Introduction
Customers
living in flats or sheltered properties
Programme of system upgrades
What to expect
Frequently asked questions
On 15 September 2005, the Government announced that TV pictures - BBC1,
BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 - will switch from analogue to digital
transmission.
This digital switchover in Bolton will take place around October - December 2009. Visit
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/when (external link, opens in a new window)
to check when the switchover will happen in your postcode area.
After the digital switchover you will not be able to receive a TV picture in
the traditional way.
Every household will need to adapt or upgrade their existing TV equipment to
receive a digital TV signal, if this has not already been done.
Adapting or upgrading TV equipment can be simple and inexpensive. The
simplest way is to connect a digital free-view box between your aerial and
each TV set you have alternatively you can replace your existing TV(s) with
a digital TV (IDTV) - this is a TV with a digital box built in.
There are four main ways to receive the digital signal, through:
• a satellite dish
• an existing aerial
• a cable
• a phone line
For more information on your options for getting digital TV, visit
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/how (external site, opens in a new window).
Since 2006, Bolton at Home has worked with the Northern Housing
Consortium to find the best value solution for customers who share a
communal aerial or have analogue cable TV connections.
The majority of these systems may not be capable of receiving the many
digital channels from the terrestrial (free-view) and the satellite (Sky and
others) broadcasters. This means once the analogue television signals are
switched off in 2009 they may cease to deliver a picture.
Bolton at Home's preferred course of action has been to provide customers in
flats and sheltered properties with a new system, which will allow them to
receive both analogue and digital free-view.
Called an Integrated Reception System (IRS), it works by collecting analogue
and digital broadcast signals and distributing them to a new socket outlet
in each flat or communal property.
IRS means that customers can choose to continue watching analogue
broadcasts, until they are switched off, or take up digital terrestrial
television, more immediately.
IRS will also allow customers to take out a subscription with Sky (Sky Plus
or HD), if they wish, without the need to have their own satellite dishes
installed.
Bolton at Home has chosen an experienced company, called Avonline, to carry
out upgrades for the digital switchover.
The work is being carried out in four stages:
Stage 1: Upgrades to flats, in three-story blocks and over, are almost
complete
Stage 2: Upgrades to high dependency units are mid-way through
Phase 3: Upgrades to sheltered accommodation, including bungalows, has
started and in progress
Phase 4: All remaining communal upgrades will start September 2008
Customers will receive a newsletter, containing the following
information, two weeks before system upgrade work is due to take place in
their area.
Avonline will install an Integrated Reception System, which includes a
satellite dish. This will allow customers to receive, FM radio, digital
audio broadcasting, free-view channels* and Sky channels*.
* Customers will only be able to receive these channels immediately, if they
have a current Sky package or a digital free-view box.
There are three stages to the work:
1. Installation of new aerial system to the communal block
2. cabling the system to each individual flat
3. Accessing each flat/bungalow to set up the system and demonstrate to the
customer how the TV/video works
If customers have an existing Sky dish/aerial, Avonline will take it down
free of charge while they are on site.
Customers are reminded that they may be in breach of their Tenancy Agreement
if they have not received permission to install satellite equipment.
Customers, wishing to purchase a digital free-view box from Avonline, at an
agreed set price of £25.00, can order it at the time of making their
appointment. Avonline will bring it with them.
Bolton at Home has chosen an experienced company, called Avonline, to
carry out upgrades for the digital switchover:
Avonline PLC
42 Ashton Vale Road
Bristol
BS3 2AX
Phone 08451 111855
Website
www.switch2digital.co.uk (external website, opens in a new window)
Once the cables have been brought to the outside of your home and they
are ready to be connected, Avonline will contact (via a card through your
door) you to make an appointment for their engineers to come and set up the
system from within your home. This work will take approximately one hour to
complete.
If you have any enquiries or requirements, such as wanting an additional TV
point installed, please mention this when the appointment is being arranged.
In this case, there would be an agreed set cost of around £40.00.
When the system is set-up, you will receive all the terrestrial channels -
BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 - immediately. You do not need to
purchase a digital free-view box or digital TV to receive these channels yet
but you will need one for the digital switchover.
An Integrated Reception System (IRS) brings together digital radio and
television transmissions and makes them available to through a new combined
socket outlet.
Avonline will connect your digital-ready TV and any existing Sky box, where
appropriate, to this outlet. If you have neither, then you will need to
purchase a digital free-view box to connect to your TV
Digital TV delivers improved pictures and sound quality compared with analogue, and a much greater choice of programmes.
Yes your current TV can still be used.
If you only want to watch ‘free to air TV’ then there is just the one-off
cost of the digital free-view box, which you must purchase.
If you want to watch ‘top-up TV’, Sky, or other services, you will need to
take out subscriptions. Avonline is approved by Sky and can organise this if
you wish.
Yes. You will not need a new or separate Sky subscription.
You will receive exactly the same service as you do now, only through the
IRS socket outlet. Avonline inform Sky of where they fit dishes.
The cable connections will be left in, and you will be okay to continue to use your phone line. However, if you have subscribed to the TV package you may have to ask your provider about the new digital signal being transmitted to you. We will still need to install the new IRS system so others may have the choice should you move out.
The programme to upgrade systems to around 8,000 homes has already
started and all work should be completed by June 2009.
