Welcome to Digital TV Advice, where you can compare digital TV packages and find the best one for you - whether you're switching providers or looking for your first package as the Digital Switchover takes place in your area. You can compare different TVs and Freeview boxes and keep up with digital TV news on the blog. Latest news - how to get Sky Sports on Freeview.
The three main providers offering digital TV packages are Sky, Virgin Media and BT Vision - visit their sites below.
Sky Digital is the UK's provider of satellite TV, with package deals on broadband and phone, including the Sky+ personal video recorder, Sky Sports and Sky Movies.
Click here for Sky TV Packages.
Virgin Media is the UK's provider of cable TV with packages for broadband, TV and phone - Virgin offer fast download speeds and the V+ personal video recorder.
Click here for Virgin TV Packages.
BT Vision mixes Freeview channels with paid services. If you're thinking about BT broadband or are already a subscriber, BT Vision is a great option - lots of good optional extras.
Click here for BT TV Packages.
If you opt for Sky TV you will have a mini-dish installed somewhere on your property which receives the TV service from satellite transmitters over 22,000 miles above the earth. You will also be given as part of the Sky TV package a Sky+HD box which allows you to select which channel you want to watch, as well as record, pause and rewind TV.
Sky has a huge range of channels from the basic terrestrials like BBC1, 2, 3 and 4 to Sky One, FilmFour, MTV and Sky Movies. However it's the sport coverage that attracts a lot of customers to Sky TV, as everything from Sky Sports 1 to Eurosport, At The Races and The Fight Network is available either as part of a TV package or as an added extra. More about Sky TV deals here.
In order to receive cable TV you have to live in area where the fibre-optic cables have been laid - since the mid-late 80s a programme of cable-laying has provided coverage for much of the UK. Virgin Media will connect the cabling in your street to the V-Box which then connects to your TV, so there's no need for a dish to receive the signal. Cable TV can be better than satellite TV in built-up areas where a signal sent over the air could be obstructed by buildings, geographical features or bad weather - cable TV is unaffected by these.
Virgin Media boasts up to 145 digital TV channels including Setanta Sports, MTV, Nickelodeon and Sky 1, plus a massive library of films, TV, music available on demand. Currently they are the only TV provider to offer access to the popular BBC iPlayer. More about cable TV deals here.
The BT Vision box combines a Freeview decoder with an interface for your broadband - the Freeview channels come through your aerial as normal and the on-demand content comes through your broadband connection - the box brings it all together, a real example of 'convergence'.
The on-demand content features Pay per View movies and sport, music TV and kids' channels as well as general viewing like Channel 4 On Demand. The great thing about the sport in particular is the flexibility - you can take a monthly package with unlimited sport or you can pay to view single events, you don't need to commit to a contract (other than the BT broadband service through which it comes). More about BT Vision here.