|
|
What Digital TV service should you switch to ?
Digital TV has transformed the way that we view television programmes with more choice than ever before via more providers and more choice of delivery method and interactive features. It can be received from a terrestrial broadcast using an aerial or a satellite dish, cable, phone line or the internet. There are also programmes that are available with and without a monthly subscription or contract. The type of programmes that you will receive will depend on how much you are willing to pay and the type of programmes that you want to view. On top of this there are also high definition channels that are free or monthly subscription charges or contracts.
There are free channels available from the BBCs and ITVs Freesat, Skys Freesat, Freeview, and Virgin Medias cable service if you rent a phone line. Monthly subscription services are available from Sky Digital, Virgin Media, BT Vision and Tiscali TV.
Freeview
Freeview digital television broadcasts are replacing the normal analogue terrestrial television broadcasts received by an aerial throughout the UK. To receive Freeview you will first of all need to be in an area where it is available and then you will have to have a suitable aerial and either a Freeview set top box or a television with freeView built in. Apart from having to pay the UK television licence Freeview is free of any other charges and offers 48 channels of television and 24 channels of radio.
The much publicised Digital Switch Over involves using the Freeview digital channels instead of the old analogue channels which are being switched off region by region around the UK. This process will be completed by about 2012. As this happens any equipment that doesnt have digital tuner will need an external set top box or they will be obsolete. This includes Video Recorders, DVD recorders and Televisions. Alternatively you may decide to replace them with new models that have built in Freeview tuners.
The Digital Switch Over might not affect you if you are currently receiving all of your television programmes via Freesat, BT Vision, or Tiscali in which case you wont need to do anything.
Top Up TV
It is possible to add additional subscription channels to the free channels that are available on Freeview with Top Up TV via your aerial. It doesnt require any additional equipment other than the card that slots in to the card slot on your existing PVR set top box. It costs just 9.99 per month without any contract tie in. There is a Movie channel, a sports channel and an on demand channel of programmes that are automatically downloaded to your set top PVR for you to watch at your convenience.
Virgin Medias Cable TV
Cable television by Virgin Media is only available in a limited number of areas. A basic TV package of 45 channels are available free of charge if your phone line is provided by Virgin Media. Various packages are available up to the 19.50 (with Virgin Phone Line) per month package which has 165 channels. Every television that you want to watch cable on will need a Virgin set top box. Each additional set top box will incur an additional discounted monthly charge so this could prove to be expensive.
A large library of programmes and films are accessible On Demand when you choose either in standard or high definition. Some of these are accessible free of charge and some are viewable by pay per view.
Sky Digital TV
Sky Digital is available by means of a monthly subscription charge. To receive Sky Digital you will need a satellite dish installing and a Sky set top box. The majority of houses in the UK can receive Sky Digital.
If you live in an apartment block or high rise flats then you might not be allowed to have a dish installed. Also some buildings have planning restrictions that dont permit the installation of satellite dishes. Also you may not be able to have satellite TV if there are any physical obstruction such as a building or Trees that prevents the required line of sight.
The satellite dish is connected to a set top box that is connected to your television set. For every television that you want to watch Sky Digital on you will need an addition set top box and you may need a further satellite dish depending on how many connectors are available on the LNB of the satellite dish. There are also extra costs for each set top box and additional monthly charges which can work out fairly expensive if you have many televisions in your house.
There is usually a charge for providing and installing the satellite dish and the set top box. Sky packages start from 16.50 per month with a free set top box and 60 for the dish and installation offering over 200 channels. If you opt for all the channels available from Sky you will receive over 630 channels of TV and Radio channels at a cost of 46 per month with an installation charge of 60 for a standard box and 30 for Sky Plus set top box. Sky also offers the widest selection of HD channels at an additional cost of 9.75 per month.
If this isnt enough choice then there is also an On Demand Service known as Sky Anytime for watching a small selection of movies, documentaries and entertainment channels that are stored locally on the Sky Plus set top box. Furthermore Sky Box Office offers some of the latest films On Demand for a small additional charge. There is also an on demand service where you can download films to the hard drive on your PC. You can either view them on your PC or you can copy them on to a DVD to watch on the DVD player that is connected to your TV. Alternatively if you have a Media Centre attached to your television then you can stream the movies directly from your PC to your TV.
Freesat Television
There are two versions of Freesat. One is provided by a joint venture of the BBC and ITV and the other is available from Sky. They both need a satellite dish and a set top box however the BBC and ITV version also has the possibility of being viewed by a Freesat compatible television which the Sky version doesnt have. On both options the service is free once you have paid for the satellite dish, installation and the set top box. If there is already a satellite dish on your house that has spare connections on it then you can save on the cost of the satellite dish and installation. Of course the installation of a satellite dish could be restricted by the problems mentioned in the section above about Sky Digital TV.
High definition channels are available free of monthly subscription on the Freesat from the BBC and ITV. To receive HD you will need to make sure that you buy a HD Freesat set top box.
Set top boxes that are compatible with the BBC and ITVs Freesat are available from around 49.99 or 129.99 complete with a dish and installation. There are in excess of 140 channels of programmes of different types that are available without any commitment or monthly subscription. If you want the HD version then you will have to pay 129.99 for the set top box or around 229.99 with satellite dish and installation. If you opt for a Freesat compatible television then you wont require a set top box just a satellite dish.
There are in excess of 240 standard definition television channels on Freesat from Sky, Sky Freesat is obtainable for an initial payment of 75 and then there arent any further payments required. High definition television channels are not available on Skys Freesat.
BT Vision Television
BT Vision is provided using a broadband connection and a BT Home Hub router which is then wirelessly connected to a wireless receiver which is connected to your television. The BT vision television service offers Freeview and an on demand service of entertainment and movies. If you already use BTs broadband then the Home Hub Router is supplied without any cost.
You can either pay for each programme that you watch or pay a monthly subscription for a bundle of programmes. If you dont have BT broadband there is a basic charge for the set top TV box of 29.36 and installation at 29.36. With the minimum package there arent any monthly charges you only pay for what you watch. There are also options to pay a monthly charge for a bundle of programmes including 40 channels of Freeview, sports, kids programmes, music and some films, but you then pay extra for additional films. The bundles are from 13.70 per month to 19.57 per month.
Tiscali TV
Tiscali television is only available in certain areas of the country via a phone line with broadband and possibly an aerial. The Tiscali television service offers in excess of 70 channels of digital TV channels and digital radio channels and in excess of 1000 on demand programmes, Movies and Music. The basic offering starts from 19.99 per month and includes 8Mb broadband and telephone line rental with on demand movies charged per view.
Fetch TV
Fetch television is another non subscription service that provides 48 channels of Freeview and access to over a 1000 standard definition and high definition on demand programmes and films that can be downloaded when you choose and streamed to your television. You will need a Fetch television PVR which is a Freeview box and high definition media centre, a computer and broadband. The media centre allows you to access films that you have downloaded to your PC and play them on your television. Fetch television set top boxes start from just under 130.
IP Television and Television On Demand
There are many programmes and movies that can be downloaded via broadband to your PC and then you can copy them to a DVD disc or it can be wirelessly streamed to a media centre that is connected to your television. There are high definition programmes and films that can down loaded via the internet. Television broadcasters such as the BBC, Sky, ITV and many other UK and Worldwide television companies now have content that is available to be downloaded when you choose. Some of this content is free of charge and some chargeable.
Conclusion
The options are almost endless with so many choices. Some of these choices may not be an option but nonetheless the choice is greater than ever before with delivery by Cable, Satellite Dish, Phone Line, Broadband, and Aerial. Whether you are prepared to pay a monthly charge may narrow the options but if you are then you also have to decide if you are prepared to pay extra for HD television broadcasts. IP television offers an interesting possibility but is restricted by our creaking copper cables ability to deliver the content fast enough and reliably enough. To benefit from all of the advantages of Digital Television you will also need a high definition LCD television or Plasma television.
About the Author For almost 2 decades Armadeus Cornelius has accumulated a wealth of knowledge in the electronics sector. For more details on Digital TV go to his site http://www.digitaldirect.co.uk . If you want to save money then go to refurbished hdtv or sony lcd tvs
|
 |
Please Rate: |
|
Rating: |
 Processing ... |
(Average: Not rated) |
| Views: | 22 | |
|
| More Articles from Computers | | |
| Top Articles in Computers | | |
|
