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High Definition TV on Sky & Freeview Sales of HD Ready TV's in the UK continue to rise but what does not seem to be clearly understood is that while these sets are HD ready by themselves they do not pick up HD transmissions. SKY Currently the easiest way to get an HD picture is via a Sky HD set top box. You have to ask Sky for this service and upgrade your subscription. Only a very few of the stations on Sky have HD channels running in parallel to their normal output. However many of the main stations are included in the HD line up. Sky One, Sky Sport and Sky Movies have many of their programmes in HD. Discovery has an HD channel and you can also find some BBC content on HD. In December 2007 Channel 4 began to simulcast in HD. There are a few others and more will be added.
ITV1 has started HD on some programmes via satellite but these broadcasts are not receivable with a Sky box. To receive these programmes you will need a Freesat box. Personally I think that it is wrong that ITV have decided to go with Freesat only as this will only confuse the situation over HD programmes.
Sky attacks ITV HD on Freesat exclusivity
BBC, ITV formally launch Freesat
FREEVIEW At this time Freeview has no HD content though Ofcom (the body responsible for broadcasting) and the broadcasters are keen to have HD on Freeview within 2 to 4 years from 2008. The problem is that there is not enough room to transmit HD on Freeview. The pictures require much more room on the broadcast spectrum to produce the better quality. One way round this is to change the way the channels are broadcast from MPEG2 to MPEG4. You don't have to understand the technicalities surrounding this but you do need to understand that it will not work on all existing Freeview boxes and TV's. This does not mean your existing Freeview box on TV will be rendered useless over night. The plan is to shuffle the stations around and reduce quality a little to make one Multiplex or transmitter spare. All the stations would continue as normal in standard 625 line definition. The one spare Multiplex would then be used to transmit BBC1 & 2, ITV1, Channel 4 and maybe Five at a slightly later date in parallel with added benefit of HD. This would be a temporary though fairly long term arrangement. Further information can be found at the following web sites Early statement on Freeview HD Broadcasters announce Freeview HD plan A more technical in sight into Freeview HD The "secret" Ofcom plan for Freeview HDTV: DVB-T2
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