Hundreds of people may be throwing away their old televisions because they think they need new sets to adapt to the digital switchover (DSO), according to reports.
Yet analogue sets can easily be adapted to receive digital services, and Argyll and Bute Council have warned viewers not to waste money unnecessarily. The council said the number of electrical goods taken to amenity sites had seen a “significant increase” from the 840 tonnes recycled in 2008/09. It expects the total to hit 940 tonnes this year, with the 12% rise thought to be caused by an upsurge in discarded analogue TVs.
Councillor Donald Macdonald, chair of Argyll and Bute’s Environment Policy and Performance Group, said only people who “actually want” a new TV need to buy one. “There are many people out there who believe that they have to replace their analogue TVs with new digital models in order to be able to receive digital transmission,” he said.
“This is not true. With very rare exceptions, all TVs can be converted to digital with a digital box – even black and white models.”
There are indeed four ways to adapt you existing TV for the digital switchover in order to receive digital TV. The first is to buy a Freeview box so that you can receive digital terrestrial TV via your existing TV aerial (though your aerial may need upgrading); the second is via a digital satellite connection from Freesat or Sky; the third is via digital cable TV from Virgin Media; and the last is via IPTV (digital TV received via a broadband connection) available from TalkTalk TV, BT Vision and others.
If you would like help to go digital, why not speak for free to the Simplifydigital impartial digital TV experts on 0800 466 1047.