Got Digital?
Primary provider:
How to get Digital TV
This page provides information on how to get digital TV in your home
As you may have heard, between 2008 and 2012, the UK will be going digital, as analogue TV is set to be switched off. To continue getting TV after the switch-off, we'll all need to be switched over to a digital TV service, such as Freeview, Sky or cable.
The benefits of going digital include a whole stack of extra TV and radio channels on your TV, and a number of other technical improvements, such as on-screen programme guides, and interactive services.
This page outlines the basics for those wanting to 'go digital' now...
| Step 1 - Deciding which service to get |
The options open to you if you want to get digital tv in your home, are:
| Sky Digital |
|
| Freeview |  Freeview works via your
standard TV aerial. All
channels are free to watch, there's no installation or subscription
cost and no engineer needs to visit (although an aerial upgrade may
be needed if your current aerial isn't suitable). Freeview offers
around 60 channels of TV and radio - the channel line-up is more limited
than Sky
Digital. See our Freeview pages for details |
| Cable | To see if cable TV is available in your area, go to www.virginmedia.com |
| BT Vision |
The box is free to BT Total Broadband customers (How to Switch provider ), and there's no BT Vision subscription fee. More on our BT Vision page |
| TV-over-Internet | Some of the services listed above offer TV-over-Internet service. Here's one more:
|
Digital
satellite from 
If you want a little more from your Freeview, you can get a special
| Step 2 - Getting signed up |
How to sign up to a digital TV service:
| Satellite | To get Sky , you can register online at www.sky.com - you need to select a package of channels, enter payment details, and arrange a date for an engineer to call to fit the dish to your property. They will also supply you with a set-top box. |
| Freeview | With Freeview, there's no subscription - all you need to do, is buy a set-top box and plug it in to your TV set.
|
| Cable | If you're in a cable area, you can sign up online at www.virginmedia.com. You need to select a package of channels, enter payment details, and arrange a date for an engineer to provide you with a set-top box and connect you. |
| Step 3 - Getting connected |
How to get digital tv connected to your TV
| Satellite | A Sky engineer will call, fix a dish to the outside of your property, run a cable from the dish to a set-top box that they supply, and connect the box to your TV.
They connect everything up for you - you just sit back and watch them work. They also need to connect the box to a phone line, so you need a phone socket close to where they need to install the box |
| Freeview | You buy the box, and connect it yourself - For help connecting your box, see our Freeview Help page
|
| Cable | An engineer will call to connect cable from the street supply into your property. They'll run the cable, provide the box, and connect it to your TV for you.
|
 |
 We chatted about the Digital Switchover in Show 7 of our radio show. Listen to the show online, or download it to your MP3 player. Listen to Show 7 | Latest Show | More Info |
More details
- For help on the Digital Switchover, go to switchhelp.co.uk
- For more on Freeview and free-to-air set-top boxes, see our Freeview page.
- For more on Sky, see our Satellite page.
- For help with connecting, reception problems and other TV issues, see our FAQ page
- Discuss digital TV in our TV forum
Is this page correct? Something wrong or missing on this page? Report a site problem If you're looking for help, please don't use this option - instead ask in our forum |
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