Television is going entirely digital. Switching the UK to digital-only TV is referred to as the digital switchover. It is widely regarded as the biggest change in broadcasting since colour television was introduced in 1967.

It has been well publicised that the government wants everyone to enjoy the benefits of digital TV, so more affordable options are being introduced.

Digital TV will be available via your existing TV aerial, either through a built-in TV receiver, or if your current TV does not have a built-in digital receiver then you will need a digital set-top box to receive the signal.

There are a wide range of TVs with built-in digital receivers available from Misco, for more information please visit the Misco LCD TV section. Freeview™ boxes are a non-subscription based alternative, allowing you to receive a broad selection of digital TV channels without the need to buy a new TV or sign-up to a subscription based broadcaster. A wide range of Freeview™ boxes are available to buy at Misco.

Digital signal is not available in all areas of the country at present. To find out if your area currently receives a digital signal, check using your postcode on the Freeview™ coverage checker.

The subscription based alternatives such as Virgin Media & Sky TV offer a wide range of digital TV packages to their customers via cable and satellite receivers without the current regional restrictions.

The digital switchover is a gradual process and all television broadcasts will be switched to digital between 2008 and 2012. Analogue signals will be turned off in a sequence determined by ITV region and after a substantial period of dual signal transmission. The big analogue turn-off is being co-ordinated by Digital UK and their website offers lots of advice and information on the switchover.

Timetable for Switchover

ITV Region	Switchover
Borders	2008 - 2009
West Country, Granada	2009
Wales	2009 – 2010
West, STV North	2010
STV Central	2010 – 2011
Central, Yorkshire, Anglia	2011
Meridian, London, Tyne Tees, Ulster	2012