More BBC HD Regions

Quote from Heero Yuy

Only our main 42" 1080p TV has an HD tuner but it's generally used with VM's V6. The TV/DVD 720p combo in the kitchen only has an SD tuner but it can work with the laptop via an HDMI lead and use VM's TVgo site, so we could cope if the SD transmissions were scrapped.

I've never used the VM TVGo website, just the app, how's the picture quality?

Quote from Heero Yuy

Looks pretty good both on the laptop (HP Probook 450 using my WiFi) which is 1080 and the TV. No juddering or pixelating though both are fairly small screens. Some channel content, especially on Smithsonian, is not available for copyright reasons or like the BBC because they want you to use the iplayer.

There must be different content rules for different platforms as I'm pretty sure Smithsonian Channel works fine on the app version of VM TV Go. I'll check later.

Quote from cheekyangus

This is an interesting post by omnidirectional on Digital Spy Satellite forum.

"BBC One HD regions in England are now listed on www.bbc.co.uk/schedules with a start date of Thursday 21st October 2021.

As yet there is no official confirmation that they will launch on that date."

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TIGHazard on Digital Spy Freeview forum posted this this morning. I didn't note the time of the posts so I don't know who came first, but the way the posts are worded here this is the likely candidate.

https://forums.digitalspy.com/…99540385#Comment_99540385

As you can see, it has a screenshot of a time plotted diagram sourced from BBC Website.

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Well apparently the BBC have said this is a website technical glitch, so the HD versions aren't about to launch according to Media Mole.

Thanks to epsilon on Cable Forum for the heads-up.

HD versions of BBC One's English regions still due in 2022 - Media Mole

Quote from OLD BOY

Pity! I rarely watch the 10 o'Clock News at precisely 10pm - it's recorded in HD. I have to record our regional news in SD, so it's a bit of a faff.

It's even more so because you can't record the regional programme as a series link, because if I did that, I would get three separate editions of South Today every day (and there is no way to set manual recordings on the 360 as you can with the TiVos and V6s).

So we have a nother year or so of this palaver!

There had been suggestions over the years that even when they do do it the regional news (in England) would be upscaled SD as not all the studio facilities would be upgraded by the time they switched the particular region over. Natural equipment replacement has probably lessened that over the years, but I believe it's still the case in many. Still better than nothing IMHO (though I'm lucky enough to get mine in HD already so I come from a place of less annoyance).

The BBC has released more information on their HD plans.

Thanks to TimeLord2018 on Cable Forum for link.

Rolling out BBC One in high definition across England

An update on plans to launch BBC One HD (High Definition) services across all of England from Kieran Clifton, Director, BBC Distribution & Business Development

www.bbc.co.uk

Short version: Internet platforms first, starting with Sky Glass TODAY, then iPlayer. More updates when they have information to give. They are clear though that the speed will vary by platform.

And yes BBC2 NI, Parliament and Alba will be HD, though not clear on platforms, can't see the latter 2 being on Freeview except for via the internet.

Quote from Horizon

I'm lost now Cheeky. Does that mean we don't get the HD stuff on VM for a while yet?

Quote from OLD BOY

We’re told it will before the end of 2022. No more details than that, I’m afraid.

Basically what Old Boy said.

In my opinion Sky, Freesat and Virgin Media will change well before the end of 2022. They tend not to want to make changes too near Christmas, so implement a change freeze, so I'd say early 2022 is most likely for those platforms.

Digital Terrestrial is going to take the longest because the most work is required, by far, to implement the changes. The fire at the transmitter in England has probably had an indirect effect as staff will have had to be taken off the HD multiplex work to deal with the installation of temporary masts and other related work.

As they've said iPlayer is getting the change next, after Sky Glass. This will mean (almost certainly) all platforms with iPlayer will get access before the broadcast transmission version of the new services.

Some have suggested the apparent (& brief) Sky Glass exclusivity period is part of the recent deal between the two companies and Sky might give the BBC (cheaper) transponder space in return, which they can for Freesat too. Just speculation that'll never likely be confirmed though.

Epsilon on Cable Forum has said 14 BBC1 HD service labels have been added to Virgin Media. Post is here for more details.

Cable Forum - View Single Post - General Changes to Virgin TV (2021)

I can't see anything launching before Christmas, but never say never.

"End of 2022" has changed to "Early 2023" in the latest BBC Annual Plan.

BBC One HD regional roll-out delay | RXTV info

The rollout of BBC regions in HD won't be completed until 'early 2023', in a new delay for the introduction of BBC One HD regions in England.

rxtvinfo.com

Looks like BBC2 Northern Ireland may soon be making an appearance on Satellite.

Digi Man on Digital Spy spotted it, and its subsequent removal.

BBC2 NI is available on other platforms already, Satellite has been an anomaly due to lack of capacity on BBC transponder space, and inevitably costs.

It was pretty much always inevitable that it would eventually appear, what with the BBC1 English HD regionalisation needing transponder space.

I may be interpreting this tweet wrong, but I think a516digital is suggesting this is evidence of the extra BBC1 HD regions coming.