A method for avoiding switch-over delays when changing channels in digital television transmission systems is based on a television transmission system in which a plurality of channels (K1, . . . , Kn) are transmitted in time-division-multiplexed fashion in a data stream (5). An overview channel comprising television picture information items from a plurality of the transmitted channels is provided at the transmitting end. The overview channel is decoded in the television receiver, and the picture information items of the selected channel that are provided in the overview channel are represented while changing channels.