On 31st March 2010 Wales will become the first digital nation in the UK when the Wenvoe transmitter covering Cardiff and south east Wales completes its switch to a digital signal.
Many of you will already be enjoying digital TV through your aerial (Freeview), via satellite, with cable in some areas or through broadband. However, it’s important to make sure every TV set and recorder that you plan to use after switchover is capable of working with digital signals.
Switchover will make digital TV, through an aerial (Freeview) available to virtually all 649,000 households in south east Wales. Of these, more than 284,000 homes served by local ‘relay’ transmitters will be able to get Freeview for the first time, seeing the number of channels available through an aerial rise from four to around 15.
Information and help on switchover is available on the Digital UK website where you can find your options for switching to digital and check whether you live in an area that can currently receive digital television via an aerial. If you haven’t got a computer or access to the internet, information is also available on the phone. Simply call the Digital UK advice line on 08456 50 50 50. Welsh Language help and advice is available by calling 08458 48 48 48.
For more information go to: http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/
SWITCHOVER HELP SCHEME
The Switchover Help Scheme was set up by the Government and is run by the BBC. Its purpose is to make digital TV easy for older and disabled people by converting one of their televisions to digital in the run-up to digital TV switchover in their region. People will be offered the help if they are aged 75 or over, registered blind or partially sighted, eligible for certain disability benefits or have lived in a care home for six months or more.
Eligible people in the Wenvoe region will be offered a Freeview set top box installed on one of their TVs, at a subsidised cost of £40, or free if they also get income benefits. The equipment will give them access to around 15 channels including all the public service channels. The help also includes a demonstration of how to use the equipment, an aerial check and upgrade if necessary for those that own their own aerials, and a Help Line to ring for advice while they get used to it. If there are eligible people who cannot get digital television through an aerial, they will be offered satellite equipment from freesat from the BBC and ITV on the same terms.
For more information go to: http://www.helpscheme.co.uk/en/helpscheme/index.php
DIGITAL OUTREACH LTD
Digital Outreach Ltd, primarily targets people who are not eligible for assistance under the Switchover Help Scheme, but may benefit from extra information and advice. Digital Outreach Ltd works closely with the Switchover Help Scheme (with eaga) and Digital UK to provide impartial information on what people need to do to prepare for the switch to digital TV, and when they need to do it. Digital Outreach mobilises local charities in each transmitter area, giving them the resources to support their local communities through switchover by:
- Distributing information and advice materials to local charities and their clients in the period before switchover
- Providing switchover training for local charity staff and volunteers
- Integrating switchover information and advice into relevant local voluntary and community sector activities and into existing home visits when appropriate
- Organising meetings and events in the period before switchover and drop-in sessions at the time of switchover
For more information go to: http://www.digitaloutreach.org.uk/
