Digital TV - are you ready for the switch?

What is Digital TV in Australia?

Digital TV brings DVD-quality pictures, and CD-quality sound, to everyday television. In Australia, it also brings digital TV channels, and interactive features - like weather updates and a digital TV Guide on your screen. Digital signals can be Standard Definition (SD) or High Definition (HD).

Between 2010 and 2013, Australia will be switching to Digital TV, and all our channels will be transmitted in digital. Check the Digital Switchover Schedule below to see when the analog signal will be shut down in your area.

What do I need to get ready for Digital TV?

If you've got a digital-ready television, you're probably ready for digital TV now. But if your TV is more than a few years old, it's probably not equipped for digital TV. The easy way to find out is to see if you get the digital free-to-air channels. If you do, you're probably already digital ready. If you don't have it, there's a couple of options for you to be digital ready:

  • Buy a new TV with an integrated digital TV tuner.
  • Or keep your existing TV and attach a digital set top box, or a digital video recorder (like MyStar HD) to it. MyStar HD will give you access to the HD and digital TV channels available in your area, we'll take care of installation and you'll enjoy the features and benefits of a digital video recorder without the large upfront cost.

Check out the features of MyStar HD

You may also need to upgrade your antenna to receive digital TV channels.

go to foxtel.com.au

What TV channels will I get?

On top of the normal free-to-air channels, switching to digital TV will give you access to several digital-only channels such as these below. The digital TV channels you actually receive may vary, depending on where you live.

  • GO!
  • GEM
  • ONE
  • ABC2/4 Kids
  • ABC3
  • SBS2
  • 7TWO
  • 7MATE
  • ELEVEN

What's the difference?

Standard definition (SD) is the first wave of digital TV technology - offering greatly improved picture and sound quality over traditional analog TV. Soon every TV channel in Australia will be at least standard definition.

High definition (HD) takes advantage of improved digital technology to provide sharper pictures and better sound than standard definition. To watch HD TV channels you can attach an HD set-top-box or HD digital video recorder (like MyStar HD) to your analog or standard definition TV. MyStar HD will also let you access Foxtel's HD channels. To get the full picture and sound benefits of high definition you'll need a high definition TV.

Digital Switchover Schedule

The Australian government is gradually switching free-to-air TV from analogue to digital from mid-2010. By the end of 2013, all analogue broadcasts in Australia will be discontinued. you're not digital TV ready when this happens, you won't be able to watch free-to-air TV anymore.

MyStar and MyStar HD digital video recorders have built-in tuners that can pick up your local digital free-to-air channels as well as your Foxtel channels. More

State Area Major Centres Switchover Period
NSW Central Tablelands & Central Western Slopes Dubbo, Orange and Mudgee 1 January – 30 June 2012
NSW ACT & Southern Tablelands Canberra, Thredbo and Cooma 1 January – 30 June 2012
NSW Griffi th / Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area Griffith and Hay 1 January – 30 June 2012
NSW Hunter Newcastle, Port Stephens 1 July – 31 December 2012
NSW Illawarra and the South Coast Wollongong, Ulladulla and Eden 1 January – 30 June 2012
NSW North West Slopes & Plains Tamworth, Armidale and Inverell 1 July – 31 December 2012
NSW Northern Rivers Coffs Harbour, Forster and Grafton 1 July – 31 December 2012
NSW Richmond / Tweed Byron Bay, Tenterfield and Lismore 1 July – 31 December 2012
NSW South West Slopes & Eastern Riverina Wagga Wagga and Gundagai 1 January – 30 June 2012
NT Darwin Darwin 1 July – 31 December 2013
NT Remote Central & Eastern Australia Alice Springs and Mt Isa 1 July – 31 December 2013
QLD Brisbane Brisbane, Gold Coast and Noosa 1 January – 30 June 2013
QLD Capricornia Rockhampton, Emerald and Yeppoon 1 July – 31 December 2011
QLD Darling Downs Toowoomba, Warwick and Dalby 1 July – 31 December 2011
QLD Far North Queensland Cairns, Port Douglas and Innisfail 1 July – 31 December 2011
QLD Queensland Central Coast & Whitsundays Mackay, Proserpine and Bowen 1 July – 31 December 2011
QLD North Queensland Townsville, Ayr and Charters Towers 1 July – 31 December 2011
QLD Wide Bay Hervey Bay, Bundaberg and Maryborough 1 July – 31 December 2011
QLD Remote Central & Eastern Australia Alice Springs and Mt Isa 1 July – 31 December 2013
SA Broken Hill Broken Hill 1 July – 31 December 2010
SA Mt Gambier / South East South Australia Mt Gambier, Naracoorte and Bordertown 1 July – 31 December 2010
SA Riverland Renmark and Loxton 1 July – 31 December 2010
SA Spencer Gulf Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Augusta 1 July – 31 December 2010
TAS Tasmania Hobart, Launceston and King Island 1 January – 30 June 2013
VIC Gippsland Traralgon, Bairnsdale and Mallacoota 1 January – 30 June 2011
VIC Goulburn Valley / Upper Murray Albury/Wodonga, Wangaratta & Shepparton 1 January – 30 June 2011
VIC Mildura / Sunraysia Mildura 1 January – 30 June 2010
VIC North Central Victoria Bendigo and Swan Hill 1 January – 30 June 2011
VIC South West Victoria Ballarat, Warrnambool and Horsham 1 January – 30 June 2011