JJ Lighting & Electrical - Home Electrical Centre

As you may have read in the papers recently, the UK has now set a firm timetable for switching over to digital TV. You may even have seen that the switchover will be starting this year, but don’t panic – it WILL NOT apply to this area until 2012, so you have plenty of time to get things sorted. Read on for an easy guide to what’s what…

WHAT IS THE DIGITAL SWITCHOVER?

Well, at the moment the majority of us watch television through an aerial. Most of us can get five channels in this way. The signal is sent via a system known as “analogue”, a type of technology which has been in use for more than 60 years. However, the technology is due to be updated to a new system known as “digital”, or FREEVIEW. This system still uses the aerial and has been around for nearly ten years and is well-proven, so the plan is to switch everybody to the digital signal and abandon the analogue system altogether. Technically it is no more complicated than when we switched over from black-and-white to colour television in the late 1960’s, although this time you will not to be able to use older equipment unless it is upgraded with the new technology.

The advantages of digital TV are;

• More channels – up to 50 TV channels in fact…
• Better quality sound
• In most cases, an improved picture
• A more sophisticated version of Teletext/Ceefax.
• It is a FREE service – you WILL NOT have to pay a monthly charge on top of your ordinary TV licence!

The disadvantages of digital TV are;

• Unless you are planning on buying a new TV set, you will need to buy a “digital box” for your equipment – don’t worry, read on…
• A small minority of people with very old or damaged TV aerials may need a new aerial installed first.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?

There’s no rush, as it will be three years before the switchover occurs. If you are planning on buying a new TV set, that’s great, as almost all modern sets are already set up to work with digital. If you would like to keep your old TV set, that’s absolutely no problem. You will have to buy a digital box for it, which connects to it rather like a video recorder. Once you have a box, you will not need to do anything else in preparation for the switchover, but remember you will need a box for EVERY telly in the house, including those in the kitchen and bedroom, for example. You may also need an additional box if you wish to keep your old video recorder or DVD recorder, please ask us for details. Remember, you won’t need to pay any monthly fee for the digital service, it is a direct replacement for the old “analogue” service and as such is covered by your TV licence. And above all, don’t worry too much about it! You’re in the same boat as everyone else, so to speak, and it’s not as complicated as it sounds! If in doubt, ask us!

ANY QUESTIONS?

When is all this going to affect me?

Not for a while. The Greater London area will not be switched over until 2012!

Can I receive the digital signal in Chingford yet?

Most people in the area can get it, yes. If you live at the bottom of Kings Head Hill, such as near Drysdale Avenue, College Gardens, Seymour Road, Sunset Avenue, Hawkwood Crescent or parts of the Yardley Lane estate, you cannot get it just yet. A good way to tell is whether or not you currently receive Channel Five with a good picture – if you do, you should be okay…

Will I need a new aerial?

Probably not, no. If you get a good picture at the moment, you should be fine. Digital works best through a roof aerial, but most loft aerials are okay too. Indoor aerials can be very difficult though, so if you have one you may need to get a roof aerial installed.

I don’t want a new television yet. Can I get digital on my existing TV?

Yes, no problem at all. ANY television – even twenty or thirty year old ones – can be converted to digital using a “digital box”. Some older sets may need a special one though.

How much does one of these digital boxes cost?

Digital boxes can be had for as little as £20. However, these lower-cost units can prove troublesome and tricky to operate, so we would recommend stretching a little further if you can and buying one for around £35. A good-quality unit like this should be very reliable and easy to operate.

I wouldn’t know where to start! How hard are they to set up?

Not too bad. It is almost always a case of plugging it into the aerial and your TV set, switching it on and following the instructions on your TV screen. The box will “tune” itself in automatically and leave you watching your new digital channels within five minutes!

I don’t really fancy trying to do that! Can you do it for me?

Of course we can! For just an extra £20, we will deliver the box of your choice to you, set it all up for you and show you how to work it. Easy!

Will I only need one digital box?

That depends, really. If you have one TV set and no video recorder, then yes, one box is all you need. But if you have more than one TV – for example, there’s one in the kitchen or bedroom – you will need an extra box for each set.

I’ve got a video recorder. Will I still be able to use it?

You will, yes – but if you only have one digital box, you will only be able to record the channel you’re watching. This is admittedly a pain, so if you would like to record one programme while watching another, you’ll need two boxes – one for the TV, one for the video…

I don’t want two boxes. What else can I do?

If you are planning to buy a new TV, almost all of them can use digital without having to have a digital box. Again though, if you have a video recorder you will still need a digital box for that. Alternatively you could buy a new video recorder or DVD recorder which is designed for digital too, and this will make life easier – ask us for more information…