[mrdtv]

From What Satellite:

Freeview expands early access to HD

Freeview has revealed its high definition upgrade programme – and it’s much bigger than expected.

More than 20 terrestrial TV transmitters and relay groups will be broadcasting the Freeview HD multiplex in time for the football World Cup in June 2010.

First to go live on December 2 this year will be Winter Hill, which serves Manchester, and Crystal Palace in London.

Previous announcements had then earmarked transmitters serving London (Crystal Palace), Glasgow and Edinburgh (Black Hill), Durham and Teeside (Pontop Pike), Birmingham (Lichfield), and south Yorkshire (Emley Moor) in the first half of 2010.

The full list includes most of Wales, the entire Granada region, the Shetlands and Orkneys, and northern Scotland.

By the end of 2010, homes in most of Scotland and western England, plus the Channel Islands and Isle of Man, will be able to receive HD through their TV aerial.

The rest of the UK will be able to receive Freeview HD as their regions switch to digital in 2011 and 2012.

Caroline Thomson, the BBC’s chief operating officer, said: “This is a terrific step forward, and it’s a great achievement that the BBC and its partners have been able to work together to overcome some really difficult technical challenges to bring HD to the Freeview platform through world-leading innovation.

“We’re really excited about the prospect of seeing BBC HD and HD channels from the other public service broadcasters on Freeview next year.”

Freeview HD uses the new DVB-T2 standard as well as MPEG-4 video compression, unlike the DVB-T and MPEG-2 combination used on Freeview.

Viewers will need a new set-top box or compatible TV – zapper boxes are expected from Humax and Pace, although no-one has announced a Freeview HD TV yet.

[Franglais]

Is this accurate?

I understood the Channerl Islands won't DSO until 2012 so, in theory, Freeview HD will be impossible there in 2010?

Sorry if I've got the facts mixed up.

[mrdtv]

Originally Posted by Franglais

Is this accurate?

I understood the Channerl Islands won't DSO until 2012 so, in theory, Freeview HD will be impossible there in 2010?

Sorry if I've got the facts mixed up.

http://blog.wotsat.com/page/whatsat?...arly_access_to

CI being DSO'd next year. Looks like What Satellite have got the full schedule and a quote from BBC!

[Franglais]

Thanks Mrdtv!

Interesting to note CP gaining Freeview HD in 2010 before the increase in ERP not scheduled until 2012 hmmmm!

[Ray Cathode]

Originally Posted by mrdtv

Freeview has revealed its high definition upgrade programme – and it’s much bigger than expected.

More than 20 terrestrial TV transmitters and relay groups will be broadcasting the Freeview HD multiplex in time for the football World Cup in June 2010.

The full list includes most of Wales, the entire Granada region, the Shetlands and Orkneys, and northern Scotland.

By the end of 2010, homes in most of Scotland and western England, plus the Channel Islands and Isle of Man, will be able to receive HD through their TV aerial.

This is not really new. What they appear to have done is project HD on to the regions undergoing DSO in 2010, namely Grampian, Wenvoe etc. The only new items are the Granada relays, and "most" of Wales, which will be retrospective from DSO.

The last paragraph contains the second half of 2010 DSOs plus IOM which is new info.

I feel sorry for Border and the West Country who appear to be losing the World Cup in HD on Freeview. There's always a penalty for early adopters.

[Ray Cathode]

Originally Posted by Franglais

Thanks Mrdtv!

Interesting to note CP gaining Freeview HD in 2010 before the increase in ERP not scheduled until 2012 hmmmm!

They've been testing at CP most of 2009 on UHF31. The DVB-T broadcasts that I could see in 8k 64QAM was very good quality.

[mrdtv]

Originally Posted by Ray Cathode

They've been testing at CP most of 2009 on UHF31. The DVB-T broadcasts that I could see in 8k 64QAM was very good quality.

Yes, but this is 3dB down on current CP DTT and there will be a HRP restriction to protect Sandy Heath analogue until DSO there.

[David (2)]

any news on the Mendip transmitter going HD?

[a516]

Originally Posted by David (2)

any news on the Mendip transmitter going HD?

Mendip switches over in March 2010, so HD will be available at some point between end of March and the end of the year.

[TC]

Originally Posted by a516

Mendip switches over in March 2010, so HD will be available at some point between end of March and the end of the year.

As far as I was aware, any transmitter going through DSO after Winter Hill next month would get HD at its DSO-2, i.e. on 7th April 2010 for Mendip.

Has somebody changed this? If so, I'll not be happy.

TC

[brattbakkk]

Any news on when the new HD DVB-T2 equipment hits the shops?

[albertd]

Originally Posted by mrdtv

CI being DSO'd next year.

Confirmation is contained here:

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/when_do_i...hannel_islands

[tommytempras]

So my telly and digital freeview recorder will be obsolete? Great.

[mossy2103]

Originally Posted by tommytempras

So my telly and digital freeview recorder will be obsolete? Great.

Not at all.

Your Freeview recorder will still receive SD Freeview programmes, and will still record them, just as you do now. Your TV will still, via one of its inputs, be able to display the signal output by your functioning Freeview recorder, just as it does now. What you won't be able to do is to receive or view Freeview HD broadcasts without the addition of a Freeview HD box.

And importantly, you are not forced to buy such a box as Freeview HD will not be compulsory (at least not for a long time).

[TV King]

I live in Tiptree which is in Essex and I get my signal from the Tacolneston transmitter.

My region Anglia switches over to digital only sometime in 2011.

So please can someone tell if my region will be get in HD on dtt (Freeview) early or will I have to Waite till the Anglia region switches over to digital only sometime in 2011?

Also Have I got this right than on dtt (Freeview) the HD channel that will be available on the platform will be BBC HD, ITV HD, Channel 4 HD and Five HD?

Will ITV HD be available via the epg or will it be via the red button as it is on Freesat?

And will there be any other HD channels available on dtt (Freeview) or will the channels mentioned above be it?

[Ronald McDonald]

London has already joined Granada in getting Freeview HD this year, and Glasgow and Edinburgh (Black Hill), Durham and Teeside (Pontop Pike), Birmingham (Lichfield), and south Yorkshire (Emley Moor) were all scheduled for the first half of 2010.

And now, other regions have been given a firm time for Freeview HD to arrive before June 11th 2010 – and the timeline is much faster than previously anticipated.

Regional joy

West and Central Wales (Blaenplwyf transmitter), Swansea (Kilvey Hall), Cardiff and Newport (Wenvoe) and around the Winter Hill relays will all be up and running by March.

In April, Carmarthenshire (Carmel), Exeter and parts of Devon (Stockland Hill), Bristol, Somerset, Dorset Wiltshire and Gloucestershire (Mendip).

May sees Shetland (Bressay) and Orkney (Keelylang Hill) join the Freeview HD party and June brings North Wales (Long Mountain, Moel-y-parc, Presely), Caithness and North Sutherland (Rumster Forest).

http://www.techradar.com/news/televi...winners-648600

[jpg23]

Wonder what is meant by the rather cryptic "around the Winter Hill relays" ?? Not the current relays themseves, bu some additional sites maybe?!

[ney]

Most of my area use Black Hilll but a few miles south and east of my area use Craigkelly. Im thinking about getting a Freeview HD PVR when they come out next year if they are under £200.

Darren

[Heinz]

Originally Posted by TV King

I live in Tiptree which is in Essex and I get my signal from the Tacolneston transmitter.

I doubt that. You're over 50 miles from Tacolneston.

More likely, you're receiving from Sudbury, about 13 miles away.

http://www.wolfbane.com/cgi-bin/tvd....D&HT=30&OS=CO5

[butiaboy]

looks like i will be getting hd in early 2010 making my tv obsolete

south Yorkshire (Emley Moor) in the first half of 2010.

[Grannygrunt]

Originally Posted by butiaboy

looks like i will be getting hd in early 2010 making my tv obsolete

No it won't! Emley Moor will still be broadcasting as it is now! The HD broadcasts from there will be IN ADDITION to the current broadcasts in SD and its only because there is spare capacity. You certainly won't need to update your TV. If you want to view the HD broadcasts from Emley Moor when they begin in Spring then you WILL need a Freeview HD capable box, but that will be your decision.

GG

[AxG]

I hope that my local relay (Chesterfield) will have HD, with it broadcasting all 6 multiplexes.

[a516]

Originally Posted by AxG

I hope that my local relay (Chesterfield) will have HD, with it broadcasting all 6 multiplexes.

Chesterfield will have HD from switchover in 2011.

Every transmitter in the UK will have the HD multiplex after switchover (Those already past switchover will get the HD multiplex sometime in the next 12 months.)

[a516]

Originally Posted by butiaboy

looks like i will be getting hd in early 2010 making my tv obsolete

You give your location as Dronfield.

As a result, you will not be getting the HD multiplex from Emley Moor - yet.

This is because the HD multiplex will use UHF channel 39 beamed northwards to Leeds.

UHF channel 39 is currently used for the BBC's digital services on multiplex 1 from the Sheffield relay transmitter. If the HD signal was beamed southwards over Sheffield to Dronfield there would be interference. A similar situation exists from Lichfield where transmission north-eastwards would interfere with Nottingham Channel 5 analogue.

Remember, the HD broadcasts to London, Birmingham, Leeds, parts of Central Scotland and Newcastle prior to digital switchover use spare, low powered frequencies squashed between existing digital and analogue broadcasts.

At switchover in 2011, the temporary HD multiplex will be replaced by the new high power BBC-B HD multiplex which will be available on all transmitters (see previous post).

[TV King]

Originally Posted by Heinz

I doubt that. You're over 50 miles from Tacolneston.

More likely, you're receiving from Sudbury, about 13 miles away.

http://www.wolfbane.com/cgi-bin/tvd....D&HT=30&OS=CO5

I still think that I am getting my signal from the Tacolneston transmitter because when the big dtt (Freeview) retune happened at the end of September I rescanned my Topfiled TF5800PVR (250GB) and my Hitachi 42inch LCD with built in Freeview and once done I still received all the dtt (Freeview) channel including ITV3 and ITV4 which some people lost after rescanning.

I have always assumed that the Sudbury transmitters are secondary once and that Tacolneston is a main transmitter and as I can still receive all the dtt (Freeview) channels including ITV3 and ITV4 then I must be getting my signal from the Tacolneston transmitter.

I have even gone to analogue Teletext and pressed revival and TAC appears and even on an old Thomson Top Up TV pvr which I do not have anymore said Tacolneston when scanning for channels.