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BBC announces roll-out of Freeview HD

The Freeview HD logo
  • Posted at 11:02am
  • 20 October 2009
  • by DoctorDigital-RT
  • 8 comments

The BBC has confirmed the schedule for upgrading its digital TV network, which will see HD channels become available via Freeview.

The upgrade programme, which runs alongside the BBC's main digital switchover project, will start by launching Freeview HD services in the North West of England from December this year.

Digital switchover frees up bandwidth, providing air space for the new HD channels. The HD upgrade will therefore follow digital switchover in each region. Most regions that have already switched over are set to be upgraded to HD before the end of 2010. To find out when your area becomes fully digital visit freeview.co.uk.

A small network of five additional transmitters will bring HD services to some metropolitan areas ahead of their planned switchover dates. London will benefit from the end of 2009, with transmitters for Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham and Leeds/Bradford due to be on air during spring 2010.

To receive the new HD channels where available, viewers will need to buy a new Freeview HD device (set-top box, integrated digital TV set or digital TV recorder). A range of products is expected to be available in shops early next year.

Although existing HD-ready television sets will display pictures from HD Freeview channels, they will require an additional Freeview HD receiver (set-top box or digital recorder) in order to decode them and display them in HD.

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Comments

  • Posted on 14 November 2009
  • at 12:29am
  • by Bean

Zozi what HD Ready means is that the tv is ready to display HD but it needs something extra like a "set-top box" to display channels in HD. The ideal option for them wast to wait until the end of this year and buy a HD Ready tv with freeview HD built in but because you brought a TV when freeview HD hadn't started yet you will need to buy either a "set-top box" or a new tv with freeview built in. Sorry abouth this i was just about to buy a TV when i saw all these websites saying that you had to wait until late December and then by a tv with freeview HD built in so luckily i got away from this stupidity!!!

  • Posted on 04 November 2009
  • at 10:51pm
  • by maurice

Why doesn't the bbc do something different to what sky did when it moved from analogue to digital? less channels more programmes.Less repeats.Quality. It does not matter if the progs are not always what I like. On the epg the first statement for bbc3 is refreshing tv for the digital age? Then it reads The best in new entertainment,comedy,contemporary drama and music for the digital age? What it provides is constant recycling of Doctor Who, 2 pints of lager, Merlin and EastEnders.The last thing I remember was meant for bbc3 was Casanova and that was years ago.Radio Moscow did this in the 60s' swamping with broadcasts. Companies do this in supermarkets all the time, filling shelf space with the same thing. Sky did at the beginning of the decade recycling stuff you like till you are sick to death of it.make bbc3 and bbc4 one. make cbbc and cbeebies one.

  • Posted on 22 October 2009
  • at 12:49pm
  • by patsi

I don't know about all this high tech talk, all I know is that since the 'retune' on September 30th, I have totally lost ITV 3 (channel 10) and other stations which had good quality pictures are now breaking up on my less than 3 months old tv. We have tried all the suggested solutions - none work. Won't 'they' the powers that be that control everything ever learn - if it ain't broke don't fix it!

  • Posted on 21 October 2009
  • at 9:28pm
  • by sespot

Yes, what a con!!! when purchasing my so-called HD ready tv i was told by the sales assistant that it was ready for when HD became available, this is clearly untrue - i am appalled and will not be shelling out more money for a new HD television.

  • Posted on 21 October 2009
  • at 4:57pm
  • by DoctorDigital-RT

FAO Zozi - I know what you mean about an over-abundance of boxes. Unfortunately, the only real solution will be to buy a new integrated product - eg a TV or PVR with a built-in Freeview HD receiver. Clearly, you don't want to replace your expensive TV but when the new Freeview HD products do appear, a less expensive option might be to discard your old PVR and get a new one with integrated HD Freeview. Of course, that still means forking out more money and discarding an otherwise perfectly good PVR...

But back to your main question - is an HD picture really that much better than your current non-HD picture? I'm afraid a poll of the office says yes. Everybody I spoke to told me that it's significantly better on the majority of output, with some really striking results on certain types of programme. At the same time, they all pointed out that there are exceptions - so you may not always see an improvement. As one colleague put it, "you'll watch one show and think it's quite nice yet nothing special, then the next one will make your jaw flop about".

  • Posted on 21 October 2009
  • at 1:40pm
  • by Zozi

Thank you for your prompt but depressing answer DoctorDigital. I don't think my living room will take the weight of yet another box in addition to the DVD, video, PVR and German satellite boxes vying for space around my TV. I have an excellent Panasonic Viera 42-inch which to my mind produces wonderful pictures. Is HD really so superior I should bother with another set-top box to get it?

  • Posted on 20 October 2009
  • at 5:24pm
  • by DoctorDigital-RT

FAO Zozi - I feel your pain but I'm afraid the short answer is yes, you will need to buy a separate HD receiver (a set-top box).

An HD-ready TV is capable of producing an HD display but it needs an HD signal to do it. Although it's possible to buy integrated TVs (ones with built-in receivers) to receive Freesat HD channels, they don't yet exist for Freeview (because there are not yet any Freeview HD channels).

After Freeview HD channels are launched a whole range of Freeview HD equipment will become available, including integrated TVs and separate set-top boxes. Hopefully, there will be some affordable options - it will certainly be a lot cheaper to buy a set-top box than to replace your expensive TV!

  • Posted on 20 October 2009
  • at 4:28pm
  • by Zozi

What, you mean that my ridiculously expensive HD-ready TV with integrated Freeview won't actually show me the Freeview channels in HD and I will have to buy yet something else? Or have I read the last two paragraphs incorrectly? What's the point of an HD ready TV if it doesn't show it in HD, I don't understand - or have I missed something here?

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