Freeview counts down to national upgrade

Freeview is counting down to a national upgrade of the digital terrestrial television platform to make Five more widely available and also prepare for the launch of Freeview HD.

On September 30, Freeview viewers will have to retune their equipment in order to continue receiving all available channels and services. Information on retuning is available on the TV Retune website or by ringing the dedicated helpline.

Following the upgrade, coverage of Five will improve so that over 500,000 Freeview homes can receive the channel for the first time. This move is due to a government requirement that Five must transfer to a public service multiplex to ensure universal coverage of the channel after the digital switchover.

After retuning, the majority of Freeview households will also be able to receive the Quest channel, which is a brand new launch from Discovery Networks International.

However, a small percentage of viewers will no longer be able to receive ITV3 and ITV4 after the upgrade, and the Community Channel will cease in post-switchover areas.

The technical upgrade is also in preparation for the commencement of high definition broadcasts on December 2 at the Winter Hill transmitter serving the Granada TV region.

Freeview viewers in this region will be able to watch three HD channels before the end of this year, but will have to purchase a new set top box first which supports the new European transmission standard DVB-T2. Pace recently unveiled such a product at IBC 2009 in Amsterdam.

Freeview managing director Ilse Howling said: "These are significant and necessary changes which will immediately bring Freeview viewers new channels, introduce new homes to existing channels and prepare the platform for the future availability of Freeview HD.

"Freeview already offers quality channels including 13 of the 15 most watched channels and this retune will allow more viewers to benefit."