Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/13/five_hd_on_virgin/
Five HD turns on Virgin
Cable broadcaster adds channel to HD roster
Posted in Media, 13th July 2010 10:27 GMT
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Five HD has gone live on Virgin Media [1] - months after the up-for-sale channel lost its space [2] on Freeview HD.
Five HD is a simulcast of Five [3] and will - VM said - include "a wide array of programmes made in the High Definition format". That's code for 'some programmes will be upscaled from standard definition'.
Loss-making Five - which has had a 'for sale' notice placed on it by its current owner, RTL - yesterday said it was withdrawing from Project Canvas [4], the BBC-led scheme to define a standard platform for internet TV content.
The BBC, incidentally, has acquired the space [5] on the Freeview HD multiplex originally assigned to Five. Ofcom took the bandwidth back from the troubled broadcaster after deciding it was not convinced that Five had a plan in place to launch an HD channel on service.
Days later, Five said Five HD would debut instead [6] on Sky's satellite network in the summer. ®