Who provides digital television?

Your digital television options depend on where you live in the UK. For example, all areas should be able to receive free to air digital when the UK is switched over, but digital cable television providers like Virgin Media can only cover parts of the UK at the moment. However, these providers can offer a much wider range of digital channels than Freeview.

The main digital satellite television provider in the UK is Sky Digital. There are other satellite providers but these are not widely used. Sky will set you up with a digibox and Sky minidish. Then, as part of a contract, you pay a monthly subscription based on the channel package you’re interested in.

Sky offer channels such as:

For more information read our article about digital satellite TV.

Digital cable is sent to your home via fibre optic cables in the ground. Because these cables are yet to be laid in all areas of the UK, some households cannot receive digital cable television. As with Sky Digital you pay a monthly fee to receive premium channels not offered on Freeview. The countrywide provider of digital cable is now Virgin Media – formerly ntl:telewest. But there are also smaller services: Tiscali TV (formerly Homechoice) operates in London, with a view to rolling out to the rest of the UK this year, and WightCable serves the Isle of Wight and North Ayreshire. WightCable is now operating as two separate companies in the different areas – WightCable Isle of Wight and WightCable North (part of Smallworld).

Virgin Media offer channels such as:

For more information read our article about digital cable TV.

This is the type of television that the whole of the UK should be able to receive after the digital switchover, with 73% of the UK already able to receive it. This kind of digital TV is only offered by the company Freeview. As long as you have a digital television or a digibox you will be able to receive their free to air digital channels with no monthly payment. These are digital versions of the terrestrial channels you receive now (e.g. BBC1 ITV) and some additional channels too. Many of these are extensions of the terrestrial channels e.g. BBC3, More4. With Freeview you get over 40 digital TV channels and over 20 digital radio stations.

Freeview offers channels such as:

Working off the free to air platform is also Top Up TV. Through a digibox they offer the terrestrial channels, but also the option to add premium channels for a monthly fee.

For more information read our article about free to air digital TV.

While Freeview is the only provider of free to air digital television at the moment, the BBC have just teamed up with ITV to deliver Freesat in Spring 2008. By buying a special digibox you will be able to access even more channels than Freeview already offers, and Freesat will also have High Definition capabilities.

With broadband internet TV the signal is sent through your ADSL (broadband) line. Its main advantage is that rather than just having a set schedule of programmes it has ‘video on demand’ capabilities, meaning you can watch what you want when you want. Though the service comes through your ADSL line, you still just have a set top box, as with Freeview. Broadband internet TV is offered by both Tiscali TV and BT Vision, though availability of these services does depend on the area in which you live.