What a chicken and egg scenario this is. Lobby groups are warning the Government not to switch off analogue TV broadcasts until digital equipment becomes affordable, so that those on low incomes don't miss out.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...io/3733514.stm
But the UK is, apparently, so far ahead of the game on digital take-up, that we suffer the lack of available equipment - and what is available, is available at a premium price.
So we don't go digital-only until equipment is affordable, and equipment won't be affordable until it becomes a commodity item, (i.e. everyone needs one and everyone's got one), and it won't be a commodity item until we go digital only ...
Several things I don't understand:
1. Why is *anybody* still selling 4:3 TVs in the UK?
2. Why is it so hard to stick a Freeview decoder into a TV set, thus turning it into an 'integrated' digital TV and ending the need for a Freeview STB?
I want to buy a new telly for the smaller space available in the corner of our new house, and I would love it to be a 21-inch-ish widescreen LCD with integrated digital terrestrial. But I'm not about to pay £1,000 for the privilege.
