Transmission network operator Towercom switched Slovakia’s third nationwide multiplex, home to public broadcaster STVR, to the new standard on Tuesday, September 22. The changeover rolled out gradually across every transmitter in the country throughout the day, STVR said in a press release.
It was the last multiplex still running on DVB-T, the first-generation digital terrestrial standard. Every TV multiplex in Slovakia now uses DVB-T2. The country made the switch in stages: the second multiplex, which carries channels including TA3, JOJ Plus and JOJ Krimi, moved over back on April 14, 2026.
This time the change affects STVR’s four channels: Jednotka, Dvojka, 24 and Šport. Viewers watching them with an antenna may need to retune their TV or set-top box. Receivers that only support DVB-T will no longer pick up these channels. The antenna itself doesn’t need replacing, and anyone watching via cable, satellite or IPTV is unaffected.
DVB-T2 squeezes more data into the same frequency band. According to Slovak tech site TECHBOX.sk, that raised the third multiplex’s capacity from roughly 19.9 Mbps to 33.4 Mbps. STVR, however, still encodes its channels in MPEG-4, so the new standard alone doesn’t mean a move to HEVC or 4K broadcasts.
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Towercom plans to use the freed-up capacity to add new channels to its paid terrestrial TV package. CEO Marcel Šatánek also noted that the new standard will allow broadcasts in higher quality. STVR director general Martina Flašíková described the upgrade as an investment in keeping free-to-air television available to every household in Slovakia.
Spain is upgrading its terrestrial TV as well, with some channels moving to Ultra HD from November 5.
