There’s only 24 hours until the digital switch? So what’s going to happen?

There's been a lot of talk about this 'digital switch' thing, which is happening in less than 24 hours time. So what's going to happen and what exactly does going digital mean?

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Right, first off, what is the ‘digital switch’?

Well the big digital switch, which as you know is happening around 10am tomorrow morning, will see the analogue signal being switched off. Basically, anyone who still gets their TV broadcasts via an aerial attached to the back of the telly will see nothing but a big blank screen which will never go away. Ever.

Oh right. But won’t that leave a lot of people without any TV stations?

Yes it will. Last month, figures showed that 100,000 households were still relying on an analogue service. However, with only hours left until the big switch the Department of Communications is still unsure exactly how many households will be left without signal.

Wow, 100,000 households? That’s a lot. So what extra channels do you get by going digital?

You get all the standard Irish channels including RTÉ One, RTÉ Two, TV3, TG4 and 3e plus you also get RTÉ News Now, RTÉ Jr, RTÉ One +1 and an RTÉ Aertel page. On top of this you also get 10 RTÉ Radio services and it’s all for free and with absolutely no subscriptions. You just pay a once-off fee for the box and that’s it.

So who exactly will be affected by this big switch?

The switch from analogue to digital is mainly going to affect older people and people with more than one TV in their house. While many people have already hooked up their main TV in the living room to a Saorview box, they haven’t necessarily hooked up all the other TVs around the house.

As for the older people, the younger generations (that means you and me) are being urged to check in on elderly relatives and neighbours who might not know exactly what’s going down. So if aul Jim next door is wondering why he’s watching a blank screen instead of Fair City tomorrow night, you’ll be able to tell him why.

So all you have to do is get one of these Saorview boxes and you’re sorted?

Well you can get a Saorview set-top box or if you’re in the market for a new telly you can get a pre-approved Saorview ready TV. You’ll find them in Harvey Norman and the likes.

How hard is it to set up one of the Saorview boxes?

It’s not hard at all. The Saorview boxes look like DVD players and they simply plug into the back of your TV. Like we said it’s not hard, but if you’re having difficulties setting it up you can always call the Saorview helpline on 1890 222 012. Alternatively, head over to digitalswitch.ie for more into.