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Digital Switchover Guide

Update: According to the latest report, Whitehaven in Cumbria has become the first area of the UK to switch to all-digital television. The last analogue TV channels were switched off on November 14 and replaced with digital services. Around 2,500 people have applied for assistance from the Digital Switchover Help Scheme.

What is digital switchover?

Digital switchover is when the current analogue transmissions that we have been recieving 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 per cent of UK households already use digital television, but for those who now only receive analogue services such as BBC1, BBC2, ITV, C4 and Five 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.

Will I need to buy a new TV and aerial?

Not necessarily.

Digital signals can be received by standard aerials but because digital transmissions have to be decoded and turned back into sound and pictures for you to be able to enjoy them, you will need to get a set-top box (like Freeview) starting at around £30, or you may want to buy a new integrated digital television (iDTV) which has an in-built digital tuner, or you may want to subscribe to a cable, satellite or broadband TV service like Tiscali TV - who will provide you with a set-top box.

Whatever your choice, you must make sure your TV has a SCART socket, otherwise you must ensure that the set-top box you get has an RF Modulator and RF loop-through to enable the connection, but this doesn't come as standard. Your TV instruction booklet should help you here.

Between two and ten percent of households will not be able to receive the digital transmissions because they have an unsuitable or old aerial - these are the ones that can't currently get the free digital channels even if they are in a Freeview area and they have the set-top box - they will have to install a new aerial or opt to subscribe to a cable, satellite or broadband TV service like Tiscali TV.

Video Recorders will still be able to work but will lose some functionality, for example they will no longer be able to record a different channel to the one you are watching. To do this and to gain the full benefits of digital broadcast recording, you will need to buy, you guessed it, a digital recorder.

What channels will I get?

For various reasons (including old aerials) about one in four UK households can't get the full range of digital TV services available free through an aerial, and one in five UK households can't even get Five.

After the switchover, as well as the current channels (BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Five), you'll have an added choice of free digital channels including BBC3, BBC4, ITV2, ITV3, E4, More4, CBBC, Cbeebies and BBC News 24 - or you can opt for more by subscribing to a cable, satellite or broadband TV service like Tiscali TV.

Digital broadcast means you will also be able to take advantage of new services like high definition TV and broadcasting to mobile phones.

When will I know?

In the build-up to the switchover, the Government and industry are planning a consumer information initiative which apart from letting you know when your region will switchover (for instance, by announcing it with captions on your TV), they will clearly outline the choices for consumers as described above, as well as promote the clear labelling of TV sets setting out what equipment consumers will need to receive digital signals.

Also: Find out all about getting Tiscali TV: Buy a set-top box

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