Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of audio and video by discrete (digital) signals. Digital means it has high picture and stereo audio quality.
Standard Definition (SD) vs High Definition (HD): Both standard and high definition television are digital formats. Standard definition (SD) television provides digital images and sound that is considerably better than analog. High definition (HD) television is an enhancement that provides higher resolution images. HD has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD.
Standard-definition DTV broadcast resolutions: 720 x 576 pixels
High-definition DTV broadcast resolutions: 1920 x 1080
MPEG-4 H.264: is the most commonly used compression standard for distribution of video content today.
IMPORTANT: If you are using an older TV and cannot watch the SBS HD channels, your TV might not be MPEG4 compatible and can only decode the older MPEG2 standard. Check with the TV manufacturer and confirm MPEG-4 compatibility. If the manufacturer confirms the TV is not MPEG-4 compatible, the quickest and easiest way to resolve the issue is to install a digital set top box or, alternatively, upgrade your TV.
SBS is available on free to air digital TV as follows:
Channel Name | Channel Number | SD or HD | Encoding Format | Video PID | Audio PID |
SBS ONE | 3 | SD 720 x 576i | MPEG-2 | 161 | 81/82 |
SBS ONE HD | 30 | HD 1920 x 1080i | MPEG-4 | 102 | 103/104 |
SBS VICELAND | 31 | HD 1920 x 1080i | MPEG-4 | 166 | 86/88 |
SBS World Movies | 32 | HD 1920 x 1080i | MPEG-4 | 162 | 83/84 |
SBS Food | 33 | SD 720 x 576i | MPEG-4 | 163 | 85 |
NITV HD | 34 | HD 1920 x 1080i | MPEG-4 | 164 | 87/89 |
SBS WorldWatch | 35 | SD 720 x 576i | MPEG-4 | 165 | 90 |
NITV SD | 36 | SD 720 x 576i | MPEG-2 | 167 | 91/92 |
SBS Radio 1 | 301 | MPEG-1 Layer 2 | 201 | ||
SBS Radio 2 | 302 | MPEG-1 Layer 2 | 202 | ||
SBS Radio 3 | 303 | MPEG-1 Layer 2 | 205 | ||
SBS Arabic24 | 304 | MPEG-1 Layer 2 | 204 | ||
SBS South Asian | 305 | AAC | 206 | ||
SBS Chill | 306 | MPEG-1 Layer 2 | 203 | ||
SBS PopAsia | 307 | AAC | 207 |
Reception Advice: If you have an enquiry regarding SBS reception, you can contact the SBS Audience Relations team here. Please provide a your location and postcode, a brief description of the problem you are experiencing and the duration of the problem so we can investigate for you.