In roughly a month’s time (4th November 2009 to be exact), our local TV transmitter which serves Salford and the North West, will begin the digital switchover.

What does this mean for you?

Well, it depends how you currently receive your television. If you are a cable or satellite tv customer (and don’t receive your channels via any other method throughout your house) then you do not need to do anything, your cable or satellite company will ensure you receive all your existing free and subscription channels.

If you already own a FREEVIEW box, or your TV has FREEVIEW built-in to the set, you will need to perform a series of ‘re-tunes’ before, during and after the switch-off of the old analogue services. Re-tuning varies from box to box, but involves going into your setup screen and selecting the setup or new installation options. You can see some excellent guides here and here, courtesy of the beeb.

There are a few that still have no kind of digital provision in their households and if you are over 75 (or under 75 and on certain benefits) there is still some free help and assistance available. The Switchover Help Scheme was setup with £200m of government money to help people switch one of their sets to digital. That fund is now being re-directed to the government’s universal broadband pledge and therefore free switchover assistance will not be with us for too long.

If you wish to check if you are eligible for free switchover assistance, you can call the help scheme for free on 0800 408 5900 or attend one of the digital switchover roadshows, see a list of the roadshows here.

Don’t forget, if you already have FREEVIEW, re-tune your box NOW!