Some representatives from these “scam” companies will go door-to-door to set up an appointment with you. They may seem like the real thing, but you have to remember one thing: No digital TV representative in the UK will try to get you an appointment. In order to receive an appointment, you must call the provider yourself. Then from there, you can set up an appointment to receive digital TV for your home.

Whether it be in-person, or by phone call, you need to be the judge on telling whether or not you are dealing with official digital TV providers. Always ask for identification for the person whom you are conversing with, and call back to make sure they are who they claim they are. Ask them for their name, their identification number, etc.

Always look for the “digital tick” logo, located on all of the official digital TV products. If there isn’t a certified logo located anywhere on the product, then you have most likely received a non-genuine product. Call the Digital UK number at 08456 50 50 50, which will take you to the contact centre.

Price is always a factor to selling goods efficiently. Whether the price is high or low, you need to make sure it is reasonable. For example, if you receive an ad, or an offer through phone, email, personal approach, etc, that seems too good to be true, or really unreasonable, chances are, it is! Always read the fine print in printed ads, and always ask as many questions as you can to ensure you are making the right choice. You can even contact the company multiple times, to make sure that every person you speak with gives you the same information. Chances are, the company will not have ground-based prices and/or information set, so finding out if it is a genuine deal can be done in minutes!

Scams are a part of life, and organized into any shape or form. Be sure when you are preparing yourself for the digital TV switchover that you are doing so wisely, and cautiously. Do not fall for anything, and as long as you follow the steps provided here, you should be well on your way on getting a digital TV in no time!

The U.K. has been with the U.S. on HDTV for years. Although the U.S. is ahead of the U.K. in introducing HD channels, surprisingly, the U.K. is way ahead of the U.S. in terms of widescreen and digital TV. For over 30 years, U.K. citizens have been watching TV at a resolution of 576 lines, while U.S. citizens have been viewing on average of 480 lines. The reason why the United States seems to have passed the U.K. in HDTV is because the U.S. has initiated with MPEG-2 video compressions. MPEG-4 compressions are more expensive and more complex than the MPEG-2, and is what the U.K. has been anticipating on for many years. The decoder chip for the MPEG-4 is the factor to the U.K.’s downfall in the HDTV field of electronics.

In terms of necessities for viewing programs in HD, U.K. citizens are required to have a cable service, such as Sky that provides HD. Along with a cable service they need a HD-ready television, monitor, or projector.

Prices for HD vary from cable company to cable company. For example, SkyHD charges £299 for a set-top box, and an installation fee of £60 with £10/month. SkyHD was first heard of on June 9, 2004, which was two years prior to the actual release date. HD in the United Kingdom is provided by both Sky and Telewest. For Sky, the initial program line-up was not release until a year later on August 22, 2005. From March 24 to April 5, 2006, the pre-order for HD was available with a initial deposit by the consumer. Although Sky seemed to be ahead of Telewest in HDTV programming, Telewest was first to release any HD programs. The HD programs provided by Telewest were seen via VOD (Video-on-Demand) on March 10, 2006. The HD feature was not seen from Sky until May 22, 2006. In 2006, the number of HDTV sets in the U.K. numbered to 700,000.

Why get High-Definition TV in the U.K. you may ask? Because millions of families already have it, and HD has not even reached near its full potential. The number in viewers of HD is growing at an exponential rate of change, and has not declined since the release date in 2006. That alone proves that HD is changing the entertainment industry of the world as we know it today. Statistics does not lie, and although HD is not the cheapest feature in the world, it is well worth it in the long run when it comes to clear resolution for you, your family, and friends.

Take a look around the house - any analog TV you want to be able to watch in the future must be converted to digital. To maintain your television service, you are required to convert your TV to digital before your area switches over. When converting your TV to digital, you need to find which digital box is right for you. There are digital boxes compatible with a SCART socket, and a RF-modulator. To find out which one your TV needs, visit your TV manufacturer’s website, or simply refer to the manual to your TV for quick and easy answers. Still not sure what to purchase as a digital TV box? You many also ask a digital-trained adviser by calling 08456 50 50 50. They will help you with everything you need, and provide instructions/tips to migrate you to a digital TV service.

If an advisor asks you if a “digital tick” logo is on a product, go ahead and look for it on you TV, it’s packaging, or it’s manual. The logo looks like this:

It is a certification that the product will continue to function properly after the digital TV switchover.

It is always smart to take the safe side in situations that are government-affiliated. When surfing the web for equipment, make sure that a “Registered Digital Installer”, or “RDI”, is placed somewhere on the page, indicating that their products are legitimate, and are going to work after the switchover. Never trust providers that do not seem to be authentic. If you are looking for a RDI, go to www.rdi-lb.tv.

There are still more ways to prepare for the digital TV switchover. Things like this do not come around everyday, and it is important that you buy all the right equipment, and perhaps even have a trained professional visit to install the products for you. Do not adjust the aerial, because you may interfere with the signal, causing the product to fail. Also, the warranty may become void if you tamper with it, and we all know that cases like that are not fun to deal with. Financial agreements may be crossed, causing you to spend unnecessary expenses. The switchover may come around sooner than you think. Switch now, and avoid that hassle later.