Need Digital TV? Ready to switch over?
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What is Digital Television?
More than 80 per cent of the UK already enjoys the benefits of digital television (Ofcom, 2007), and with the switchover from analogue to digital due to start next year, you need to be clued up on the best way to upgrade your viewing experience.
98 per cent of the country currently has at least one television but the Government wants to make sure that everyone has access to digital services. The Government’s digital rollout, where individual ITV regions are due to have their analogue signal switched off and replaced by a digital one is due to be completed in 2012, by which time everyone will have to have switched to digital or they will lose their TV signal. (DTI, 2006).
What is digital television?
Digital television (DTV) is a more efficient way of delivering programmes, offering a high quality television service with improved picture clarity and sharper sound; so no more ghost images, distorted pictures or adjusting your aerial. It also offers a host of extra benefits that you don’t get with traditional analogue TV.
What are the benefits?
Going digital offers a wider selection of channels, as well as digital-only radio stations and a range of interactive services ranging from email and text messages to health advice and shopping, and most services will also offer an electronic programme guide (EPG) allowing you to see the current and next programmes, as well as a breakdown of the coming week’s TV schedule. You can even set reminders to make sure you don’t miss your favourite shows.
DTV also offers increased benefits for people with disabilities, especially those with hearing and vision impairments.
DTV is available in a number of different formats including digital terrestrial television (DTT), cable, satellite and broadband. It can also be paid for in a variety of ways from a one off payment with a free-to-view service, to pay-monthly subscription packages or on-demand where you only pay for what you watch.
Do I have to switch?
Eventually, yes. The Government’s digital switchover programme starts in 2008 with the ITV Border area, and is due to be completed in 2012 with Meridian, London, Tyne Tees and Ulster.
Residents in each area will get around two year’s notice before their analogue signal is switched off, to ensure that they’re well prepared. Click here to see when your area will switch, or to check by individual postcode.
Click here to read more about the Switching Process and how to make sure that your TV is ready.
How do I switch?
With digital television, sound and pictures are converted into a digital format and compressed. This technique enables several television channels to be carried in the space used by the current analogue signals. Digital signals can be received by standard aerials, satellite dishes or via cable but have to be decoded and turned back into sound and pictures by using a separate set-top box, or a decoder built into your television.
This means that in order to continue watching TV after the analogue signals are switched off, you will have to have an integrated digital television or a set-top box to unscramble the signal.
If you only want digital terrestrial TV you will only have to make a one-off payment for your set-top box or integrated TV, but if you choose to go with a subscription provider like Sky (www.Sky.com), Tiscali TV (www.Tiscali.co.uk) or Virgin Media (www.VirginMedia.com), your set-top box will be provided as part of your subscription and you will have to pay a monthly fee (unless you have opted for one of their “free” packages). If you’re a BT Total Broadband customer you have another option - BT Vision (www.BTVision.bt.com). The digital TV service from BT is a free service but users can watch pay-per-view programming or add subscriptions on a month-by-month basis.
