World’s smallest Freeview adapter
[15.09.2005] Bush launches a plug-and-play Freeview adaptor no bigger than a pack of playing cards. What’s your excuse for not going digital?
With the Government increasingly worried that the 2012 deadline for the UK’s big analogue switch-off might slip, consumer electronics company Bush is introducing an easy way to convert your old TVs into smart new digital ones.
The iDaptor (pictured above) is arguably the world’s smallest Freeview box. Measuring barely 75.5 x 26 x 100mm, Bush claims that it’s “the size of a pack of cards” and that it’s the simplest digital TV system to install.
“Being a plug and play adapter,” said a Bush representative, “[the iDaptor] is the simplest and most affordable way to convert your current analogue television to digital Freeview and receive over 30 digital channels and interactive services. Connect the iDaptor to any TV with a Scart socket, place the Infrared sensor on the top of your TV, and use via remote control.”
The timetable for the switchover to digital broadcasting, as outlined by Ofcom, sees analogue signals starting to be switched off in 2008. In a pilot project, the small Welsh towns of
Ferryside and Llanstephan have already had their analogue TV signals extinguished.
Ofcom’s plans will see the rest of the UK move to DVB in phases based on the old ITV franchise map. Viewers in Border, Westcountry and HTV Wales areas will make the switch in 2008; followed by Granada, HTV West, Grampian and Scottish regions in 2009; Central, Yorkshire and Anglia in 2010; Meridian, London; Tyne Tees and Ulster in 2011; with the Channel Islands bringing up the rear in 2012.
Ofcom’s own figures suggest that around 60 per cent of the UK has already switched to digital. This includes 5 million homes that have opted for Freeview, 3.3 million who have digital cable (Telewest and NTL) and 7.5 million who favour Sky’s pay TV and Freesat services. A quarter of Freeview box sales are believed to be for second or third TVs in the home, where the main TV set is already hooked up to digital.
The iDaptor will be available on the High Street from mid October 2005.