Digital TV Switchover Heralds the Start of a Digital Revolution

For many consumers the digital switchover may be seen as an unnecessary expense.  For the computer industry it is seen as the start of a digital revolution with impacts as far reaching as the development of personal computers in the 1980s.

Take, for example, the vision being conjured by Intel, maker of the chips that power most of the world's PCs. Its publicity predicts nothing less than a "digital nirvana" for consumers who make the switch.

In Intel's vision the old TVs dominating most living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens will soon be replaced in each home by a powerful computer, able to download and store films, choose and record TV programmes, store photos and music, and access the internet.

Digital TV should be available to at least 98.5% of UK households when the analogue signal is shut off in 2012, broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has said.

This "hub" machine will then beam its contents wirelessly to TV screens and speakers throughout the house. While the kids watch cartoons in their bedrooms, Dad can watch Football in the lounge and Mum can tune in to the Racing Channel in the kitchen.

Microsoft, Apple, Dell and HP are all backing the PC to take over from the telly in dominating home entertainment. They face opposition, but only from the consumer electronics giants such as Sony and Panasonic, which want the same structure but with the hub PC replaced by another device - such as a souped-up digital TV or games console

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