Direct TV, Satellite Directv, HD, DVR… is anyone else confused?!
As 2010’s UK analogue ’switch off ’ approaches, have you got to grips with the latest on offer from Direct TV?
In the olden days we just watched telly. Some of us are old enough to remember when TV only came in black ‘n’ white. And, would you beliveve it, Channel 4 didn’t go on air until the early ’80s. Before that we only had 3 UK TV stations and they were all terrestrial. And there was no breakfast TV until the ’80s either. If you switched on the goggle box at 8am you’d get nothing but a buzzing noise and a screen full of electronic ’snow’. Weird but true.
Today we enjoy a huge choice of TV options, from Direct TV to Satellite Directv, HD to plasma screens and LCDs. There’s DVR - Digital Video Recording Service. Premium paid-for movie channels. Watch on demand services. And more.
But hang on a minute… is ‘enjoy’ the right word? If you don’t have a techhie bone in your body and wouldn’t know a High Definition or LCD screen if it bit you, you might be dreading 2010. That’s when the UK’s analogue TV stations are turned off forever, transferring over to digital-only. So what kind of telly do you buy? What services are available and what do they all cost? Is there a free direct TV option? What does digital actually mean… will it look different? And while you’re at it, what is Direct TV anyway?!
Direct Satellite TV, Direct T V… if you’re lost in space and want to find out what’s what, there’s no better place than the internet! Search using terms like ‘what is Direct Satellite TV?’ and visit the various terrestrial and digital TV channel websites - for instance the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 - for common sense plain language explanations of what digital switchover’s all about and how to get the most out of it.
Alternatively, if all fails, find a ten year old. They’ll be able to help you out!
May 5th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
the US analog switchoff is coming and i think a lot of people are concerned about how its going to work out. i think that it will be a lot smoother for the UK just because it is a lot smaller space. in areas where there is no cable available, like montana and other very sparsely populated areas people will have a hard time getting any reception. i think that it is going to be a mess here, that’s why they put it off for a while but it could still pose a real threat.