Britons still not switched on!

The awareness of the digital TV switchover is at an alarmingly low level with over 38 million consumers still living in blissful ignorance about what is happening, according to a new poll by uSwitch.com.

With just one year to go before the first UK TV region loses its analogue TV signal to digital, now is the time for consumers to start gearing up for the digital switchover. The latest progress report published by industry regulator Ofcom and Digital UK, the organisation leading the UK's switch to digital, painted a picture of a nation ready to switch. Yet a new survey by leading independent comparison and switching site uSwitch.com reveals that 83% of adults in the UK are not fully prepared for this change.

uSwitch.com key findings:

80% of UK adults have digital TV in their home yet…

Over 8 out of 10 adults (83%) do not know when the analogue signal will be turned off in their region.

57% of adults (26 million) believe the Government has not done enough to keep people informed of the switch.

Less than one in five (17%) of adults know when their region will ‘go digital'.

A gap of up to 4 years exists between when regions think they will go digital and when they actually will.

12 million adults (nearly a quarter) wrongly believe that they may need a new TV set for the digital switchover.

Only 1 in 6 adults are aware of all the ways they can receive digital TV.

The older generation has a better grasp of digital technology with 17% of over 55’s aware of all the ways to switch to digital, compared to just 11% of the 18-24 year olds.

Despite an intensive advertising campaign and the launch of a dedicated digital television website, it appears that the Government’s message is struggling to get through. Over half (57%) of adults in the UK believe that the Government has provided insufficient or no information on how and why this switch will happen.

Less than a fifth of adults (17%) knew which year their region would lose its analogue signal to digital. Generally, people believe that their region is being switched over earlier than it actually will be. The greatest information gap was revealed in Ulster, where the most popular guess was 2008 for the switchover, when it is in fact due four years later in 2012.

The uSwitch.com poll reveals that there is not only a lack of awareness of when the switch will happen but howconsumers can prepare for it. Only 17% of adults fully understand the ways they can ensure they stay switched on. Nearly a quarter of people are so ill-informed they could potentially end up throwing money down the drain by thinking they need to buy a brand new TV set in preparation for the switch, when in fact any TV with a SCART connection will be able to receive a digital signal.

The older generation has more of a grasp of the switchover, with 17% of people aged over 55 fully understanding all the ways they can switch over to digital, compared to only 11% of the supposedly more ‘technologically savvy’ 18 - 24 year olds.

Steve Weller, Head of Communication Services at uSwitch, comments: “Despite the switchover being a Government initiative, over half the people we surveyed felt that the Government had not done enough to prepare them for the switch, which is staggering considering they announced their digital plan back in September 2005. They have had plenty of time to get the message out.

“Although the switch to digital will be good news for viewers, it is worrying to see that consumers are still baffled as to how and when to switch. The problems and confusion clearly arise in the fact that consumers do not know much about when the switchover will happen, what measures they need to take and how much this will cost them.

“Our advice to consumers is to first establish when their region is scheduled to be switched over. Then, check online at either uswitch.com or digitaltelevision.gov.uk to see which digital services are available in their area. There’s a great choice available to suit different needs and budgets and, it’s highly unlikely that you will have to go out and buy a new TV set.”

Digital TV Choices

Weller concludes: “ Switchover will ensure better quality and more programme choice for consumers along with access to radio stations and interactive TV. Although for some regions switchover is not until much further down the line, it is still a good idea to get prepared sooner rather than later else people could be caught out with no signal, unable to watch their favourite programmes.”