Digital TV – right here, right now

Whitehaven might not be the first place one would think of when it comes to innovation in television, but the small Cumbrian town is the first in the UK to undergo the official switchover from analogue to digital TV.

With BBC2 switched off today, and the other analogue channels set to follow suit by 14 November, some 25,00 homes in the area will have to get a set-top box, cable, satellite or broadband system to watch TV. The rest of UK will be completely digital by 2012.

But how will this affect the viewer? Whilst people are ready for the switch in terms of having the right equipment, some might be a little daunted when confronted by the variety of options in front of them for the first time. So the industry, more than ever, needs to ensure that services are easy to use and that user interfaces are straight forward and simple to navigate. Get this right and set-top box sales will continue to grow.