Why is the whole country going Digital?
 

The main advantage of a digital television broadcast over the ‘old’ analogue is the increase in picture and sound quality. Gone are the days of poor, grainy picture quality. Digital transmissions result in your television picture being much clearer. With new High Definition television now being broadcast around the UK, we are seeing the best images ever on our television sets. There are a large range of extra channels available through Digital TV. Instead of just receiving BB1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, you will be able to receive up to 50 channels, including 30 TV channels and 20 digital radio stations. Switching to digital will also free up parts of the airwaves that could be used for new services, such as high definition television and the broadcasting of video footage to mobile telephones. This will allow the UK to develop other new and exciting technologies, such as wireless networking.

ANALOGUE TV WILL BE SWITCHED OFF IN THE SOUTWEST THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD OF 2009! The switchover will take place between 2008 and 2012 across the country, until eventually, every region goes digital.  The map above shows when each region will be switched over.  Why not get yourself prepared for the digital switchover now?  There are several ways to go digital... FREEVIEW • No contract • One-off cost • No subscription • More than 30 free channels Freeview (or ‘set top’ box) is a small box that plugs into the back of your television via your aerial enabling a standard analogue television to receive a digital transmission. Advantages: • Easy to install: simply connect via an aerial and it will tune itself in. • One-off payment with no monthly subscription. • Approximately 30 free channels in digital format—including the BBC, ITV, Ch4 and Ch5. • Television sets now have Freeview built in to eliminate an ‘additonal box’. Disadvanges: • May require an aerial upgrade to receive the full range of programmes. • Freeview is not currently covered throughout the entire country. A high quality Freeview box, eg Panasonic, starts from around £50. An aerial upgrade can be arranged by contacting any of our stores. Digital-ready aerials cost around £40, however this excludes any labour or accessories. We will be happy to discuss aerial installations over the phone or by dropping into one of our shops. INTEGRATED DIGITAL TELEVISIONS (IDTV) Many new models of television are now integrated with a digital decoder, which means they have a "Freeview" box built in. Therefore, after purchasing the digital TV there is no need to buy a digital decoder when the analogue signal is terminated, as your television will already have the decoder built in. You can recognise an IDTV by one of the following logos: We have a wide range of IDTV’s that you can review in store the majority also being HD ready. Prices start from as little as £399.95 for a 17” LCD television with Freeview built in. SATELLITE • No subscription necessary • More than 200 free channels • Extra 200+ channels on subscription A one off payment of £150 will enable you to receive ‘Freesat’ from Sky, enabling you to obtain certain digital channels without subscription. Once the equipment is installed, there is no subscription. As the service is provided by Sky, the transmission will be in digital, making you ready for the analogue switch-off. Sky also offer a subscription service with a monthly fee which will vary between £15 and £42.50*. Packages can be customised and include a variety mix, a style and culture mix, a knowledge mix, a selection of news channels, a variety of music channels and a package suited to children. HBH Woolacotts is a preferred Sky agent. We have fully qualified installation engineers who will install your satellite equipment to the expected level of professionalism. For all enquiries about Sky and their ‘Freesat’ service, please contact your local branch and speak to one of our sales assistants. *Prices correct at time of printing. Sky reserve the right to change prices without prior notice. Please contact us to confirm price is correct. CABLE TV • Subscription from £15 per month • More than 100 channels • Inclusive TV/phone/internet packages available Unfortunately, we do not have cable services available in the south west area.