CONSUMERS will be forced to pay up to $400 to continue watching television under a plan to convert all viewing to digital technology.

The industry estimates more than 14.5 million TVs would have to be converted to digital reception over the next five years under a recommendation by a federal parliamentary committee to turn off the traditional analog service.

To stimulate conversion to digital the cross-party committee recommends lifting bans on networks broadcasting multiple, free-to-air channels by 2008. This opens the prospect of up to 30 free-to-air channels being available to viewers. To get access to the higher-quality, wide-screen services, consumers would need to buy set top boxes ranging in price from $80 for a basic model to about $400 for a better-quality, high-definition receiver.

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Source: SMH