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The BBC starts Freeview HD TV trial

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 28 Jun 2008 1:57 User comments (1)

The BBC starts Freeview HD TV trial The BBC has announced they have begun testing the transmission of HD services over Freeview using the second generation DVB-T specification DVB-T2. If the trials are successful then HD can be introduced to Freeview by December of next year, says the broadcaster.
The new spec is supposed to offer "30 percent more data-carrying capacity" as DVB-T "under the same conditions."

Justin Mitchell, DVB-T2 modem development team leader for the BBC, added: “This is a big step forward in enabling the introduction of full HD terrestrial on Freeview by the end of 2009.”

The trial was approved by the DVB Project, the industry-led consortium which designed the DVB-T2 specification.



Freeview uses the over 10 years old DVB-T standard but hopes to move to the DVB-T2 standards soon, especially for "use in a post-Analogue Switch-Off environment".

In 2005, the BBC ran a trial of DVB-T based HD content over Freeview but compatibility issues and bandwidth limitations prevented anything more than a trial.

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1 user comment

14.7.2008 11:09

Shame at the moment that there isn't as much content on BBC HD as with other HD channels like Sky's, but the quality on Satellite is amazing with the BBC.

With just the usual BBC HD previews taken up most of the schedule, there were some Euro 2008 football, Heroes, concerts, and other programs that aren't very good. Must try harder BBC!

Plus you will have ITV1 in HD to come on freeview, then Channel 4 HD.

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