With any technology upgrade, it's important to know your existing equipment and exactly what is required to complete the upgrade before you dash out and make your purchases. 

Upgrading your existing TV to get Freeview is no different. 

It's important to go through the following checklist, or alternatively read the information in the Freeview brochure and on the Freeview website, to ensure that you set up your digital TV correctly so you can enjoy Freeview for years to come. 

But you might have some tips or info that you've found on your way to digital TV with Freeview that could help someone out - share them here, help a neighbour out or just get some karmic kudos!

1.  Check your existing equipment: 

• Do you have a working UHF aerial or satellite dish? 
• Do you already have a working TV (any old one will do as most TVs will be able to go digital with Freeview).

2.  Check your Freeview coverage:

• Do this BEFORE you buy any equipment, as hardware requirements differ depending on your location & coverage.
• Go to www.freeviewnz.tv/coverage.aspx and enter your actual physical address to see whether can get Freeview|HD or Freeview Satellite, or both.
• 86% of NZ homes have Freeview|HD coverage
• Nearly 100% of NZ homes have Freeview Satellite coverage.
• Channels on Freeview|HD and on Freeview Satellite do vary (and some are region-dependent), so check first to see which channels are available on each to help you decide which Freeview service to go with.  Download the Freeview brochure which has a Channels Guide at the back or see the bottom of the Freeview homepage.

3.  Make your decision about what you need & want in terms of digital TV equipment:

• Hardware required to get Freeview depends on which service you'd like to get: see here for equipment combinations for Freeview|HD; and see here for equipment combinations for Freeview Satellite;
• If you're opting for Freeview Satellite, it's important to note that you will need a Freeview Satellite digital receiver even if you get a new TV as there are no TVs with Freeview Satellite receivers built-in on the market today;
  
• If being able to record a show while watching another on Freeview is important to you, then go for a MyFreeview digital recorder - MyFreeview|HD digital recorders start from around $350 and MyFreeview Satellite digital recorders start from around $429;
• If you just want to be able to watch digital free-to-air TV, then you just need a Freeview digital receiver, which start from around $79.
• Prices do vary so shop around for the best deals!

4.  Buying your equipment:

• Where from?  Freeview is not a manufacture or retailer of digital TV equipment but there are many Freeview accredited suppliers throughout NZ and you can buy from any of them, online or in-store.
• Watch out for the Freeview logo when you buy - this ensures that your digital receiver / recorder has been fully tested to meet the standards as set by Freeview New Zealand and offers the full suite of Freeview features & benefits.

5.  Installing your equipment:

• About 60% of NZ homes already have a working satellite dish and more than 70% already have a working UHF aerial - if this is you, then set-up is relatively simple, just follow the instructions that come with your digital receiver / recorder;
• If there's no satellite dish or UHF aerial at yours, Freeview recommend that you get an installer to set it up for you - you can find a local installer here or get a complete Freeview Installation Package from a Freeview Accredited Installer (call 0800 373 384 & press 2 to be transferred to a technician who can provide you with a quote). 
• You can DIY an install, however it is vital that your UHF aerial or satellite dish is aligned or positioned correctly and properly secured.  An incorrect installation will leave you with reception issues which can be costly to diagnose & fix, and in the case of a UHF aerial for Freeview|HD, reception issues will be noticeable even if the UHF aerial is out of alignment by a few degrees.

That's about all the basic info I have about how to set up Freeview for now....  You can also use the Freeview wizard to guide you through the process as well. 

And if you've been there & done that - what steps did you follow?  What was useful / interesting to know?