Have your say & ask the experts

Anyone got any updated information on when Freeview get's it's HD channels? I understand that these will become active once analogue switch off as occured, starting with the granada region in Sept'09 ? 

Sony's press releases seem to suggest that it's latest screens are ready and waiting for the day: http://presscentre.sony.eu/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=332&NewsAreaID=2 

I notice though that the press releases come from Sony Europe, meaning that they could be talking about HD via DVB-T rather than DVB-T2?

dsmith3530:

Anyone got any updated information on when Freeview get's it's HD channels? I understand that these will become active once analogue switch off as occured, starting with the granada region in Sept'09 ?

So many mistakes I don't know where to start. The analogue switch off doesn't "start" with Granada in September, Devon and Cornwall will have switched by then (end of July in fact) and I don't even think we're the first region to go. Anyway, HD won't be coming to freeview until every region is switched over I shouldn't think.

And don't get me started on those apostrophes either!

DELETED BY MODS - please do not post copyright material, or links in violation of house rules

So, so glad I posted a question to the grammar forum. Anyway...

Any views on whether buying, say a Sony w5500, means not having to buy a seperate freeview box for HD between now and 2012?

Well, I went into a Sony Centre this week to look at the 32V5500 & must say that the picture quality with Sky HD was superb. Standard Sky colours looking a little intense but I suppose this could be adjusted. 

I asked the salesman if you would need a separate box if ever Freeview HD comes about & he said yes you would. 

"The V5500 comes with an integrated MPEG-4 AVC HD tuner, which allows users to enjoy terrestrial HDTV via DVB-T/DVB-C signals" - quote taken from internet. I don`t think these tuners are capable of decoding DVB-T2 broadcasts.

It would be great to have an LCD fitted with a Freeview HD tuner - how many extra boxes are we willing to put up with ? 

No current UK TV will decode Freeview HD which has to be  DVB-T2 broadcasts.

Europoean HD broadcasts are DVB-T.

The DVB-T2 standard is not yet cast in stone. It's in pilot mode.

I couldn't help wondering though whether Sony's participation in the pilot, which i think has been running since last July, had given them an opportunity to release a product that was DVB-T2 ready. Granted, it would be difficult for them to guarantee 100% at this stage that their hardware would work with the final 'Freeview HD' service, but perhaps not such a stretch to believe that with pilot so far along that any changes to the standard could be addressed via a software update.  

Sounds like us non sky/virgin customers are better off with a Panasonic V10 or similar for HD via Freesat the time being.

Originaly I heard it was coming to Freeview region by region starting in 2009.

However, like another poster above, the latest I've read has been that it will come to Freeview now only after total switchover in 2012. That said another report now says end of 2010. I guess you take your choice!

 Irrespective of when it does come there are bandwidth issues which arguably may affect the quality of the service (there are arguments and counter arguments to this but the bottom line is Freeview as a whole is short of bandwidth even without HD. DVBT-2 will help free up more space but that doesn't mean that quality issues won't arise. Some have said it will reduce all Freeview quality by 33%, others say there will be no affect). In the longer term, there's little doubt in my mind that Freeview is already a dodo. As more HD services become available, where are they going to go? There's no more terrestrial bandwidth beyond that freed by DVBT-2 (the government has sold off all the free space from analogue to other services) and a couple of channels they're allegedly going to have to remove from Freeview to make even 4 HD channels possible. So ultimately in the long run satelite is going to be the only service that can handle HD at any quality as more channels come on line. The only thing Freeview could do is remove a lot of the minor channels but as I understand they are all paying to be on the service, I doubt they could afford to.

Personally I think if you want HD get Freesat.

If your pockets are deep get Sky.

Thank you - advice very much appreciated!

I'm planning on sticking to free to air services for the time being. As any potential future Freeview HD service has been confirmed as being 1080i it seems it will only ever match what's already available from Freesat, and only become available once analogue is dead and burried and ofcom have rejigged the multiplexes. 

Sorry Sony, I'm off to the nearest panasonic shop to beg to be allowed to be fleeced for a V10.

Not sure of the models so don't know if you're telling me your thinking of Freesat but all I can say is I have it and I'm very satisfied.

Dave, FIVE US apart, the lineup is very similar to Freeview and hopefully those channels will join eventually.

When I first got Freesat I left my analogue aerial up just in case of picture breakup so I had analogue to fall back on. I can get limited Freeview but the signal is poor so breakup often occurs. However, despite this terrible winter of driving snow and heavy rain, I've never once had any picture breakup on Freesat. In fact so reliable has my Freesat signal been, that I'm now considering taking my aerials down entirely and leaving just a dish on my house. I do have an 85cm dish though, not the standard dish as I had in mind maybe a multisat set up later and also headroom for bad weather resistance. However, posts I've seen generally seem positive from smaller dishes. If in doubt though go big!

I've also heard of Freeview being of better picture quality than Freesat, and I even thought this myself having seen both sperately. However, when the World Darts was on from lakeside a month or two ago I had the same transmission on BBC 2 Freeview and BBC 2 Freesat. Much to my surprise flicking my tv between the 2, I found that the Freesat picture was both sharper and much more saturated. Another person in my household independantly said the same, so on that occassion at least, Freesat was the better SD picture. Whether thats always the case I couldn't comment.

BTW, I have the Humax HDR PVR in case you're wondering and I'm delighted with it.