set must have an integrated digital tuner to receive the digital TV signal. A base-model or small-screen IDTV set goes for around R4,500, with big-screen versions available at higher prices.
Some people, particularly those in rural areas, might have a satellite decoder with Sentech’s FreeVision TV service. If you have one of these decoders then you will receive all of the DTT channels via satellite transmission.
Digital broadcasting is the future. However, as we make the switch to a digital broadcasting system we must not leave anyone behind. Remember access to information is a basic human right and television channels like CTV provide you with a wealth of information and entertainment. Get a fast-track to the future with digital TV and make the switch before the analogue signal is turned off and you no longer have access to free-to-air TV.