Digital Switchover Information

The Digital Switchover - What Is It ?
Digital switchover is when the current analogue transmissions that we have been receiving since the 1930s will be switched off and replaced by an all-digital transmission. It will happen between 2008 and 2012 depending on your region.

66% of UK households already use digital television, but for those who now only receive analogue services such as BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 directly through a TV aerial, this means that unless you upgrade your TV set-up to receive digital signals you will not get any TV channels in future.

How Digital TV works
With Digital TV, sound and pictures from the broadcaster are converted into bits of information and sent through an aerial, satellite, telephone line or cable. This digital signal is then turned back into sound and pictures by a digital box or a digital television set.
 

What are the benefits of digital TV?
Compared to traditional TV, it brings many new ways to enjoy your TV:

Extra TV channels as standard
You will receive all your usual TV channels and many more

Subscription channels
Depending on where you live and how you choose to go digital, you will also be able to subscribe to additional channels which feature a variety of sports, films, news, documentaries, drama and much more.

Improved quality
Digital TV can improve the quality of your TV picture.

New features
Including on-screen TV listings and true widescreen picture. Plus, the red-button option lets you change views or games, great for sporting and entertainment events.

Access services
Some digital boxes have special features for people with visual and hearing impairments, such as audio description and subtitling.

What equipment will I need to get digital television?
There are several options available to ensure you receive digital television:

Digital TV
There are two ways to get terrestrial digital TV*

1)Upgrade your current set with a Freeview box or a DVD player or recorder with in-built receiver.
2)Get a new television with built-in digital adapter (known as an integrated digital TV or IDTV).

Look for the Digital UK logo. This logo identifies TVs, TV recording equipment, and digital set-top boxes that are designed to continue working after the digital switchover.

Plus, do not forget your video recorder: If you use a video (VCR) or a DVD recorder for recording you will still be able to record the channel you are watching and play back tapes/DVDs. But, if you want to record one digital channel while you are watching another, you will need a digital TV recorder


Digital Satellite TV
You will need a satellite receiver and dish, provided by a satellite broadcaster such as Sky. Take advantage of our great Sky offers. If you opt for Digital Satellite TV i suggest you take the sky+ option as the sky+ box also doubles as a digital video recorder, At this present time Sky are offering Sky+ with sky TV, Free broadband and Free telephone calls for only £16 per month


Digital Cable TV
You will need a connection to a cable system and the decoder box provided by the cable company.

*Please note that your aerial may need to be replaced in order for you to receive the digital signal. You may also want to consider getting an amplifier so you can distribute the digital signal to several rooms in your home.