Watching the London 2012 Olympics - a guide (part 1)

The BBC have in place a rather extensive television service for the Olympic games - here is a guide to make sure you are watching it in the best possible way.

^{Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV 16th July 2012 at 15:07}

For the duration of the Olympic Games, the BBC will be dedicating the majority of their output to the games.

In the first instance, BBC One (and BBC One HD) will carry coverage all day and night, and BBC three will also broadcast all day and night.

In addition, the BBC will provide 24 interactive channels. However, most of these channels will be for satellite and online viewers.

For those watching on Freeview, the service will be limited to two interactive streams (301 and 302), of which the third will run only from 7pm.

Freeview HD will also provide the "first" stream in HD on 301.



BBC Parliament will stop broadcasting on Freeview for the duration of the games, but will continue on satellite (and cable). In the regions that have not yet switched-over to digital-only (Northern Ireland and North East England), the CBBC channel will move from channel 70 to 73. See also Changes to BBC services for the Olympic Games

BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC HD (mostly) will provide a non-Olympic games service.

For those watching on Freesat or Freesat-from-Sky, the streams will be accessed by pressing the "red button" on any BBC channel.

List of interactive transponders

If you have a "generic" satellite receiver, you will find the 24 SD streams on transponders 52, 55 and D1S, and the 24 HD streams on transponders 11, 22, 31, 36, 37 and 38.

• transponder 11 is 11914MHz Horizontal at 29500-3/4
• transponder 22 is 12129 MHz Vertical at 29500-3/4
• transponder 31 is 12304 MHz Horizontal at 29500-3/4
• transponder 36 is 12402 MHz Vertical at 29500-3/4
• transponder 37 is 12422 MHz Horizontal at 29500-3/4
• transponder 38 is 12441 MHz Vertical at 29500-3/4
• transponder 52 is 10876 MHz Vertical at 22000-5/6
• transponder 55 is 10921 MHz Horizontal at 22000-5/6
• transponder D1S is 11469 MHz Horizontal at 27500-2/3

List of interactive channels

Here is a full list of the locations on satellite and Freeview of the transponders:

• Stream 1: SD Freeview 301,
  SID 7800 on transponder 52, HD Freeview 304, SID 7801 on transponder 11
• Stream 2: SD Freeview 302 (from 7pm),
  SID 7802 on transponder 55, HD SID 7803 on transponder 22
• Stream 3: SID 7804 on transponder D1S, HD SID 7805 on transponder 31
• Stream 4: SD SID 7806 on transponder 52, HD SID 7807 on transponder 36
• Stream 5: SD SID 7808 on transponder 55, HD SID 7809 on transponder 37
• Stream 6: SD SID 7810 on transponder D1S, HD SID 7811 on transponder 38
• Stream 7: SD SID 7812 on transponder 52, HD SID 7813 on transponder 11
• Stream 8: SD SID 7814 on transponder 55, HD SID 7815 on transponder 22
• Stream 9: SD SID 7816 on transponder D1S, HD SID 7805 on transponder 31
• Stream 10: SD SID 7818 on transponder 52, HD SID 7819 on transponder 36
• Stream 11: SD SID 7820 on transponder 55, HD SID 7821 on transponder 37
• Stream 12: SD SID 7822 on transponder D1S, HD SID 7823 on transponder 38
• Stream 13: SD SID 7824 on transponder D1S, HD SID 7825 on transponder 38
• Stream 14: SD SID 7826 on transponder 55, HD SID 7827 on transponder 37
• Stream 15: SD SID 7828 on transponder 52, HD SID 7829 on transponder 36
• Stream 16: SD SID 7830 on transponder D1S, HD SID 7805 on transponder 31
• Stream 17: SD SID 7832 on transponder 55, HD SID 7833 on transponder 22
• Stream 18: SD SID 7834 on transponder 52, HD SID 7835 on transponder 11
• Stream 19: SD SID 7836 on transponder D1S, HD SID 7837 on transponder 38
• Stream 20: SD SID 7838 on transponder 55, HD SID 7839 on transponder 37
• Stream 21: SD SID 7840 on transponder 52, HD SID 7841 on transponder 36
• Stream 22: SD SID 7842 on transponder D1S, HD SID 7805 on transponder 31
• Stream 23: SD SID 7844 on transponder 55, HD SID 7845 on transponder 22
• Stream 24: SD SID 7846 on transponder 52, HD SID 7847 on transponder 11