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What does "Full HD Ready" actually mean?

Please don't confuse Freeview HD for "Full HD Ready", these are not the same.

Please don't confuse Freeview HD for Full HD Ready , these are
Published on by on UK Free TV
A television set with the "Full HD Ready" marking means that the display is capable of displaying 1080 lines at 24, 25 and 30 frames per second (not using "interlaced" mode). This usually means that the resolution of the screen will be 1920x1080, about 2 megapixels. This is the "Full HD" bit.

It also means that the display device has a suitable digital input, such as HDMI or DVI to provide the pictures to display, this is the "Ready" bit.

It DOES NOT mean that the set can pick up Freeview HD, Freesat HD, Sky HD or Virgin Media HD without a set-top box.

You will also see "HD Ready". This is as above, but the number of lines displayed will be at least 720 (usually 1280x720, 0.87 megapixels, 2.5 times standard resolution).

You can buy television sets with Freesat HD built in. These sets connect directly to a dish and display the Freesat HD channels (currently BBC One HD, BBC HD, Channel 4 HD and ITV1 HD).

You can now buy Freeview HD sets. These will display BBC One HD, BBC HD, Channel 4 (or S4C) HD and ITV1 HD just by connecting the set to an aerial, but only in areas with Freeview HD.

Please see www.ukfree.tv link icon A comparison of TV, HDTV and computer monitors - ukfree.tv - independent digital TV + switchover advice, since 2002 for more.





Your comments: most recent posts are at the bottom


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Alan Flockton
Tuesday 23 February 2010 8:33AM
"At some point" you'll be able to buy these things.

If this has been going on since 2002, and is to be finished by 2012, aren't we getting a bit past "at some point"?

Shouldn't all the ones that don't do the full bit now be banned from sale?
Briantist
Tuesday 23 February 2010 9:47AM
Alan Flockton: What on earth are you on about? Freeview HD was launched .. last November. Why did you pick 2002 out of the air?
Stephen Phillips
Wednesday 24 February 2010 3:47PM
I think he may be confusing Digital TV with HDTV?

My conclusion remains that you should not buy a TV now unless you NEED to.
Briantist
Friday 26 February 2010 10:11AM
Stephen Phillips: You should never buy anything until you need it.

Digital TV was launched as a consumer product in ... October (Sky) and November (DTT) 1998.
LutonFan
Saturday 27 February 2010 4:32PM Bedford
I often hear people complaining that TV's should have had 'HD Freeview built in' when the first digital TV's came out.

Why on earth would the TV manufacturers include a DVBT-2 tuner when it is not needed at that time? Consumers would then be complaining of the increased price of the sets.

People tend to forget that technology is progressive.



Nedbod
Saturday 27 February 2010 5:35PM
LutonFan : Because it was only a relatively short period before it would be, I notice salesmen in Comet weren't exactly falling over themselves informing the public of the box limitations either !!
Nedbod
Saturday 27 February 2010 5:38PM
Even when you do need it some moron decides to spoil it by putting a damn DOG in the top left hand corner, rendering all your investment meaningless.
Alan Flockton
Saturday 27 February 2010 5:41PM
I'm on about what I say I'm on about. I usually am. Read through from the top. This process of going from analogue to digital started in 2002 like it says at the top of this website that we're both looking at and it finishes in 2012.

The manufacturers should have been preparing through that time, as should the broadcasters and the people who run the broadcast masts. We're getting very near the end of that process and everything should now be ready for 2012.

The idea of 10 years for changeover is that someone who bought then in 2002 knew that if they bought an analogue they would get 10 years out of it.

Someone buying now will get 1 year out of an analogue (I hope they're not selling them still) and not much longer out of the other stuff. It should all now be 2012 ready.

Someone at the top of this webpage has found it necessary to write an article warning that Freeview Ready does not mean HD ready. He shouldn't have to. They should make it clear in the shop, on the packaging, on the advert that it doesn't mean what they're kidding you it means. Better still they should only be allowed to sell you the proper article.

I'm still waiting for some answers from someone in authority.

Nedbod
Saturday 27 February 2010 5:47PM
Alan : Some people may still want the cheaper alternative TVs if they don't like on screen logos (like myself), as standard Freeview BBC One / Two / ITV1 / Channel 4 & Film 4 still don't have any. The HD versions do and will. Even E4 is logo free if you watch a widescreen programme on a 4:3 tele in the centre cut format. Also HDTVs are still very expensive.
Nedbod
Saturday 27 February 2010 5:59PM
The process started well before 2002 Alan, with ITV Digital, remember that fiasco crushed by Sky with the little monkey who is now working for PG Tips. 2002 was when the BBC rescued the ITV Digital shrapnel and turned it into Freeview alongside of all bodies SKY !! Hence Sky 3 and Sky News & Sports News being on Freeview. Have no fear all will be ready for the Londoners I'm quite sure in 2012. I'm not sure terrestrial HD was that advanced in 2002 as the government only freed up the MuxB fairly recently after a consultation by the BBC, whose Multiplex it was.
Stephen Phillips
Saturday 27 February 2010 6:17PM
Briantist said :"Stephen Phillips: You should never buy anything until you need it."

I disagree. If we only ever bought things from NEED the economy would grind to a halt.

If you have a car in good condition you do not NEED a new car. But may well WANT one.

And if you have a decent TV - like my Sony Trinitron - you do not NEED a flat wide HD thing. If you really WANT one you will already have bought it. But I am still waiting for sometihng that meets my basic spec of built in digital freeview/HD tuners and built in ability to receive t'Interweb.
Alan Flockton
Saturday 27 February 2010 6:29PM
I'm going round in circles here.

The reason I first contacted this site was after I'd tried to find out why in Oxford, within sight of the transmitter, I couldn't get BBC3 and BBC4.

Everyone was telling me to move aerials, buy boosters, do this and do that. They were very reluctant to tell me the reason was that the transmitter was only a ninth the strength it should be.

Then I was told the weak transmitter and the poor signal on BBC3 and BBC4 (and CBBC and CBeebies) was because the multiplex people had decreed that these BBC channels were not important enough to get a decent signal. They were quite happy to provide a signal for Dutch Auction TV and Buy More Crap TV but not the ones people wanted to watch. After all, the adverts for Freeview are all based on you being able to get the extra BBC channels. That's what people want. Now you're telling me multiplex belongs to the BBC and they deliberately set it so you can't see BBC. What's going on?

How many more times do I have to say I want to speak to someone in authority?
Stephen Phillips
Saturday 27 February 2010 6:33PM
Alan - do you imagine that there is anyone here with authority in the BBC?
Nedbod
Saturday 27 February 2010 7:11PM
Ring BBC or Digital UK then you annoying so & so !! but don't expect miracles from 03700 100222 !!! at least its free now, oh and take a chill pill while you're at it. It is Saturday what do you expect, Brian and Jordy are pobably watching Casualty on HD :-)
LutonFan
Saturday 27 February 2010 7:12PM Bedford
Nedbod- DTT transmissions started in 1998 via On-Digital. This was rebranded in 2001 to ITV Digital.

In regards to other posts, Freeview HD is optional, not compulsary. You do not need to buy a TV with 'HD freeview' built in. You will still be able to watch SDTV for many years to come (until all MUXs transmit HD)
Pete
Saturday 27 February 2010 7:15PM
Try one of your neighbour's boxes or your friends (if you have any Alan) with your aerial and see if you get BBC Three / Four. At least then you will know whether its your aerial or your box.
Nedbod
Saturday 27 February 2010 7:17PM
Correct I do remember that LutonFan, just.
Mr C. Alm
Saturday 27 February 2010 7:31PM
ALAN : If you wish to check whether your transmitter is being worked on simply go to :

www.bbc.co.uk link icon BBC - Help receiving TV and Radio - Transmitters

and click on "Today's Trasmitter Work".

I don't know where you are getting some of your strange ideas from. If you are that close to the transmitter, you are getting a weak signal either because the transmitter owner is carrying out work (check on the website above) or your equipment / aerial / downlead is no good. OK !!

Mr C. Alm
Saturday 27 February 2010 7:45PM
The only work going on in Oxfordshire today is the "Brailes" Transmitter : BBC One, BBC Two Shutdown From 1012, so I guess its the latter, Alan
LutonFan
Saturday 27 February 2010 7:57PM
Alan Flockton- Signals from Oxford are presently sent from a reserve transmitter.

www.digitaluk.co.uk link icon 
Digital UK - Planned Engineering Works

Not sure of your exact problem, but could be due to this. (MK420DE)
Nedbod
Wednesday 3 March 2010 12:13AM
Does anyone else receive a 6025 run time error message when they go on the Digital Uk website and look up the "Planned Engineering Work" ?
Briantist
Thursday 4 March 2010 4:06PM
Nedbod: No, no problems here.
Martin Brown
Saturday 15 May 2010 4:25PM Minehead
I have a Humax HD box and happily receive BBC HD on a 4 digit channel. It happens to be Ch 5022 whist Sky is 5001- after deleting channels I have no interest in- after downloading.
I wonder if, before I interfere with my well organised 15 channel and have to delete the hundreds I dont want you might know if SKYnews HD and ITV HD are there for me to access.
Martin Brown
Saturday 15 May 2010 4:38PM Minehead
I have just seen your site for coverage from Wenvoe and it includes our TA24 8xx village. I will happily go and buy a Wenvoe Aerial to watch more than the bare minimum we have been assigned. Do the new tv waves really go over high hills as the map shows?? It seems awful that we pay the same as everyone for a license but get about 20 channels. The taking the mickey bit is that there IS capacity on our relay for more channels BUT they are denied to us so someone can flog them to someone for something other than BROADCASTING which was what the Aerial Array was bought for in the first place. Is that sick or worse??
Briantist
Monday 17 May 2010 7:55AM
Martin Brown: First, the TV Licnece pays for the BBC, and the BBC alone, and you have all these channels.

You will be able to get other signals, but only if you mount the aerial up high enough to "deal with" the local hills.

The commercial operators declined to broadcast from all minor relays - see www.ukfree.tv link icon Where are the public service (Freeview Lite) transmitters? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice for more.
Briantist
Monday 17 May 2010 8:00AM
Martin Brown: ITV1 HD is on channel 119, BBC HD on 108 on Freesat boxes.
jackie
Thursday 3 June 2010 1:46PM
i have a full hd tv with freeview , do i need a dish to pick up the hd channels . thanks,
Briantist
Thursday 3 June 2010 3:29PM
jackie: Please see How much is it going to cost to get High Definition TV? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice for details of your options.
paul
Monday 30 August 2010 4:22PM
I have a nine year old philipsa digital tv,
will this have any effect with a hd box.
LutonFan
Monday 30 August 2010 5:51PM
paul- No problems, however if the set does not have either HDMI or DVI input, you will not be able to view the HD channels in HD.
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