Digital switchover update

If you live in London or the Meridian area, then you’ve no doubt seen the billboards all over the place advertising the long-rumoured digital TV switchover that’s about to take place. But what it is it all about, when is it happening and how will it affect you? We’ve got all you need to know.

The big UK digital TV switchover has been completed in a number of areas across the UK and the final stages of the process will be taking place in the coming months. The analogue TV signals we’ve been using for decades will finally be switched off and the new and improved digital Freeview broadcasts will then become the de facto way we tune in to our favourite TV channels.

With every new Toshiba HDTV equipped with a built-in Freeview – or, in some cases, high-definition Freeview HD – TV tuner, your Toshiba set should make the transition as painless as possible, but why do we even need the UK digital TV switchover and what can you do to prepare for the shift to digital broadcasts?

The main reason for the switchover is to replace the ageing analogue TV broadcast service with a newer and stronger system, able to deliver high-quality digital TV broadcasts to all homes across the country, with Freeview also offering a wider selection of free channels than you’ve previously been able to view.

Not only that, but you can also enjoy far greater picture quality than before and, if you have a Freeview HD TV tuner, you can even tune into free high-definition broadcasts from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, and enjoy the sharpest HD images you’ve ever seen from standard terrestrial broadcasts.

Also, since digital TV uses less bandwidth than analogue signals, by switching off the old analogue system and moving to a fully digital signal, it will free up room for services such as wireless broadband, local TV and also more high-definition channels, to add to the list of HD channels that’s already available.

The UK digital TV switchover is happening across the country as we speak and is arriving in London and the Meridian area during the next few months. The Meridian area is first, with the switchover beginning on 8 February, while London will start switching over on 4 April and be fully complete by 18 April.

If you have new Toshiba TVs in your home with Freeview TV tuners built-in, you’ll be all set to enjoy digital TV as soon as the switchover takes place. If you’ve got older equipment, however, and are still watching analogue TV, then you’ll need to make a few small upgrades if you want to stay tuned in.

First you’ll need to add a Freeview digital tuner to any old sets you own, that you want to watch digital TV on. You can do this by buying an external tuner and connecting it to your TV. Alternatively, you could buy a new Freeview-equipped HDTV, such as those in Toshiba’s wide range of high-quality sets.

Secondly, if you own a video or DVD recorder, while you will still be able to record digital broadcasts, most won’t let you record one channel while watching another. So, if you want to do this with digital broadcasts, it’s worth buying a Freeview tuner with recording functionality built-in to add to your TV.

And finally, you may need to also check that your existing TV aerial will work with the new digital TV broadcasts. If you’re able to tune into analogue signals then it’s sure to work just fine, but if you want to make sure, you can check your aerial by visiting the quick and easy aerial test on Teletext page 284.

With all that in mind you’ll be all set for the big UK digital TV switchover. And If ever there was a good time to convince your other half that you need a new HDTV, this is it, so why not check out the range of Toshiba HDTVs and get yourself a brand new set to enjoy the very best that digital TV has to offer?

To find out more about Toshiba’s full range of digital-ready HDTV’s, please visit Toshiba UK.