Be on your guard for Aerial Cowboys
Residents in the North West are being urged to be on their guard against cowboy aerial contractors as they move towards the digital switchover.
Rogue traders are apparently charging exorbitant prices for installing so called "essential" upgrade equipment or carrying out unnecessary repair and replacement work, according to Trading Standards officers.
Anyone needing to make alterations to their current equipment before the switch is advised to look for Registered Digital Installers displaying the familiar UK Digital pink tick logo, signifying that they are approved, hold the relevant qualifications and insurances and have been properly security screened. A full list of RDI installers in the UK is available from http://rdi-lb.tv or by calling the digital helpline on 08456 50 50 50
Digital TV switchover is the process of converting the UK’s current analogue terrestrial television system to digital thus increasing capacity and the opportunity to offer rich multimedia and targeted local content streams. Between now and 2012 the current "standard" channels will be discontinued on a rolling regional basis and replaced with a free to air digital TV service offering a much wider choice of channels in the form of Freeview. In the vast majority of cases it will be possible to simply add a relatively inexpensive set-top box to an existing setup and continue to enjoy the new service from your existing equipment - including your current loft or roof aerial.
Trading Standards officers in the North West said: "There is no such thing as a digital aerial, as such. Most existing aerials are fine for receiving digital TV, although 5-10% may need replacing before the switchover if they are in a poor condition or are poorly fixed. The typical cost to repair or replace a standard aerial varies from £80 to £150." A new style aerial designed for digital will certainly yield a huge improvement in signal strength over a damaged or poorly aligned/fitted analogue one. The freeview store has always recommended that our customers attach any new equipment directly to the existing aerial before paying for any unnecessary aerial upgrades. However if a new aerial is required we will be happy to advise and supply a suitable replacement from the online freeview store
Digital UK and the Switchover Help Scheme will not visit your home unless you have specifically arranged an appointment. As with all tradesmen if you have arranged for work to be done make sure you ask for identification. Digital UK and the Freeview service do not employ contractors to go "knocking on doors".
You can use teletext P284 for guidance on whether you need to replace your aerial in anticipation of the digital switchover.
Before commencing any work you should agree a price, the length of time that the work is likely to take plus any payment arrangements with your contractor and never pay for any work upfront.
This little scam is likely to spread as the rollout pushes around the country, so please be vigilant and if you suspect you may have been ripped off or you believe there may be a rogue trader in your area, call Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.
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Digital switchover needn’t cost a fortune
As Devon and the South West of England began its switchover phase to Freeview with the analogue switch off at Beacon Hill, subscription TV services offering hundreds of channels are receiving a bad reception from residents in the county, this according to Freeview.
Research shows that over two-thirds of the residents affected by the recent switch off do not believe that Pay TV offers them value for money. A survey of over 1,000 viewers showed that 9 out of the 10 most popular Television channels are available without subscription, or a satellite dish on the Freeview network.
Director of Marketing Communications at Freeview Rob Farmer said: “With the economic downturn, many people are worrying about the impact of digital switchover."
With Freeview there is no need to switchover to monthly billing or install a satellite dish. Residents in the West Country don’t need to compromise or change their TV viewing habits as research has shown that the majority of the viewings favourite channels are all available without having to set up a monthly subscription or commit to a contract.
Post switchover in 2012, Freeview will be available to 98% of households with TV, a variety of digital radio stations and interactive services. Freeview includes a wide range of channels including BBC Three, BBC Four, Cbeebies, ITV3 and ITV2 accessed via a digital box, Freeview+ digital TV recorder or digital TV with Freeview built-in.
For more information on the equipment available visit the freeview store today
Beacon Hill Transmitter Switch Off
Beacon Hill Transmitter - Important information.
The Beacon Hill transmitter Group in the south west of England will be switched off on 8 April 2009. If you are currently receiving analogue TV from this transmitter or other members of the Beacon Hill Transmitter group (see below) you will need to switch over before this date to continue receiving broadcasts.
This group has been transmitting messages on screen for that few months informing those affected about the imminent change. If you have not seen these messages, then it is likely that you are not receiving broadcasts from the affected transmitter group or you are already receiving freeview or satellite broadcasts.
The Beacon Hill transmitter group includes the following transmitters:
Ashburton |
Bovey Tracey |
Brixham |
Buckfastleigh |
Chudleigh |
Clennon Valley |
Coombe |
Dartmouth |
Edginswell |
Halwell |
Harbertonford |
Hele |
Kingskerswell |
Liverton |
Newton Abbot HP |
Newton Abbbot VP |
Occombe Valley |
Sidmouth |
South Brent HP |
South Brent VP |
Teignmouth |
Torquay Town |
Totnes |
If you need to upgrade your existing analogue equipment visit our online freeview store now.
When is my area going digital?
The digital switchover has already started
During 2008/9 the Borders TV region in Scotland will be the first to switch off the old analogue transmitters. With the rest of the country following over the next couple of years, the roll out will reach an end in 2012. Many areas are already capable of receiving the new service as the two will run side by side allowing user to upgrade their old equipment and enjoy the benefits of the new digital freeview service.
Below is an overview of the current schedule for the UK, if you would like specific information for your area, visit the DigitalUK website and enter your postcode which will help determine which particular transmitter you are receiving from.
- Anglia - 2011
- Border (including Isle of Man) - 2008/9
- Central - 2011
- Channel Islands - 2010
- Granada - 2009
- London - 2012
- Meridian - 2012
- STV Central - 2010/11
- STV North - 2010
- Tyne Tees - 2012
- Ulster - 2012
- Wales - 2009/10
- West - 2010/11
- West Country - 2009
- Yorkshire - 2011
LUPO Digital TV DVB-T USB Freeview Adapter
Freeview (and more) for your PC or Laptop!
Rating: 
148 reviews
This great little piece of kit from Lupo comprises a Freeview USB Dongle, digital aerial and remote control, delivering high quality Digital TV and Radio to your PC or laptop. The LUPO Digital TV DVB-T USB Adapter comes bundled with an HDTV player/recorder allowing you to record your favourite TV programs and even capture stills storing them direct to your hard drive. Using the time shift feature you can also control live TV in a manner similar to Sky Plus, fast forwarding past commercials, pausing programmes or instantly replaying scenes.
While its uses may be a little limited, it will never replace your set top box, we found the picture quality to be very good overall, although a little 'choppy' in poorer signal areas. It is possible to connect up to an existing aerial if there is an outlet available, used in an upstairs bedroom in an area with only reasonable signal signal strength, we found the unit suprisingly good and managed to pick up 25 channels without any problem.
Our verdict:
Great fun! Ideal for a rep or lorry driver or perhaps as a relatively cheap and space saving alternative to a TV in a teenagers bedroom.
Visit the freeview store now and pick one up for yourself for under £20.
Toshiba 37XV555DB – 37 Freeview Widescreen
A 37 inch LCD for under £500!!
Rating: 
69 reviews
This 37" Widescreen comes from Toshiba's REGZA stable, a collection of award-winning LCD TV's with a great picture, superb sound and a stylish look – in short this model gives you everything you need and want from a television at a remarkable price.
The REGZA series models feature Toshiba's high performance picture processing technology - Active Vision LCD. This technology has been developed in house and takes advantage of Toshiba's engineering advancements designed to enhance the colour depth, screen detail, movement and contrast of the display. Fast moving objects move across the screen with virtually none of the motion blur associated with other LCD televisions, thanks to Real Speed Progressive technology – a feature that will be appreciated by both gaming addicts and sports fans alike!
If images are to be brought to life on screen, the way a television handles colour tones, highlights and shadows is extremely important and the 37XV555DB possesses Dynamic Contrast technology, delivering bright whites and enhanced dark/black detail by dynamically controlling the LCD panel backlight intensity producing a vivid and highly realistic viewing experience.
Connectivity is also very good with a selection including HDMI, Scart, D-sub and component this television is both future-proof and versatile, allowing connection with game consoles, camcorders and even PC's. With the very wide viewing angle we think this large screen TV would be ideal for multiplayer gaming on the Nintendo Wii.
Overall this is a fantastic television and at under £500 - an absolute bargain price for a 37 inch screen. But don't take our word for it, check out the reviews in the freeview shop and pick up a bargain now!
Toshiba 37XV555D 37" Widescreen
Technical Specifications:
- 37" Diagonal Screen Size
- 94 cm Visible Diagonal Screen Size
- 16:9 Aspect Ratio
- 480 cd/m2 Screen Brightness
- 178 Degree Viewing Angle
- 8 (ms) Screen Response Rate
- 1920x1080 pixels
- 18,000:1 Dynamic Contrast
- HD Ready
- REGZA
- Digital TV Ready
- Freeview
- Auto Setup
- Parental Lock/Parental Control
- Teletext
- On/Off Timer
- Auto Volume Adjustment
- EPG (Guide Plus+)
Connections
- 3 x HDMI Connections
- 1 x Component Video Connection
- 1 x Optical Terminal Connection
- 1 x Headphone Socket
- 2 x Standard Scart Connections
- 1 x RGB Scart Connection
- 1 x PC D-Sub Connection
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Are you ready to switch to Freeview Digital?
The digital TV switchover is coming - pay nothing with Freeview!.... Between 2008 and 2012 the old analogue television transmitters will be switched off. Government policy has required that almost everyone should be able to access a new digital TV service, known as Freeview, through their aerial. Because digital TV uses less of the "airspace" than analogue, the change will open up new possibilities for other services such as High Definition Television (HDTV), wireless broadband and specialist local and public service broadcasting.
What does this mean?
In a nutshell if your current equipment is not designed for Freeview (free to air digital television) and is of the older analogue type ie you currently only receive the five terrestrial channels (BBC ITV Ch4 and Five) you will need to convert your TVs to digital before the switchover date for your area.
Working in association with our retail partners at Amazon, the Freeview Store is able to offer product reviews, news, advice and great deals on all manner of Freeview equipment like TV's, Freeview set top boxes, Digital Aerials and accessories from top brand names.
To see how we can save you money and make your digital switchover as painless as possible, visit the Freeview Online Store now.
TVonics MFR-200 Freeview Set Top Box
TVonics MFR-200 Set Top Box
Rating: 
This little beauty is the perfect solution to receiving Freeview on those old TV's without Scart sockets. A tiny unit that simply connects between your aerial and the television, the MFR-200 is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, is fully featured, beautifully designed and comes complete with remote control. Simply tune the in the unit to a spare channel on your old set run through the straightforward setup process and your ready to roll!
Overview:
- On Screen Display
- Parental Controls
- 8 Day TV Guide
- Teletext
- 9 Timers
- Remote Control
- Built in Help Screens
- Low energy consumption
So don't throw out that old portable Visit the Store and grab yourself a fantastic piece of kit.
Panasonic DMR-EX769 Freeview Recorder
A stunning recorder!
"The Pansonic's 1080p video upscaling via HDMI output, plus its excellent TV tuner, means off-air pictures are simply terrific" - What Hi Fi Sound and Vision - Ultimate Guide
Rating: 56 reviews
Panasonic has developed the DMR-EX769 with higher image quality than anything comparable at this price point. Thanks to new technology - DVB-T Adaptive Noise Reduction, which detects and removes noise and "blockiness" that often occurs in digital broadcasts, producing beautiful images with minimal distortion. The enhanced quality of 1080p Up-Conversion and richer colours of the "Deep Colour" compatibility, are seen in deeper, sharper images with exceptional resolution. Panasonics advanced Diagonal Processing automatically detects diagonal lines in fast moving images, converting them to sharp lines and further enhancing the viewing experience.
The Panasonic DMR-EX769 is capable of storing over 400 hours of programmes in EP mode. Equipped with a 160 GB hard drive it is compatible with DivX so you can enjoy your favourite multimedia and get rid of bulky recording equipment. In addition the Panasonic has a 1080p upscaling function, renders videos in Full HD quality using an HDMI connection, its Jukebox function and USB port will keep you entertained with sound and images. The DMR-EX769 also comes with a DV input that makes archiving data to DVD very easy. Like Sky Plus, with its Pause Live programme you can even record an episode of your favourite TV series while watching the beginning of it.
The DMR-EX78 is equipped with a USB socket, so images from a digital still camera can be easily transferred. The large capacity hard disk allows you to store a amssive amount of music data and turns the DMR-EX769 into a virtual jukebox. Indeed the DMR-EX769 goes far beyond easy video entertainment and serves as a personal digital media server. In the SP mode recording 384Kbps high sound quality provides audio approaching that of CD. Even with music containing a wide range of sound the individual instruments are beautifully reproduced.
This is much more than a recorder, with the DMR-EX769 Freeview recorder, Panasonic has delivered a stunning home cinema and multimedia extravaganza!
Vist the Freeview Store now to see the current price of this remarkable recorder.
