2012 doesn’t just mark the beginning of the Olympics in London - it also signals the end of the analogue signal in the capital.

The government started the process of switching to the digital signal back in 2007 and London is next in line to receive a digital overhaul.

Phase one has already been completed with BBC Two disappearing from the analogue signal completely.

The switchover is now complete in London which has, most notably, resulted in the loss of Ceefax the text-based 'red button' service which existed long before digital services were introduced.

Meridian and Tyne Tees will be switched over later in the year resulting in the complete removal of Ceefax from the UK.

It will mean better quality TV for us all but what other benefits (and problems) might we encounter when switching over? We find out…

Digital Switchover: How to switch over

To switch over to digital, you need to have either a digital box or, ideally, a television with a digital signal built-in.

There are a number of digital boxes to choose from with a basic Freeview box starting from just £20.

You can also choose something similar with Sky or Virgin Media if you want a wider range of channels, but these incur a monthly subscription charge whereas Freeview offers the option of a one-off payment.

Existing Freeview viewers will have to re-tune their Freeview boxes in order to keep the digital signal and to update the extended channel list the switchover is offering.

Sky, Freesat and Virgin Media subscribers will be unaffected by the switchover so will not need to retune.