Not so long ago there were only four channels for viewers to watch on television, now we have a choice of over 350 digital channels! There are also several different ways of accessing them.

On traditional land based or terrestrial television, you are only able to access the five channels BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5. To receive them, all you need to do is pay the television licence; there is no additional monthly cost or equipment required, apart from a TV of course. This is the basic package that everyone requires in order to watch any UK television. In addition to this, there are three main ways to increase the number of channels available to you.

Freeview

I remember when Freeview was first introduced it was a set-top box costing approximately 99 and provided free sattelite TV. This was a one-off price with no monthly contract or extra cost involved. It enabled viewers to receive a further 30 digital channels such as the extra BBC channels (BBC 3, BBC4 and Cbeebies) and other newcomers such as E4. These boxes have reduced in price and increased in facilities. It is now possible to have a box that will let you freeze the programme or save it to watch later. With some boxes it is also possible to purchase cards that allow viewers to watch extra channels. The cheapest box available is now only about 30 with the most elaborate at over 100.

Another option is to buy an integrated digital television although these tend to be more expensive than buying a set-top box and plugging it in to your existing television. However, if you are about to buy a new television anyway, this might be worth investigating.

On the down side, Freeview is received using the traditional roof aerial, and adequate reception is only available to 75% of the UK population. Before buying a set-top it would be a good idea to check with the store whether you can return the box if reception is poor. Nevertheless, according to OfCom (Office of Communications) the watchdog for the television industry, about 5.5 million viewers have chosen this option.

Satellite Television

More expensive than the price of Freeview but not quite as expensive as cable, sattelite television is an option, especially if you live in an area where there is poor land reception and cable is not available. There is only one provider in the UK and thats Sky. At least 7.5 million viewers now subscribe to the minimum package from Sky offering over 100 channels, and its available to 99% of the population. You can increase the number of channels you receive by purchasing one of their packages, such as the sports or movie channels, and purchase pay to view films not long out of the box office. The most popular and expensive package Sky World offers the full works 350 channels including all the sports and movie channels.

To be able to receive satellite TV you need to have a satellite dish and receiver installed. The cost can vary with who does the work, and where you live, but by far the cheapest option is to wait until Sky offers one of their installation deals when the charge is as little as 1. If you cant wait, it could be as much as 500!

For an explanation of how sattelite TV works take a look at the article How does sattelite TV work exactly?.

Cable Television

The number of people able to receive cable is growing all the time. The main providers in the UK are Telewest and NTL. Although more expensive than satellite TV, providers offer packages to include broadband access to the Internet and discounted telephone calls. You dont need to have a TV satellite dish stuck on the outside of your house either! However, at the moment only 50% of the population is able to receive cable and they are likely to be living in major towns and cities.

And Finally

So, cable TV is possibly the best option if you want to take advantage of packages to include Internet access and telephone. Satellite television is probably best for just receiving television programmes. Now there is one more option receiving digital television through existing BT telephone lines.

Only available in London at the moment, HomeChoice offers the same options as cable, but by using existing telephone lines. There are bolt-ons available too for more television channels if required. This service has been available for nearly a year, but availability is still limited, which is a pity for those people who would like to be able to have a choice other than cable or satellite television.