BBC starts Freeview HD test in Guildford
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV The BBC has started a test broadcast using the newly approved standard, DVB-T2 (now also known as EN 302 755) from the Guildford transmitter. This is the second UK test of HD services on Freeview, the first trail ran for a year until April 2007 over "conventional" DVB-T.
National Grid Wireless and Arqiva are providing the test as part of the process to allow DVB-T2 to launch on multiplex B in each switched-over region, starting with 2009.
It is not expected that you will be able to buy a "reasonably priced" Freeview HD box until 2010. However, the standard uses standard software components so it may be possible to use Windows Media Centre with a suitable MPEG4 codec with a suitable DVB-T USB receiver.
Justin Mitchell, leader of the DVB-T2 development team at BBC Research and Innovation, said: "We are delighted that our team, in collaboration with our partners, has been able to deliver such a key piece of technology in such a short timescale. This is a big step forward in enabling the introduction of full HD terrestrial on Freeview by the end of 2009."
DVB will be showcasing the DVB-T2 technology at the International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam in September 2008 with papers, hourly talks and live demonstrations.
| Whenever i watch moving sport especially football I experience much poorer pictu | 1 |