TIMES are only going to get busier for one industry with the digital switchover – antenna installers.

Betta Lifestyles' Geoff Williams said while they were busy now, he expected it would only get busier after the switch off.

“There's going to be a lot of people that are relying on their analogue signal,” he said.

“Because of their low socio-economic status they can't afford to get a new TV or set top box.”

Another antenna installer said installation levels would probably get worse once analog switched off.

“I can't see it done within a couple of months,” he said.

Mr Williams said there were many things that could stop a household from receiving the digital signal.

“A lot of the cable and antennas are not of digital standard,” he said.

Mr Williams said one of the issues involved line of sight, which meant trees and other objects got in the way of the digital signal.

He said analog signals just skipped over those objects.

Mr Williams said other issues included the antenna arms falling off, rust or water ingress in the main antenna connection or the cable may not be the correct type for digital television reception.

“The old air cables or ribbon cables are not digital standard,” he said.

Mr Williams said to get digital reception, the house needed a RG6 quad shield cable.

Ins and Outs of antennas

Air and ribbon cables not digital standard

Need RG6 quad shield to get digital

Reception problem could be due to arms falling off antenna

Other problem could be because there is rust or water ingress in main connection

Trees and other objects disrupt digital reception