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BBC advertise for a new Freeview HD channel

The BBC have placed an advert in Broadcast magazine asking for a single HD channel to join the Freeview HD line up - or even three SD channels.

The BBC have placed an advert in Broadcast magazine asking for
Published on by on UK Free TV

The advert states that the services may start very soon:

BBC MAKES AVAILABLE CAPACITY ON DTT MULTIPLEX B

The BBC is offering to the market an amount of spare digital terrestrial television capacity on Multiplex B which could enable the acquiring party (or parties) to launch TV channels as early as spring 2013. Channels carried within this capacity will be able to be watched on all Freeview HD and You View receivers.

The capacity will be available on a 24 hour 7 day a week basis and is suitable for either one high definition television channel one provider or up to three standard definition television channels which may come from either one or a number of different channel providers.

The capacity is being offered to the market through a competitive bidding process.

If your company is interested in part or all of the capacity, you can register your interest by email at dttcapacity@bbc.co.uk

Expressions of interest must be received by 5pm on 20th December 2012. Further information, including commercial and technical details about the capacity and the sales process, will then be sent to you.



Which channel should be added to Freeview HD?







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David
Friday 14 December 2012 6:30PM
Interesting when Five and BBC2,3 and 4 are not HD.
whooshthecat
Friday 14 December 2012 6:48PM
Film 4HD would be nice.....
Charles Stuart
Friday 14 December 2012 7:46PM Bristol
I think that it would be quite nice to have a new PSB channel 6, specifically aimed at an upmarket audience. I have long believed that a commercial channel could thrive in the UK with programming that is unashamedly upmarket drama, arts, science and current affairs, seeking only a 2-3% share of the viewing audience. As the viewers would probably be high worth individuals, the advertisers could probably pay premium rates.
Roger
Friday 14 December 2012 8:40PM
I cannot understand BBC logic in advertising its spare HD capacity on Freeview when there are number of HD Programmes on CBBC, CBEEBIES, BBC3, BBC4 and the odd 3D programme. Where are these to go when BBC HD becomes BBC2 HD - The red button?
John
Saturday 15 December 2012 6:30AM
Wasn't there a proposal to use the BBC HD channel for BBC2 HD?
Briantist
Saturday 15 December 2012 8:58AM
John: Yes, from next year. This is about the "fifth" slot on the Freeview HD multiplex, the one that was supposed to be for Channel 5 HD, but they couldn't afford to use it.
John
Saturday 15 December 2012 12:55PM
Thanks Brian. I wonder who will take the empty slot? Hope its going to be something interesting and not a shopping channel!
KMJ,Derby
Saturday 15 December 2012 1:22PM
John: Shopping channels are unlikely to ever transmit in HD due to the extra costs involved. Three SD shopping channels could be a possibility, except for the fact that only a small percentage of viewers currently have DVB-T2 receivers. This factor is also likely to discourage other broadcasters, as it did Channel 5, who ideally would wish to discontinue the SD transmission once a decision to transmit in HD on Freeview is made.
Lee Donaghy
Saturday 15 December 2012 5:13PM
I'd like to see Film4 HD too.
Dave
Saturday 15 December 2012 5:16PM
Has to Channel 5 HD surely ? Main 5th chasnnel and all that
woodface
Saturday 15 December 2012 5:38PM
Channel 5 have been canny with their dough.

Pitiable ratings for HD channels may mean we get more SD dross. With the viewer having to actively seek out little known HD channel numbers with numerous button pushes, most apparently settle for SD!

Freeview should mandate easy number re-allocation in all new sets & boxes. Our Sonys make it a breeze. So BBC1HD is on button 1, ITVHD on 3 etc.
Sid
Saturday 15 December 2012 7:23PM Worcester
Ch5 does have HD but behind a pay wall deal with sky.
sharealam
Sunday 16 December 2012 7:02AM
film4 hd please
Josh
Sunday 16 December 2012 9:33PM
I'd love to see an HD simulcast of the 24 hour BBC News channel - after all, BBC News as it is looks very professional on those big plasma TVs in waiting areas, why not go that bit further by launching an HD simulcast of BBC News?

Sid: Channel 5 HD is on Virgin Media as well.
JDT
Monday 17 December 2012 9:17AM
Please not another shopping channel. When I think back to the good old days of Freeview!

Seriously thinking of switching to Freesat. Can you get dual-tuner PVR's for Freesat? Does Freesat have HD?
Josh
Monday 17 December 2012 10:12AM
JDT: Yep, there are plenty of Freesat HD dual tuner PVRs! You will currently get 5 HD channels on Freesat.
David
Monday 17 December 2012 10:21AM
Yes Josh, but we can't get Channel Five in HD.
Briantist
Monday 17 December 2012 11:13AM
... and here's the March 2010 cancellation of FIVE HD www.ukfree.tv link icon No FIVE on Freeview HD, BBC to provide BBC HD 2 | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice
David
Monday 17 December 2012 11:14AM
Josh was talking Freesat I believe that Channel Five already have satellite HD transmission, but I presume they get paid by Sky to keep it Sky access only.
Of course it all boils down to the fact digital broadcasting is in a real mess in the UK. Government and Ofcom doing a bad job in controlling.
Briantist
Monday 17 December 2012 11:22AM
David: The laws that various governments have made, and the implementation of them by Ofcom are exactly as planned.

BSkyB has the legal power to offer "exclusive" deals to HD channels, and it does so.

This is policy, not a "bad job".
Briantist
Monday 17 December 2012 11:25AM
.. and here's where the fifth slot was advertised www.ukfree.tv link icon Freeview to get fifth HD channel, possibly by Christmas 2011 | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice (5th September 2011) and here's where FIVE HD was deemed "unsuitable" for Freeview HD.
David
Monday 17 December 2012 12:17PM
Ok Brian,
Bad policy of Government and Ofcom.
trevorjharris
Monday 17 December 2012 3:26PM
This is very odd. This multiplex uses DVB-T2 so will not be viewable on most if not all SD receivers. Considering the very limited HD output on Freeview this should have been an HD only slot. I am suprised Ofcom has allowed them to do this.

It demonstrates once again the BBC's lack of commitment to HD. They could certainly use this space for thier own channel.

Just to correct previous posts Channel 5 HD is not behind a pay wall. It is FTV and can be watched on any sky box with a sky card. No subscription is needed.
Briantist
Monday 17 December 2012 4:19PM
trevorjharris: It *IS* worth noting that Ofcom set to precedent for SD channels using DVB-T2 with the Northern Ireland Minimux.
David
Monday 17 December 2012 5:04PM
Trevor, you say it has to have a Sky Card so it is not FTV on a Freesat TV or box so Sky must have some financial power over Channel Five.
KMJ,Derby
Monday 17 December 2012 7:17PM
trevorjharris: Ofcom are keen for the Freeview muxes to move over to DVB-T2 transmission as soon as possible, so that more SFN working can be introduced as spectrum is made available for 4G/5G. They are not really bothered whether broadcasters choose to remain in SD or change to HD. Rather like they are not bothered if radio stations choose to transmit in mono on DAB to reduce transmission costs!
deadendwaterfall
Monday 17 December 2012 7:40PM
What has been described in this blog article is exactly one of many reasons why shops need to phase out the sales of DVB-T only equipment!
David
Monday 17 December 2012 8:10PM
dedendwaterfall the shops want to be able to offer the cheapest TV sets they can, Joe Public does not understand the things we discus here.
Would be good for the Government and Ofcom to stop the sale of old technology but they not got the will to do that.
They did with light bulbs though, but probably it was the EU that did that.
deadendwaterfall
Monday 17 December 2012 10:23PM
David: DVB-T2 equipment has come down so drastically in price that you can get a DVB-T2 set top box for as little as £20, so the thing of "cheap" doesn't hold as an excuse for still selling DVB-T only equipment. The thing is, if we don't start to consider a transition to DVB-T2 only broadcasts, there will be many, many, many people moaning about how we "lag behind" this country and that country etc.

Joe Public must be able to understand the importance of DVB-T2 equipment as well as they did the digital switchover, if we are to one day transition all Freeview broadcasts to DVB-T2.
David
Tuesday 18 December 2012 5:40AM
Joe Public sees the TV sets marked Full HD and thinks the Freeview programs are ok.
He does not look for the FreeviewHD on the label.
He just buys a 32" TV at £200 with ordinary Freeview from the Supermarket.
Have you ever seen on the shops label DVB-T2 stated?
( By the way I not noticed Freeview HD DVB-T2 boxes so cheap.)
marc
Friday 21 December 2012 2:01PM
BT vision may show interest in this,as they have secured some premier league rights.
Peter Henderson
Friday 21 December 2012 2:07PM Newtownabbey
I gather Channel 5 HD is free to view on Sky, as opposed to free to air (i.e. it's acailable under the freesat from Sky platform).

If it's not Channel 5 then I'd prefer Film 4 HD as well.

Failing that, I'm sure those living in Freeview Lite areas wouldn't mind having ITV 3, ITV 4, and possibly Sky news in SD.
jb38
Friday 21 December 2012 4:08PM
Peter Henderson: Irrespective of what the facility might be called this is the details of what is available, and which all hinges on whether or not a basic Sky viewing card is being used, options listed below.

Free to view "without" a Sky card being used. (none inserted into slot)

BBC1 HD - BBC HD - NHK World HD
------------------------------------

Free to view "with" a Sky viewing card.

BBC1 HD - BBC HD - ITV1 HD (England and Wales only) Ch4 HD - Ch5 HD - NHK
World HD.

Peter Henderson
Saturday 22 December 2012 12:52AM Newtownabbey
Yes jb38, that was what I gathered re. Channel 5 HD.

It's pity it's not "free to air" as opposed to "free to view", in which case it would also be available on Freesat.

ITV1 HD is also available on Freesat and Freesat from Sky in Southern Scotland (i.e. Border Scotland region)
Peter Henderson
Saturday 22 December 2012 12:56AM Newtownabbey
and of course in other regions under the add channels feature on Sky, and non Freesat mode on Freesat.
jb38
Saturday 22 December 2012 12:13PM
Peter Henderson: Yes, its rather unfortunate regarding Ch5 HD being transmitted by Sky as encrypted, and of course it still is as I just checked it on my Freesat TV's "other sat" tuning menu. (12.266 H)

By the way, I realise that you would most likely have already known about what is available on a Sky HD box with and without the card being inserted, but many others aren't quite sure and so I thought I would clarify this for anyone else that might be reading the postings.

Martin
Sunday 6 January 2013 8:22PM Llandrindod Wells
It would be nice to see some of the existing channels (such as Dave) moving onto this multiplex so that the "Freeview Light" transmitters can receive them. A tad annoying that some people have to pay (Sky) for channels that others get free.
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