HD on ‘Freeview’ – let Tony know!

Digital TV – Freeview – whatever you want to call it, we’re all getting it if we like it or not. From 2008 the UK is switching off the old analogue services (BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4, Channel 5) and making television digital, so everyone will have the standard digital channels currently available on Freeview as standard television. Wherever you live, even if you can’t receive such services now, you will be able to by the time your region ‘turns digital’ – anytime between 2008 to 2012.

But, nothing is ever simple. A quick run down on how digital television works, is that there are several ‘multiplexes’, technically it is where digital TV can mix, and broadcast half a dozen television channels in the space of one ‘old’ analogue channel, as well as radio and interactive content; this is the reason why digital tv can hold so many more channels. However, there is a limit of how many there are, and currently, all space on these multiplexes are completely full, so no new television channels can join (without one leaving before hand of course).

In 2012 when the country goes completely digital though, there will be five ‘empty’ multiplexes (each one which was used for the current ‘old’ analogue channels). The potential here is that a whole host of new television channels could then join again. However, this is entirely upto the government and Ofcom (the broadcasting regulator) as it could seem to them that these spare channels could be sold off to the likes of mobile phone companies and such for a healthy price – leaving digital television without extra space.

It’s not just more television channels though which is at stake however, but also high definition television (HDTV) would also be held back. HDTV takes up lots more space than current standard definition channels (SDTV), and so needs more space to broadcast – hence why none currently exist on Freeview, only on cable and satellite (where space is less of an issue). With HDTV being the ‘future’ of TV, its worthwhile to think that it should be available on Freeview in some state rather than only on premium rate subscription services like Sky.

There is an official government petition online at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/openhdtv/ which I urge you all to sign, which is letting Tony know that the extra space which will be made avaliable come 2012 is better off being used to provide more television channels, and HDTV on Freeview, rather than being sold off to companies – with the aim of trying to keep Britain as the world leader in broadcasting, and not fall behind the likes of America and Australia where HDTV is taking off much faster than in the UK, and where these type of services are already being rolled out.