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How much does going digital cost?

Is this the question at the top of your list?

As you might expect the answer depends on several things – how you get the digital signal, the number of channels you want and how much new kit you buy. In the table below we give you a rough outline of what you might be in for.

To give you an idea of the range of costs:

Cheap way of going digital
If your existing aerial works and you don’t want to change your TV, you could go digital and get over 40 channels by just buying a set top box – say £25 for one at the cheap end of the scale.

A top of the range solution
If you want to seize the chance to get a flash new digital TV with a large flat panel screen, an iDTV could cost £800 and more.

Most people will pay somewhere between these two extremes to go digital, and probably well towards the cheaper end of this scale.

Here are the relative costs of the different options. Remember that what you actually pay will depend on how far up the range of options you go.

If you are older or have a disability, you might get help towards costs – see Help Scheme.

Notes:
All prices include VAT and for one TV only; they don’t include any special or introductory packages.

To print the costs guide matrix, either open it as a Microsoft Word file or as a PDF and select print from the file menu.



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  Through your aerial By satellite dish By cable Through your telephone line
Getting the signal Your existing aerial may work. Otherwise around £125 for a roof top aerial or £3-30 for an indoor aerial Dish supplied and installed as part of deal Cable connection and installation as part of deal with most providers Free if you already have a BT telephone line
The kit Set top box £25-100
or
digital TV recorder/PVR £100+
or
iDTV £300++
or
DVD recorder with digital tuner around £200

Sky box supplied as part of deal

BBC ITV standard set top box from £49, high definition (HD) box from £120

 Box supplied as part of deal Box supplied as part of deal
Charges None for Freeview channels

£150 one-off payment for Freesat from Sky
or
£15-43.50 a month to Sky depending on channels you subscribe to

£80 to retailer for dish and installation for BBC & ITV Freesat

From £11- around £50 a month depending on channels you subscribe to and whether your package includes telephone, mobile and internet. £14.99 - £24.99 a month depending on channels you subscribe to
No of channels 40+ TV and 28 radio with Freeview

120+ TV and 80+ radio with Freesat from Sky one-off package
or
From about 40 to 400 TV and 80 radio depending on the monthly Sky package you subscribe to.

80 TV & radio from BBC (including HD) & Channel 4 - due to rise to 200 by end 2008

 About 40-100+ TV and 25-60 radio depending on provider From 22 to 50+ TV and 20+ radio depending on the monthly package you subscribe to
Some extras With full Freeview, existing customers can also get from Top-up-TV 11 extra channels for one-off payment of £20, then £7.99 a month £99 for Sky+ box - includes digital TV recorder/PVR, not available with Freesat, only if subscribe; subscriptions depend on channels you subscribe to; some packages include telephone and internet V+ PVR from £10 a month - installation free - £75 depending on deal. Some packages include telephone, mobile and internet Some packages include telephone and internet. Can download films and TV programmes already broadcast

BT Vision cuts across these platforms, providing Freeview channels through your aerial and access to on-demand TV via BT Broadband. If you are a new BT Broadband customer, you get the BT Vision V-Box free – see our test report on it at BT Vision – otherwise it costs £199. In addition there’s a £90 installation and connection cost and subscription charges starting from £9 a month. You need a BT Total Broadband option and a BT Home Hub, that again can be free with some options or £30 if you buy on line. More information from BT.

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