The UK’s slowly rolling Digital Switchover is finally hitting a landmark today as the London Digital Switchover has now begun, with nearly 8 million Londoners set to experience the final stages of the process.
The typical Digital Switchover will be happening in two stages, with the initial stage consisting of large transmitters such as the Crystal Palace transmitter group (which serves Greater London and some of the home counties) losing BBC Two in the first stages.
This will then increase the strength of the Freeview reception in that area (so if you have a poor Freeview Signal then re-tune) and in some poor signal areas the move will signal the first Freeview reception ever!
Stage two of the switchover will take place on Wednesday 18th April where the analogue TV service will be completely switched off across the London area and thus completing the Digital Switchover.
At this point the Digital TV service will be from then on blasting out at the full and strongest service it can offer so another re-tune will be advisable on ALL Freeview and Freeview HD devices across the capital.
The Digital Switchover is in the final stages of the full UK change to Freeview, and since the switchover started nearly 90% of the UK has now been fully upgraded to Digital TV. The service has been running since 2007 and is already established in many large regions such as Wales, Yorkshire and Granada. The coverage was originally set to finish before the 2012 London Olympic Games, although sadly Tyne Tees (starting in 12 September) and Northern Ireland (UTV, starting 10 October) will miss that deadline.
Now we at Gadget Helpline like to consider ourselves well-versed in the Digital Switchover and helping people with the process, so we have put together a helpful guide here: The Digital Switchover – What to do and what not to do.
For more information check out www.digitaluk.co.uk.
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