Freeview

The Digital Switchover (DSO)

What is digital TV?

The digital switchover… it's the biggest thing since colour TV! And it's actually pretty simple - the Government had announced that NZ TV is going digital, which means the current free-to-air analogue signal will be switched off and New Zealand will move to a digital transmission for all free-to-air channels.

Freeview® is the digital free-to-air service, and it's the best way to keep getting free TV.  You can find out more about the difference between analogue and digital TV here.

When is it happening?

It's all happening in stages, as you can see here…

Going -digital For more info on the Going Digital process, visit the Government's website www.goingdigital.co.nz or free-call their helpline on 0800 838 800.

Why is it happening?

  • The rest of the world is switching to digital TV or have done already.
  • Our analogue network is becoming more and more costly to keep running - the technology is dated and is becoming obsolete.
  • It's a good economic decision - there will be savings for broadcasters and the rest of NZ too.
  • We can make better use of the airwaves - frequencies currently used for analogue TV will become available for next generation mobile and telecommunication services, which will improve productivity.
So what do I need to do?

If you want to keep getting free-to-air TV and all the extra bonuses it brings, check your coverage and see which Freeview service is right for you. Then we can show you which product you'll need to receive Freeview at your place.