ONE in ten households in Brighton and Hove is not ready for the digital switchover with just a fortnight to go.
Unprepared owners of tens of thousands of TV sets could be left staring at blank screens when analogue is switched off next month.
Many of those still not ready are elderly residents who have not yet got to grips with digital technology.
Experts fear residents are worried the switchover means forking out hundreds of pounds on a new television.
But digital bosses say all residents need to do is spend £20 on a digital set-top box.
Television owners, with the exception of cable and satellite viewers, will have to retune their sets on the two switchover days to update their channels.
All analogue channels will be permanently switched off at the Whitehawk Hill transmitter in Brighton, which is responsible for the television reception for 114,000 homes in the Brighton and Hove area, in a two stage process starting on March 7.
Stage one will start in the early hours of March 7 when analogue BBC Two will be permanently switched off from the Rowridge transmitter on the Isle of Wight, The Whitehawk Hill transmitter and their 35 relay transmitters which are responsible for TV reception for Brighton and Hove and the surrounding area.
Some Freeview digital channels, including BBC Two, will become available for the first time to viewers served by relay transmitters.
Stage two starts in the early hours of March 21 when the remaining analogue channels, BBC One, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5, will be permanently switched off.
These services and a range of other Freeview TV, radio and text services will become available to viewers served by relay transmitters.
To help with the big day, a digital switchover road show will be stationed outside the Theatre Royal Brighton in New Road on Wednesday March 7, Thursday March 8, Wednesday March 21 and Thursday March 22 to give advice.
An advice point where people can buy set-top boxes will be held at Age UK West Sussex in Beach Road, Littlehampton on the same dates.
Large warning messages will also be broadcast on analogue channels reminding viewers to get ready for switchover.
In total more than three-quarters of the 125,000 households in Brighton and Hove are completely prepared for switchover on all the televisions in their homes with tens of thousands more prepared with their main set.
Bill Taylor, digital UK regional manager, said: “Older people might be anxious about the technology and might be thinking they don’t want to have to buy a big flat-screen TV.
“The fact is nobody needs a new telly for the switchover.
“A lot of people might be tuning in for the first time and might be apprehensive but it is a good idea to retune your box once a month.”
Not in Brighton and Hove? You can find out the dates for stages one and two of the switch in today's edition of The Argus.
Or viewers can check their switchover date and options for getting digital TV by visiting digitaluk.co.uk or ringing 08456 505050.
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