Ferguson, Tony Fell, Ferguson 203T 1955 Showing 'Test Card C from DVD

British 405-Line Television 

 

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Television in the UK is going digital, bringing us all more choice and new services. Starting in 2008, the UK will switch to digital TV, transmitter by transmitter. The exception is Whitehaven, Cumbria, which became the first place to switch in October 2007.

Whitehaven in Cumbria was the first UK town to switch off analogue TV A multi-billion pound auction of airwaves for a new wave of digital services has been launched by Ofcom. More digital TV channels and ultra-fast wireless broadband could be rolled out over the next decade as radio spectrum is freed up by the digital switchover. The regulator has said that the market will decide how the spectrum is used with an open auction. The BBC, Channel 4 and ITV had pressed for ring-fenced space for high definition TV over Freeview. Premium rate Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards said the decision to opt for a "market-led approach" was "one of the most important decisions we have ever made". He said the auction, which will start in 2009, would lead to a "digital dividend" for the UK. The regulator has packaged the available spectrum into key uses: *National digital terrestrial TV in high or standard definition *Cognitive radio - a new wireless technology which can deliver broadband *High-speed mobile broadband and mobile TV *Local television - 25 new local TV stations across the UK The regulator has said that the suggested packaged areas did not necessarily mean the spectrum had to be used exclusively for those purposes.   Q&A: Digital television As part of switchover, much of so-called interleaved spectrum - which is "white space" between television transmitters to prevent interference - will be dedicated for use by services like wireless microphones. There had been concern that if spectrum was not reserved for this use, events like the Olympics in 2012 and work by TV broadcasters would be affected because they would not be able to use the microphones. A consortium, known as HD For All, had lobbied Ofcom to reserve freed-up spectrum for high definition TV services over Freeview. The group, made up of UK terrestrial broadcasters, as well as Sony, Samsung and the Dixons retail group, felt that the UK could become a two-tier TV nation, with those prepared to pay having access to better quality TV pictures. But Ofcom said HD pictures could be delivered over digital terrestrial TV without the need for allocated spectrum. It said advances in digital compression technology and a new transmission standard, called DVB-T2, could deliver HD channels by the end of 2009. Ofcom said HD television remained a "premium" service. HD For All has now said it supports Ofcom's position and has agreed to deliver HD on Freview by 2012.

What is digital switchover?

Digital Switchover Guide

What is digital switchover?

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 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 - these 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.

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 a 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 labeling of TV sets setting out what equipment consumers will need to receive digital signals.