Old style TVs will not become redundant when the Western Bay's analogue television signal is switched off in November 2013.
The widespread misconception that tube TVs will not work when New Zealand switches over to a digital signal has been dispelled by Going Digital national manager Greg Harford.
Mr Harford assured TaurangaCity Councillors recently that people would not be forced to upgrade to new flat screen technologies, although flat screen TVs were better equipped to handle the picture quality offered by digital broadcasts.
He said going digital was being phased in across New Zealand, starting with Hawke's Bay and the West Coast in September 2012 and ending with the northern half of the North Island in November 2013.
More than 70 per cent of Bay homes have already gone digital and a recent survey showed that 26 per cent of Bay people knew about the switch-over from analogue TV to digital TV.
Mr Harford said digital TV was already available in the Bay and people who wanted to enjoy the benefits should make the switch now. "Going digital means better reception and sound quality, more channels and extra benefits like TV guides."
While people did not need a new TV, they would need some new equipment to keep watching TV once the analogue system was turned off, he said.
People watching Sky or Freeview were already receiving a digital signal. Other viewers will need to buy a set-top box and an aerial or satellite dish, depending on what equipment they had and where they lived. Mr Harford said Going Digital would be running a comprehensive public information campaign prior to the switchover. Information is available on www.goingdigital.co.nz or by contacting the digital helpline on 0800-838-800.
Freeview was free-to-air, leaving Tauranga people who were not already digital up for the one-off cost of a set-top box linked to a UHF aerial. Sky and TelstraClear offered pay TV services through a satellite dish and set-top boxes.
