Digital TV Set Top Boxes

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Digital Televisions and TV Set-top Boxes

On this page you can find out more about digital televisions and set-top boxes and how they work.

To help you decide whether a digital television or set-top box is right for you, you'll find more useful information including hints and tips on what to look for when choosing a digital television or set-top box on the following pages:

What are Digital TV Set-top Boxes?

Digital Televisions receive broadcast transmissions in the form of computerised data, and allow you to access to over 30 free channels together with services such as ‘top up TV' and Sky.

Digital set-top boxes also receive digital transmissions, and allow digital broadcasts to be received on a non-digital television.

How do Digital TVs and Set-top Boxes Work?

Digital broadcasting brings television, radio and even the internet onto your television at home. Digital televisions and set-top boxes work by receiving compressed data in the form of binary digits and decoding them into sound and images.

Since the 1930s, televisions have received analogue signals, broadcast in waves, but since the 1990s new technology has allowed signals to be broadcast digitally, allowing for better quality images and sound. Digital television works in the same size bandwidth as analogue television, which is 6 MHz, but can contain many more channels than the present five.

The digital transmission system enables your digital television or set top box to connect to the internet, receive hundreds of television channels, and provide you with access to other services including home banking and gaming.

Digital televisions are suitable for receiving Widescreen programmes, as the aspect ratio of digital broadcasts is 16:9; digital transmissions are now all in wide screen format unlike analogue, which had an aspect ratio of 4:3.

You can connect a set-top box to a non-digital television by a SCART or aerial socket to enable your existing television to receive digital broadcasts. You'll need a separate set-top box for each television in your house.

A digital television is effectively a television with a built in set-top box.

To be able to access Digital TV and look forward to enjoying HDTV - High Definition TV see the Sky Digital HD TV Website.

Further Information

You can learn more about the different models and brands of digital televisions and set-top boxes available in our Brands of Television section. You can also find out about some of the most popular set-top boxes on the market on our Top Models of Digital Set-Top Box page.

You can find out more about the types of accessory you can buy for your digital television or set-top box in our Accessories section.

If you want to buy a digital television or set-top box, go to our Where to Buy pages to find out about some great deals from online suppliers.

If you aren't sure whether or not a digital television or set-top box is the best option for you, visit our guide to How to Choose and Buy a Television for some hints and tips on what to look for or our Types of Television section for details of what's available.

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