New Tvs for everyone?

[freak_unique]

Hey im not sure if this is right or which parts are right but my mum told me she heard that pretty soon if you havent got a digital tv that youll have to replace your tvs as they are changing the signal or something and the older tvs wont work!!! Does anyone know anything about this or can anyone correct what i have heard?
cheers

[gasman]

Yes it is going to stop been broadcast next year. But if you have a digi box or sky then it will not be a problem as the recievers are allready in digital format and the older TVs can still be used with them. Probably the cheapest way is to buy a free-veiw digibox for around �40 and connect it to your existing TV. rather than replace the set. but you will need a scart socket on the tv though !!!

[dzug]

'Next year' is wrong. It will be in stages, depending where you live, between 2008 and 2012.

But yes, gasman is correct otherwise.

2008 � Border
2009 - Westcountry, Wales (previously HTV Wales), Granada
2010 � West (previously HTV West), Grampian, Scottish
2011 � Central, Yorkshire, Anglia
2012 � Meridian, London (previously Carlton/LWT), Tyne Tees, Ulster

[freak_unique]

That really is lame. What is the purpose in this and will we benefit from it as the customer? why wont our tvs run off it? will they be run off cables or something? Also surely theres bound to be something we can attach to our old tvs so they will work?

[gasman]

Thanks for those dates dzug. I have got untill 2011 then in that case up here in Yorkshire..
Dont know where i heard next year from must have been dreaming again. :o)

[freak_unique]

Yep dont think mines until 2011 cuz im central (birmingham)

[Ethel]

freak - your televisions will work. You just need to buy a set top box, which are getting cheaper by the month and will eventually be �5 or so.

So don't worry!

[kwicky]

I don't think it fair that the owners of HD sets will pay the same licence fee as people with Analog sets. Maybe they should pay a much higher licence fee. This disparity already exists for owners of black and white sets.

[Ethel]

kwicky - hd tvs show the same rubbish as non-hd tvs at a great deal more expense.

Just buying a hd tv will not give you hd tv.

[freak_unique]

Ethel - cheers for thatbut by a set top box u dont mean a freeview box do you as i cant get freeview in my area :(

Does this also mean that tvs wont be run off aerials at all just cables or something? cheers

[CSG2306]

Hi all,

The staggered dates is to enable all areas to receive digital TV before the big change.

I bought a Satellite dish and receiver from Maplins and set it up for Astra 2 Satellite, this enables me to receive digital TV from all the regions in the UK plus lots of other stations. By moving the dish I can pick up every satellite on the northern hemisphere.

The only UK stations that I cannot receive are Channel 4 & 5 as they are decrypted, however I have been told that they will soon be available.

Well worth the �60 that I paid.

Regards

[Ethel]

freak - I did mean a freeview box and apparently the whole of the UK will be freeview enabled before the old signals are switched off.

This will still be received through the aerial, and then into the box.

The satellite system CSG mentions is a good solution - but not everyone is allowed to have dishes outside their homes.

I have telewest free tv. It gives the basic freeview channels through a cable.

[~ vortex ~]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Media/Question3 22856.html

[freak_unique]

Cheers again Ethel thats good so pretty soon we will all have freeview?! I have telewest tv and broadband and phone package (the 3 for �30) which is pretty good - but i was worrying about my upstairs tvs but since its such a way off itll be fine! :)

[Mattk]

the digital switchover is simply progress im afraid.one thing it will achieve is free up plenty of bandwidth for other things eg live tv on your mobile.

[Mortartube]

As MattK says, it will free up lots of bandwith, with little benefit to the customer but the government will make huge amounts of cash by selling new licences to broadcasters.

I can't get freeview in my area, because although there is a freeview TV transmitter less than a mile away, I am in the shadow of a hill and the nearest other transmitters signal is too weak to reach me. I have a freeview box that I can't use because of this.

[vehelpfulguy]

The freeview digital TV signals are being kept delibrately low so as to not interfere with the analogue TV signals.

As the analogue signals are turned off the freeview (digital) signals will be increased in power so that it will cover MOST of the country with a good signal strength.

[vehelpfulguy]

All the official info here

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/

[freak_unique]

Im not receiving freeview through telewest i have the 3 for �30 telewest package? unless u are referring to someone else in this thread?