Analogue TV viewers (or at least those not in-the-know) in the Whitehaven area are going to have fun tomorrow when they try to tune into Heroes because as of 3am, 17th October 2007 (according to the rather ominous counter on the Digital UK site) the non-digital transmitters will be turning off and Digital switchover will have started.
OK, maybe I’m being a touch melodramatic, but the point remains: if you aren’t already aware now that analogue TV has had its day, you need to start getting clued-up. Fair enough, the process wont be finished until 2012, but many regions of the country will be having the plug pulled prior to that date. However, with such services as Sky HD, as well as the forthcoming BBC HD service on Freeview, we would heartily suggest it’s time to invest in digital equipment – you can grab a Freeview box for under £20 so no excuses.
Oddly enough, the providers of our entertainment fare don’t seem to be making as much of a fuss as one might think, with only the occasional advert popping up to suggest anything was happening at all – way to go guys!. In fact, Virgin seems the only provider to be offering any real information, having purloined the Royle Family’s Ricky Tomlinson to offer some advice to the curious.
Of course the majority of the UK isn’t likely to be affected until mid-2009/early-2010, by which point hardly anyone will be without a digital tuner anyway. Nonetheless, it would be nice to see a bit more attention given to the transition, which should ideally be happening faster and have started sooner. That’s progress for you I guess.
Source: Digital UK
