World Cup 2010 in HD?
High definition is a term you'll see used on all forms of media today, offering greater picture clarity as well as richer and more natural colours, it's a service that most would like but so far it has remained a service that has proven to be too expensive for many.
Before high definition becomes a standard in the UK, it has been essential that a freeview offering of HD material be made available. Though the BBC have carried out trials of their own HD service, the deployment of HD channels via freeview has remained in doubt following claims of limited transmission capacity.
Having signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding however, BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and FIVE look set to deliver HD channels via freeview from as soon as 2009 using existing transmission bandwidth.
The agreement encompasses:
- The use of new technologies, which will increase the capacity available on Freeview
- A rearrangement of some of the channels carried on Freeview, in line with Ofcom's suggestion, setting aside one of the BBC's two multiplexes for the carriage of not only BBC HD but also ITV HD, Channel 4 HD and – as soon as technically possible – Five HD.
Upon approval by the BBC Trust of BBC's proposed HD channel, BBC HD, BBC Director General Mark Thompson stated "We are delighted that the BBC Trust has approved the BBC Executive's high definition television proposals, allowing us to launch the UK's first free-to-air, mixed-genre public service HDTV channel."
Despite this big step in the right direction, we don't expect to see any signs of BBC HD material via freeview until late 2009, if not early 2010. Other broadcasters, such as Five, may be waiting until 2012 for sufficient capacity to be made available.
Source: bbc.co.uk
