How can I watch digital television?

One of the most common ways to watch digital television, is via a cable connection. When you watch cable television with a decoder, connect this receiver to the main connector of TV reception via a coax cable. The decoder decrypts the signal and sends it to your TV via an HDMI cable. Most cable TV providers offer different packs with channels. In the Netherlands, the largest provider for cable television is Ziggo. In Belgium, you'll often watch cable TV via Telenet.

You can also watch cable television with extra box. Connect the coax cable directly to your television and use a smart card from your provider. Slide this in a CI+ module, which fits in your television. Your television needs to have a built-in DVB-C tuner and CI+ support for this. It's also important that you know if your TV is suitable for the smart card and the CI+ module of your provider.

With an antenna, you can receive the signal from the ether. In the Netherlands, you can receive this signal with Digitenne from KPN, or with Antenne TV from TV Vlaanderen in Belgium. Put the antenna of the provider in a spot where the signal is strong and connect it to the decoder. The decoder sends the signal to your TV. The advantage of watching TV with Digitenne or Antenne TV is that the monthly costs are pretty low, but the offer of channels is more limited than that of cable television, for example.

The advantage of satellite television is the large number of native and foreign channels that you can receive. If you want to watch satellite TV, you need a satellite antenna. You can then watch via a separate decoder or a CI+ module. If you want to watch satellite TV with a CI+ module, your television needs to have a DVB-S or DVB-S2 tuner. In the Netherlands, the largest provider of satellite TV is Canal Digitaal. In Belgium, TV Vlaanderen and TéléSAT provide satellite TV.

Another way to receive television is via the DSL connection. If you purchase a TV subscription from your internet provider, you can connect your television to your modem and receive channels that way. This way, it's relatively cheap to watch television. A downside is that the quality of the signal depends on the internet speed and your location. In the Netherlands, Tele2 offers via DSL, Proximus TV offers that in Belgium.

It's becoming more common to receive live television via apps of providers. For example, Ziggo offers the Ziggo GO app, and Telenet offers Yelo Play and the Telenet TV app to Belgian customers. If you have a subscription with one of these providers, you can easily watch live television on all your mobile devices, and you can cast this to your Chromecast or smart TV.