What’s an IDTV?

IDTV stands for ‘Integrated Digital TV set’ or ‘Integrated Digital TV receiver’. Currently, most people who receive digital TV in the UK (either by satellite (from Sky Digital), cable (from NTL or Telewest) or over-the-air (from Freeview or Top Up TV), do so through a digital set-top box which plugs into their existing TV set. This converts digital TV signals into ones which can be displayed on an (analogue) TV. However, widescreen colour TV sets increasingly come with a set-top box built into them. The vast majority of such TVs are designed to receive the Freeview service through an existing roof-top aerial, although some of the old ones can receive Sky Digital via a dish on the roof.

One of the reasons for this is that TV set manufacturers are preparing for analogue television signals to be switched off by 2012 (although this process will begin as early as 2008 in some parts of the UK). IDTVs will, of course, continue to work after this date, while conventional analogue TV sets won't - unless they have a set-top box attached to them.

If you plan to purchase an IDTV (see ‘Is buying an IDTV a good idea?’), be careful not to be misled by the use of the word ‘digital’ by a retailer or manufacturer to describe or promote a particular type of TV set. Often, this may refer to a feature (such as Dolby Digital sound or a particular type of screen display) which has nothing to do with the ability to receive digital TV signals. If you want to be sure that the receiver you are buying is an IDTV, first look for the pink 'digital tick' logo. If it's present, then it's an IDTV.

However, this logo is a new one, and not all retailers carry it yet. So, also look to see if the TV carries a DVB logo. If it hasn’t got one, it’s still possible it could be an IDTV, in which case it may carry the Freeview logo. If it hasn't got either of these logos, it could still be an IDTV, in which case it will have the phrase ‘Integrated Digital TV’ printed on it somewhere.

If it has neither the digital tick, nor a DVB logo nor a Freeview logo nor the phrase ‘Integrated Digital TV’ on it (or on its packaging), then it’s not an IDTV!