Digital TV switchover adults still not ‘tuned in’

Three months to go until the first UK TV region loses its analogue signal to digital and the latest uSwitch.com poll shows that overall awareness is up – but only just.

With over 7 out of 10 adults still in the dark about when their region will switch to digital, are we really ready for the ‘off’?

Independent online comparison and switching service, uSwitch.com, reveals the results of its latest Digital TV Tracker. The ‘state of the nation’ poll, assessing people’s awareness of and attitudes to the impending switchover, reveals a far from pretty picture with 33 million consumers still unaware of when their TV region will ‘go digital’. While the figure is a slight improvement from January, when the same poll highlighted a worrying 38 million unaware, the new findings highlight areas across the nation where awareness is actually falling. The new figures are a stark contrast to the most recent Ofcom & Digital UK survey positioning nationwide awareness at 82%.

Despite government-funded awareness campaigns, the uSwitch.com poll also reveals that 27 million adults do not believe official bodies are doing enough to inform people about the switchover, a rise from 26 million six months ago.

Just over a quarter (27%) of adults in the UK know when their region will switch to digital, up 10% from January. Unsurprisingly the most clued-up region is Border, which will be the first region to lose its analogue signal to digital, starting from 17th October this year. 63% were aware of this, but still over a third of people in the Border region (37%) were unsure when the switchover is taking place.

In second place, but significantly behind Border, comes the Scottish TV region, where a third of adults correctly stated that their region would switch in 2010 and 2011. Yet moving further south to the Yorkshire and Central TV regions, just 7% of adults know when their regions will switch – 93% didn’t know, or answered incorrectly.

Awareness actually appears to be falling in three TV regions - Central, HTV in the South West and Grampian in North Scotland. In the latter region, in January, 40% knew when they would be switched over, but now only 24%are aware.

‘Going Digital’

There is not only a lack of awareness about when the switchover will happen, but also howconsumers can prepare for it. Just 1 in 5 people fully understand all the ways to ensure they stay switched onwhen their signal goes digital. While this is a small improvement from six months ago, when 1 in 6 knew all the ways to get a digital signal, the figures highlight that significant gaps remain in the nation’s knowledge of the switchover.

Also of concern is the fact that 12 million people are currently wondering whether they need to buy a new television to be prepared for the switchover. In actual fact, most TVs can be saved from the scrapheap thanks to a device called an RF modulator which connects directly into the set or via a Freeview box to enable a digital signal. As it stands, the bill for Britain to ‘go digital’ is over £2.2 billion taking into account the cost of adapting TVs and replacing VCRs that will not work in the same way after the switchover.

Older and Wiser

The older generation’s digital awareness is growing while the younger generation’s awareness falls -21% of over 55’s know all the ways to pick up a digital signal, up from 17% in January, compared to just 9% of the 18-24 year group, down from 11% six months ago.

Steve Weller, Head of Communication Services at uSwitch.com, comments: “The switch to digital is great news for viewers, bringing improved picture quality and a greater programme choice, so it is worrying to see that consumers are still baffled as to when it will happen and how they should prepare for it. It’s also disappointing that despite campaigns to educate the nation about the switchover, led by Digital UK, over half the population do not feel that enough is being done to keep them informed. With 12 million people wondering whether or not to buy a new TV, a lot of money could be potentially thrown down the drain unless education is stepped up.

“Our advice to consumers preparing for the switch is firstly find out exactly when their region is scheduled to be switched over. Then check online at either www.uswitch.com/ or www.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.”