FORTY thousand homes in Torbay and South Devon may only get half the full range of channels when digital switchover takes place tomorrow.

Just after midnight the area will be the first in England to see a full-scale digital switchover.

It is a two-stage process which will see the traditional analogue signal turned off.

However, people who have bought digital set-top boxes or integrated televisions and receive their signal via a relay beacon, rather than the main transmitters, will only get 20 channels of the 40 available.

February's figures from Digital UK, the not-for-profit organisation charged with arranging the switchover, showed 13 per cent or 18,000 South Devon homes have yet to take action before tomorrow's digital switchover.

Bill Taylor, regional manager for Digital UK in the South West, says even with a basic service homes will still get five times the number of programmes they currently get as standard.

"Everybody, no matter where their aerial is pointed, gets 20 public service channels," he said.

"If your aerial is pointed towards one of the main transmitters, by an accident of geography really, you also get a bundle of commercially-funded channels.

"Everybody moves up from four or five channels to 20.

"These 20 channels are paid for by the licence fee as part of public service broadcasting. That's the new 'gold standard'.

"The other channels are commercially funded."

Switchover takes place in two stages.

Stage one starts shortly after midnight this evening when analogue BBC Two will be switched off and replaced with BBC digital channels.

All terrestrial TV services will be off air during the night and are expected to be restored in most areas by around 6am.

In some areas served by relay transmitters, services will be off air until around noon.

Stage two will take place on April 22.

Then the remaining analogue channels of BBC One, ITV1, Channel 4 and Five will be replaced in digital format along with more public-service TV, radio and text services.

All terrestrial TV services will be off air during the night and are expected to be restored in some areas by around 6am and in other areas served by relay transmitters by around late afternoon.

At both stages, Freeview boxes will require retuning.

Ofcom figures predict 84,000 homes in South Devon receive their signal from the main transmitter at Beacon Hill.

Despite the massive information campaign Mr Taylor said he didn't envisage a situation where everyone in South Devon could get all the channels through a set-top box or television.

"It is an accident of geography," he said.

"It's not for me to say really as the other channels are commercially funded. It's really their decision if they want to roll out the service to the whole network.

"Having said that, I don't see a circumstance in which people watching relay transmitters will get those extra commercial channels anytime soon."

Bay MP Adrian Sanders was involved in the switchover plans as part of his role on the government's Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.

He said: "If you receive your signal from a relay transmitter you won't get a full range of channels because of the signal.

"You will still get more channels than you currently get. You'll be able to get things like the Parliament Channel and Five for the first time, but you won't get the full range you can get from the main transmitters.

"I'm pleased with the way the digital switchover has been going.

"There will be one person who does not make the change. It will be a case of how well they react to that when we know what, if any problems, come about."

Sarah Bickley, project lead for digital switchover for Age Concern Torbay, said she was expecting tomorrow's switchover to go ahead with little problems.

She said: "I would be surprised if it doesn't go well.

"From out point of view we've been working with this project since November.

"It's not just been the elderly but also help with those with special needs or anyone who might need it.

"We are able to give practical demonstrations of what needs to be done, or help showing what the red button does on a remote, for instance.

"People can come along to one of our drop-in sessions and have a cup of tea. There's also a help line where people get through to a 'human' in the first place.

"There's definitely support services in place."

Arlene Lowe, of Paignton's Aaron Aerials and Satellite Services, said they had been busy in the run-up to tomorrow's switch-off.

"We have been really busy," she said.

"Some of the elderly have been initially confused. We offer a talk through service where we've been able to talk people through the changes over the phone, including working the remote.

"I think it should all go smoothly."