Digital Television is a technical change to the present analogue service which provides clearer pictures, sharper sound, an increase in the number of channels and interactive options. All round, a better viewing experience.

Freeview a not-for-profit joint venture comprising a group of free to air broadcasters (TVWorks (owners of TV3 and C4), Maori Television Service, TVNZ, and Radio New Zealand) has been set up to provide New Zealanders with a free-to-air digital platform on which all free-to-air broadcasts can broadcast their channels.

Freeview is available via satellite (DTH or Direct to Home) to a dish and via UHF transmission (DTT or Digital Terrestrial TV) to UHF aerial. 

Each broadcaster decides which of its channels it will make available on Freeview. Notably Freeview is not TVNZ, but a group of broadcasters, one of whom is TVNZ.

Eventually probably sometime between 2012 and 2015 the government will switch-off analogue transmissions and therefore all TV reception will be from digital transmissions only.

For more on Freeview visit www.freeviewnz.tv