As our vacation time affords us more leisure and the extended daylight hours encourage later nights, it’s plausible that our consumption of DTT increases, particularly for events such as the Grand Prix. Yet, you might have observed a decline in quality, interference, or even broadcast interruptions. Be assured, there’s a meteorological rationale behind these occurrences.
Let’s delve into the phenomenon referred to as the “fading” effect and understand why the soaring summer temperatures can pose a significant challenge to DTT.
Worse DTT quality in summer
During the summer season, elevated temperatures can wield an impact on various systems, often manifesting as disruptions or a decline in quality within Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT).
Guillermo Canal, the manager of Feceminte (Federació Catalana d’Empreses de Telecomunicacions), explains that the degradation of television signals, known as the “fading” effect, results from the interference of TV waves originating from multiple broadcasting centers. This phenomenon becomes more pronounced in the summertime, primarily due to the combination of high temperatures and proximity to coastal areas. This leads to reception issues for DTT channels in many towns.
Scientifically, this occurs because elevated temperatures spur increased evaporation and condensation of seawater. The water particles vaporized into the atmosphere alter the propagation dynamics of DTT signals, inducing irregular fluctuations in signal levels. This effect contributes to heightened signal propagation, expanding its reach. Consequently, signals from the same channel might be received from distinct repeaters, engendering interference between them.
Fortunately, the situation tends to stabilize at night when temperatures cool down. As temperatures drop, signal propagation distances diminish, resulting in reduced interference. This phenomenon isn’t novel; even during the analog era of TV broadcasting, heat and sea reflection could compromise signal reception quality, potentially affecting image and sound. However, the challenge intensifies with DTT, as a weak signal equates to a complete loss of image and audio, given that digital television hinges on specific minimum signal quality prerequisites for proper functionality.
Problems from Algeria and Morocco
Depending on your location, residing in Andalusia could potentially exacerbate these issues. Recent weeks have witnessed a surge in complaints from users of DTT services in this region, particularly within the coastal provinces like Cádiz and Málaga. These grievances revolve around content loss occurring intermittently throughout the day, impacting various channels.
José Manuel Muñiz, the technical secretary of the Andalusian Telecommunications Association, sheds light on this matter. He notes that the ongoing implementation of the second digital dividend has prompted speculation regarding its connection to the reported issues. However, the crux of the matter, which might sound familiar given its recurrence over the years, resides elsewhere. The root cause is none other than interference stemming from signals originating in North African nations, primarily the Kingdom of Morocco and Algeria.
Despite the technical explanations that bolster this summer phenomenon, the historical source of the problem remains these foreign signals, which exert interference effects on local DTT services.