While going from analog to digital may have been a real pain for many people, it has been worth the change as there are many benefits to digital television. Now there are many more options than just the five channels that people without satellite TV subscriptions can get. This is just one of the benefits, but what others are there?
The range of channels and options
As mentioned above, one of the biggest changes to the way we watch TV through Freeview is the sheer number of channels residents can now get without having to pay a monthly subscription. Before we went digital, if you wanted more than the standard five channels, you had to subscribe to one of the satellite TV services on a monthly basis. This meant the installation of Virgin cable TV or Sky TV satellite, two of the most popular options.
Things changed for the better with Freeview as it brought with it access to around 50 channels and music stations and without paying anything after installation. Residents of households across the UK can normally access sitcoms, documentaries, films, sports, news, reality shows and children’s programmes. There is something to suit the needs of everyone in the family. Another option to access more channels is Freesat. With Freesat you have a satellite dish installed and once you have paid for the installation there is nothing more to pay to have access to hundreds of channels and music stations.
Different options for decoders
Whether you prefer to have Freesat, Freeview, Sky or YouView installed for watching digital TV, you have a choice when it comes to the set-top box you want. If you don’t want to do anything other than choose what to watch, you can choose the standard no-frills set-top box. This offers a basic TV guide so you can check what’s on and tune in to the channels. Of course, in the case of Freeview, this is also built into many of the modern TVs you buy now, so you don’t need to get an extra decoder unless you want to watch in another room.
Then there’s the Plus set-top box, which is more expensive but may be worth the outlay. With the Plus decoder you can record TV programs and watch them at the time that suits you best. Not only can you record with the push of a button, but you can also have the set-top box record an entire series of your favorite show so you don’t miss an episode.
With the Cable Box Plus you can also pause and rewind live TV if you are watching it through the cable box. For example, you might tune in to the latest episode of a soap opera that you watch, and then someone comes to visit. In this case, just hit the pause button and the rest of the show will be waiting for you to start watching from where you left off when you hit play. If you missed something that was said or there’s a funny moment you want to watch again, you can hit the rewind button and watch it again.
Multiroom digital television
You may want to watch TV in other rooms in the house via Freesat, Freeview, Sky or YouView and this is made possible by multi-room installation. You can request multi-room installation when you book your installation with your TV antenna company.
Multi-room means you can install decoders in other rooms in the house and only have one satellite dish in the case of Freesat or Sky. With multi-room installation, those who live in your house can choose to see what they want to see in different rooms. This can be useful if you have teenagers who like to watch reality shows and music channels. You can have multiple rooms set up in the bedroom to watch digital TV in bed, in the kitchen, or anywhere else you want to watch TV.
So while it may have been a hassle to go from analog to digital, you have to agree that it was worth the switch thanks to the many advantages that digital has brought.