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Television watchers will find out in another four years when they have to sign up for digital television or be unable to get a signal at all.
The Government has announced it will set a final date for switching off the old analogue system in either 2012 or after 75 per cent of homes have switched to digital.
The switching off of the old analogue network will mean households must have Sky or Freeview - the new platform shared by all free-to-air broadcasters - to continue to watch television.
At the moment, 45 per cent of homes have digital television and Broadcasting Minister Trevor Mallard said a firm deadline for the rest to switch over would not be made until either 2012 or after 75 per cent of homes had already changed.
The initial change to digital has a cost for consumers: it requires households to either sign up for Sky Television with installation and subscription costs or pay the one-off cost of a set-top box and a satellite dish needed to get Freeview.
Mr Mallard said viewers would benefit, despite the initial outlay.
"Viewers will get better reception, an electronic programme guide and more content to choose from."
National broadcasting spokesman Jonathan Coleman said Mr Mallard needed to say what would happen to people who had not switched over by the cut-off date.
"He's offering no certainty at all to the poorest New Zealanders who cannot afford a new digital set-up, and those who simply don't want to change. One presumes there may be a public cost for switching over that final group."
The change will result in a total economic benefit of $230 million, if the switch-off was made in 2015.
But further delays would lower the benefit and a Cabinet paper says overseas experience showed that take-up rates of digital were slow until a final date was given.
It says a steering group might decide to recommend setting a final date earlier than the 2012 plan.
Broadcasters and the Government would work together to decide the final date - but broadcasters are unlikely to want to drag it out because of the cost savings to them. It will also benefit the Government, because of the extra spectrum digital offers.
Mr Mallard said the change would also mean cost savings of $123 million for broadcasters, largely because the energy costs of digital television are about 10 per cent of those needed for analogue.
The changeover would probably be done region by region, spread out over a year and there would be an initial trial switch-off in one region to assess the response from consumers and the industry.
