By 2012, all of Britain’s TV regions will have made the switch over to digital TV. Everyone with analogue televisions and standard TV aerials will need to upgrade in order to continue receiving their favourite television programmes. Here are the main options:

Terrestrial
Freeview is a free digital TV service which receives digital trnsmissions from standard airwaves. You can get a Freeview installation by buying a set-top box (from £25) and installing it yourself. This box is compatible with all normal TV aerials and existing TV sets. Freeview has the fewest channels, but they are free as there are no monthly subscription fees.

Satellite
As the UK’s leading digital satellite TV provider, Sky Digital offers the greatest range of channels. Most of their channels require a monthly subscription, although some are free to watch. To get Sky, you need to have one of their engineers install a satellite dish and connect up a Digibox.

Freesat is a joint BBC/ITV venture which offers well over 100 digital TV and radio channels for a one-off installation fee. A set top box (from £30) and a new aerial (usually a dish) is needed to receive Freesat. There are no monthly subscription fees.

Cable
Cable TV is supplied via a high-bandwidth cable, although it is usually only highly populated areas which can receive services. A visit from an engineer and a set-top box are needed to receive digital TV, with a monthly subscription fee payable for whichever package you choose (which can also include telephone and Internet services).