Compare digital TV packages

Digital TV means that you’re receiving your TV signal in a digital format, rather than in analogue format. All TV in the UK is now digital. There are lots of advantages to this, including:

• better picture and sound quality
• more channels
• on-demand services 
• more interactivity and internet access

There is, however, more than one type of digital television service:

Digital terrestrial
This form of digital TV is typically for people who are upgrading from analogue TV to digital services. The upgrade is very straight forward, as digital TV is received via your existing TV aerial, via an additional set-top box that can be bought for as little as £15.

Digital satellite TV
This approach refers to TV that’s received via a satellite dish. Freesat offers a competitive satellite product, however, with the increasing delivery of fast broadband wired directly into the home via a phone line, the use of satellite dishes is decreasing, in favour of broadband-delivered digital TV.

Digital TV via broadband
Digital TV packages served via broadband is delivered via a network of high-speed fibre optic cables, directly to your door. This is increasingly the preferred delivery method for digital TV, with the largest choice of content providers.

If you haven’t switched suppliers in the past two years, you could likely save money by doing so. And you could save even more by combining your digital TV package with your broadband and phone. Certainly, you should find there’s room to negotiate.

Combining your TV with your broadband and phone is also easier as it means you’ve only got one supplier, one contract and one bill. But it may leave you locked into a long contract, so check the small print.

If you’re planning on getting a digital TV package, there are a few things to think about, such as:

• Which digital TV services can you receive?

Most homes in the UK can get at least one digital TV service. Satellite TV from Sky or Freesat can be accessed in around 99% of UK homes, while Virgin's cable service goes to around 50% of homes. Our comparison tool will ask you for your postcode so you’ll be able to see the deals you can actually get where you live. See what you can get now. 

• How much are the set-up costs?

Set-up costs can vary between £10 and £60, so it's something to watch out for when weighing up the total cost over the year. Our comparison tool helps here by showing both figures.

• Which channels do you really want to watch?

You don’t want to pay for live sports or dedicated movie channels if you’re not going to watch them. Check which channels screen your favourite shows and stick to those.

It may make sense for you to buy a package from Virgin or Sky, or you could find that’s expensive. Decide your budget first, otherwise it’s easy to find yourself paying for extra channels you might not need.

You may just want to stick with streaming services, like Netflix and Amazon, in which case you’ll want to make sure you have fast enough broadband to use them.

Other questions to ask yourself include:

• Do you want Ultra HD (high definition) or HD (which has around four times less resolution)?
• Do you want a deal that allows you to pause, record and rewind TV shows?
• Do you want on-demand TV, or TV on the go?
• How long are you happy to sign up for?

While many contracts are just for 12 months, some providers might want you to sign up for 18 months or maybe longer to get the most suitable deals. So you'll need to decide if you are happy with a longer contract.

We can help – compare deals from a range of providers and find the one that works for you.