In 2009 the Isle of Man and the Border region will be the first area in the British Isles to switch TV broadcasting from analogue to digital. The plan at the moment is to turn off analogue broadcasting on the Isle of Man in June/July 2009.

This explains what is available in the Island now, how the digital switchover will happen and what equipment will be required when it does.

What is Digital TV?

Digital TV is a recently introduced way of transmitting to the home the pictures and sound which make up a TV programme, together with other services like text and interactivity. It gives many advantages over the ‘analogue transmission that we have been using for nearly 70 years.

Because the information needed to make up the TV signal is coded into a digital stream of ones and noughts– like the way a computer works—the technical quality can be much better and more consistent. The digital stream takes up much less capacity in the airwaves, so that the space needed in the past for just one analogue channel can now carry up to seven different programmes. This means a much greater choice for the digital viewer.

 
What digital services are available now?

By Terrestrial Transmitters

Currently there are no digital channels being broadcast from the Island,s transmitters. That means that at the moment the widely advertised ‘Freeview’service giving additional channels from a set top box is not generally available on the Island. A small minority of people (mainly in Ramsey and the North, Laxey, and Peel) are receiving ‘Freeview’ channels. This is because their aerials are receiving transmissions from a transmitter in the UK, and not locally. It is perhaps worthy of note that it is not just the Isle of Man that is unable to receive these channels. Currently there are 1154 television transmitters in the UK and Islands and out of these only 80 are transmitting digital channels, leaving 1074 that are not.

Sky Subscription TV By satellite

BSB Sky offer a wide range of subscription packages starting at £16 monthly. The mini 40cm dish and  receiver are currently free for new subscribers, but there is an installation charge of £30 Full details of Sky subscription packages are available at www.sky.com

Sky Freesat

BSB Sky offer an alternative to “Freeview” consisting of several non subscription channels including BBC1, BBC2, ITV, C4, and C5. Apart from offering more choice this can be a valuable option for people who live in areas of poor terrestrial reception. The cost of the equipment and installation for this service is £150. Visit www.sky.com for full details of the free channels available.

BBC / ITVFreesat

The BBC and ITV launched a joint free service by satellite on 4th May, 2008 which includes some free High Definition Channels. For full details of the channel line up visit www.freesat.co.uk.

What are the plans for future terrestrial digital broadcasting on the Island?

In September 2005 the UK Government confirmed the switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting for the British Isles and outlined the timetable for switching by region.

Digital switchover will happen between 2008 and 2013 by ITV region. It is proposed that the Border ITV region (which includes the Isle of Man) will be the first to be switched over in 2008/2009.  London (and the Channel Isles) will be the last in 2012/2013. Digital Switchover in the Isle of Man is planned to take place in the second quarter of 2009.

What channels will we receive when we “go digital”?

Unfortunately if you have been waiting for digital TV to bring you the full range of Freeview channels you are going to be disappointed! Ofcom plans only to put half the Freeview service on the majority of the 1078 transmitters that are not yet transmitting digitally, including the Isle of Man. The Manx public will therefore will only get public service BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 programs. ie: BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, CBBC CHANNEL, BBC NEWS 24, ITV, C4, ITV2, ITV3, MORE 4, E4, ITV 4, QUIZCALL, CITV, BBC4, CBEEBIES, BBC PARLAIMENT, CHANNEL 5, FILM 4 + 1, COMMUNITY CHANNEL and about half a dozen radio stations. There will be no Sky News, Sky Sports News, Sky Three, UKTV History, Men and Motors, The Hits, TMF, and UKTV Bright Ideas.

Will my existing equipment work?

Televisions.

Unless your televisions have in built Freeview decoders you will need a set top box to receive the digital signals. It will be necessary to have a set top box for each TV set in the home. It is estimated that a set top box will be in the region of £25 to £30 in 2009.Many of the TV sets available for sale today have integral ‘Freeview’ decoders.

DVD and Video Recorders

Existing VCR and DVD recorders will still be able to record and play back programmes which are broadcast digitally. However unless you have a VCR or DVD Recorder with a built in ‘Freeview’ decoder, viewing one digital channel and recording another will not be possible without attaching an additional digital set top box. DVD and Hard Disk recorders are now available with in-built ‘freeview’ decoders. There are however few VCRs with this facility. DVD Players will continue to work and will not need to be replaced or modified.

Will I need a new TV aerial?

The frequencies for the new digital services in the Isle of Man have been confirmed and in some areas the frequencies for some of the digital channels are outside the existing bandwidth. If you live in one of these areas and have a strong signal it is possible that you will still receive all the digital channels. Those with a weaker signal however will not and it is therefore recommended that if you live in one of these areas you upgrade to a wideband aerial to ensure that you will receive all the channels.

Those receiving signals from the Douglas transmitter:

The frequencies allocated for the digital channels are within the existing band width. The majority of people in the Douglas area will therefore be able to receive all the new digital channels using their existing aerial, although it may be necessary to relocate some loft aerials to an outside position. The majority of set top aerials will not receive digital signals.

Those receiving signals from the Kimmeragh  (North) transmitter:

All frequencies allocated for digital channels are outside the existing band width. It is strongly recommended therefore that you upgrade to a wide band aerial to receive digital broadcasts.

Those receiving signals from the Port St Mary transmitter:

Most of the frequencies allocated for the digital channels are outside the existing band width. It is therefore recommended that you  upgrade to a wide band aerial to receive all the digital channels. If you do not upgrade your aerial you may only  receive BBC4, CBEEBIES, BBC PARLIAMENT, CHANNEL 5, AND THE COMMUNITY CHANNEL!

Those receiving signals from the Beary (Peel and the West) transmitter:

The frequencies allocated for the digital channels are within the existing band width. The majority of people in this area will therefore be able to receive all the new digital channels using their existing aerial, although it may be necessary to relocate some loft aerials to an outside position. The majority of set top aerials will not receive digital signals.

Those receiving signals from the Laxey transmitter:

Most of the frequencies allocated for the digital channels are outside the existing band width. It is therefore recommended that you  upgrade to a wide band aerial to receive all the digital channels. If you do not upgrade your aerial you may only  receive BBC4, CBEEBIES, BBC PARLIAMENT, CHANNEL 5, AND THE COMMUNITY CHANNEL!

Those receiving signals from the Union Mills transmitter:

The frequencies allocated for the digital channels are within the existing band width. The majority of people in this area will therefore be able to receive all the new digital channels using their existing aerial, although it may be necessary to relocate some loft aerials to an outside position. The majority of set top aerials will not receive digital signals.

Those receiving signals from the Foxdale transmitter:

The frequencies allocated for the digital channels are within the existing band width. The majority of people in this area will therefore be able to receive all the new digital channels using their existing aerial, although it may be necessary to relocate some loft aerials to an outside position. The majority of set top aerials will not receive digital signals.

Those receiving signals from the Glen Maye transmitter:

Most of the frequencies allocated for the digital channels are outside the existing band width. It is therefore recommended that you  upgrade to a wide band aerial to receive all the digital channels. If you do not upgrade your aerial you may only  receive BBC4, CBEEBIES, BBC PARLIAMENT, CHANNEL 5, AND THE COMMUNITY CHANNEL!

Those receiving signals from the Jurby transmitter:

Most of the frequencies allocated for the digital channels are outside the existing band width. It is therefore recommended that you  upgrade to a wide band aerial to receive all the digital channels. If you do not upgrade your aerial you may only  receive BBC4, CBEEBIES, BBC PARLIAMENT, CHANNEL 5, AND THE COMMUNITY CHANNEL!

Those receiving signals from the Ramsey transmitter:

Most of the frequencies allocated for the digital channels are outside the existing band width. It is therefore recommended that you  upgrade to a wide band aerial to receive all the digital channels. If you do not upgrade your aerial you may only  receive BBC4, CBEEBIES, BBC PARLIAMENT, CHANNEL 5, AND THE COMMUNITY CHANNEL!

Can I upgrade my aerial before Digital Switchover?

You can upgrade to a wideband aerial at any time and still receive the analogue transmissions. We strongly recommend that if you are in an area where you will need to upgrade your aerial that you arrange to do so sooner than later as we are anticipating a huge demand in the run up to Switchover.

How can I be sure if my aerial will receive digital pictures?

You won’t until digital broadcasting starts! The current schedule for the changeover of the Island's transmitters shows that changeover will happen very quickly on the Isle of Man with BBC1 being switched on digitally in June and July, 2009 and the analogue BBC1 being switched off a month later. The other analogue channels of BBC2, ITV and C4 will be switched off on the same day as start broadcasting them digitally.

Will I get any financial help for Digital Switchover?

A Help Scheme has been established to provide equipment and help with installation and follow-up support for those who need it most, and we are advised that residents of the Isle of Man will receive the same assistance as those in UK.You will be eligible for the Help Scheme if you are aged 75 years old or over, or have a significant disability (you receive either an Attendance Allowance or a Disability Living Allowance), or are registered blind or registered partially sighted, you will be given special support.

We understand that if you are eligible you will be sent more information well before we go digital, and that a digital installer will not arrive at your home without an appointment.

Digital TV provides services such as subtitling and audio description for people with hearing and sight impairments.