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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.
DATE STATION
REGION 14-Nov-2007 Whitehaven Borders Nov-2008 SELKIRK Borders Apr-2009 BEACON HILL SW England May-2009 STOCKLAND HILL SW England Jun-2009 CALDBECK Borders Jun-2009 Kendal Borders Jun-2009 Douglas Borders (Isle of Man) Jul-2009 HUNTSHAW CROSS SW England Jul-2009 REDRUTH SW England Jul-2009 CARADON HILL SW England Aug-2009 PRESELY Wales Sep-2009 CARMEL Wales Nov-2009 LLANDDONA Wales Nov-2009 WINTER HILL NW England Feb-2010 BLAENPLWYF Wales Feb-2010 Long Mountain Wales Feb-2010 MOEL-Y-PARC Wales Mar-2010 WENVOE Wales Mar-2010 Kings Weston Hill W England Apr-2010 MENDIP W England May-2010 KEELYLANG HILL Scotland (Orkney) May-2010 BRESSAY Scotland (Shetland) Jun-2010 RUMSTER FOREST Scotland Jul-2010 EITSHAL Scotland Jul-2010 SKRIAIG Scotland Aug-2010 ANGUS Scotland Sep-2010 DURRIS Scotland Sep-2010 Knock More Scotland Oct-2010 ROSEMARKIE Scotland Oct 2010 CRAIGKELLY C Scotland Nov-2010 DARVEL C Scotland Nov-2010 ROSNEATH C Scotland Feb-2011 Torosay C Scotland Mar-2011 BLACKHILL C Scotland Mar-2011 OXFORD S Midlands Apr-2011 SANDY HEATH E England May-2011 WALTHAM E Midlands May-2011 Sheffield Yorkshire May-2011 Olivers Mount Yorkshire (Scarborough) Jun-2011 SUDBURY E England Jun-2011 TACOLNESTON E England Jul-2011 BELMONT Yorkshire (Lincolnshire) Aug-2011 THE WREKIN W Midlands Aug-2011 RIDGE HILL W Midlands Sep-2011 EMLEY MOOR Yorkshire Sep-2011 SUTTON COLDFIELD W Midlands Sep-2011 Malvern W Midlands Feb-2012 MIDHURST S England Feb-2012 HANNINGTON S England Feb-2012 ROWRIDGE S England Mar-2012 Guildford London Apr-2012 CRYSTAL PALACE London May-2012 Whitehawk Hill S England (Brighton) Jun-2012 HEATHFIELD S England Jun-2012 Tunbridge Wells S England Jun-2012 Hastings S England Jul-2012 BLUEBELL HILL SE England Jul-2012 DOVER SE England Aug-2012 CHATTON Tyne/Tees Sep-2012 BILSDALE Tyne/Tees Sep-2012 LIMAVADY Ulster Oct-2012 PONTOP PIKE Tyne/Tees Oct-2012 BROUGHER MOUNTAIN Ulster Nov-2012 DIVIS Ulster Mar-2013 FREMONT POINT Channel Islands Digital tv is also available from digital satellite as part of a Sky subscription
or for a one-off payment of £150.00If you have heard that your local relay will not provide a digital service this is wrong. All 1154 relay stations will provide at least three of the six digital multiplexes which make up the full digital terrestrial service.
Some other Euopean countries, such as Germany and Holland, have already made the switch to digital.
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 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.
In fact the whole of the UK tv transmitting network is going to be completely re-engineered. All the main sites will have new transmitting aerials and at two major sites - Caldbeck and Blackhill - there will be a completely new taller and stronger mast built. At a few other sites eg Selkirk and Wenvoe - the existing masts will be strengthened.
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. There's even an FAQ which should answer most of your questions |
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| Arqiva will be the UK's main provider of digital tv transmission after Digital Switchover. | 
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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 |
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| The Freeview web site | 
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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). |
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| The Free and Easy site has some good information | 
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| Digital TV Cumbria is a site which has been specifically set up to deal with the questions which will arise and the lessons which will be learned in the first region to be affected by Digital Switchover. | 
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| For those of you interested in more background details and reports check out the Ofcom site. | 
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More technical facts and figures about DSO >
Transmitter Information | Transmission Gallery
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