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Five HD turns on Virgin

Cable broadcaster adds channel to HD roster

Five HD has gone live on Virgin Media - months after the up-for-sale channel lost its space on Freeview HD.

Five HD is a simulcast of Five 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, the BBC-led scheme to define a standard platform for internet TV content.

The BBC, incidentally, has acquired the space 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 on Sky's satellite network in the summer. ®

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