The Digital Switchover Put Simply

23/11/2009

Analogue TV will soon be no more here in the UK. We explain the digital switchover in simple terms and throw in some nuggets of information you might not find elsewhere.

What’s the difference between digital and analogue?

A good starting point, surely! Without getting bogged down in the nitty gritty of broadcast methods, digital is simply a different way of transmitting content through the airwaves. It relies on a representation of 1s and 0s – binary – instead of the continuous signal changes that are used by analogue. In essence, with a digital transmission, you’re receiving data in a similar way to how you might receive content over the Internet.

The benefit of digital is that it allows broadcasters to pack more into the airwaves, giving an increase in the number of available channels and an increase in picture quality. Digital also allows error correction to be built into the signal, so the effects of interference are no longer seen.

The down side to digital is it’s a bit of an all-or-nothing affair. If the signal is too weak, or has been interfered with too much, you’re unlikely to get anything watchable.

In the UK, digital television that’s received by your aerial is branded as Freeview. This shouldn’t be confused with Freesat, which is also a digital transmission, but requires a satellite dish.

Why switch off analogue?

In order to make digital better, more room needs to be made in the transmission space, and turning off analogue is the best way to do this. This will open up room for number of possibilities, such as new shopping channels (yay), or maybe… just maybe… some more channels with good programs on (we can hope).

And on top of that, there’ll be enough room for a set of high-definition (HD) channels to be broadcast. Bring on the HD footy, nature programs and action movies!

What do I need?

To get Freeview after the switch over you need a TV with a Freeview receiver built in, or a separate Freeview box. On top of that your aerial might need changing to receive any signals that get moved around in the switch over.

There’s a very helpful website called Digital UK that can help you learn more about the switchover in your area.

I get Freeview now, but it’s unreliable or channels are missing. Why?

Well, it’s a start! It could be that your aerial isn’t the correct type for receiving Freeview in your area, so that’s worth looking into. Or it could be your aerial installation is ageing and not delivering a good enough signal to your receiver. UKFree.tv provides useful information on transmitters and appropriate aerial types across the UK.

Every so often the Freeview channel list gets updated, so if missing channels is your problem, try re-scanning for channels.

However, it could just be that you’re a long way from the transmitter. Sometimes a signal booster can help with this, but your mileage may vary. Some sets of channels can be received more clearly than others, but it’s important to make sure anything you do to get the weaker channels doesn’t stop the stronger ones from working!

Some gotchas…

OK, those are the basic questions answered, and as we’ve already pointed out Digital UK is a good resource for more information. Time then, for a few things to look out for:

Too much signal

If you’re having to boost your signal right now in order to get Freeview, be careful during the switchover that your signal doesn’t become too strong.

Once the switchover takes place, Freeview will be 10 times stronger in most places. Good Freeview receivers can tolerate a wide range of signal strengths, but if you’re boosting it yourself, it might be necessary to adjust or remove the booster.

For people already getting a very good signal (100% strength on all channels, for example), there might cases after the switch where it’s just too much for your Freeview box to make sense of. In this case, an attenuator might be needed. They cost a few pounds, so are a good thing to check before calling somebody out or buying a new box.

No HD

Although HD broadcasts will follow the switchover (exactly when depends on your region), most of us won’t be able to make use of them. The signalling method used for Freeview HD is different to standard Freeview and existing receivers simply won’t see these channels.

Worse still, there aren’t any Freeview HD receivers on the market at the time of writing. So, even if you have an HD ready, Freeview capable TV, it’ll be a little while before you can get hold of a Freeview HD receiver.
But if you’re an HD nut, you’re probably already getting your dose of high definition via Satellite or Cable… so stick with that. The rest of us will have to be patient and watch some more shopping channels.

Recap

It may prove inconvenient for some of us, but the digital switchover is necessary and eventually will benefit us all (well, those of us that watch TV, at least). So we close with a quick-fire list of things to remember and ask you to leave a comment if you have any thoughts or questions!

• Check when the switchover is happening in your area.
• Make sure you’ve got a Freeview receiver before the switchover.
• Find out if your aerial can receive Freeview and will still do so after the switch.
• Remember that the signal will be much stronger once switched.
• You’ll need a special box for Freeview HD, and there aren’t any on sale yet.