Digital Switchover

At some point between 2009 and 2012, "digital switchover" will happen to each and every television set in the UK.

Since television was introduced in the UK in 2nd Nov 1936, it has undergone two significant changes: the change from 405-lines to 625-lines in the 1960s and the addition of colour in the 1970s. All these systems are today called "analogue" because to describe the way the pictures are sent from the broadcaster's studio to the transmitters and onto the television sets.

For many technical reasons, it was only possible to provide five UK-wide television channels.

On 15th Nov 1998 new digital television services were added to around 80 of the UK's transmitters. By using computer technology (hence "digital television") is now possible to carry up to eight television channels – in full colour with stereo sound in the same "space" that a single channel takes with analogue.

Because you don't need a contract to watch this digital television, it has been called "Freeview".

Unlike the two historic changes listed above, it is not necessary to buy a new television set to use these new digital "Freeview" channels.

However, if you happen to watch your television from the 1074 smaller transmitters, you do not have this option. The only way to extend the benefits of digital television to everyone is to switch the analogue signals over to digital transmissions.

These are the dates at which switchover will take place in each TV region. For the first regions, quarterly dates for each main transmitter have been published by Digital UK as below. Digital UK will publish the exact date for each transmitter approximately six months ahead of switchover

Border Television

17 October 2007 (BBC2 Analogue, Multiplex 1 Digital)
14 November 2007 (Remaining Analogue & Digital)

Eskdale Green, Gosforth and Whitehaven‡ (Bigrigg) transmitters, serving the Copeland area of Cumbria.

‡ These transmitters will carry the three PSB (public service broadcasting) multiplexes 1, 2 and B in their current form. When the rest of the region switches in Q4 2008, these three transmitters will switch to 64QAM transmission mode on multiplexes 1 and B. Multiplex B will carry Five from this point, when it will be known as "PSB3".

6 November 2008 (BBC2 Analogue, Multiplex 1 Digital)
20 November 2008 - Selkirk, serving Scottish Borders[1] 18 June 2009 - Caldbeck†

[2], serving Cumbria, Dumfries & Galloway and the Isle of Man

Westcountry Television

8 April 2009 - Beacon Hill, serving south Devon

6 May 2009 - Stockland Hill, serving south-west Somerset, parts of west Dorset and south-east Devon, including Exeter

1 July 2009 - Huntshaw Cross, serving north Devon

8 July 2009 - Redruth, serving west Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

12 August 2009 - Caradon Hill, serving much of Cornwall and Devon, including Plymouth

HTV Wales -

12 August 2009 - Kilvey Hill, serving Swansea[3] 19 August 2009 -

Preseli, serving west Wales[3]

26 August 2009 - Carmel, serving west Wales[3] 21 October 2009 -

Llanddona, serving north-west Wales, including Anglesey 28 October 2009 - Moel-Y-Parc, serving north-east Wales

Storeton, also serving north-east Wales

4 November 2009 - Long Mountain, serving east-central Wales

10 February 2010 - Blaenplwyf, serving central and mid Wales

3 March 2010 - Wenvoe, serving south-east Wales, including Cardiff Granada Television - 4 November 2009

The entire Granada region will switch to digital in this quarter, when the Winter Hill transmitter and its dependent relays, serving Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Cheshire, are converted.

HTV West

Q1 2010 - Bristol Ilchester Cresent, serving parts of Bristol

Q1 2010 - Bristol Kings Weston, serving parts of Bristol

Q2 2010 - Mendip, serving parts of Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Bristol

Q1 2011 - Ridge Hill West, serving the Cheltenham and Gloucester area

Digital TV Versus Analogue TV

Digital TV offers far more programme choice and improved picture quality. One of the vagaries of analogue television was interference, whether it be from high pressure (weather phenomena) or patterning caused by RF interference from nearby transmitters, phone and Tetra police masts.

We did an experiment to assess the benefits of digital TV some time ago and even with the existing low power Freeview TV service reception of most digital multiplexes was possible even where analogue TV signal was weak and existing analague reception was poor. This is encouraging, given that (in some cases) a ten fold increase in transmitter power is planned after digital switchover.

Digital TV is inherently more robust through built in error correction, so aside from the costs of buying set top boxes or IDTV equipment, digital switchover should bring reception improvements across the board to areas currently suffering poor analogue TV reception.

Even with the existing low power Freeview service, a high sensitivity set top box from Humax or Philips can outperform analogue reception, giving better reception quality. Models like the Humax F2FoxT and Philips DTR220 can give reliable Freeview reception in UK regions where analogue television reception is currently poor and signal strength weak. Freeview boxes are available from John Lewis.

Help with Digital Switchover Preparation

To prepare for the digital switchover dates will inevitably involve some financial outlay and forward planning. After digital switchover in the UK, all existing television equipment not fitted witha digital TV adaptorsuch as a Freeview set top box will cease to receive any TV channels. The exception being IDTV equipped TV's (I.E. TV's with built in integrated digital tuners for DVB-T reception) and TV's that a fed via a UHF distribution system from a Sky Digibox or Freeview box located centrally in your home.

When preparing for digital TV switchover, you will face the following choices in order to continue viewing:-

  • Buy Multiple Freeview adaptors - Upgrade each TV and VCR in your home with a digital TV adaptor (I.E. fit a set top box). Freeview set top boxes are normally connected to the Scart (Euro Connector) of your TV. If one or more of your TV's doesn't have a Scart connector then you'll either have to buy a more expensive set top box with a UHF modulator for those TV's or feed them by means of a loft distribution amplifier from an existing or new Sky box or Freeview receiver elsewhere in your home.
  • Distributed digital TV solution - Buy and install a high specification Freeview box, PVR or Sky Digibox (with a UHF modulator) in your lounge feeding a loft distribution amplifier to distribute Freeview and/or Sky TV around your home. With this arrangement, only one TV channel may be received at any one time from each set top box, so it still makes sense to have cheap Freeview adaptors on other TV's around your home to add viewing flexibility.
  • Order Freesat from Sky - Freesat is a free digital TV service with a one off £150 set up fee, offering 120 free digital TV channels and 80 digital radio stations. Alternatively, if you source a used Sky Digibox from Ebay, and correctly install it yourself using a decent satellite alignment meter then all you currently need to pay is a one off £20 fee to purchase a Freesat Card from Sky. No monthly subscription currently applies to Sky Freesat. Fully working second hand Sky Digibox prices start at around £10 on Ebay, which is a veritable bargain!
  • Buy a Sky TV Package -  Consider buying a Sky TV package with a monthly subscription charge. Various Sky TV packages are available starting from around £15 a month. Sky Multiroom allows a second Sky box to be installed in another room allowing different channels to be watched.
  • Buy Sky+This offers additional flexibility over and above regular Sky TV packages, in that it will pause live TV and record programmes conveniently onto the Sky+ hard drive with no loss of picture quality.

Important Information

Sky TV reception is not possible at all locations. To receive Sky TV via a minidish, you will need an unobstructed view of the south east sky, free from nearby tall trees or other obstructions. The elevation of the Astra 28.2E satellite varies from 18 - 21 degrees (in northern England and Scotland) to around 25 degrees above the horizon in London and the rest of southern England.

Freeview digital TV reception is currently only available in 78% of the UK population in early 2007. After digital switchover, it is expected that above 95% of the UK will be able to receive Freeview terrestrial digital TV. Before you buy Freeview set top box an IDTV or PVR, check DVB-T coverage in your area by postcode at the Freeview website.

Equipment Costs

The equipment costs in preparing for digital switchover in the UK will be significant. Ofcom estimates that the average cost to each UK household of the digital TV switchover will be £132. The cheapest solution to continue watching TV after the analogue television service is turned off, is to opt for a budget Freeview box, some of which are now available for around £30 from major supermarkets.

Set Top Aerials

Where good analogue TV reception is possible on a set top aerial, free from significant ghosting and noise, the same aerial may suffice for digital TV. However, indoor aerials are more prone to interference pickup and this can lead to the picture breaking up on Freeview.

Digital Aerial Upgrades

Some areas of the UK require an wideband aerial upgrade for Freeview reception. Old TV aerials which have suffered rainwater ingression or use poor quality coaxial cable will also need upgrading. After digital switchover, the DVB-T transmitter power levels will be significantly raised and regional TV relay stations will all be converted to DVB-T digital standards, so Freeview coverage will be significantly extended and enhanced.

Preparing for digital switchover by upgrading to a high gain digital compatible aerial and double screened coaxial cable feeder makes sense to ensure the best reception moving forward.