HD Freeview

[DB2k]

Originally Posted by JiBeRjAbEr

But what if you have a PC based HDTV card ? Surley that will be able to recieve the HD transmissions? (...goes off to scan the london mux on his mythtv box......)

A card with a tuner fora service which isnt even relased yet? I doubt you'll get anything and would need a new card.

[JiBeRjAbEr]

Why would I need a new card? Isnt is just an increased bit rate transport stream ?

[zantarous]

Originally Posted by Retronana

HD-DVD uses MPEG4, 1st Gen Blu-Ray Discs will be MPEG2.

Telewest are also currently broadcasting HD material in MPEG2.

The BBC currently leading a consortium to get the analogue transmission space to Broadcast HD TV although this is some way off, they are preparing as they have been filming lots of stuff in HD which do get sold to other countries.

[JiBeRjAbEr]

http://www.nebula-electronics.com/news/hdtv.asp

Nebula DigiTV already supports HDTV in austrailia and looks likley to support a UK system. I am sure it is within the means of any of the other suppliers to do so also.

Of course this exludes set-top boxes

http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/board/sho...highlight=hdtv also confirms that the nova-t will suport HDTV (with the correct software decoder)...

I have both DigiTV and Hauppauge recievers.

So I should still be able to scan for the new mux as it will show up, it is just that I wouldnt be able to view the images yet....

[nwgarratt]

Originally Posted by DB2k

A card with a tuner fora service which isnt even relased yet? I doubt you'll get anything and would need a new card.

There are card that are supposed to be HD ready. My USB Freecom Freeview is supposed to be able to recieve HD broadcasts.

[simonmac]

High-definition TV promised for Freeview this summer

Its comming! (Sorf of anyway)

[mnementh]

As previously posted - there is a trial in London (Here)

The BBC and ITV will include all of their live World Cup matches in the test, and will join with Channel 4 and Five to offer packages of other shows.

Does this mean that BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 will all be transmitting at least some HD content that will be only available to the trial, or will it be available to Sky HD customers aswell ?


EDIT : Just spoken to Sky HD and they confirmed the ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 HD transmission will not be available via SKY HD.

So no ITV World Cup games in HD, and no Prison Break on Channel 5 in HD

[camaj]

Oooh, they're going to show some non-BBC HD content? Wow

Perhaps the BBC transmission will be available on Sky HD, I expect the person you spoke to thought you meant seperate HD channels for those stations.

[bradavon]

Is there an update when Freeview HD will be rolled out to the rest of the UK? What about costs of the new boxes needed?

Thanks

[camaj]

About 5 years bradavon, if ever

[bradavon]

Is there any update on this? How is the trial progressing? Thanks

[Phwed]

The HD Trial in London is just that - a trial. Ofcom rule that only 450 homes can receive it and it can only run for 12 months. In fact one of the conditions is that is HD/MPEG4 boxes which can decode the trial signals become generally available then the trial must stop.

The Beeb are pretty keen to move to HD - their techys have been playing with it for over a decade and would love to actually do something. Not to mention their fear of Sky being seen as the "premium" platform while Freeview languishes as second best. However the rules under which they work mean that they need to do a full review looking at value for money, demand, that they wouldn't distort the commercial market, etc before they can launch a new channel.

Add in the complete lack of any spare capacity on Freeview and we are looking at a minimum 2012 (or maybe a phased roll-out from 2008 as the analogue signal is switched off by region).

Finally, ofcom have said that the there will definitely be an auction of the frequencies freed by analogue switch off. The beeb (and other public sector broadcasters) will need to beg for some money in order to bid along with any other commercial entity that decides they could do something fun with the bandwidth.

Personally I think it's coming, but don't hold your breath.

Oh, and if you are looking at buying an HDReady TV with built-in tuner remember that NONE of them will be capable of upgrade to any future HD Freeview service. MPEG4 decoding is a different hardware beast and the current MPEG2 chips are not up to the job. You WILL need an external STB or new TV.

[bradavon]

Thanks Phwed for the lengthy reply, it was most informative. I was on holiday so couldn't reply sooner.

Originally Posted by Phwed

You WILL need an external STB or new TV.

Too true. Considering the cost oft SD Freeview boxes I'm not worried (i.e - buying twice). I hope Freeview HD is also free and the boxes aren't too much, I'd say £100 is fair.

[jake1969]

Surely the answer to getting freeview HD now rather than waiting for the big analogue switch off is to get rid of the rubbish channels on freeview and just concentrate on the main one's.

I think I'd rather see Bleak House and Planet Earth in HD than seeing excitable females bouncing up and down on all of those home shopping and quiz channels!

[Boink!]

Trouble is those el-cheapo quiz channels absolutely rake in the money.

[broadz]

Originally Posted by dumbell

Nope I have a npokia freeview box at the moment, I made sure I didnt get an intergrated tv freeview set as there was a chance that freeview might change to HD freeview at somepoint.

Wouldn't you have been better buying a HD television with integrated Freeview? Your Nokia Freeview box is incapable of transmitting HD, seeing as it only has scart and RF output, so you'd have no means of getting a HD signal to your TV without buying a new Freeview box anyway that has HDMI out (and I don't think that these exist yet). Whereas a TV that's HD capable and contains a digital tuner should be able to successfully play back the HD signal it receives. If it ever happens of course...

[Phwed]

Originally Posted by bradavon

I hope Freeview HD is also free and the boxes aren't too much, I'd say £100 is fair.

Yep, I'm sure that the boxes will tumble as the technology gets established. Under £100 fairly soon after 2012 seems more than reasonable.

Originally Posted by jake1969

I think I'd rather see Bleak House and Planet Earth in HD than seeing excitable females bouncing up and down on all of those home shopping and quiz channels!

Wouldn't most of us (on here) but as I said the BBC need to convince the government/Ofcom of all sorts of things before they will be allowed to launch any new channel (HD or not). Also they only control two of the current multiplexes. I think you'll find that all the quiz channels are on multiplexes controlled by National Grid Wireless, a commercial entity.

[R-T-C]

I'm still waiting for regular freeview to become properly watchable. While we get decent TV reception here most of the time, when the weather is poor the images become very grainy but are still watchable, but at the same time many of the freeview channels become unwatchable as they start glitching and stuttering. I can imagine that an HD signal will be worse.

Personally, I doubt that the analogue signal will get turned off by 2012 - or at least not in remote regions, because while a grainy television is watchable, a glitching digital television is completely useless.

[captain chaos]

I'll believe it when i see it

[neilalford]

Originally Posted by broadz

Wouldn't you have been better buying a HD television with integrated Freeview? Your Nokia Freeview box is incapable of transmitting HD, seeing as it only has scart and RF output, so you'd have no means of getting a HD signal to your TV without buying a new Freeview box anyway that has HDMI out (and I don't think that these exist yet). Whereas a TV that's HD capable and contains a digital tuner should be able to successfully play back the HD signal it receives. If it ever happens of course...

Pretty sure an integrated digital tuner will also be unable to receive HD transmissions, there's not just the connections to consider but the decoding of the material. Takes some pretty powerful hardware to decode HD, plus the right codecs etc. Can't see any TV available now having the right stuff built in, and although things like the codecs could be added via a firmware update I doubt the underlying hardware would be up to the job.