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Home and community

Getting digital television

Find out about how you can get digital TV in your home.

Find out about getting digital television

You can get a digital TV signal through: 

  • an aerial - this is called digital terrestrial TV
  • satellite television
  • a cable television connection
  • a telephone line -  broadband or digital subscriber line

Not all options are available in all areas. Some areas will not be able to get digital TV through an aerial until after switchover and some won't be able to get the service through a phone line. If you want to find out what choices are available in your area, you can ask your local retailer or use the postcode database at the Digital UK website.

When you've decided how to get a digital TV signal you'll need to decide what to do with your TV set. Every TV set that you want to continue to use to watch TV will need to be considered. You have two choices:

  • you can convert the TV set you have at the moment by plugging a digital box into the back of the set - nearly all TVs can be adapted this way
  • you can take buy a new TV set with a digital box built inside it called an integrated digital TV set (iDTV), which will give you all the free digital TV services that are available through an aerial

Aerials

Most households won't need a new aerial.

If you choose to get digital TV through an aerial and you have reception problems with your old aerial - even if you are in an area with good coverage - you'll need to check if you the TV aerial and installation you have are suitable for digital television. Check with your local aerial installer. Look for an installer who belongs to the Confederation of Aerial Industries. From 2006 recommended installers will be recognisable by the digital tick logo - find this on the Digital UK website.

Sharing aerials

If you share your aerial with others, for example if you live in a block of flats, then you may have a communal TV provided as part of the house contents. If so, this will need to be adapted to receive digital TV. Your landlord or managing agent should be aware of this ask them for more information about what they are doing.

Digital TV options in your area

Digital switchover will increase the digital TV options available to all households. But you'll need to check which options are available in your area by asking your local retailer or checking on the Digital UK website.

More information

Digital UK is the independent not-for-profit organisation that is co-ordinating the UK switchover to digital television. It will be launching an large scale support programme to make sure that everyone knows what they need to do, and when.

You can call the Digital UK information line on 0845 6 50 50 50, or you can access more information from Digital UK.

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