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Sky Sports News will be leaving the Freeview lineup on Monday 23rd August 2010.
From this date, the Sky Sports News channel will be a subscription-only channel.
Sky Sports News HD also launches on Sky on 23rd August
The slot on Freeview will be replaced by Sky 3 + 1
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Customers of the Virgin Media TV service will soon be offered Sky Sports 1 HD, Sky Sports 2 HD and Sky Movies HD.
Virgin’s HD channel lineup needs a boost, and the addition of Sky’s premium sport and movies channels is something that Virgin’s customers have been calling for, for a while.
The deal between Sky and Virgin for the HD content forms part of a deal that sees Virgin selling off their TV channels Bravo, Virgin 1, Living and Challenge to Sky.
No news as yet on when these channels will be coming to Virgin customers, of how much extra Virgin customers will have to pay for Sky’s HD content. Sky customers currently pay a £10 a month premium to watch the 40 Sky HD channels.
We’ll update you here, and on our digital TV podcast when we have more.
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In order to allow Virgin Media to concentrate on its cable broadband operation, it has sold off its TV channels to Sky.
In a deal worth £160 million, Virgin has sold the following channels to satellite operator BSkyB:
Sky’s announced that Virgin 1 will change to a Sky brand in due course.
The deal also brings good news for Virgin Media customers, as Sky will be offering Sky Sports HD and Sky Movies HD, which have preiously only been available to satellite customers.
The Chief Exec of BSkyB, Jeremy Darroch, said: “We are pleased that, through commercial negotiation, we have been able to ensure wide distribution of our channels to a growing pay TV universe.”
The deal is still subject to regulator approval.
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The BBC has announced that it will start to broadcast BBC One in HD. This will be in addition to the existing BBC HD channel.
Expected to start from Autumn 2010, the new BBC One HD service will be a simulcast of the main BBC One output, bringing HD content including EastEnders, Holby City, The One Show, The Apprentice, The Weakest Link, QI, Strictly Come Dancing, Human Planet and Waterloo Road.
Head of the BBC’s HD services, Danielle Nagler, has this to say: “HD is the future of television. People who have HD have clearly told us that they want more of their licence fee-funded content in HD. I’m delighted that the HD simulcast of BBC One will become available on satellite, on cable, and now also on Freeview’s new HD service. This is a key moment for us on the journey to HD becoming the norm for all our programmes and channels.”
BBC One HD will be made available to Freeview, Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media platforms.
BBC One HD on Freeview has been made possible as a result of Five opting not to provide an HD service to Freeview, and Ofcom’s revokation of Five’s Freeview HD licence.
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It seems that many owners of the new Philips DTR5520 Freeview HD boxes are having trouble.
Users are reporting box lock-ups and freezes, as well as unexpected pop-ups appearing when in the EPG. Message appear indicating that recordings aren’t possible, even though this model is a simple zapped not a hard-disk recorder.
We’re guessing that the software used in the box is shared with the new Philips Freeview PVR, the Philips HDT8520, and in Philips’ rush to get the boxes into market, a few glitches appear to have crept in.
Having problems with your Philips HD box?
We understand that Philips have got a fix for at least some of the problems. They have booked a slot with the DTG for an over-the-air update to the HDT8520 – This is scheduled to be transmitted to boxes from Wednesday 2nd June to Friday the 4th of June 2010. There’s also a software fix that you can install via USB at the Philips Tech Support site.
The joys of early adoption…
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For those looking for the first Freeview HD PVR, the wait is over. The Philips HDT8520 is now available.
Priced just under £300, the HDT8520 boasts one-touch record, series link, twin HD tuners, 8-day EPG and ultra-quiet operation.
The 500GB hard drive will allow for up to 125 hours of HD recording, or 250 hours of standard definition TV
More details, and a summary of stockists: Philips HDT8520 Information
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Fans of Humax Freeview boxes and recorders will be pleased to know that the wait for a Freeview HD recorder is about to be over.
We’ve today heard details of the new HD recorder, to be called the Humax HDR-Fox T2.
The box will reportedly be priced at £349, and won’t be available until July 2010 – too late for the World Cup.
The HDR Fox T2 will have two DVB-T2 tuners and a 500GB hard disk – for up to 125 hours of HD.
The box will also have an Ethernet socket, for online services such as BBC iPlayer, will support streaming media, and can play certain media types via USB. It will have an 8 day EPG.
More details will be added to our Humax HDR Fox T2 page as soon as we get them…
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Sky is about to launch the UK’s first 3D news channel.
Sky News HD will bring the total of Sky’s HD channels to 40, and they’re still planning to get to 50 by the end of the year.
More on Sky HD: Sky HD Explored
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Hot off the press, a brand new show from our Podcast team. Our presenters Pete and Carl talk about the future of TV, radio and the Internet, as we look at how the Government’s new, and controversial, Digital Economy Act affects you.
As well as looking at what the digital future has in store, we also look at the first 3D TV to hit the market, and see what’s new in the world of HD TV. We also answer our listener’s questions, and have a little fun testing out walkie-talkies and a rather pointless sound machine.
As this show covers some important topics, we’d ask that you download the show or listen online to this month’s podcast, Show 51, to make sure you don;t miss out. You’ll find it at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html.
If you have an iPod or iPhone, you can get today’s show and sign up for the next shows via iTunes.
Remember, our shows are free, and we’d ask that if you enjoy our shows, you sign up, and tell your friends via Facebook, Twitter, email, or, of course, in person!
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Freeview HD viewers in Wales will find a new channel on Freeview channel 53. S4C HD launched today, 30th April 2010 from Welsh Freeview transmitters.
More on Freeview HD on our Freeview HD site.
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Fan of 3D? You can now get the 3D experience at home, as it’s now possible to buy a 3D LED TV set for the home.
Samsung’s been first across the line to release a 3D for the UK, to maximise on the current 3D hype – the Samsung UE40C700 40 inch 3D Ready TV has a built-in Freeview HD receiver, and will set you back £1,799. It’s available direct from
You’ll also need at least one pair of Active Shutter Glasses.
For more on Samsung’s 3D TV, take a look at the Samsung 3D TV launch advert:
Note that as well as the 3D glasses, you’ll also need a source for 3D content, such as a Blu-Ray player, or a Sky+ HD box.
Update: You might also want to check out the cheaper Samsung LE40C750 from Comet Online, which at the time of writing, is £1199.99
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ITV’s HD channel, ITV 1 HD, is finally available on Sky Digital and Virgin Media.
ITV HD launched in June 2008 as an exclusive to Freesat, but now is available to a wider audience.
The ITV 1 HD channel has recently become available on Freeview HD, and as of the 2nd of April 2010, ITV 1 HD is available on Channel 178 of Sky, and on channel 113 on Virgin Media.
ITV 1 HD also gets its own channel on Freesat, channel 119, after previously only being available via the Freesat red button.
The channel Men and Motors will cease to broadcast, to free up resources for the ITV1 HD channel.
ITV 1 HD in Scotland and Northern Ireland: ITV does not have a licence to broadcast in Scotland or Northern Ireland -The companies STV and UTV hold the Channel 3 licences for those regions (respectively). STV will apparently be launching their own HD channel in the future. As a result, ITV 1 HD is not available on Freesat Channel 118 in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The workaround appears to be to put in an English postcode into your Freesat receiver (postcodes decide which regions you’ll be assigned). You’ll lose regional programmes, but gain ITV 1 HD.
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Channel 4 has today, 30th March 2010, launched its HD service on Freeview.
If you’re in a Freeview HD coverage area, and have a Freeview HD receiver, then you’ll find Channel 4 HD on Freeview channel 52.
Channel 4 HD is also available on Sky and Virgin’s HD service.
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With Sky planning to have 50 channels of HD onstream by the end of the year, we’ve seen some recent activity from the Virgin Media cable TV service to advance their HD offering.
Firstly, from today, you can now get the Virgin Media V+ HD box for just £49 (or free if you’re prepared to sign up to the Virgin Media XL TV package. More on Virgin’s V+ Box.
Secondly, there’s been a bunch of announcements from Virgin of new HD channels on the way. In the next few months, Virgin customers will be able to watch the following new channels on their V+ box:
These are in addition to the existing HD channels from BBC, Channel 4, FX, Living, MTV and National Geographic. You can also get ESPN in HD on Virgin for an extra subscription
The other strong selling point is that, unlike Sky, there’s no premium to watch the HD service – With Sky, it’s £10 a month for HD – but there’s no extra fee with Virgin
In a cable TV area? Time to consider the Virgin Media HD offering – Details at allyours.virginmedia.com
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Mainstream broadcaster Five was set to launch its HD channel on the Freeview platform later this year, but it’s just been announced that the regulators have withdrawn Five’s Freeview HD licence.
It seems that Ofcom has been chasing Five for information about their plans and schedules for the Five HD service, and these have not been forthcoming, a clear indication that Five is not in a position to launch an HD offering any time soon.
It appears that the HD licence now reverts to the BBC. In 2011, another Freeview HD slot will be up for offer, so in theory if Five can get it together, they could apply for a licence then, and start broadcasting in 2012.
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Good news for Sky and Virgin HD customers – ITV appears to have bowed to pressure and agreed to let their HD service be shown on the pay platforms.
ITV 1 HD is currently available on Freesat (via the red button), and to the lucky few who can get Freeview HD, but from the 2nd of April, ITV 1 HD will be available as a dedicated channel on Sky and Virgin. It also looks likely that ITV 1 will be come its own channel on Freesat, and not hidden behind the red button.
The move means that ITV’s HD coverage of the World Cup will now be available to a greater HD audience.
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A quick heads-up to anyone looking to buy a Freeview HD box. You could opt for the Humax Fox T2, priced £150 – or save yourself £50 and go for a Bush Freeview HD box.
This Freeview HD box is available for £99.99 on pre-order, with estimated availability on 31st March 2010
Full details: Bush DVB680 at Argos
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Film4 and E4, two of Channel 4′s digital services, will shortly be going “HD” – but only for Virgin Media customers.
The two channelsd will be launching exclusively on the Virgin cable TV platform – doubtless a disappointment to Sky HD customers and those hoping for some much needed HD content on Freesat.
E4 HD is set to launch in April at no extra cost to Virgin Media TV users, with Film4′s HD service set to start in the Summer.
More on Virgin Media at virginmedia.com
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Two new Freeview HD TV sets have gone on sale today at Comet.co.uk. The Sony KDL32EX403U (32 inch) and Sony KDL40EX403U (40 inch) Freeview HD sets use the Bravia engine for top picture quality, support 7 day EPG, have a built-in Freeview HD receiver and support “full” 1080p HD resolution.
Available today for a reasonable £549 (32 inch) or £749 (40 inch) from www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet
More information: Freeview HD Advice
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A few days ago, we announced the arrival of the first Freeview HD set-top box, the Humax HD Fox-T2. Mere days later, we’re able to announce the first integrated TV with Freeview HD.
The Panasonic TX-P42G20B has built-in Freeview HD and Freesat HD receivers. It’s a 42 inch plasma TV that goes up to 1080p resolution, with a refresh rate of 600Hz. An optional wirelss dongle offers Internet access, and there’s an SD card to let you view photos and videos.
The Panasonic TX-P42G20B Freeview HD TV set
The Panasonic TX-P42G20B is available now in the UK from Comet.co.uk
For a limited time, get £60 by using the code AW60 at the online checkout. Code expires 27 Feb 2010.
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