Digital UK - Limavady

What happens during switchover?

The Limavady transmitter and its 13 relays (known as a transmitter group) switch to digital in two stages. If you have Sky TV, Freesat from Sky or freesat on all of your TV sets you will not be affected by switchover.

However, if you haven't yet got digital TV in your home or you have a service like Freeview, BT Vision or Top Up TV, there are two dates you will need to remember and you need to be ready before the first switchover date.

Two dates you need to remember

Stage 1

10102012

Stage 2

24102012

BBC Two will go to digital and some new digital channels become available. This means that:

If you haven’t switched, you’ll lose BBC Two
If you have Freeview, BT Vision or Top Up TV you’ll need to re-tune your equipment

All the remaining analogue channels will switch to digital and the remaining digital channels will become available. This means that:

If you haven’t switched to digital, you will lose your TV service
If you have Freeview, BT Vision or Top Up TV you’ll need to re-tune your equipment again

What happens between the two switchover dates

If you have Freeview, BT Vision or Top-up TV for the first time, to watch the full range of channels between the two switchover stages you will need to switch between analogue and digital. Click here to see how to do this.

The Limivady transmitter group relays:

Ballintoy	Castlederg	Gortnageeragh	Muldonagh
Ballycastle	Claudy	Gortnalee	Plumbridge
Buckna	Glenelly Valley	Londonderry	Strabane
Bushmills

Am I affected by the Limavady transmitter group switchover?

You are affected if you receive your TV signal through your aerial from the Limavady transmitter group

If you receive your TV signal through an aerial and are watching the Limavady transmitter Group you will be affected on 10 October 2012. It is possible that your aerial may be pointing towards a different transmitter group that will switch at another time. Please see the map for more information.

The digital TV switchover affects any TV not connected to a satellite or cable service

The easiest way to check if a TV is affected is to look for the messages that will appear at the top of your TV screen several times a day.

You won't see these messages if you already watching digital TV (e.g Sky TV, Freview or another) or if your aerial is pointing at another transmitter that will switch at a different time.

Enlarged view

Disruption to Services

During preparations for switchover there may be interruptions to your television service due to engineering work. While digital switchover relates to TV, and not to radio, the preparations to switchover may also result in interruptions to radio service. For more information on engineering works please click here.