Lords Electrical

 

High definition (HD) services are being added to the Freeview platform, with stock due to be available early in the new year. It’s set to be a huge opportunity, especially with England’s qualification for the football World Cup finals and the fact that all games are scheduled to be broadcast in HD on the Freeview platform in June and July 2010.

 

Here's what Freeview HD offers:

·                     Freeview HD will initially offer three subscription-free HD channels from the  BBC, ITV and Channel 4/S4C –  with more to follow – in addition to over 50 Freeview channels in standard definition (SD).

·                     BBC HD will broadcast nine hours of its best shows each day, including landmark factual programmes, dramas, great children’s content, entertainment and comedy programmes – as well as sport such as Wimbledon and the 2010 World Cup.

·                     ITV1 HD will show the most popular ITV content in HD, including original drama, films and premium sport such as live England internationals and UEFA Champions League.

·                     An HD version of Channel 4’s current flagship service will be available in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with viewers in Wales able to see an HD simulcast of S4C Digital. 

·                     Five are in discussions about launching HD services on Freeview.   

The Freeview HD service will be rolled out region by region with our Local Birmingham transmitter by the end of March 2010.

 

We expect Freeview HD set-top boxes to be available by early February, iDTVs with inbuilt Freeview HD around the end of March and Freeview+ HD digital TV recorders in April.

All Freeview HD receivers will be ‘backwards compatible’ – i.e. they can be used to receive the current Freeview SD channels until Freeview HD is launched in that area – so Freeview HD equipment can be bought and installed at any time so it’s ready for when Freeview HD is launched in a consumer’s region.    

 

Lords Electrical