PRESS RELEASE
Get a Digital TV solution NOW if you are travelling to the West Country
Press Release…. Press Release…. Press Release…. Press Release….
For Immediate Release January 2009
TV Aerial manufacturers Maxview have highlighted a significant challenge almost unknown by camping, caravan and motor home enthusiasts throughout the country. The digital TV switchover will affect everyone travelling to the West Country this year, far earlier than most of us previously considered.
Although the digital TV switchover may not be occurring in your own home area for up to 4 years time, if you are travelling to the West Country you may not be able to get the old analogue TV signal if you have not made the digital switch with your caravan or motor homes TV.
Maxview, who are market leaders in the terrestrial aerial field have been working with the industry associations for the past 3 years. The challenges for the mobile market have only just come to light as all of the industry focus had been on the home solutions.
Simply put, if you are travelling down to the West Country this year you are going to have to use either a new television with a built in digital receiver or a digital set up box with your current television to receive any signals. Of course you will have to have a TV aerial or a satellite dish (and receiver) solution.
The other challenge is whether you will be in a digital coverage area on your site, for all of the TV signals. Digital UK the organisation managing the switchover estimates that 26% of households will not be able to receive all of the new signals. You should also understand the channels available in the area where you plan to stay. After switchover in the West Country region, virtually all 'households' will be able to receive approximately 20 of the most watched Freeview channels. Many households will be able to receive more than 40 channels. If you want more channels, you should consider satellite options. You can check the options available to you by entering the postcode of your destination into the Postcode Checker on the Digital UK website, www.digitaluk.co.uk.
To help provide a reliable solution for areas and locations that find it difficult to receive terrestrial signals a satellite based service called freesat, a joint partnership between the BBC and ITV was launched last March. This provides a free-to-air digital and high definition satellite service that has no contract, no subscription, just the one-off cost for the satellite and the receiver box. This means that as long as you are able to see (have line of sight to) the satellite and there are no obstructions blocking you, you will be able to receive the signals.
The reason for highlighting this important fact is that the West Country is the second area within the UK to be switched over from analogue transmissions to fully digital. Although the area is one of the least permanently populated regions, in the summer it is filled with caravans and motor homes with TV's, all wanting to receive their regular programming.
Maxview's Steven May explained, "The numbers are staggering when you look at them. Just looking at Caravanning, there were over 1,200,000 days taken in the South West (around 180,000 trips) in 2008 and not one traveller came from a fully digital TV area.
We feel this is really important as the most frustrating time comes when you arrive at a site expecting to be able to get what you would at home and imagine finding you can't get anything."
"With the digital switchover having already occurred in the borders region we now have an idea of the scale of the impact. From a household perspective we have been told about the digital switchover for a couple of years already by digital UK but not many people have not thought about their caravans and mobile vehicles because it hadn't happened in their area yet."
"In 2009 if the numbers remain the same there will be over a million caravans and motor homes arrive in the West Country and no one will be able to receive digital TV signals unless they are prepared."
"It is most often the case from the research that we have undertaken, that the TV in the caravan is the smallest TV from the smallest room in the house and that it is often the oldest and least likely to be a digital ready TV." Added Steven
What do you have to do? There are two basic options, one is to add a digital set top box to your current TV in your caravan or motor home. The prices of these are from as little as £10. This combined with a digital TV aerial, either directional or Omni-directional could pick up the signal if it is available.
The second and more reliable solution for those on the move, in coastal locations or out of terrestrial reception areas is to choose a digital satellite reception system. You may already subscribe to Sky digital TV, have freesat or another a free to air satellite service, in which case you will already have the mains powered receiver box, all you will need in addition is a satellite dish either a portable or fixed satellite dish.
Steven concluded, "Maxview provide both terrestrial and satellite products that can help you to receive the new digital service in the West Country or wherever you are travelling from this year onwards. We want to make sure that the minimum number of travellers incur the frustration of arriving on site and having no idea why they can't get pictures on their Television, no matter what set up they had before."
Maxview recommend the following web sites for further information;
www.digitaluk.co.uk
www.freeview.co.uk
www.freesat.co.uk
For further reception information you can request a Maxview Guide to TV Reception that gives a detailed insight into all of the available solutions for caravan, mobile and home reception challenges. Call 01553 811000 to get your copy or the Maxview website to download a copy www.maxview.co.uk.
Press Pages for Reference;
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/when_do_i_switch/west_country
Click on any of the following images to view/dowload the latest fact sheets on the subject.
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