TV and the Digital Switchover in Southend

Live in or around Southend-on-Sea, and looking to get digital TV? Looking for information on how the digital switchover will affect Essex? Read on.

TV in Southend

If you're living in or around Southend-on-Sea and you get your TV using a TV aerial (and not Sky or Virgin), then chances are you get your TV from the London TV region from the Crystal Palace transmitter.

If your aerial isn't pointing to London, the alternative is that you're getting TV signals from the Meridian region (using the Bluebell Hill transmitter in Kent), or the East Anglia service from the Sudbury transmitter.

Do you get ITV Anglia via a TV aerial? Analogue services from Sudbury switch off in July 2011!

Digital TV Switchover

Looking for the Digital TV switchover dates for Southend-on-Sea?

Most of Southend-on-Sea won't be going digital until 2012 - your TV sets and recorders will need to be digital-ready by then. If you get your TV from Anglia though, switchover is July 2011.

Analogue TV transmitters serving Southend will be switched off by the following dates:

Get your BBC and ITV from London? The Crystal Palace transmitter is set to switch off by April 2012
Get your BBC and ITV from Anglia? The Sudbury transmitter is set to switch off by 6 July 2011
Get your BBC and ITV from Kent / Meridian? The Bluebell Hill transmitter is set to switch off by July 2012

Want help with the Switchover? Go to switchhelp.co.uk

Digital TV services available in Southend

Here's a quick summary of the digital TV services available in Southend-on-Sea today:

Freeview in Southend	Freeview is available in the Southend-on-Sea area now, and viewers in Leigh-on-Sea, Westcliff, central Southend, Thorpe Bay, Shoebury and Wakering should be able to get Freeview with a rooftop aerial. Freeview is received via a standard TV aerial (from Crystal Palace, Bluebell Hill or Sudbury) 40 TV channels - with no subscription fees One-off fee to get Freeview - you can buy a set-top box for £25 on Southend High Street in Currys, or click-and-collect from Argos For more, see the Radio and Telly Freeview page.
Sky Digital	Sky offers the widest choice of channels in the UK, plus the top-rated Sky+ recorder. 50 channels of HD, plus movies and Sky Sports You need a satellite dish, fitted by Sky For more, go to www.sky.com
BT Vision	A great alternative to Sky. This mixes 40 channels of live TV from an aerial, with stacks of on-demand content over BT Broadband Loads of on-demand TV and films over the Internet on your telly Offers movies, and Sky Sports (cheaper than Sky) More at btvision.bt.com
Virgin Media	Cable TV service delivered via underground fibre optic cable Available in parts of Southend, including Shoeburyness, Thorpe Bay and Southchurch Good collection of on-demand content More: Go to www.virginmedia.com
Freesat	Watch satellite TV without subscription Not as many channels as Sky, but no subscription Buy a satellite TV receiver on the High Street at Currys, and connect to a dish More on Radio and Telly's Freesat page.

Digital TV Transmitters for Southend-on-Sea

Information on the digital TV transmitters serving Southend-on-Sea. Distance and direction assumes Southend High Street

Crystal Palace, London - Distance 35 miles, compass heading 255°. Power: 20kW
Bluebell Hill, Kent - Distance 17 miles, compass heading 207°. Power: 2-3kW

Useful links:

Maplin - A 5 minute walk from the High Street. Great for cables, boosters, aerial bits and connectors
Digital Switchover Help - Advice and information on the 2012 digital switchover

Got a question about Digital TV, Freeview or the switchover in Southend on Sea? Please get in touch

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