How do I watch television?

In France, the March 5, 2007 law on the modernization of audiovisuel diffusion and the television of the future sets out the general manager enabling the population to have access to DTT. Digital terrestrial television (DTT) is shown over the air by transmitters covering mainland France. It is received via rooftop antennas. The vast majority of DTT supplies are available free of charge.

DTT coverage

Under the French law of September 30, 1986, all national DTT services must be shown to at least 95% of the population in mainland France. To date, with a few exceptions, DTT channels are shown from 1,626 transmitters, covering around 97% of the population in mainland France. In addition, to ensure territorial continuity of DTT reception, the law of September 30, 1986 allows local authorities or their groupings to benefit from an authorization to show DTT programs on their territory.

A list of DTT channels in mainland France is available here [link to DTT channels page].

Overseas France, DTT covers 95% of the population of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia and New Caledonia. Seven public channels and up to two local private channels are shown on each of these territories.

The special case of DTT reception in collective housing

The management of collective reception facilities is of prime importance in apartment buildings, as it ensures that residents receive DTT. When diffusion changes occur in the residential area, it is essential to anticipate the work required to adapt the installation, so as not to lose the benefit of DTT channels when the time comes.

Generally speaking, the installation or modification of a collective distribution network within a condominium is a decision taken at a general meeting by a majority of all co-owners. However, the law makes provision for a manager to encourage buildings to be equipped for digital television. The general meeting automatically includes a draft resolution on the work, which is decided by a majority of the votes cast by the co-owners present (and not by all co-owners). The general meeting can also give the syndic a mandate to carry out the necessary modifications to ensure continuity of reception by the collective antenna.

If you are not satisfied with the reception means proposed by your building manager, you can, under certain conditions, equip yourself with an individual antenna. This can be either terrestrial or satellite, and is installed at your own expense. French law guarantees a "right to an antenna", which enables a co-owner or tenant to install a private antenna to access television services. To do so, you must inform your landlord or property manager by registered letter, return receipt requested. This letter must include a detailed description of the work to be undertaken, as well as the resulting television supply.

TV reception via the Internet (ADSL, fiber optics, 4G/5G...) gives you access to free-to-air DTT channels as well as complementary channel packages, often included in your ISP contract.

For more information on receiving DTT TV channels via broadband or optical fiber, visit your ISP's website.

In addition to the TV reception offered by Internet service providers, DTT free-to-air channels are also available on the open Internet - over-the-top (OTT) - on Internet-connected screens in applications published by the channels themselves or by other distributors.

You can also install a satellite dish to receive DTT channels via satellite.

If you already have a satellite dish, you may need to check and, where appropriate, correct its orientation.

In mainland France, free-to-air DTT channels are obliged to make their signal available to the public, so that viewers can receive all DTT channels via a single satellite supply, without having to pay a contract. The "Fransat" and "TNTSAT" channel packages therefore include all free-to-air DTT channels in mainland France, and do not require viewers to rent a set-top box or take out a contract. However, a fee is charged for the renewal of the secure access card when it expires.

These two supplies include all national DTT channels, plus all France 3 regional opting-outs. These two supplies are complemented by other French and foreign TV channels, as well as radio stations.

For more information on the features of this supply, browse the Fransat and TNTSAT websites.

In overseas France, as in mainland France, free satellite reception supplies are available. However, these supplies are different from those of Fransat and TNTSAT, whose receivers and access cards are unable to receive DTT channels in the French overseas territories.

Finally, both in mainland France and overseas France, some operators also offer pay satellite services with a wider supply.

This mode of reception is available in individual and collective dwellings with cable access.

To guarantee access to free national DTT channels when cable is the only reception mode available, the law requires the cable network operator to provide an "antenna service", as well as a take-up obligation for subscribers. It obliges the operator to make a commercial proposal for the take-up of free-to-air terrestrial channels to the manager of an apartment building.

Thus, on a digital network, the operator must offer free DTT channels at a cost that must remain marginal. In particular, households benefiting from an "antenna service" should not be obliged to take out a rental contract for the adapter used to receive digital channels. Various solutions are proposed to give viewers access to free DTT channels under conditions comparable to those for terrestrial reception.