A new era is set to dawn for TV viewers in 75,000 homes across Norfolk and north Suffolk tonight when the old analogue signal is turned off and replaced by digital transmission.

At midnight, the analogue transmitter and mast at the Tacolneston station near Norwich will be switched off to be replaced by a new transmitter broadcasting a digital signal, which should produce a much clearer picture for viewers from West Runton to Aldeburgh.

But there was almost a poignant air among the team preparing for the big switchover today as they prepared to turn off power to the 505ft mast and four analogue transmitters which have faithfully provided analogue pictures to homes across the region since 1956.

Bruce Randall, spokesman for telecommunications firm Arqiva, which provides infrastructure and broadcast transmission facilities, said: 'This is the end of an era. This station has been broadcasting analogue pictures for the last 55 years.'

The Norfolk and north Suffolk area is among the last five regions to switch to digital TV since the switchover process began region-by-region in October 2007 when Whitehaven in Cumbria became the first area to change.

London is set to change next year, before Meridian and Tyne Tees and Ulster next autumn.