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View Full Version : Digital Switchover Help Scheme Information Day 09/10/09 Wick and Thurso



PPP-Wick
08-Oct-09, 16:19
Hi All

Just a note to mention that there are two information days with regard to the forthcoming Digital Switchover being held in Wick and Thurso tomorrow Friday 9th October. Thurso 9-12pm in Caithness Horizons and Wick 2-5pm Pulteneytown Parish Church in Argyle Square. The open day is aimed primarily towards groups who may struggle with the Switchover and agencies who offer day to day help. Some information from Digital Switchover website:

"The majority of people find it relatively simple to switch to digital TV. In fact, most people already have it in their homes. But for some older or disabled people, getting digital TV is a challenge.
The Switchover Help Scheme is run by the BBC, under an agreement with the Government to help older and disabled people make the change to digital TV.
Everyone who is eligible will be offered practical help to convert one of their TV sets to digital in the run-up to switchover in their region.
Who is eligible?


People who are aged 75 years old or over
People who are registered blind or partially sighted
People who get (or could get) Attendance or Constant Attendance Allowance; Mobility Supplement; or Disability Living Allowance
People who have lived in a care home for six months or more
Up to seven million people in the UK are eligible to receive help from the Switchover Help Scheme.
What help will people receive?


For £40, eligible older and disabled people will be offered:

Easy-to-use equipment that suits their needs
Installation of the equipment if they choose
Fitting a new dish or aerial where possible, if it is needed to make the equipment work
A demonstration and someone they can call for help while they are getting used to thingsThis equipment and help is free if people get pension credit, income support or income-based jobseeker’s allowance.
Other options are also available at an extra cost and these details are included in the information booklet sent by the Help Scheme to all eligible people.
Everyone who is eligible will be contacted by post up to three times prior to switchover and offered practical help to convert one TV to digital. People need to respond to get the help.
The Help Scheme will contact eligible individuals directly using information from the Department of Work and Pensions and local authorities (from the blind and partially sighted registers). The legal powers for this are contained in the Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Act 2007.
The Help Scheme will approach those local authorities who maintain registers of blind and partially sighted individuals, asking for permission to access the registers around nine months before the start of each regional switchover. Local authorities should make sure that these registers are up to date to avoid blind and partially sighted people who are under 75 and not in receipt of disability benefits losing out."

All are welcome to attend the events, and refreshments will be provided :)

pulteney person
08-Oct-09, 21:46
I'm going to bring some elderly relatives along to this. It's good to know they can get some help with the switch over.

madmissus
08-Oct-09, 22:57
Thanks for that info that be useful to lots of folk I xpect

golach
08-Oct-09, 23:03
I saw this tonight, digital change over customers beware

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/10/diddled_over_digital_switchove.html

dx100uk
08-Oct-09, 23:25
yep very good watchdog prog.
this is a very big problem certainly down south and well done for watchdog in exposing this, 90% of users will not need a new aerial....but.....

it is worth mentioning also that for, certainly the wick etc area, that the analogue TV signals were all up the top of the channel range [21-40] and the aerials used for that will most probably NOT be any good for getting some of the freeview channels as they [particularly sky news etc] are down the lower end [ch.50-69] you need a wideband aerial.
i've done a couple myself, so just be aware, not expensive in homebase etc.

the only thing i can suggest is try a freeview box on your existing aerial, if you dont get certain channels that the digital sites say you should, or if they are pixelating [jumping blurred squares etc and jittery sound] then sadly you need to change aerial.

hth

dx