The city of Adelaide has officially made the switch to digital-only television.
In an announcement made this morning, The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, confirmed over half a million Adelaide households had crossed over to digital at 9am.
“At 9am, over 560,000 households in Adelaide switched to digital-only TV, as analog signals across the Adelaide switchover region were switched off,” he said.
“I would like to thank the local broadcasters for their support and assistance and congratulate Adelaide on a very smooth transition to digital-only free-to-air TV.
“Adelaide is the seventh region in Australia to switch to digital-only free to air television, meaning Australia is well on the way to watching digital-only television by the end of this year.”
Tasmania and Perth are scheduled to follow in Adelaide’s footsteps later this month, while Brisbane is due to make the switch in May.
Remote and regional Western Australia should follow suit in June; Darwin in July and Sydney, Melbourne and Remote and Central Eastern Australia toward the end of this year.
In his announcement, Senator Conroy expressed his enthusiasm for the new format, stating, “Australians are embracing the benefits of digital TV, with its 17 free-to-air channels and better quality picture and sound.
“Nearly 8 million of a total 8.6 million households across the country are already watching digital TV.”
For more information on converting to digital TV, visit the Digital Ready website http://www.digitalready.gov.au