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Digital TV Switchover
The UK’s analogue TV signal will be turned off and replaced with a digital signal, and it’s now time for Fife’s residents to get prepared for the Digital TV Switchover.
Switching to digital is as easy as connecting a digital box to your existing TV but you will need to consider all of the TV equipment in your home when preparing for the Switchover.
Television signals can be received via an aerial, satellite, cable or broadband connection and Switchover affects any TV that receives its signal from an aerial.
If you use an aerial, it will receive its signal from a transmitter. In the UK, there are more than 1,150 transmitters organized into around 80 transmitter groups that will switch to digital one by one.
Each group has a main Switchover transmitter and local relay transmitters. Before Switchover, local relay transmitters are only able to transmit an analogue TV signal. After Switchover, for the first time, local relay transmitters will transmit a digital signal and increase the number of channels available from around 5 to around 15.
Why is it important that I understand which transmitter I am watching?
Your Switchover date and the number of channels you receive will depend on which transmitter you are watching. Signals from nearby transmitters often overlap, so you may have a choice of which one you can watch. One may give you a better signal than another, or increase the number of services you can receive.
If you are watching a main transmitter you will receive more than 40 digital channels. If you are watching a relay transmitter you will receive around 15 digital TV channels.
When will I Switch?
There are 5 transmitter groups in the STV Central TV region that will switch from analogue to digital TV at different times, starting on 13 October 2010. When you switch depends on which transmitter group you are watching.
Some of Fife’s residents may also be served by the Angus transmitter group within the STV North TV region which is due to start switching on 4 August 2010.
Click on the following link to find out which transmitter you are likely to be watching and the Switchover dates and channels available at your address: http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/when_do_i_switch
