Digital TV
With the 2012 date of switch off of UK analogue TV drawing ever closer, British MPs have been hearing about the current levels of adoption of Digital TV.
The UK Parliament Public Accounts Committee heard that many TVs that were still being bought, were not Digital ready, with those purchases, totaling millions of pounds, arguably being wasted. (more…)
Yesterday in the UK Parliament, John Spellar, Labour MP for Warley, asked how much the Prison Service spent on “providing satellite television services in prisons in 2007-08.”
Maria Eagle (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Ministry of Justice) told him that the answer couldn’t be given, as costs that small aren’t recorded.
She did point out that satellite TV wasn’t available in inmates cells (cue sigh of relief from Daily Mail readers) and it was up to the Governor if it was laid on in the shared areas at all.
Over half of US Households now own at least one digital TV set, claim the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).
In the build up to the trade show mania that is the CES, the CEA is winding up the PR machine and releasing statistics to both boost the TV industry and get the public interested.
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The boss of the organisation that is over-seeing the switch over from analogue to Digital TV in the UK, Ford Ennals, has announced that he is to step down in the new year.
He’s been with the organisation since May 2005, when Digital UK was launched, but announces his departure just days after Whitehaven fully switched to Digital TV, back on 14 November.
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Most people in the UK have to bear their own costs for converting their TVs to be digital-capable, but after pressure, was decided that the least wealthy and most vulnerable should receive assistance.
This takes the form of equipment, assistance and support and is handled by the Digital Switchover Help Scheme.
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The day after digital switch over; we caught up with Ilse Howling to have a quick chat about her views on the switch over and the the introduction of the next stage of Freeview – the ability to easily record the programmes on Digital TV.
Freeview have worked with the Digital Television Group to create the specification of the Freeview Playback, their version of a PVR, or as they’re labeling it a Digital Television Recorder.
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As you’re aware there’s lot of new things being tried out in Whitehaven for the UK’s first analogue/digital switch over.
One that electrical retailer Currys is trying out is a showroom/shop that can be driven to remote areas giving those who are miles away from a shop, or who aren’t that mobile.
It’s a pretty substantial lorry that has side section that extends outwards providing a lounge-type feel.
There’s four flat screens on display (co-sponsored by Samsung) and a selection of eight STBs on show to demonstrated the range of boxes on view.
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Post Digital switchover, Jamie Reed, the MP for Copeland (that includes Whitehaven) and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on digital switch over, has a lot of interesting things to say, both about the run up to this week and following it.
We thought we’d have a wander around the shops to try and gauge the feeling of the electronics retailers, as to how things have been with the build up to digital switch over.
Given this is the first place in the UK to switch off the analogue, we thought it would be of general interest.
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