Watch the video below, for instructions on how to tune your digital channels.
The options below apply to both Cablenet subscribers and for other users whose homes are connected to the Cablenet coaxial network.
- Existing Cablenet subscribers without TV services can easily contact the Cablenet Customer Support Centre on 130 or visit a Cablenet retail store to subscribe to a Cablenet TV services bouquet. The entry TV bouquet is Variety TV, which offers more than 65 channels, including all the FTA Cypriot channels. A Cablenet STB will then be installed at your home by Cablenet technical personnel. You can request up to a maximum of three STBs with a single subscription, but there is a charge for this. A Cablenet TV services subscription also allows you to take advantage of advanced Cablenet interactive TV services, such as Replay TV (Catch‑up TV) and Video on Demand (VOD).
- Home users who are not existing Cablenet subscribers can also contact Cablenet to request a subscription to a TV-only Cablenet package, if they do not wish to have Internet from Cablenet.
- All users can alternatively use their TV set, provided that it supports DVB‑T (Digital Aerial) or DVB‑C (Digital Cable) channel tuning. Compatibility with the MPEG4 encoding protocol is required (this is usually provided on digital tuning enabled TVs). The TV set will need to be connected to the RF network using its RF-in (or Antenna-in) port.
- If your TV does not support digital channel reception, you can use an external receiver (typically DVB‑T) which can be connected to one of your TV set’s external video inputs. These receivers are readily available in the market. All receivers that can be used to receive digital aerial signals can also be used on Cablenet’s network. The receiver will need to be connected to the RF network using its RF-in (or Antenna-in) port.
No, you do not need to install an external antenna to watch the FTA Cypriot channels if your property is already connected to the Cablenet network. The digital signal in DVB-T (digital terrestrial) format for the FTA Cypriot channels, as transmitted by the digital terrestrial service providers CYBC and Velister, is also transmitted via the Cablenet network and is thus available in exactly the same way as you would receive it with an external antenna.
The Cablenet services installation is done when the service is transferred from Cablenet’s network to the roof of your apartment building or your house. The services will be connected and the equipment will be installed in the first TV output of your home.
TV service Purple TV requires a Cablenet TV decoder.
In HomePack packages the decoder is included for free for the first viewing point.
The digital TV service Purple TV requires a decoder and they are available up to 3 viewing points in your home (one decoder required per point).
Greek audio or Greek subtitles are available for the channels: Movies Best, FOX, FoxLife, Sundance Channel HD, Greek Cinema, Discovery Showcase HD, National Geographic HD, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild HD, Animal Planet, Discovery Science, DTX HD, BBC Earth HD, History HD, IDX, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, Boomerang HD, Baby TV, E! Entertainment, TLC, Motorvision HD and Edge Sport HD.
Cablenet TV channels are transmitted in the form of a Radio Frequency (RF) signal, completely inside the coaxial or fibre cable. This RF signal can be distributed in a home over the home RF distribution network, in a similar manner to the normal aerial RF signal. See the section below for advanced users if you require more information on this.
All Cablenet services (broadband, TV and fixed telephony) are transmitted to the subscriber premises through the coaxial or fibre cable installed by the Cablenet technical personnel during installation. This cable terminates at a special termination box (called an isolator, which splits the signal for the modem and the TV services) in the case of a coaxial installation or directly on the fibre converter (typically the fibre modem) in the case of a fibre installation.
The TV service offers crystal clear picture and sound independent of geographic position and weather conditions.
The TV channels included in the RF signal that is transmitted over the Cablenet network have the following formats (more information is also available in the section below for advanced users):
- DVB‑C (Digital Video Broadcast Cable)
All Cablenet TV channels are transmitted in this format. Free‑to‑Air (FTA) Cypriot channels are transmitted in an unencrypted (clear) form, whereas channels available on a subscription basis are encrypted.
- DVB‑T (Digital Video Broadcast Terrestrial)
FTA Cypriot channels are transmitted in an unencrypted form in this format, in exactly the same way as transmitted over the air by the digital TV services providers CYBC and Velister.
- Analog PAL B/G
FTA Cypriot channels are transmitted in an unencrypted form in this format.
Important note: Analog PAL B/G is a legacy format and transmission will be switched off as of June 2020, in order to optimize the use of spectrum for other Cablenet services. Any users still using analog format should switch to DVB-C or DVB-T reception to view the FTA Cypriot channels. Please see below for more information.
The RF signal transmitted by Cablenet, including all the above TV channel transmission formats, can be distributed to any number of viewing points over the home RF distribution network, in exactly the same way as a traditional aerial RF signal. Depending on the number of end points and the quality of the coaxial wiring of the home RF distribution network, amplification of the RF signal may be required. Please consult a TV system installation specialist if you require help with this.
Interactive TV services are transmitted over the IP protocol, the same protocol in which Internet services are provided. In order to enable interactive services, such as Replay TV (Catch‑up TV) and Video on Demand (VOD), the Cablenet Set Top Box (STB) must be connected to the Cablenet modem with a suitable Ethernet cable. This is usually done by the Cablenet technical personnel during installation if the STB is near the modem. In addition, the Cablenet STB must be switched to Hybrid VOD Mode from the STB Menu (Settings‑>System Mode) for interactive services to be enabled.
In order to take advantage of the best quality of transmission of the TV channels that Cablenet provides, such as High Definition (HD) picture quality and digital audio, the Cablenet STB should be connected to the TV with the provided HDMI cable. In case this is not possible, then a special RCA cable (which can be found at Cablenet stores) can be used, however the quality of output of the TV picture will not be optimal for HD channels.
A maximum of three STBs can be used under a single subscription to receive encrypted TV services, such as Purple TV and Sports For All. These STBs can also be used for interactive TV services from Cablenet, if each is properly connected via Ethernet cable directly to the Cablenet modem. The first STB is included for free in the case of 24‑month contracts for Cablenet packages that include TV services. In all other cases, and also for second or third points, STBs are available for a monthly rental fee of €5 per STB.
Regardless of the number of Cablenet STBs used in a home under a single subscription, any number of other viewing devices, such as DVB‑C or DVB‑T enabled TV sets or third-party receivers can be used to receive the FTA Cypriot channels transmitted in clear form on Cablenet’s network. The only requirement is that the distribution of the RF signal inside the home is done properly and the reception devices are connected directly to the RF distribution network, via their RF-in port. Please consult a TV system installation specialist if you require help with this.
The Cablenet RF signal, including all TV channel transmission formats, is provided at a designated connector (a screw-on threaded port called a female F‑type connector) on the isolator or on the fibre converter, depending if it is a coaxial or a fibre installation respectively. The connection to the Cablenet Set Top Box (STB) is done by the Cablenet technical personnel during installation using a suitable coaxial cable (which is terminated with a male F‑type connector at one end). If a connection is required to additional TV sets or the home RF distribution network, this can be done by a TV systems installation specialist or by the user themselves if they are familiar with the process, equipment and cables required.
Important note: The Internet signal over the coaxial Cablenet network is delivered from a separate designated female F‑type connector on the isolator. It is therefore recommended that only authorised Cablenet technical personnel or other TV systems specialists connect or disconnect cables to the isolator to avoid risk of damage to the network or to equipment.
DVB‑C stands for Digital Video Broadcast Cable and is the primary TV channel transmission method used on Cablenet’s network, since it is optimised for coaxial cable networks. All Cablenet TV channels are transmitted in this format. FTA Cypriot channels are transmitted in unencrypted form, whereas all the other channels in Cablenet’s TV bouquets are encrypted. The full Cablenet channel line‑up and TV bundle details can be found at the link cablenet.com.cy/en/channels/
A Cablenet STB is required to view the encrypted Cablenet TV services and is also used for viewing the FTA Cypriot channels. Other DVB‑C capable devices, such as TV sets with DVB‑C (Digital Cable) tuners, can be used to view the unencrypted FTA channels.
DVB‑T stands for Digital Video Broadcast Terrestrial and is the TV channel transmission method that is usually used for aerial digital terrestrial transmission, as carried out in Cyprus by CYBC and Velister. When transmitted over the air, the DVB‑T signals are normally received by a common household antenna. Cablenet retransmits all the DVB‑T channels, in exactly the same way as transmitted by CYBC and Velister, on its cable network. Therefore, any home that is connected to the coaxial Cablenet network, regardless if they have Cablenet subscription services or not, can receive the FTA Cypriot channels without the need for an external antenna. All channels transmitted by CYBC and Velister can be viewed via DVB‑T on Cablenet’s network.
Any DVB‑T capable devices, such as TV sets with DVB‑T (Digital Aerial) tuners or suitable DVB‑T receivers, can be used to view these unencrypted FTA channels.
Analog transmission is a legacy transmission method, which was used to transmit TV channels over the air in the past. In Cyprus, Analog Switch Off (ASO) happened in 2011 and since then only DVB‑T (Digital Terrestrial) transmission exists over the air.
Cablenet has continued to transmit the FTA Cypriot channels on its network even after ASO. The following channels are transmitted over Cablenet’s network in analog form: Cablenet Info Channel, RIK1, RIK2, ANT1, OMEGA, SIGMA, PLUS, EXTRA, CAPITAL, MAD CY, ALPHA, TV MALL, 4E, ERT, SMILE TV.
Important note: Analog transmission will be switched off as of June 2020, in order to optimize the use of spectrum for other Cablenet services. Any users still using analog format should switch to DVB-C or DVB-T reception to continue viewing the FTA Cypriot channels.
The best way to tune the DVB-C channels transmitted on Cablenet’s network, if you are not using a Cablenet STB, is to use the automatic Digital Cable (or similar) scanning feature of your TV set if this option is available.
For manual tuning, the Cablenet DVB-C channels are broadcast between frequencies 610 MHz to 746 MHz inclusive. The tuning parameters are as follows:
Modulation: QAM256
Symbol Rate: 6950
Network ID: 1
If a Network mode or option is available, it can be selected to speed up tuning.
Important note: Cablenet reserves the right to change the transmission frequencies and parameters of its DVB-C channel broadcast at its discretion at any time.
The best way to tune the DVB-T channels transmitted on Cablenet’s network is to use the automatic Digital Aerial (or similar) scanning feature of your TV set or receiver if this option is available.
If you want to manually tune the DVB-T channels, the frequency information is as below:
Channel 31 – Frequency 554 MHz – Velister Transport Stream 2
Channel 32 – Frequency 562 MHz – Velister Transport Stream 1
Channel 33 – Frequency 570 MHz – CYBC Transport Stream
To distribute RF signals internally within a home please use the frequencies below only, since all other frequencies are or may be used in the future for Cablenet’s own transmissions.
Channel 34 – Frequency 578 MHz
Channel 35 – Frequency 586 MHz
Channel 36 – Frequency 594 MHz
