Analogue television broadcasts end at 2am on Sunday as homes from Taupo to Auckland join the rest of the country in going digital.
Black-and-white television was introduced to New Zealand in 1960, and colour TV arrived in 1974.
Freeview general manager Sam Irvine says more than 90% of the country already has digital television.
The advantages include more channels, and better sound and picture quality.
Broadcasting Minister Craig Foss says it's a historic point: "Switching off analogue TV transmission in New Zealand - it is a moment in time."
But Mr Foss says research shows that as many as 49,000 households could be left without a working television on Sunday.