Channel 5 HD will launch on Freeview
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV Channel 5 takes Freeview HD slot - Broadband TV News
"Channel 5 has been granted permission by Ofcom to launch its high definition channel on Freeview HD."
Channel 5 was the sole bidder for the fifth space on the "Freeview HD", BBCB multiplex, with a proposal to provide a full-time simulcast of the Channel 5 service in high definition.
Channel 5 will join BBC One HD, ITV1 HD (STV HD in Scotland, UTV HD in Northern Ireland in 2012), Channel 4 HD (or S4C HD in Wales) and BBC HD on the Freeview HD service.
Shortly BBC HD will be replaced by BBC TWO (England) HD.
It is not clear at this point if Channel 5 HD will also go on Freesat at the same time.
More soon.
All questions
In this section
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Stuart O.
7:29 PM
Wrexham
7:29 PM
Wrexham
I don't have equipment to be able to receive HD channels but I hope for viewers that can, with hearing that news and the other news that BBC HD will become BBC TWO HD,then I hope the HD channels on Freeview and Sky and the other platforms will be re-numbered appropriately.
Freeview Currently:
50 BBC ONE HD
51 ITV1 HD
52 Channel 4 HD
54 BBC HD (to become BBC2 HD)
Hopefully will change to:
51 BBC ONE HD
52 BBC TWO HD (from BBC HD)
53 ITV1 HD
54 Channel 4 HD
55 Channel 5 HD
Sky Currently:
140 Channel 4 HD
143 BBC ONE HD
169 BBC HD
171 Channel 5 HD
178 ITV1 HD
If DMAX and DMAX +1 doesn't mind moving EPG numbers to say 161 and 162 then hopefully the HD line-up will change to something like this:
141 BBC ONE HD
142 BBC TWO HD
143 ITV1 HD
144 Channel 4 HD
145 Channel 5 HD
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Stuart's: mapS's Freeview map terrainS's terrain plot wavesS's frequency data S's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Stuart O.: That might BE sensible, but sensible is not the rules in play.
For Freeview DMOL's rules are first-come-first-served:
50 was BBC HD when it was the only channel
51 was ITV HD when it was the second channel
52 was Channel 4 as it was the third HD channel
54 became BBC HD when BBC One HD moved to 50 (rules say broadcasters can swap channels they own).
55 will be Channel 5 HD.
Sky's rules are the same:
140 Channel 4 HD launched first.
143 was BBC HD as it entered Sky EPG after C4HD
169 BBC HD got this number when BBC One HD moved to 143 (same "broadcaster can swap" rules).
171 Channel 5 HD launched late
178 ITV1 HD launched even later...
*MOST* channels in the Sky EPG get swapped out for their HD counterparts, APART from the BBC One, BBC Two, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 because these have regions.
BBC One has lots (for news), BBC Two has England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, ITV1 has lots (for news and ads), Channel 4 has ad regions, Channel 5 has ad regions.
Because of this they can't swap.
As BBC HD will become BBC TWO HD (England) it might happen that people in England will get BBC TWO HD on "102", with those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland getting BBC TWO HD on 169.
It is possible that Channel 4 and Channel 5 will use the capacity on Astra 1N - New Astra 1N satellite to offer more UK-focused capacity - and soon | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice - to launch all their ad regions of their channels in HD, just so they will be at the "top of the Sky HD list".
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Josh
8:21 PM
8:21 PM
What superb news! If we get new multiplexes after DSO using the UHF 31-37 frequencies, and at least of one of the multiplexes launches as DVB-T2, wouldn't it be nice for Channel 5 to launch a 5USA HD? After all, a lot of American movies are in HD, since HD is a speciality in the United States, so a HD 5USA would be a simply great idea in my opinion.
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Stuart O.
8:28 PM
Wrexham
8:28 PM
Wrexham
I'm wondering then, Brian. Why have none of the broadcasters gone onto Ch. 53 (Freeview) or Ch. 141/142 (Sky)? If BBC HD came after Channel 4 HD on the Sky platform, why didn't they go on 141 rather than go on 143?
Those channel numbers have never been used.
Have they been bought by someone else that have yet to launch in HD or something?
And if BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 are numbered 1-5 or 101-105 in SD, why can't they be re-numbered in the same way in HD? Surely regions shouldn't be a problem if they can do this for SD channels?
Why should the rules for HD be different for those of SD channels for the first 5 terrestrial broadcasters? Ofcom should set aside a *1-*5 or a **1-**5 numbering system just like they do for SD channels.
Just like I receive 101 for BBC One Wales whereas viewers outside Wales would receive BBC One Wales on 972, then they should be able to offer a similar service to this with HD channels.
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Stuart's: mapS's Freeview map terrainS's terrain plot wavesS's frequency data S's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Josh: I think looking at the plans, all of the new multiplexes will be DVB-T2, because the system is required to work for the SFN and small-block-MFN networks used.
I was told once that it costs Channel 5 an "arm and a leg" to have all their programmes for 5USA converted to SD.
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Stuart O.: 53 is S4C HD.
Sky allocate channel numbers in threes, so 140 "auto reserves" 141 and 142.
Have you seen how may satellite transponders are taken up with just Channels 1 to 5 in SD?
tp41
Channel 4 London
Channel 4 South & East
Channel 4 Midlands
Channel 4 North
Channel 4 Northern Ireland
Channel 4 Scotland
Film 4
Film 4 +1
More 4 UK +1
tp 42
E4 UK +1
E4 UK
Channel 4 London +1
Channel 4 South & East +1
Channel 4 Midlands +1
Channel 4 North +1
Channel 4 Northern Ireland +1
Channel 4 Scotland +1
More 4 UK
tp44
ITV 1 London
ITV 2
CITV(07-19)
ITV 4
ITV 1 Granada
ITV 1 Anglia North
ITV 1 Central West
tp45
BBC One London
BBC Two England
CBBC(08-20)
BBC Three(20-05)
Channel 5(Region 2)
BBC One West
BBC One East West
BBC One Channel Islands
tp46
BBC One West Midlands
BBC One East Yorkshire & Lincolnshire
BBC One East Midlands
BBC One East East
BBC Parliament
BBC One Wales
BBC Two Wales
tp47
BBC News
BBC Four(20-04)
CBeebies UK(07-20)
BBC One Scotland
BBC Two Scotland
BBC One North West
BBC One Yorkshire & North Midlands
BBC One South East
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra
tp48
BBC One South
BBC One South West
BBC One North East & Cumbria
BBC One Oxford
BBC Alba
BBC One Northern Ireland
BBC Two Northern Ireland
tp49
BBC HD UK
BBC One HD
ITV 1 Meridian South East HD
tp53
ITV 1 Border
Ulster TV +1
ITV 1 Tyne Tees North
ITV 1 Meridian South
ITV 1 Meridian South East
ITV 1 Central West +1
ITV 1 Anglia South
ITV 1 London +1
ITV 1 Yorkshire West
ITV 2 +1
tp54
Channel TV
STV North
STV West
STV East
STV West +1
Ulster TV
ITV 1 Granada +1
ITV 3
ITV 3 +1(19-07)
ITV 1 Meridian South +1
tp50
ITV 1 Meridian South East HD
tp56
ITV 1 Granada HD
ITV 1 Central West HD
STV West HD
tp68
Channel 4 HD
tp3
ITV2 HD
ITV3 HD
ITV4 HD
tp14
ITV 1 Central South
ITV 1 Central East
ITV 1 Wales +1
tp36
ITV 1 Meridian North
ITV 1 Anglia West
ITV 1 Yorkshire East
ITV 1 Tyne Tees South
ITV 1 Central South West
ITV 1 Yorkshire West +1
tp37
Channel 5(Region 1)
Channel 5(Region 3)
Channel 5(Region 4)
Channel 5(Region 5)
5 USA
5 USA +1
5 star
5 star +1
tp29
Channel 5 HD
So, you just need double the number of transponders as you get half the number of HD channels on a transponder.
Easy...
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K
KMJ,Derby9:13 PM
Stuart O.: Channel 53 is S4C Clirlun on Freeview. I must agree the channel numbering is generally a shambles. Why on earth was a common set of channel numbers not worked out for Sky, Freesat and Virgin Media? It would have been in the interests of broadcasters as well as viewers to do so.
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KMJ,Derby: I used to go on like that.
If we had the same with telephone numbers, each company would have a different dialling code for each city...
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N
Nedbod11:59 PM
I thought there was no more space for extra HD channels on BBC MuX B once BBC HD (soon to be BBC TWO HD) and BBC ONE HD launched which replaced FIVE HD when they decided to go SKY ONLY. Does this not mean one of the BBC HD channels above will have to go ? Why have FIVE changed their mind.
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Wednesday, 2 November 2011
Stuart O.
12:31 AM
Wrexham
12:31 AM
Wrexham
Hope they work around this number and region problem sometime in the future to be able to have the HD channel numbers in the order I first suggested.
If they do, perhaps you could have S4C HD on 54 in Wales and Channel 4 HD on 54 outside Wales.
At least I now understand why there are so many gaps in the Sky EPG.
But what is the point though in allocating channel numbers in threes?
It means no-one else can use those channel numbers.
And it makes the EPG numbers so messy.
For example:
The main Entertainment channels are allocated 101-239 and at present the last channel (Watch HD) ends on 233 but there are gaps at the following channel numbers:
134, 141-2, 161-3, 181-2, 185-6, 192, 194, 196-7, 202, 207-8, 210, 213, 216, 221, 223-4, 229-30. If they all budged up with no gaps, they could run from 101-208.
Likewise, there are numerous gaps, some of which are very big gaps in the Lifestyle, Film, Music, Sports (443-453; 457-479), Documentary, Shopping, Box Office (Channels run from 700-744; gap of 745-751, Box Office HD 752&753, Box Office 754-761. Would be better to run Box Office from 700-752 then Box Office HD on 753&754), Adult (big gap 937-947, last channel could end on 939 instead of currently ending on 967) and Radio (the whole radio channel EPG order needs a complete numbering revamp - it's a disgraceful mess with so many gaps and the station order being all over the place!)
When it comes to radio channels, all (or at least, the majority) of the BBC stations could all do with being grouped together. Likewise for RTE, Absolute, UCB, all the commercial Pop stations and all the other foreign language and religious channels grouped together.
That way the last channel could end before 0180 instead of 0214 like present getting rid of gaps here, there and everywhere and making it easier and more enjoyable flicking through the radio channels to find stations that suit your genre and interest instead of (for example) if you are looking for modern pop music you don't have to go from 0109 to 0111 to 0113 to 0114 to 0120 to 0137 to 0146 etc. etc.
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Stuart's: mapS's Freeview map terrainS's terrain plot wavesS's frequency data S's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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