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DIGITAL SWITCHOVER

If you have been asking these questions Why can't I get Freeview? or Why can't I get Channel 5? then then the answer you are looking for is ... Digital Switchover! But what does it mean...? What will happen, why, and when?

We have digital tv already, so why is digital switchover happening?

All television is going digital because digital is much more efficient - it can offer more channels, widescereen pictures and even high definition. It is also less susceptible 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 wll fill in the current gaps in digital coverage. So, if you currently live in an area wih no digital terrestrial signals, you will get them after digital switchover.

When will it happen?

Thanks to the extensive publicity campaign I think most people now know that digital switchover is happening between 2007-2012. It is being done region by region according to the time table below. When each main station is switched it follows that all its dependant relays will also be switched at the same time. The exact timetable for each individual switchover will be likely to follow the pattern described here. Exact dates shown in the following table are the dates when the DSO process will complete. [Source: Digital UK]

COMPLETION DATE

STATION

REGION JOB DONE
30-Mar-2005 Ferryside Wales
14-Nov-2007 Whitehaven Borders
20-Nov-2008 SELKIRK Borders
22-Apr-2009 BEACON HILL SW England
20-May-2009 STOCKLAND HILL SW England
16-Jul-2009 Douglas Borders (Isle of Man)
22-Jul-2009 CALDBECK Borders
29-Jul-2009 HUNTSHAW CROSS PSB SW England
5-Aug-2009 REDRUTH PSB SW England
9-Sep-2009 CARADON HILL SW England
9-Sep-2009 Kilvey Hill Wales
16-Sep-2009 PRESELY Wales
23-Sep-2009 CARMEL Wales
30-Sep-2009 HUNTSHAW CROSS COM SW England
30-Sep-2009 REDRUTH COM SW England
18-Nov-2009 LLANDDONA Wales
25-Nov-2009 MOEL-Y-PARC PSB Wales
2-Dec-2009 MOEL-Y-PARC COM Wales
2-Dec-2009 WINTER HILL NW England
3-Dec-2009 Long Mountain Wales
10-Mar-2010 BLAENPLWYF Wales
31-Mar-2010 WENVOE Wales
7-Apr-2010 MENDIP W England
19-May-2010 BRESSAY Scotland (Shetland)
26-May-2010 KEELYLANG HILL Scotland (Orkney)
16-Jun-2010 RUMSTER FOREST PSB Scotland  
21-Jul-2010 EITSHAL Scotland  
28-Jul-2010 SKRIAIG Scotland  
18-Aug-2010 ANGUS Scotland  
15-Sep-2010 DURRIS Scotland  
22-Sep-2010 Knock More Scotland  
29-Sep-2009 RUMSTER FOREST COM Scotland  
20-Oct-2010 ROSEMARKIE Scotland  
27-Oct-2010 Torosay C Scotland  
17-Nov-2010 FREMONT POINT Channel Islands AMENDED COMPLETION DATE  
13-Apr-2011 SANDY HEATH E England  
13-Apr-2011 Nottingham Nottingham  
20-Apr-2011 RIDGE HILL W Midlands  
20-Apr-2011 THE WREKIN W Midlands  
20-Apr-2011 Bromsgrove Bromsgrove  
20-Apr-2011 Lark Stoke Stratford-upon-Avon  
25-May-2011 DARVEL C Scotland  
25-May-2011 ROSNEATH C Scotland  
15-Jun-2011 CRAIGKELLY C Scotland  
22-Jun-2011 BLACKHILL C Scotland  
       
2011 SUDBURY E England  
2011 WALTHAM E Midlands  
2011 SUTTON COLDFIELD W Midlands  
2011 Fenton Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme  
2011 TACOLNESTON E England  
2011 OXFORD S Midlands  
2011 Chesterfield Chesterfield  
2011 Sheffield Sheffield  
2011 Olivers Mount Scarborough  
2011 BELMONT Lincolnshire  
2011 EMLEY MOOR Yorkshire  
2012 Whitehawk Hill Brighton  
2012 MIDHURST S England  
2012 HANNINGTON S England  
2012 ROWRIDGE S England  
2012 Guildford London  
2012 CRYSTAL PALACE London  
2012 HEATHFIELD S England  
2012 Tunbridge Wells S England  
2012 Hastings S England  
2012 BLUEBELL HILL SE England  
2012 DOVER SE England  
2012 CHATTON Tyne/Tees  
2012 PONTOP PIKE Tyne/Tees  
2012 BILSDALE Tyne/Tees  
2012 LIMAVADY Ulster  
2012 BROUGHER MOUNTAIN Ulster  
2012 DIVIS Ulster  
 
Digital tv and HD tv are already available to 99% of the UK without subscription with a Freesat box.
Digital tv and HD are also available from Sky as part of a Sky subscription or for a one-off payment

Exact dates shown above are the dates at which Digital Switchover is scheduled for completion at each site. In most cases BBC2 will be switched off and replaced by the high power BBC-A multiplex two weeks prior to this date. (Source: Digital UK)

If you have heard that your local relay will not provide a digital service this is basically wrong. Almost all of the 1154 relay stations will provide at least three of the six digital multiplexes which make up the full digital terrestrial service. This will include Freeview HD. There will be a small handful of minor exceptions to this rule but in these cases other options are available.

What will we be able to receive?

After digital switchover there will be a total of six multiplexes. Each multiplex will carry a specific group of channels. Three of these will carry public service channels (e.g BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and Freeview HD services) and three will be commercial multiplexes carrying other stations.

The public service channels will be available from all the existing main stations and relays. This will mean that more than 98% of the UK population will be able to receive these channels.

The other three multiplexes carrying the additional commercial services will be available from the 80 sites currently transmitting the DTT ('Freeview') service. The power at these sites will be increased and the transmitting aerials improved and it is thought that up to around 90% of the UK population will be able to receive them, though in some cases viewers may need to change their receiving aerials.

Will you need a new tv aerial?

These sites also have more information:

Your first port of call for information about Digital Switchover should be the UK Digital site. This has clear and simple information about what will happen and when.

Arqiva will be the UK's main provider of digital tv transmission after Digital Switchover.
Arqiva

The Digital TV Group site is divided into sections with general news and information for both consumers and the industry

Their postcode checker for Freeview coverage is also thought by some to be the most realistic

The Freeview web site

There is also the government's Digital Television site created jointly by the DCMS (Dept. of Media, Culture and Sport) and the DTI (Dept. of Trade & Industry).

The Digital Television site FAQ

For those of you interested in more background details and reports check out the Ofcom site.

Will you need a new tv aerial? >

More technical facts and figures about DSO >

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