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22 Sept 2010

DIGITAL UK TODAY RELEASED THE FOLLOWING DIGITAL SWITCHOVER DATES TO THE PUBLIC:

Dates revealed for east of England digital TV switchover

Tuesday, April 13th 2010

The east of England will complete its switch to digital TV in 2011, it has been announced.

Homeowners in the east of England have been urged to prepare for the switch to digital TV

Mendip transmitter group: Relay switching times

Switchover for the Mendip transmitter group is a two stage process taking place on Wednesday 24 March and Wednesday 7 April. Engineering work is carried out at the Mendip transmitter and each of its 61 relay transmitters. At each stage, services will be restored at different times depending on where you live.

Please note:Once this happens, if you have Freeview, BT Vision or Top UP TV, you will need to re-tune your equipment at each stage.

Digital UK, the body responsible for the changes, has revealed that work to switch Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire to the signals will begin in March 2011 and be completed in around two weeks.

Dates for when Suffolk and Norfolk can expect the changes have not yet been confirmed by the organisation.

Peter Monteith, Digital UK's regional manager for the Anglia region, said the switchover would create "a new era in broadcasting" in the area.

"We are preparing for the end of the analogue TV era and the dawn of a fully digital age in which everyone can enjoy extra choice and easier recording," he added.

Last week, the West TV region, which covers major areas including Bristol, Bath and Swindon, completed its switchover to digital signals.

More Brits watching catch-up TV on BBC iPlayer

Tuesday 23 February, 2010

By Becca Talbot

Brits watched more than 120 million programmes on the BBC iPlayer in January - spearheaded by hits such as Top Gear, Gavin and Stacey and EastEnders.

The online on-demand TV service from the BBC is continuing to grow, as more and more Brits are using the free service to catch-up on their favourite programmes.

Programme requests on the BBC iPlayer rose to 120 million in January, up from 115 million in December, and double the number in January 2009, according to data from BBC iStats.

Jon Ingram, operations director at Digitalchoices.co.uk, said: “Unsurprisingly, Top Gear remains the most watched show on the BBC iPlayer. Over one million people watched episode seven of the current series on the iPlayer.”

While the iPlayer is still being predominantly watched online, Virgin Media customers are also watching more BBC catch-up via their set-top box.

And Nintendo Wii gamers and Sony PS3 gamers are also watching more programmes on-demand using their games consoles.

Ingram added: “Following the launch of free, online catch-up service SeeSaw last week, it will be interesting to see what the iPlayer’s usage figures are for February.”

SeeSaw is a new on-demand TV service, showing over 3,000 hours of programmes from the BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Unlike the iPlayer, it is only available online.

TV viewing on the increase

Feb 12th 2010

Perhaps it's a knock on effect of the global rescession, but the latest report by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising has found that TV viewing is at the highest it has been in 18 years.

Viewers watched an average of 3.75 hours of TV a day last year, the highest figure since 1992, according to IPA research.

As one would expect to find, the first and last quarters of the year, with less daylight and fewer people away on holiday, tended to show the highest television viewing figures.

Interestingly, the IPA revealed that only 8.2 % of UK households relied on an analogue signal to catch their favourite shows, showing that the digital switch-over is almost complete.

While ITV and GMTV gathered 19% of the total television audience in the last three months of 2009, likely thanks to the popularity of the X-Factor, BBC1 continued to achieve the highest share of all the terrestrial channels, at 21%. All five analogue channels continue to lose ground however, as multi-channel satellite options grow in prominence.

West and Central Wales switchover underway
 
Links:
www.digitaluk.co.uk

10 Febuary 2010
The digital switchover in west and central Wales is now underway.

Shortly after midnight on 10 February, analogue BBC Two was turned off permanently in the region and engineers started switching on digital signals at twelve relay transmitters serving more than 8,000 homes.

Viewers in these areas will be able to receive Freeview digital channels for the first time, according to Digital UK.

The changes also affect existing Freeview viewers whose BBC channels have moved to new frequencies. Missing channels can be restored by retuning Freeview TVs and boxes.

The second and final stage of switchover at the Blaenplwyf transmitter group takes place on 10 March, when the remaining analogue channels will be switched off permanently. On this date, further Freeview channels from ITV, S4C, Channel 4 and Five will also become available from relay transmitters for the first time.

COUNTDOWN BEGINS TO END OF ANALOGUE ERA

07:00, January 13, 2010
The date for the switchover to digital television in the Channel Islands has been announced
today, setting out the timetable for the biggest change to broadcasting for a generation.
Switchover will see the four current analogue TV channels switched off permanently on
Wednesday, 17 November 2010, allowing 50,000 households served by the Fremont Point
transmitter group to receive around 15 Freeview digital channels for the first time.

1 Digital UK and the Switchover Help Scheme are preparing to launch a public information campaign
to ensure viewers are ready for the change. The campaign, due to kick off in March, will include
roadshows, advertising and an information leaflet sent to every home. The Help Scheme will write
to eligible older and disabled people offering support in making the switch, including equipment,
installation if needed and aftercare.

2 Bill Taylor, Digital UK’s South West Regional Manager, said: “Today’s announcement paves the
way for the biggest change in broadcasting in the Channel Islands since the introduction of colour.
“We are preparing for the end of the analogue TV era and the dawn of a fully digital age, in which
everyone can enjoy extra choice and easier recording. Digital UK and the Switchover Help Scheme
will ensure that people know about this important change and that advice and practical support is
available for those who need it.”
Viewers can check their options for getting digital TV by using the Digital UK postcode checker at
www.digitaluk.co.uk or by ringing the advice line on 08456 50 50 50.

Get set for switchover with Digital UK’s Top Tips:
1. Visit digitaluk.co.uk or ring the advice line on 08456 50 50 50 for more information about
digital switchover.
2. Remember the Switchover Help Scheme will offer equipment and practical support to older
and disabled viewers. The Help Scheme will write to eligible viewers in the run-up to
switchover. Call 0800 408 7654 or visit www.helpscheme.co.uk for more details.
3. Don’t throw out your old TV - almost all analogue sets can be converted with a digital box.
4. Check out the different ways of getting digital TV, including subscription-free options. Digital
UK’s postcode checker provides details of digital services available in your area.