Installation of Aerials following the digital switchover

There has been much made of the digital switchover at the end of the year, with much talk and confusion about aerials.

All aerials are capable of receiving digital signals; it just depends on the condition and age of your aerial. If you currently have a satellite or cable set up then you will not need to worry in any way, shape or form about aerials.

The changing or switching of your aerial depends on the condition of your aerials and also where you live. If you currently have a good reception with your aerial, you should have no problems following the digital switchover and your current aerial should be fine. The strength of the digital source is meant to increase upon the switchover and so you should have no such worries about your reception via aerial.

However, if you are having problems at the moment with the quality of your viewing you may have to adjust or change your aerial because of the digital change over to ensure that you get the most from your signal. There are tests to determine whether your aerial needs changing.

If your TV set’s reception is snowier now following the changeover then you may need an upgrade for your aerial.

Visit Teletext on your TV and go to page 284. If there are more than four white blocks missing on the page then you may need to get an aerial upgrade. Do this test on the four terrestrial channels and if it is the same then you may need an upgrade. Ignore completely missing rows as this does not mean anything.

If you find either of these problems you should contact a registered digital installer to ensure you get the best response and solution to your problem.

Where you live will also have a determination on the quality of the reception from your aerial. Some people receive 15 channels, whereas others get 40 channels from their aerial. Some people however will need a wideband aerial to receive all the channels they can. You should check with your local region for information and if you aren’t getting the recommended number of channels contact an installer.

The switch is set to take place at a number of different times in the UK depending on the region you live in. When you do switch you should include all the TV and related equipment in the house. This means you should take into account DVD players and video recorders. Though, remember that radio will not be included in the switch over so you should have no worries.

The changeover is not expensive, so don’t worry if you have any of the aforementioned issues with reception. Contact your local aerial installation company to upgrade any aerials to avoid any future issues. Freeview boxes and upgrades involve quite inexpensive pieces of equipment and are simple to install, so there is little to worry about.