Need Digital TV? Ready to switch over?
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Digital Switchover
Starting in 2008, the UK will begin its digital switchover. Analogue signals will be gradually switched off and your house will (hopefully) receive a digital signal instead. So, how do you receive a digital signal? Well, there are plenty of options to choose from.
For most households, this means buying a digital box for about £40. This is the most popular way of getting a digital signal at the moment – just plug the box (which is about the size of a small DVD player) into the back of your TV, and connect it to your aerial lead. Hey presto. You should be able to pick up a digital signal via the Freeview TV service. However, the aerial in your loft or on your roof might need upgrading, so it’s best to try this method before the digital switchover – it will take time to get a new aerial installed. You can also by new TVs with a built-in digital box, so there’s no need for extra wires or equipment.
Digital television through a satellite dish
Satellite digital television is available to 98% of the country, and won’t require an aerial upgrade, but it is more expensive than buying a digital box with services from Sky Digital. You can buy a satellite digital box for a one-off payment of £150, or pay for your satellite connection monthly (which costs from about £15 a month).
Digital television through a cable
This will also mean a monthly fee rather than a one-off payment. If you use a cable company like Virgin Media (formerly ntl:Telewest) for your phone calls, you could benefit from getting a "bundle" deal where you buy digital television from the same company and save money. If you don’t currently have a cable connection and you choose this option, an engineer will have to come to your house to install it, and there may be installation fees as well as a monthly bill.
Digital television through a phone line
This is still in the early stages, but BT is starting to offer packages where you can receive digital television through your phone line. If you buy your phone service, internet and digital television all from BT, you can save money on the complete package, but again you will have to pay a monthly bill rather than a one-off payment.
