BBC One HD launch date revealed
Freesat for sure - Freeview HD too?
Updated The BBC will begin simulcasting BBC One in HD on 3 November, the Corporation has revealed.
No formal announcement has been made, but the BBC's technical website shows the channel will begin transmitting on that date on the free-to-air satellite service, Freesat.
Last May, the BBC said the channel would debut in the autumn, on Freesat and Freeview HD, plus Sky and Virgin. While BBC One HD may not begin broadcasting on Freeview HD on that date - it'll be using the bandwidth originally earmarked for Five's HD service - it may not be too far behind.
The arrival of BBC One HD will see BBC HD continue in its role of showcase for programmes from the BBC's other channels.
Update
The BBC has now confirmed the date, and that BBC One HD will debut on Freeview HD then too. The channel will begin transmitting at 7pm.
You’ll find the new channel at Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.
The exisiting BBC HD channel will move to Freeview channel 54, Sky channel 169, and Virgin Media channel 187.
More details at GoneDigital. ®
COMMENTS
EPG
Great - can we now be given the option to update our EPG's so that where a channel simulcasts, we can see the HD channel by default (e.g. I want to see ITV HD listed where ITV SD currently is within the EPG), rather than having to skip about the EPG finding the HD channels.
Freesat HD favours London over the Sticks
I assume that BBC1 HD will be the same as ITV1 HD in that it is set to London region. For those of us who live out in the sticks who do occasionally like to watch our regional versions of these channels, then the SD version is all that's available (unlike my children, I do not channel hop every 30 seconds, so I don't want to keep switching). I am not holding out much hope for Freeview HD, if the quality of Freeview SD around here is anything to go by. That's the only reason for sticking with Freesat.
At last, no more...
... switching from BBC1 to HD to watch something in HD, only to find that Dragon's Den is on instead and what I want to watch is on HD in three days time!
Bah humbug
Just in time for the millions (including us IT workers!) who will be left unemployed as a result of the banks recklessness to watch "bargain hunt car booty cash in the attic" viewing Royal Doulton porcelain figures and Tim Wonnacott's face in 1080p high definition on LCD TVs on the verge of repossession, all the while cutting their serious drama and news budget because the licence fee has been "frozen".
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Content?
If only the beeb (and to be fair every other channel) would put as much effort and expenditure into content as they do into HD hardware maybe it would be worth watching.
It reminds me of something I'm always trying to explain to my users. For some reason they seem to think that the solution to all their PC problems is a faster network connection. I explain that they are not using more than 20% of their available bandwidth and that their applications are slow because the servers are slow or the application is crap. They remain convinced, however, that a faster WAN connection will improve matters. The same problems only faster.
In the case of HD what we have is the same crap only sharper.
