subject: The Digital Tv Switchover Is Coming To Your Area [print this page] Im sure that youve seen a number of adverts informing you of the upcoming switchover, particularly if you live in the UK. TV has rapidly developed since its invention by Scottish inventor John Logie Baird in 1925 and its commercial availability in 1936.
Colour television took the spotlight in the 1970s as the standard for all TVs, as well as cable television gaining popularity thanks to the increased choice available for television viewers. This, along with the variety offered by Sky, set the precedent for freeview, which will soon become the only way to watch television.
Thats right general indoor antennas will no longer pick up analogue signals and pocket televisions will pretty much become obsolete! A number of televisions now include freeview boxes within the unit; however if you have an older model (or simply one that doesnt include a box), then you will need to start to look into digital set top boxes.
So what does this mean for the general public? Well, for years in the UK its been four simple channels (unless you include Five, but really, except for CSI who watches that?) BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV and Channel 4. BBC 1 provided general entertainment, BBC 2 usually offered intelligent comedy, ITV offered entertainment not good enough for BBC and Channel 4 was generally considered the youth channel. Now we have around 50 to choose from yes, many of them may be the standard +1 channels (for those who like to live in the past), but freeview has also brought us some fantastc channels on offering.
BBC4, for example, brings us thought-provoking drama and intelligent documentaries, whilst E4 does the exact opposite; Film4 finally brings a much-desired movie channel, whilst Gems TV brings gems, pretty much. Its a mixed bag really, but at least theres a lot more choice than we used to have this is not to say that this means theres always something on: a lot of time youll be sifting through Big Bang Theory repeats or so-called documentaries about teen mums or Michael Jacksons ghosts.
This truly is an exciting (though likely annoying for technophobes) time for the general public as we will soon be blessed with free reign of a large number of channels in perfect quality yes, you can finally catch up with old episodes of Catchphrase or bask in a never-ending stream of property programmes just make sure that youre fully prepared else youll have to cope with staring at a blank screen.
