We're the experts on digital TV
This page answers some of the questions about the digital switchover that people ask most often. If you have a question that isn’t covered, or you need more information about anything else, please call our dedicated team on 08442 410 388, and they will be pleased to help you.
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Q1: Why is the digital switchover happening?
A: Digital signals make more efficient use of the airwaves, allowing broadcasters to offer many more channels, better-quality pictures and sound, and advanced interactive features. By switching off the traditional ‘analogue’ signal from ground-based transmitters, the government will boost the quality of the digital signal, which means that everyone should get a better level of service. At the moment, not everyone in the UK and the Republic of Ireland can get all the digital channels at the same quality. Sky has always been a digital service and uses satellites rather than ground-based transmitters, so our customers have been enjoying the benefits of digital TV for a long time.
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Q2: Why isn’t every region being switched over at the same time?
A: More than a thousand transmitters nationwide need to be converted, so there’s no way they could all be switched to digital at one go. Doing the switchover region by region over several years reduces the chance of disrupting TV services, and gives people more time to get ready for the change.
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Q3: Will my residents lose TV channels if we don’t go digital?
A: Yes. Once your TV region has switched, they will not be able to watch TV using their old analogue reception system.
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Q4: Will they need to buy new TV sets?
A: Almost certainly not. Most televisions, even older or black-and-white ones, can receive digital broadcasts. If a TV was manufactured after 1996, it will probably have a SCART socket, which is the easiest way to connect a digital box to a TV set. If they don’t have a SCART, there are other reliable ways to connect older TVs.
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Q5: Why should I choose a Sky digital Communal TV solution?
A: Your residents will get a much bigger choice of channels, even if they only go for a free-to-air connection. If they sign up for Sky they will get many more great options, including sport, movies and music channels. They may also get better picture quality – especially if their previous TV reception was analogue.
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Q6: How does digital TV work?
A: Digital TV allows broadcasters to convert sound and pictures into ‘bits’ of data that can be transmitted via satellites, over the airwaves, or along telephone lines or cables. This is much more flexible than using analogue signals and allows Sky to offer popular services such as Sky+ and Sky+HD.