Conformance explained

The ‘digital tick’, has been developed as a certification mark to help consumers through switchover in the United Kingdom. Digital UK, the organisation tasked with communicating digital switchover to the public, features the 'digital tick' in its marketing campaign, and consumers are told to ‘look for the logo’ when buying digital TV equipment.

The logo is designed to identify digital TV products (such as integrated digital TV sets, digital boxes and digital television recorders/DTRs) and digital TV services (such as Sky, Freeview, Freesat and Virgin Media) that are designed to work through digital switchover. 

Freeview is the UK’s free to air digital terrestrial television service, offering up to 50 TV channels and 24 digital radio stations with no subscription or contract. Freeview is now in over 70% of UK homes. Since the service launched in 2002, the total sales of DTT devices in the UK has reached over 58 million units. Virtually everyone (98.5%) will be able to receive Freeview when the UK completes digital switchover in 2012.

Freeview+ is Freeview’s subscription and contract free digital recorder service. As well as converting an analogue TV to digital, the receiver allows viewers to record a series, record directly from a seven-day TV guide with one button, pause live TV and store hundreds of hours of programmes.

The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and S4C in Wales now broadcast high definition channels on Freeview HD.

By the time switchover is completed in 2012 Freeview HD will be available to 98.5% of the UK population. In order to receive Freeview HD, consumers will need to purchase new Freeview HD digital boxes or Freeview+ HD recorders or integrated Freeview HD TVs.

The 'digital tick', Freeview and Freeview HD logos are given to products that meet D-Book standard. The D-Book is the technical specification for digital terrestrial television in the UK.

Freesat is the UK's subscription-free satellite TV service offering more than 140 TV, radio and interactive services.

DTG Testing developed and implemented the test and conformance regime for Freesat, building on the experience the Test Centre gained on the Freeview DTT platform. DTG Testing works with manufacturers to ensure their Freesat equipment meets the Freesat and Freesat+ specification. The test centre holds a contract to provide product testing for Freesat and all products have to pass the DTG’s tests before they can use the Freesat, Freesat+ and Freesat HD logos.

DTG Testing has created a set of industry-approved test suites that ensure products meet the performance required to meet the criteria for the 'digital tick' and the Freeview, Freeview+ and Freeview HD logos.

Manufacturers use reports generated by product conformance testing at the DTG’s Test Centre as evidence to achieve the 'digital tick', Freeview and Freesat logos.