While moving over from the analogue signal to the digital signal may have been a real pain for many people, it has been worth the move as there are many benefits to digital TV. Now there is a lot more choice than just the five channels that people without subscriptions to satellite TV 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 numerous amounts of channels that residents can now get and they don’t have to pay out a monthly subscription. Before we went digital if you wanted more than the five standard channels then you had to take out a monthly subscription to one of the satellite TV services. This meant the installation of Virgin cable TV or Sky satellite TV, two of the most popular choices.

Things changed for the good with Freeview as it brought with it access to around 50 channels and music stations and with nothing to pay after the installation. Residents of homes around the UK can typically get access to comedy, documentaries, film, sports, news, reality TV and children’s TV. There is something to suit the needs of everyone in the family. Another option to get access to even more channels is Freesat. With Freesat you have a satellite dish installed and once you have paid for the installation there is nothing else to pay out to get access to hundreds of channels and music stations.

Different Options for Set-Top Boxes

Whether you prefer to have Freesat, Freeview, Sky or YouView installed to watch digital TV you have a choice when it comes to the set-top box you want. If you don’t want to do anything but choose what to watch the standard no frills set top box can be chosen. This offers a basic TV guide so that you can check what’s on and tune into channels. Of course in the case of Freeview this is also built into many of the modern TVs that you buy now, so you don’t need to get an additional set-top box unless you want to watch in another room.

Then there is the Plus set-top box and this is more expensive but it can be worth the outlay. With the Plus set-top box you can record TV programmes and watch them at a time to suit you. Not only can you record with a single press of a button but you can also get the set-top box to record a whole series of your favourite program so you don’t miss an episode.

With the Plus set-top box you can also pause and rewind live TV if you are watching it through the set-top box. For instance you might tune into the latest episode of a soap that you watch and then someone comes to visit. In this case just press the pause button and the rest of the show will be waiting for you to start watching from where you left off when you press play. If you missed something that was said or there is a funny moment you want to see again you can press the rewind button and watch it again.

Multi-Room Digital TV

You might want to watch TV in other rooms in the house through Freesat, Freeview, Sky or YouView and this is possible thanks to multi-room installation. You can ask for multi-room installation when you book your installation with your TV aerial company.

Multi-room means that you can have set-top boxes set up in other rooms of the house and just have the one satellite dish in the case of Freesat or Sky. With multi-room installation those living in your house can choose to watch what they want to watch in different rooms. This can come in handy if you have teenagers who like to watch reality TV and music channels. You can have multi-room installed in the bedroom to watch digital TV in bed, in the kitchen or anywhere else you want to watch TV.

So while it might have been a hassle during the move over from the analogue signal to the digital signal, you have to agree that it has been well worth the move thanks to the numerous advantages the digital signal has brought.