Digital Switchover
 

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Digital Switchover

Why is the Digital Switchover happening?

All television in the UK is going digital because digital is much more efficient, it can offer more channels, widescreen pictures and the possibility of high definition. It is also less prone to reception problems like the ghosting and noise which can produce fuzzy pictures.

Current digital terrestrial (Freeview) coverage is restricted by the need to prevent the digital services from interfering with the existing analogue pictures. Therefore digital coverage cannot be extended further until analogue is switched off. As this happens the power of the digital services from the main stations will be significantly increased and the analogue-only relay stations will become digital-only relays. These two factors will fill in the current gaps in digital coverage. So, if you currently live in an area where there are no digital terrestrial signals, you may well get them after the digital switchover.

When is the Digital Switchover going to happen in the UK?

As an extensive publicity campaign has been running for some time, most people now know that digital switchover is happening between 2008 and 2012. It is being done region by region according to the timetable shown below. When each main station is switched it follows that all its dependant relays will also be switched at the same time.

After the Digital Switchover will all the TV's in my house have to be converted?

Any TV's in your home that only have an analogue tuner (i.e. can only receive five channels) will have to have a digital set-top box attached to ensure continued viewing, this can be a Freeview, FreeSat, Sky, Virgin Cable or BT Vision Set-Top box. This also applies to many DVD Recorders and almost all Video Recorders. TV's and DVD Recorders with in-built digital tuners will not be affected after switch-over.

Why am I missing some Digital TV channels such as Five & ITV3 since the end of September 2009?

Since Wednesday 30 September 2009 you should have retuned your Freeview Digital TV or Set-Top Box, otherwise you will have lost some channels such as Five and ITV3.

Further information on how to retune the Panasonic TV's that we sell can be found on our FAQ's page. The majority of people should not have a problem in retuning providing you follow the instructions. However, if you do get into difficulties we do offer a setting-up & installation service.

Further details & assistance can be found on the TV Re-Tune web site.

When is the Digital Switchover in the Central area & what is the coverage area?

The present and future Digital TV frequencies are listed below for the Central area which includes the West Midlands, Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stratford upon Avon, Nottingham, Oxfordshire, parts of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, parts of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, South Nottinghamshire, North Shropshire, South Cheshire, Herefordshire, north Gloucestershire, south Shropshire and Malvern. The Digital Switchover in the Central TV area, which we service part of, will be occurring during April and September 2011.

When is the Digital Switchover for the area covered by the Sutton Coldfield Transmitter?

The vast majority of homes in our service area are covered by the main Sutton Coldfield transmitter which completed the Digital Switchover on 21 September 2011. At the same time all the relay transmitters served by Sutton Coldfield also switched over. The relays are Allesley Park, Brailes, Bretch Hill, Bridgnorth, Brierley Hill, Cheadle, Earl Sterndale, Edgbaston, Gib Heath, Gravelly Hill, Hamstead, Harborne, Hartington, Ipstones Edge, Ironbridge, Kenilworth, Kidderminster, Kinver, Leamington Spa, Leek, Long Compton, Malvern, Oakamoor, Perry Beeches, Queslett, Redditch, Repton, Rugeley, Tenbury Wells, Turves Green, Whittingslow, Winchcombe, Winshill & Woodford Halse.

Can I receive Freeview HD channels in Sutton Coldfield and the West Midlands?

Yes, the three high definition channels from the BBC, ITV and CH4 began broadcasting on Freeview HD in March 2010. In November 2010 the BBC1 HD service was added to the line up. You will need either a Freeview HD TV with a built-in DVB-T2 tuner or a separate Freeview HD set-top box. The HD channels are currently being broadcast on programmes 50, 51, 52 & 54.

The Freeview HD channels are now broadcast from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter and no longer from Lichfield, as previously.

Further Information:

Digital UK    Digital TV Group

* Between the first and second stages of switchover at Sutton Coldfield, SDN will use channel 41 (8kW).

 

Digital Multiplex Names

Pre-Switchover Name	Post-Switchover Name	Service Type	Operator
Multiplex 1	BBC A	Public Service Broadcaster (PSB)	BBC
Multiplex 2	D3&4	Public Service Broadcaster (PSB)	Digital 3 & 4
Multiplex A	SDN	Commercial Broadcaster (COM)	SDN
Multiplex B	BBC B (carries HD channels after DSO)	Public Service Broadcaster (PSB)	BBC
Multiplex C	Arqiva A	Commercial Broadcaster (COM)	Arqiva
Multiplex D	Arqiva B	Commercial Broadcaster (COM)	Arqiva

   

Further information: Digital TV Group

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