Digital TV Services after the Switchover
We are going to be switched over to digital later this year.
I am quite happy with the four standard channels, but for the sake of domestic harmony I needed to sort out something before the switchover or our resident teenager has threatened to leave home.
Given the choice of no TV or no teenager I decided on the no teenager option, but then ’she who must be obeyed’ intervened,
so it looks like we are going digital!
So for any one faced with a similar dilemma,
here are the fruits of my research:
FREEVIEW
This is the cheapest - just buy a freeview box and plug it in.
in theory it should work but as we have lousy reception anyway,
and freeview is not currently available this option was shelved.
FREESAT
The cold war had a couple of good results - we now have loads of satellites zooming around the planet with nothing better to do than tell us where we are and broadcast television programmes!
To get freesat you need a satalite dish connected to a box of electronics
that then connects to your existing TV.
There are two different offerings on freesat:
FREESAT from Sky - 240 channels plus lots of sky packages.
FREESAT from the BBC and ITV - 140 channels including HD
a standard installation starts from around £80,
while a freesat+ install (to allow recording) costs an extra £20 because it need two feeds from your satellite dish.
Each additional room also costs extra.
If you want lots of different programmes, telephone services, and
broadband then the offerings from sky should be considered.
At the moment Sky are doing a promotion: Sky Prepay - Pay Once, Watch Forever
for around £75 - you get your sky mini dish plus installation plus 4 months of sky packages.
After the four months trial period you can continue with your subscription or cancel.
If you cancel you keep the equipment and can continue viewing the free channels.
LINKS:
www.freesat.co.uk
www.freesatfromsky.co.uk
Sky Pay Once and Watch Forever
Currys digital TV Services
