subject: Important Facts to Know About Freeview HD [print this page] Important Facts to Know About Freeview HD
Presently, several households in the UK have HD ready televisions however, are still watching TV in standard definition. Since the advent of Freeview HD channels this year, this has been gradually changing.
In addition to offering the standard Freeview hosted channels, Freeview HD also provides BBC, Channel 4 and ITV in high definition.
Though these channels are subscription free, in order to watch them you will need a set-top box that is compatible with Freeview HD or a new Freeview HD television with a DVB-T2 tuner to manage the high definition transmissions.
It is important to note that the old DVB-T tuners are incapable of deciphering Freeview HD signals in both TVs and set-top boxes, and can only accommodate SD channels.
The implementation of the service is being carried out over a three year timeframe, and though Freeview HD is currently available in some areas, other places will have to wait until the end of 2012 to receive service.
Freeview HD was first transmitted for the Granada TV area in December of 2009 however, was only available to the TV transmitters at Winter Hill. Concurrently, broadcasting of Freeview HD also began in South London at Crystal Palace.
As the UK continues to switchover to the digital world and as 2010 continues, the implementation of Freeview HD will move forward. Expected to come online by March 2010 are Black Hill for Edinburgh and Glasglow, Emley Moor for mid Yorkshire, Bradford and Leeds and Pontop Pike for Sunderland and Tyneside.
Ilse Howling of Freeview HD has reported that by the end of 2010, 16 million households should have service. It was also said that by the end of the three year period in 2012, 98.5% of UK homes will be able to access Freeview HD.
News reports have revealed that Swansea, Newport and Cardiff, and Central and West Wales were expected to receive Freeview HD by June 2010; all had service by March 2010.
Carmarthenshire, parts of Devon and Exeter, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset Wiltshire and Bristol all received service in April 2010.
Freeview HD was rolled out to Orkney and Shetland in May and will be delivered to North Sutherland and Caithness, and North Wales in June 2010.
By the end of 2011 majority of the major cities in the UK will have Freeview HD up and running.
