The TV Digital Switchover in Parwich is due on 17th August 2011
This means in order to watch TV from this date you would need either:
- A Freeview set top box (they start from £20) and possibly a new aerial + your old telly
- Or a TV with Freeview built in
- Or a satellite dish + a Sky Freesat box or Skybox (£150+, or a subscription) + your old telly.
To receive High Definition (HD) TV, you would need a TV that is HD ready + a HD set top box.
For further information click on
PARWICH.ORG 
I was told by an ariel installer in Ashbourne that we have a transmitter up here, somewhere for our area – is there any truth in this at all does anyone know?
Hi Matt
From current information, it is likely that your existing aerial, if in reasonable condition, should pick up the Freeview signal from the Parwich repeater transmitter aerial.
However, it is possible that it might not pick up all the channels that are available.
All the channels will be available from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter; as they are increasing the power in this transmitter, more houses in Parwich should be able to pick up their signal. (it would entail rotating the aerial, and possibly changing it).
As you live quite high up the hill, you should receive the signal from Sutton Coldfield; where we are, higher up the hill, we already receive FreeView
Hi Martin – thanks for the info 🙂
Where is the Parwich repeater located do you know?
Hi Matt – and Martin
The news from half-way up the hill is that a few years ago when we first got a freeview set top box what Martin explained happened to us – it didn’t work as our aerial was pointed in the direction of the Parwich transmitter. One new aerial later – pointed towards Sutton Coalfield – and we get the lot. We still do but on occasions some of the ‘weaker’ channels e.g. Yesterday break up if the atmospherics aren’t good. All of the major channels including ESPN for sport etc are fine.
The downside is that all of the ‘local’ news and the weather is for the West Midlands – which is a pain
Interestingly BT ran an online test for us this week which reported that our postcode received no digital TV signals whatsoever – so what happens when we go digital?? Will they just crank up Sutton Coalfield so that Parwich gets TV?? And will no-one get ‘local’, East Midlands news??
Another alternative if you are in a house that can’t get the digital signal through your aerial is to get a Humax box. It works through a satellite dish, and is almost identical to Sky+, but it is a one off payment, so no ongoing fees to Sky. The Humax freesat FOXSAT-HDR digital TV recorder is about £225 + fitting of cables & dish. We have had one for about a year and it is fantastic, you can record two programmes and watch a prerecorded programme all at the same time. It almost hurts my brain to think about it, the other plus is that even Ben can work it!!
Hi Val
The Parwich repeater transmitter will be beaming digital TV signals.
Jane, I think you have a FreeSat box- they now start from £40 upwards
It is a freesat box, but with the extra technology of recording, as on Sky+ HD, but they all seem to start from around the £190 mark. The straight Freesat viewers are very cheap. Check out http://www.freesat.co.uk/