About 30% of New Zealand households will need to buy a new television or a digital box and may have to upgrade aerials before the November 2013 change.
Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman said the Going Digital campaign included a website and help line with information about when viewers had to switch and what digital services and channels they could receive.
The switch will be done regionally, starting with Hawkes Bay and West Coast in September 2012.
Going Digital national manager Greg Harford was in Dunedin last week to launch the campaign locally.
Otago is expected to switch to digital television in April 2013.
If television viewers were receiving Sky or Freeview now, they were already watching digital television, Mr Harford said in an interview.
Remote areas of the region were watching digital television through satellite transmissions.
Digital television would give viewers many more channels to choose from and a better quality picture.
The switch to digital would also free up many frequencies that could be allocated to mobile networks.
Those frequencies were forecast to add up to $2.4 billion to the economy in the next 20 years as they were utilised for mobile commerce, he said.
Although about 70% of New Zealanders already watched digital television, it was still important to get the message out to those who had not made the switch.
Mr Murphy would meet with community groups to talk about the switch.
