Digital TV Services Compared – Comparison Table
Not sure which of the digital TV services suits you best? Try our handy Digital TV comparison table, with links to useful links on UK digital TV
Choosing the right digital TV service for you can be tricky, so here’s a summary of what each service offers in the way of TV channels, on-demand content, catch-up TV and high definition content. We also give you some information on how to get the channel and how much it costs. We also link to our various reviews of the UK TV services.
UK TV – Who offers what?
| Service | Channels | On Demand | Catch-Up TV | Availability | Cost | HD |
 Details | Site |
40+ | Large choice | BBC, ITV, Ch4 & Five | Via aerial & Broadband
> 95% of UK |
From £4 a month | Small on-demand HD selection |
 Details | Site |
100+ | None | BBC iPlayer on some boxes | Via dish 98% of UK |
One-off £130 (Box £50, install £80) | 5 HD channels |
 Details | Site |
40+ | None | BBC iPlayer on some boxes | Via aerial > 95% of UK |
From a one-off £20 | 4 HD channels |
 Details | Site |
300+ | Some, with Sky Broadband | Some Sky content | Via dish 98% of UK |
From £21.50 a month | 50+ HD channels |
 Details | Site
|
40+ | Large choice | BBC, ITV, Ch4 & Five | Via aerial & Broadband
> 95% of UK |
One-off £250, or free with Broadband | 4 HD channels |
 Details | Site |
70+ | Large choice | BBC, Ch4 | Via aerial & phone line Some areas only |
£19.99 a month. £30 set-up | No HD |
 Details | Site |
160+ | Best choice | BBC, ITV, Ch4 | Via cable network
Cable areas only |
From £6.50 a month (with Virgin Phone) | 28+ HD channels + on demand |
Free-to-air Satellite |
200+ | None | None | Via dish 98% of UK |
Use existing dish, or install your own | 3 HD channels |
How to choose the best TV service:
Most people who are looking to change their TV provider are doing so for one of two reasons:
- Channel choice – Perhaps looking for more channels, or to get into HD
- Cost – Often scaling back by switching from the rather expensive Sky satellite TV service
If you’re looking to change, take a look at the above table to get a feel for what’s on offer, and if you still need help, we have loads of pages on our site to help you to make the best choice. Below are links to a few pages on our site that may be of help.
Can I receive the Universal TV Channel through my B T package?