SBTVD

SBTVD stands for Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão Digital, the Brazilian standard for terrestrial digital television. It is based on the Japanese ISDB-T standard (ISDB-T) but adapted for Brazil’s regulatory, technical, and market needs, and is frequently referred to as ISDB-T International or ISDB-Tb. The standard was developed to improve spectrum efficiency, enable mobile reception, and support interactive services within Brazil.

Technical overview: SBTVD uses OFDM with segmentation and hierarchical modulation to carry multiple services in a single broadcast channel. It supports standard-definition and high-definition television, as well as a mobile reception service known as 1-Seg. Video codecs commonly employed include MPEG-2 and H.264/AVC, with audio options such as MPEG-2 AAC and related profiles. The system also provides interactive capabilities through Brazil’s Ginga middleware, enabling applications and services beyond pure video delivery. Channels can be transmitted in typical broadcast bandwidths of 6, 7, or 8 MHz, and a broadcaster can offer multiple subchannels within a single channel.

Deployment and status: The transition from analog to digital television using SBTVD began in the mid-2000s and continued through the 2010s, with many regions completing the switch-over by the late 2010s. Beyond Brazil, ISDB-T International variants based on the SBTVD approach have been adopted or piloted in several Latin American and Caribbean countries, adopting the same core technology with local adjustments.

See also: ISDB-T, ISDB-T International (ISDB-Tb), Ginga, Digital television.