About the �鶹Լ�� Feed

Changes to our HD portfolio and satellite transponders

2018-10-16T12:32:03+00:00

I gave my last update on our HD services here in May 2015. Since then, we have continued to try to find ways to address gaps in the HD portfolio.

I’m pleased now to be able to follow up with some news on our progress towards an all-HD future. We in the Distribution & Business Development team have been working with colleagues in �鶹Լ�� Research & Development and in the Nations, who earlier this year upgraded their playout facilities to support HD, to help plug one of those gaps: �鶹Լ�� Two HD variants in the Nations.

�鶹Լ�� Two Wales HD will be launching on �鶹Լ�� iPlayer, on digital terrestrial (Freeview and YouView) and on the digital satellite platforms Sky and Freesat, while �鶹Լ�� Two Northern Ireland HD will be launching on �鶹Լ�� iPlayer and on digital terrestrial (Freeview and YouView) - both towards the end of November.

For satellite viewers in Wales, �鶹Լ�� Two programmes will become available in HD at EPG position 102 – next to the existing �鶹Լ�� One Wales HD at 101.

As you might be aware, Ofcom recently gave approval for the launch of �鶹Լ�� Scotland’s new TV service. To enable the launch of the new channel, in 2019 we’ll be closing �鶹Լ�� Two Scotland on all platforms. In its place, satellite and cable viewers will receive the standard version of �鶹Լ�� Two. As a consequence, this means that on certain platforms �鶹Լ�� Two in HD will be in the most prominent position available – 102 – next to �鶹Լ�� One Scotland HD.

We are working with colleagues in �鶹Լ�� Scotland on their launch plans for next year, and on the details of where you will be able to find the new channel.

I should explain a little about how we’ve been able to launch these additional HD services on satellite. We have been able to improve the performance of our HD encoders – and when combined with a small increase in capacity on our HD satellite transponders are able to introduce one additional HD service per transponder.

For the more technically-minded, the capacity increase will be realised by applying a different Forward Error Correction parameter in the standard DVB-S2 transmission mode. Extensive field measurements confirm there will be no material change to viewers’ satellite reception.

However, we have identified a reception issue with the new satellite transmission mode, and in very particular reception and installation conditions, which affects a small number of TVs and PVRs from certain manufacturers with built-in satellite (Freesat) tuners.

Further information can be found here on our Reception Advice pages. This does not affect SD reception. All Sky, Freeview and cable viewers will be unaffected, and the vast majority of Freesat viewers will also be unaffected.

We are not in a position at this point to provide all of our regional feeds in HD, owing to lack of broadcast capacity and native HD broadcasting capability across the majority of the English regions. However, we continue to look at ways in which we can deliver further HD services within the constraints we face. For now, we’re pleased to be able to take another step on our journey towards an all-HD future.

EPG numbers: �鶹Լ�� Two Wales and NI HD

Platform	Wales	Northern Ireland

Freesat	102 (106)	n/a (102)
Sky	102 (802)	n/a (102)
Freeview/YouView	102 (2)	102 (2)
Virgin Media	[tbc]	[tbc]

For any non-HD devices, only the SD service will appear in the guide and at slot 2 or 102. In the table above, the SD variant listing on HD boxes is shown in brackets.

A Significant Step towards an All-HD Future

2015-05-14T14:37:58+00:00

Since February, when I started as director of the �鶹Լ��’s newly-formed Distribution & Business Development department, we’ve brought together the �鶹Լ��’s broadcast distribution team (responsible for the transmission of our TV and radio services) and our online syndication team (making products like �鶹Լ�� iPlayer, �鶹Լ�� Sport and �鶹Լ�� News available on connected TV platforms, smartphones, tablets and televisions) – two teams both responsible for connecting you with �鶹Լ�� programmes and services.
Together we navigate an increasingly complex and competitive media landscape to bring the best public services to everyone at exceptional quality and value.

Making HD available across the country is an important part of that mission.

We’re committed to ensuring you have convenient access to our programmes and services in the best quality. Today, we make and make available all programmes in high definition (HD) on �鶹Լ�� One, �鶹Լ�� Two, �鶹Լ�� Three, �鶹Լ�� Four, C�鶹Լ��, CBeebies and �鶹Լ�� News.

All our channels are available free to air across all platforms (including Freeview, Freesat, YouView, Sky and Virgin Media, and directly over the internet through �鶹Լ�� iPlayer) and can be received by the vast majority of HD-enabled homes. To ensure that you have access to nationally-varied content we distribute four different versions of �鶹Լ�� One HD – for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We would like to be able to deliver English regional news and current affairs programming to all 15 English regions in HD. Currently we provide a clear on-air message encouraging English viewers back to the SD versions of our service for local news, but this is far from ideal. Another HD gap we would like to fill is the lack of HD versions of �鶹Լ�� Two Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In July 2013 we publicly expressed our intention to address these issues. Since that time we have been planning the effective execution of the complex technical deployment required and assessing the cost to deliver the best value we can for you. I am pleased to announce that the �鶹Լ�� Executive and �鶹Լ�� Trust have agreed that the introduction of �鶹Լ�� One English regional versions and �鶹Լ�� Two national versions in HD will be proposed as part of our distribution plans for the next Charter period. At the point funding is approved, as soon as possible within the next Charter period beginning in 2017, we will begin rolling these out, a process likely to take 12-24 months.

In the meantime, to guarantee our content remains universally available we’ll continue to keep the SD English regional versions of �鶹Լ�� One and three national versions of �鶹Լ�� Two on the most prominent channel numbers on all television platforms – as well as making non-regionalised HD versions of the channels available in the lowest number position.

Throughout the process we’ll continue to monitor audience behaviour and industry activity, and will report to the �鶹Լ�� Executive and Trust if anything significant changes.

I look forward to all the �鶹Լ��’s television services being prominently available on all platforms in HD, and see this decision as a significant step towards that goal.

Kieran Clifton is Director of �鶹Լ�� Distribution & Business Development.

Taking the Doctor to the next dimension

2013-11-22T10:26:17+00:00

Here in �鶹Լ�� Distribution, excitement is mounting with each moment as we count down to The Day of the Doctor. We’re excited enough about the special 50th anniversary programme itself. But we are also thrilled to have the responsibility of delivering the Doctor to a new dimension; to be his human assistants enabling him to burst out of your screen in 3D.

So with the time ticking away to the Time Lord’s return, it’s time for me to give you the latest advice on how best to watch it in 3D. But before I do, I want to take a little of your time to mark the achievements of �鶹Լ�� Red Button HD, which will undergo a regeneration of its own shortly after broadcasting the 3D special.

A Fond Farewell to �鶹Լ�� Red Button HD

At the beginning of the summer we started trying something new. We’ve been experimenting with pop-up red button streams to cover major events like Wimbledon, Glastonbury and The �鶹Լ�� Proms. And it’s clearly allowed us to deliver more value to our audiences.

During the Wimbledon/Glastonbury fortnight we had one additional standard definition (SD) stream on Freeview and two additional SD streams on satellite. Alongside these we offered, for the first time, �鶹Լ�� Red Button HD. By making efficient use of spare capacity we had available over the summer and autumn, we were able to keep �鶹Լ�� Red Button HD going for much longer than the additional SD streams and my team worked really hard with colleagues across the �鶹Լ�� to expand choice and quality for viewers, with really gratifying results:

Overall more than 3.5m viewers used the HD red button stream across Freeview HD/Youview, Virgin Media and Freesat.
During Wimbledon alone, 1.2m people tuned into �鶹Լ�� Red Button HD (with a total of 7.7m million people using the red button to access the additional matches overall; that’s the highest ever for Wimbledon).
We were able to broadcast about a dozen �鶹Լ�� Proms in HD that were otherwise destined to air in only standard definition on �鶹Լ�� Four. These were enjoyed by a quarter of a million people. Plus we upgraded to HD the four outside broadcasts on the Last Night from Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow and Hyde Park London.
The FIFA Confederations Cup and Glastonbury attracted 650k and 300k viewers respectively while other events to benefit from coverage on �鶹Լ�� Red Button HD included tennis from Queens and the ATP World Tour Finals, the British F1 Grand Prix, the Women’s Euros, Diamond League Athletics, Moto GP, RideLondon, the Reading Festival and T in the Park.

Many people across the �鶹Լ��, our suppliers and the TV operators we partner with worked hard to bring this experiment to fruition. So as it comes to an end, I’d like to say a public thank you to them for all their efforts.

The Day of the Doctor in 3D

�鶹Լ�� Red Button HD’s final mission is to showcase the 3D version of the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special “The Day of the Doctor”. This will be broadcast on Saturday 23 November at 7:50pm (simulcast with �鶹Լ�� One and �鶹Լ�� One HD) and will be repeated on Sunday 24 November at 7pm (simulcast with �鶹Լ�� Three). It will look fantastic in 2D but if you’d like to see the Doctor in a new dimension in the comfort of your own home, there are two ways you can join the adventure in 3D…

You can either watch the episode in 3D live via broadcast on your 3D TV or you can catch up via �鶹Լ�� iPlayer.

How to watch in 3D, live

To watch The Day of the Doctor live in 3D on your TV, you will need: a 3D capable TV and its 3D glasses, and you must be able to receive the �鶹Լ��’s Red Button HD stream via the telly itself or a set top box.

If you’re not sure whether your TV is capable of displaying 3D, then please check your TV’s manual. When the episode is about to start either on Saturday or Sunday, just switch to �鶹Լ�� Red Button HD, put your 3D TV into ‘Side-by-Side’ mode, pop on your glasses and enjoy!

For viewers with Freeview HD, Youview, Virgin Media, Sky and Freesat, the channel number for �鶹Լ�� Red Button HD is listed below:

Freeview HD/YouView 303

Virgin Media 994

Sky 977

Freesat 980

If you want to record the episode, it’s easy to do because �鶹Լ�� Red Button HD is listed in the electronic programme guide for these platforms. In most cases the channel has been available for some time so you should be able to find it, but if not then you can try to retune your Freeview HD digital TV or box or you can find help at www.virginmedia.com, help.sky.com or www.freesat.co.uk.

You’ll be able to find information about how to watch The Day of the Doctor in 3D on the �鶹Լ��’s Red Button text page 998. To avoid any disappointment, you might want to have a practice, in which case you can use the 3D test card that will be shown from 6pm on �鶹Լ�� Red Button HD before the first showing of Doctor Who 3D.

How to watch in 3D on the �鶹Լ�� iPlayer

It will be possible to watch The Day of the Doctor in 3D on iPlayer for 7 days from the 23 November (after the broadcast has ended).

To enjoy in 3D, you’ll need compatible 3D equipment. Your options are:

Connected 3DTV with iPlayer and 3D glasses.
Connected Set-top-Box/Blu-Ray with iPlayer, a 3DTV and glasses (3D is not available via Sky On Demand)
PC/Mac with a 3D Display.

TVs or displays need to be set to “Side by Side” mode for iPlayer to work in 3D, so please refer to your manual if necessary. If your TV does not allow you to switch to 3D mode when using the internal iPlayer, you’ll need to connect the 3DTV (via HDMI) to use iPlayer from either a connected set-top-box, Blu-ray player, Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. 3D is only available in the higher quality version of streaming, so you’ll need a sufficient internet connection.

PC/Mac users have the option of downloading the programme via �鶹Լ�� iPlayer Downloads, where the download can be kept for up to 30 days. However, once you first start to play the download, you’ll have 7 days before the programme expires.

We cannot provide specific guidance to individual set-ups, but we hope you’ll find this information useful.

What will �鶹Լ�� Red Button HD regenerate into?

Last July we were very pleased to announce that the �鶹Լ�� is to launch five new HD channels by early 2014. These will be HD simulcasts of �鶹Լ�� News, �鶹Լ�� Three, �鶹Լ�� Four, C�鶹Լ�� and CBeebies.

I’m sure you’re keen to know when the launch will be but I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a little longer to find out. I’ll post again with an update towards the end of the year. However, in the meantime, I can let you know that the capacity vacated by �鶹Լ�� Red Button HD will be used to broadcast �鶹Լ�� News HD on satellite and �鶹Լ�� Three HD and C�鶹Լ�� HD on Freeview HD/Youview.

Some of you might have liked us to create a permanent red button HD stream. In terms of making best use of the capacity we can afford, the five channels listed above each attract more viewers. However, it’s our ambition to repeat our experiment with pop-up streams in 2014, delivering more choice in an agile way around major sporting and cultural events. And we will continue to keep under review the value for money of expanding our HD offer in the future.

So as to what that future holds, I suppose there’s only one man who knows... And whichever way you choose to watch him in 3D, I hope you’ll find that the Doctor has never looked so good.

Alix Pryde is Director, �鶹Լ�� Distribution

A �鶹Լ�� Red Button summer 2013

2013-06-10T13:48:42+00:00

I’m writing with some exciting news about the �鶹Լ��’s plans to offer you additional coverage of great sporting and musical events this summer, including additional HD.

There will be extra courts from Wimbledon and extra stages from Glastonbury. And on top of that, we’ll be offering you HD coverage of a range of other events too numerous to list in full, so make sure you keep an eye on the Red Button what’s on. But to give you a taster I can tell you that it will include the British F1 Grand Prix, Women’s Euros, Diamond League Athletics, Moto GP and the Confederations Cup.

The main purpose of my blog today is to explain what you will need to do in order to access the extra coverage that will be available to you.

As regular readers will know, one of the challenges we have been grappling with over the past months and years is how to get the right amount of capacity for �鶹Լ�� Red Button broadcast video streams. The difficulty is that the amount of content available varies across the year, typically peaking around the time of Wimbledon, Glastonbury and the British Grand Prix. Our goal is not to waste money paying for more capacity than we need over the rest of the year, but at the same time to be able to offer audiences a breadth of choice at the times that they want it most. It’s a difficult balance to get right.

In order to bring an enhanced experience to your TV this summer we are trying something different. We are trying to operate a flexible model for the �鶹Լ�� Red Button which expands when the content demands. And as more and more of you get HD TVs, we want to be able to offer more of these prime sporting and music events to you in HD too, beyond what you will see on �鶹Լ�� One HD and �鶹Լ�� Two HD. This summer is our first experiment, and we’ll be launching:

An HD red button stream on Freeview HD/Youview, Sky HD, Virgin Media and Freesat HD
One additional SD red button stream on Freeview/BT Vision/Youview (digital terrestrial television, DTT)
Two additional SD red button streams on Sky, Virgin Media and Freesat (satellite and cable)

The reason why there is only one additional SD stream on DTT rather than two is that unfortunately there isn’t the capacity available in the market to do more. That’s also the reason why the geographic coverage of that stream is a bit less than our usual coverage, c. 90% of households rather than 98.5%. The coverage of the HD stream and the satellite and cable streams will be the same as the usual �鶹Լ�� coverage.

The extra SD streams are timed to cover the last week of June and the first week of July as this is the busiest time of the year on the Red Button. The HD stream will start a little sooner and will be available for longer. All the events are available on bbc.co.uk as well.

We’ve listened to your feedback so we know that many of you like to be able to record what is broadcast on the red button streams. Therefore we have arranged for the streams to be listed in electronic programme guides as follows:

* - available to viewers with HD equipment only; not available on BT Vision

** - subject to commercial agreement

*** - Virgin Tivo customers will have access to event coverage via the Connected Red Button as well

In addition to finding the channels in the EPG, we are working hard to make sure you get easy access to all the coverage of a particular event, including what’s on �鶹Լ�� One, �鶹Լ�� Two or �鶹Լ�� Three at that time, available behind the Red Button service, which you will be able to get as usual by pressing red on any �鶹Լ�� channel. You may find that what you see looks a bit different from what we have done in the past. That’s all part of our experimental approach and we are interested in your feedback on it to help inform what we do in future.

The first coverage to be broadcast on the HD stream will be on 13 June. The additional SD streams will come into service on 24 June. However, the different streams on different platforms have already begun to become visible with placeholders and the rest will appear in the next few days. So here’s what to do to make sure you can watch the streams that will be accessible to you, depending on which platform you use to get your TV:

If you have Freeview, YouView or BT Vision+ your receiver may well pick up the changes automatically but you will likely need to do a retune if you don’t have an HD receiver. Digital UK’s TV retune website gives advice on how to retune.
If you have Sky, you should not have to do anything. If you do have a problem receiving any of our channels, you can try turning your Sky set top box off at the mains, waiting 30 seconds and turning it back on again. If that doesn’t resolve your problem you can find more help at www.sky.com/helpcentre.
If you have Virgin Media the new streams should appear automatically. If you do have a problem receiving any of our channels, you can find more help at Virgin’s website. For Virgin TiVo users the broadcast Red Button streams will still appear in the 980s while the Red Button application on our TV channels will take you to additional coverage on the Connected Red Button service.
If you have Freesat and you do not pick up the new channels automatically, you may need to put your digital box or TV into standby for 30 seconds and then switch it back on again. If the channels are still unavailable then carry out a 'Freesat channel retune'. Full instructions can be found in the manual for your digital TV or box. Further help with retuning can be found at www.freesat.co.uk or by calling the Freesat customer support team on 08450 990 990.

So whether your preference is strawberries and cream, cider or a meat and potato pie I hope you enjoy it in front of some excellent summer entertainment courtesy of �鶹Լ�� Red Button.

Alix Pryde is Director, �鶹Լ�� Distribution.

UPDATE, Wednesday 26 June 2013, 11.00am

Commenting on the About the �鶹Լ�� Blog closes automatically two weeks after publication. This morning however, we have re-opened comments for this post. I wanted to explain why I have arranged this.

First, I think it is important that we offer a space to comment on live issues so that we can hear what you think, and given that many of you were still commenting on Monday it was a pity to have the conversation end at that point.

Secondly, we are continuing to fix minor bugs in the applications delivering the additional streams on the various platforms. Your comments provide us with valuable feedback about your experiences and help us know when we have resolved issues.

Alix Pryde.

A big hello to �鶹Լ�� Two HD

2013-03-26T00:10:20+00:00

Today marks the start of a new era for �鶹Լ�� Two as �鶹Լ�� Two HD launches. HD take-up is growing rapidly – as of January 2013 over 12m homes (nearly half of UK homes) were able to watch in HD, with 20m (80%) expected by end 2015 and I’m thrilled that �鶹Լ�� Two HD is being launched as the next step on the �鶹Լ��’s HD journey. The channel has always been committed to high quality, engaging and ambitious programmes and now we can show them at their very best.

From Paul Hollywood’s new series, Bread, to a major new documentary series looking at the inner workings of the NHS, Keeping Britain Alive, viewers will now have a dedicated channel showing these programmes in glorious HD.

�鶹Լ�� Two has enjoyed a real resurgence in drama and I’m delighted that �鶹Լ�� Two HD will be showing forthcoming dramas The Fall, a thrilling new crime serial starring Gillian Anderson, and Paula Milne's three-part serial about marriage, power and politics The Politician’s Husband, with David Tennant and Emily Watson in the lead roles. Later this year we have the adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s prize-winning Wolf Hall, starring Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell.

We have an exciting summer of sports and live events to look forward to with Wimbledon, Glastonbury rugby and Diamond League athletics all being shown at their spectacular best in HD.

Other forthcoming highlights include James May’s Man Lab and the Tudor season, as well as long-standing favourites such as Mock The Week, QI and Springwatch.

�鶹Լ�� One HD is already much loved by audiences, and I hope that �鶹Լ�� Two HD will be as popular with viewers, enabling them to see the very best of �鶹Լ�� Two looking at its very best.

Janice Hadlow is Controller, �鶹Լ�� Two

Director of Distribution Alix Pryde blogged about the launch of �鶹Լ�� Two HD and how to access the channel last week.

For further information on viewing �鶹Լ�� Two HD, there are also answers to frequently asked questions here.

�鶹Լ�� ALBA moving to channel number 143 on Sky

2013-03-20T12:16:05+00:00

This is just a quick post to make sure you know that on Tuesday 26 March 2013 there will be a new home for �鶹Լ�� ALBA on Sky.

It will move to a more prominent slot in the channel listing: channel 143. The other advantage of this new position is that it will be part of a small �鶹Լ�� cluster alongside �鶹Լ�� One HD and �鶹Լ�� Two HD which are also taking up their new positions that day at channels 141 and 142 respectively.

�鶹Լ�� ALBA will remain at the same position on all other platforms, which are:

What will I have to do?

In short, you should not need to do anything other than note the new channel number. Your series recordings should all carry on working and if you have set �鶹Լ�� ALBA as a favourite that will also work straight away with the new channel number.

* * *

Hopefully you’ll continue to find �鶹Լ�� ALBA easy to reach and enjoy the unique programmes it has to offer. Best wishes, or maybe should that be “Gach deagh dhùrachd” ?

Hello �鶹Լ�� Two HD; Goodbye �鶹Լ�� HD

2013-03-19T14:11:04+00:00

I’m really pleased that the �鶹Լ�� will be embarking on the next stage of our HD journey at 6am on Tuesday 26 March 2013 with the launch of �鶹Լ�� Two HD. �鶹Լ�� Two HD will be a simulcast of the standard definition version of �鶹Լ�� Two that is broadcast in England, and its launch means that you’ll be able to watch the �鶹Լ��’s two most popular TV channels in glorious HD. I’ve set out below some guidance on how to access the new HD channel, and also some advice about any series recordings you may have set up on �鶹Լ�� HD, and I hope you will find these helpful.

Of course, it’s not a perfect world, and there are a couple of issues that may be on your mind, so I thought you’d appreciate it if first I tackled them head on.

Viewers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (and indeed some English viewers) may be disappointed that we are, regrettably, unable to offer the full �鶹Լ�� Two schedule for those nations in HD. This is essentially to do with our need to prioritise our investment in HD as we take each step forward, because we can’t afford to do everything we might like to do. Just to be clear, it’s worth my saying that the broadcast in standard definition of �鶹Լ�� Two Scotland, �鶹Լ�� Two Wales and �鶹Լ�� Two Northern Ireland will be unaffected by this launch.

I also understand that some of you will be disappointed to see the end of �鶹Լ�� HD. To make the launch of �鶹Լ�� Two HD affordable, the proposal put forward by �鶹Լ�� management and agreed by the �鶹Լ�� Trust under Delivering Quality First was to use �鶹Լ�� HD’s broadcasting capacity to launch �鶹Լ�� Two HD.

�鶹Լ�� HD will close down in the very early hours of 26 March 2013 but will always have a special place in the �鶹Լ��’s history as the first HD TV channel we launched. It began as a trial service in 2006 and since then has played an important role offering the best of the �鶹Լ�� in HD. It’s also been the means for us to broadcast 3D programmes as part of the �鶹Լ��’s 3D trial over the past couple of years.

I can assure you that we have some brilliant minds working on the tricky question of how to find an affordable way to broadcast HD programmes that are scheduled on �鶹Լ�� Three, �鶹Լ�� Four, CBeebies and C�鶹Լ��. I will update you as and when we have more news. Some of you may have seen the press release earlier this year that announced the Doctor Who 50th

anniversary special in 3D this autumn. As the press release explained, our intention is to broadcast it using the �鶹Լ��’s HD capacity, and I will give you more details on our plan later this year.

What do I need to do to get �鶹Լ�� Two HD?

The latest surveys tell us that people living in nearly half of the UK’s 26 million homes are able to watch TV in HD, including the �鶹Լ��’s HD channels.

To watch the �鶹Լ��’s HD channels in HD you need an HD TV display, and also an HD digibox if your TV doesn’t have an HD tuner built in. Many HD TVs available today have a Freeview HD receiver built in; some also have a Freesat HD receiver built in. These then use an aerial or dish to pick up the �鶹Լ��’s free-to-air terrestrial or satellite broadcasts, which both cover 98% to 99% of UK homes. If your HD TV doesn’t have an HD receiver built in then you’ll also need an HD digibox. There are a range of these available from Freeview HD/YouView, Freesat HD, Sky HD, Virgin Media and BT Vision+ (the last two of which require a connection to the network provided by the company).

You don’t need to pay a subscription to access the �鶹Լ��’s HD channels because they are free-to-air (with the exception of Virgin Media and BT Vision’s multicast platform, where there is a monthly charge to access their networks).

If you can already receive �鶹Լ�� HD, you shouldn’t have to do anything particularly taxing to receive �鶹Լ�� Two HD. Some of you will get it without needing to make any intervention. At most you may need to do a retune or turn your receiver off and on again. I’ve given some advice below which has been tailored to the different TV platforms you may use.

You’ll also need to know which channel number to tune in to. This table shows where you will be able to find the �鶹Լ��’s HD channels from 26 March 2013:

In most cases, �鶹Լ�� Two HD will use the same channel number as �鶹Լ�� HD. However, Sky HD viewers will see that we are moving to two new numbers, which allows us to put �鶹Լ�� One HD and �鶹Լ�� Two HD next to each other. (We will also move �鶹Լ�� ALBA to 143 on Sky so that it is grouped with other �鶹Լ�� channels.)

If for some reason you do have a problem, here’s what you should do, depending on which platform you use to receive your HD channels:

If you have Freeview HD or YouView your receiver may well pick up the changes automatically but you may need to do a retune. Digital UK’s TV retune website gives advice on how to retune.
If you have Sky, you should not have to do anything. If you do have a problem receiving any of our channels, you can try unplugging your SkyHD set top box, waiting 30 seconds and plugging it back in again. If that doesn’t resolve your problem it’s best to contact Sky on 08442 411 653
If you have Virgin Media �鶹Լ�� Two HD should appear automatically.
If you have Freesat HD and you do not pick up �鶹Լ�� Two HD automatically, you may need to put your digital box or TV into standby for 30 seconds and then switch it back on again. If the channels are still unavailable then carry out a 'Freesat channel retune'. Full instructions can be found in the manual for your digital TV or box. Further help with retuning can be found at www.freesat.co.uk or by calling the Freesat customer support team on 08450 990 990.
If you have BT Vision+ it may take a while for the channel logo to update on your electronic programme guide from �鶹Լ�� HD to �鶹Լ�� Two HD, but the channel itself should be �鶹Լ�� Two HD. You can find more help and assistance here.

How will my �鶹Լ�� HD series recordings be affected?

I want to say a few words about what happens to any series recordings you may have set up on the �鶹Լ�� HD channel. I’ll take this in two parts – series recordings of programmes that are commissioned for �鶹Լ�� Two, and series recordings of programmes that are commissioned for other channels (ie, �鶹Լ�� Three, �鶹Լ�� Four, CBeebies and C�鶹Լ��).

�鶹Լ�� Two series

�鶹Լ�� HD currently broadcasts a number of �鶹Լ�� Two shows and so you might already have series recordings for some �鶹Լ�� Two programmes in HD set-up via the �鶹Լ�� HD channel. For most people these will continue to work after �鶹Լ�� Two HD launches. If you have series links for programmes on �鶹Լ�� Two SD you might like to replace them with bookings for the show on �鶹Լ�� Two HD (although they will take up more recording space).

However, because we have to make a small change, Virgin Media viewers should be aware of the following:

If you have a Virgin Media TiVo box then you don't need to worry about the change, your series should continue to be recorded as normal.
If on the other hand you have a V+HD box then you’ll need to set up recordings for the following series again after 26 March (other series will not be affected): Eggheads, Newsnight, Great British Menu, Mastermind and The Culture Show.

Other series

Most �鶹Լ�� Three and all �鶹Լ�� Four series that are shown on �鶹Լ�� HD will come to an end before �鶹Լ�� HD closes, so you’re unlikely to be in the situation of missing the end of the series if you have chosen to record it in HD, but please do check to be on the safe side. The two exceptions are In the Flesh and Bluestone 42, for which you will need to set up recordings on �鶹Լ�� Three in order to catch the end of the series. I’m afraid that, until we are able to broadcast �鶹Լ�� Three and �鶹Լ�� Four and the children’s channels in HD, you’ll need to record programmes in standard definition after 26 March.

If you are worried about your series recordings, the safest thing to do after 26 March is to check that your series recordings are still picking up new episodes of your favourite shows.

* * *

I’ve spent a fair bit of time above talking about how to deal with issues you may encounter, or explaining why we aren’t able to offer more programmes in HD at this point. I hope you find this blog helpful as a result.

But I also don’t want to detract from what I see as a positive step forward in the �鶹Լ��’s HD journey. We are proud to be reaching this milestone of bringing our second most popular channel into a fuller HD existence. So while we wish a fond farewell to �鶹Լ�� HD and thank it for a job well done, I hope you will enjoy saying hello to �鶹Լ�� Two HD.

Alix Pryde is Director, �鶹Լ�� Distribution

�鶹Լ�� One Wales HD launched today

2013-01-29T13:51:20+00:00

�鶹Լ�� One Wales HD launched today and is now available for viewers in Wales on Freeview HD, Sky HD, Virgin Media, Freesat HD and YouView. This was announced on 11 January by Alix Pryde, Director of �鶹Լ�� Distribution.

This is good news for viewers in Wales who want the HD experience but also want Wales specific programming. No longer will our HD viewers have to keep on channel hopping from �鶹Լ�� One HD to the standard definition version of �鶹Լ�� One Wales when it’s time for �鶹Լ�� Wales Today.

It also means that a range of other programmes, such as this week’s editions of Welsh Towns (tonight featuring Wrexham), Wales in a Year and Police 24/7, are now available for the first time in high definition. We’ll also have many more high quality programmes from Wales in HD over the coming weeks and months.

Today’s launch is a result of significant investment in facilities and broadcast equipment – all the more significant given the current financial climate. This investment has been made to ensure that viewers in Wales have the best possible programmes, both editorially and technologically.

I hope viewers enjoy the new service.

Adrian Davies is Head of English Language Programmes and Services, �鶹Լ�� Cymru Wales.

Delivering to you the �鶹Լ��'s Greatest Year of Broadcasting

2012-05-09T13:44:47+00:00

2012 is set to be the �鶹Լ��'s greatest year of broadcasting. In �鶹Լ�� Distribution, we are currently making preparations for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee followed closely by the London 2012 Olympic Games, not to mention the Euros, Wimbledon, the European Championship Athletics, The Scottish Open ... and many other great events.

Most of these events will be brought to you by the �鶹Լ�� using our existing services, but for the Olympics we have some special changes planned, as readers of Roger Mosey's blog will know. In preparation, I wanted to give you some more detail of the changes we will be making to our TV and radio services to bring you the best possible Olympics experience.

�鶹Լ�� Three's hours will be extended on all platforms
24 Olympics sports channels will be launched on Sky, Freesat and Virgin Media, available in both HD and SD
A high definition �鶹Լ�� Red Button video service will be launched on Freeview
�鶹Լ�� Red Button video service 302 on Freeview will return
5 live Olympics Extra will launch on DAB
The Space will bring the Cultural Olympiad to Freeview

�鶹Լ�� Three Extended Hours

�鶹Լ�� Three will be one of the �鶹Լ��'s flagship channels for the London 2012 Olympic Games and so for the first time we're going to be making the channel available during the morning and afternoon. On satellite we will be doing this using some recently vacated capacity on our existing Astra 1N Transponder 45. On Freeview, whilst Parliament is in recess, we will use �鶹Լ�� Parliament's capacity. This means that for Freeview viewers, �鶹Լ�� Parliament will be off-air during the Olympics, which was also the case during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. �鶹Լ�� Parliament will continue on satellite and cable platforms with its usual summer schedule.

All satellite, cable and terrestrial viewers should be able to enjoy the extra sports coverage on the extended �鶹Լ�� Three without needing to do anything to their TV or set-top-box.

24 Live Streams of Olympics Coverage

As Roger announced on his blog we are going to add 24 SD and 24 HD channels to Sky, Freesat and Virgin Media to allow you to watch sports from every venue from first thing in the morning until last thing at night. The �鶹Լ�� channels will be part of the �鶹Լ��'s Red Button service but will also appear in the EPG along with full schedule information to allow you to record any events you might otherwise miss. You won't need to do anything to receive these �鶹Լ�� channels and they will be free, but you will need an HD box to view the HD ones. The streams will be launched just before the Olympics in time to carry the very first events on 25 July 2012. I know some of you want to know exactly which satellite transponders will be carrying these services and we will publish that information nearer the time alongside our existing satellite frequency information on the Reception Advice FAQ site.

Some Freeview HD receivers will also be able to access the 24 live streams over an internet connection using the new �鶹Լ�� Sports App for connected TVs.

High Definition �鶹Լ�� Red Button on Freeview HD

Freeview HD may be only just over 2 years old, but already 5 million TVs and digiboxes have been sold in the UK. Thanks to a lot of hard work and the ingenuity of �鶹Լ�� Research & Development and our technology suppliers, there is now capacity on Freeview HD for a fifth HD channel, alongside �鶹Լ�� One HD, �鶹Լ�� HD, ITV1 HD (STV HD for viewers in Scotland) and Channel 4 HD (Clirlun for viewers in Wales). We are currently working hard on finding a permanent use for this 5th slot. In the meantime, to make the most of this valuable asset during the Olympics, the fifth slot will be used to give viewers an HD �鶹Լ�� Red Button stream on Freeview channel 304. The channel will show the same content as is available on �鶹Լ�� Red Button video service 301 but it will be native HD. As with 301, the channel will be scheduled and listed in the EPG to enable you to book recordings but the primary method of access will be via a simple �鶹Լ�� Red Button application which we will enable on our HD channels.

Thanks to the clever way that most Freeview HD receivers work, viewers won't have to re-tune because the service should appear automatically in the EPG. But if you find that you don't have anything at channel 304 by the middle of July then you should re-tune your receiver.

The Return of �鶹Լ�� Red Button 302 on Freeview

No doubt many of you will remember that on Freeview we used to have a second �鶹Լ�� Red Button video stream which appeared in the EPG on channel 302. Well, it is making a brief return to Freeview for the Olympics. Because �鶹Լ�� Three is becoming a 24hr service on Freeview using �鶹Լ�� Parliament's capacity, �鶹Լ�� Three doesn't need to share capacity with C�鶹Լ�� during the Olympics. This means that we can use C�鶹Լ��'s off-hours (from 7pm) to broadcast �鶹Լ�� Red Button 302. The 302 channel was made available in the EPG from 26 April nationwide. You can check if you have it or not simply by trying to tune to channel number 302. If you see our message you are good to go, otherwise you will need to re-tune your digital TV or box to pick it up. I've included a link to some helpful advice on how to do this below.

Note for C�鶹Լ�� viewers in Northern Ireland and North-East England: By the summer there will be just two parts of the UK still to go through digital switchover: Northern Ireland and North East England. For viewers in these areas we are making an additional change to move C�鶹Լ�� to a different channel number - but just for the period of the Olympic Games. This is to do with the way that �鶹Լ�� Three and C�鶹Լ�� usually share capacity. So just for viewers in these two areas, C�鶹Լ�� will temporarily move from channel 70 to channel 73 on Freeview.

Viewers in Northern Ireland and North East England will need to re-tune between now and the Olympics to carry on watching C�鶹Լ��, but the benefit of that re-tune is that you will gain access to our additional �鶹Լ�� Red Button service 302 (see above). During the Olympics, C�鶹Լ��'s usual channel number, 70, will show a message to remind viewers to go to channel 73. If you live in one of these areas you should be able to see channel 73 once you've done a re-tune. The good news is that the temporary channel number means that you will not need to do a second re-tune when the Olympics finish in August in order to get C�鶹Լ�� back at channel 70. Given that switchover this autumn will require you to re-tune your Freeview TV or box twice, we thought that viewers would appreciate our removing the need to re-tune an extra time.

This change doesn't impact Freeview viewers across the rest of the country, who can continue to watch C�鶹Լ�� at channel 70. Nor does it affect satellite or cable viewers where C�鶹Լ�� will stay on its current channel number.

�鶹Լ�� Radio 5 live Olympics Extra on DAB

In order to offer additional listening choice as well as viewing choice during the Olympics, we will be launching a special Olympics radio channel: 5 live Olympics Extra. If the service hasn't appeared automatically on your DAB digital radio by 23 July, then try retuning.

The Space

Finally, in support of what promises to be an amazing summer of culture we will be carrying 'The Space' which is an experimental service developed by The Arts Council England in partnership with the �鶹Լ��. The service launched on 1 May at http://thespace.org as a browser based service accessible on connected TVs, tablets, mobiles and computers. It will give arts and culture organisations the opportunity to experiment and engage with new and existing audiences in a completely new digital environment. The Space uses your broadband connection to deliver free content, such as plays from Shakespeare's Globe, live dance from Sadler's Wells, a virtual recreation of John Peel's home studio and rare archive content from the BFI.

Viewers who have certain Freeview HD TVs or boxes and are able to plug them into their broadband connection can access The Space on channel 117. If the channel doesn't appear automatically for you it's best to do a re-tune. When you tune to channel 117 The Space will tell you if you have a compatible digital TV or box and will help you connect it to your broadband if you haven't done so already. The Space keeps a list of devices which are known to work with the service on its FAQ and as the project progresses it expects to add to this.

You can read more about the Launch of The Space on the �鶹Լ�� Internet blog and on the About the �鶹Լ�� blog.

Viewer Support

We have thought very carefully about the way we have organised our channel changes to minimise the interventions that our audiences will need to make.

Viewers on satellite and cable should not need to take any action because the changes to �鶹Լ�� Three and the extra �鶹Լ�� Olympics channels should appear for you automatically. �鶹Լ�� Parliament and C�鶹Լ�� will not be affected.

Viewers on Freeview who don't currently have channel 302 in their EPG will need to re-tune to watch all our services during the Olympics. C�鶹Լ�� viewers in Northern Ireland and North East England will need to re-tune to pick up C�鶹Լ�� in its temporary home of channel 73. If you need help with re-tuning, an excellent place to go for advice is www.tvretune.co.uk which provides detailed instructions for many different makes and models of Freeview receiver.

As with changes we've made in the past we'll also be putting information up on our Reception Advice website and on �鶹Լ�� Red Button p9991 on Freeview. Nearer the time we will be reminding Freeview viewers to re-tune using pop-up messages onscreen as well as a reminder on the �鶹Լ�� Red Button bridge.

I trust that this information helps you understand the changes we are making in preparation for the London 2012 Olympic Games along with anything you need to do in order to enjoy all our new and extended services. I hope you can see that we've thought really hard about how to get the most out of our capacity and how to make it as easy as possible for you to enjoy the full range of this amazing summer in the �鶹Լ��'s greatest year of broadcasting.

Alix Pryde is the Director of �鶹Լ�� Distribution

The 3D Wimbledon experiment - your reactions

2011-08-30T09:00:00+00:00

Earlier in the Summer, I led a team which delivered our first live 3D broadcasts to homes around the UK. We wanted to get this year's Wimbledon finals out to everyone who has so far bought a 3D set (and the glasses that go with it) and so we used the �鶹Լ�� HD channel to show the matches - free of charge - on Freesat, Freeview, Sky and Virgin. As well as testing to see if what seemed possible in the lab could be delivered in practice, and trying to ensure that we could offer really high quality 3D in production terms, we also wanted to understand what people really think about seeing television content that they are familiar with in 2D in 3D. By doing so we hoped that we could make better-educated guesses about where 3D and television might go in future, and plan what the �鶹Լ��'s response to developments should be.

It seems obvious that in the end it is you - television viewers - who will decide whether 3D TV sinks or swims. There's a long history of technology innovations that haven't made it, because the public just hasn't wanted them. 3D may or may not be one of them. But there's been little if any research so far to understand how people relate to 3D pictures, so we wanted to start to fill that gap in understanding.

We focussed work on the Men's Final, and having invited people in to watch our 3D coverage at a number of cinemas around the UK, we asked them for their thoughts. We also provided people who came to our London screening with the opportunity to watch on the most up-to-date 3D televisions which you can find for sale at electronics shops now. And of course we looked for ways to find out what people who were watching in the comfort of their own homes thought.

People found the 3D very different from watching in 2D - and it provoked a mixed response: a lot of them loved it, and some loathed it. On Twitter, people said "it's like you are there as a line judge", "much better lower angle dynamic shots", "looks awesome... probably as close to courtside view as I can get", but there were also reports that "my head went fuzzy", and a certain frustration that because the cameras offered a courtside seat, it wasn't always possible to track the ball right across the court and see exactly where it landed. 60% of people said that their expectations were either met or exceeded, and a third of those who had never seen 3D before gave the experience 10 out of 10.

Most people we surveyed wanted to watch Wimbledon in 3D because they love Wimbledon, and they hoped that seeing it in 3D would make them feel more a part of the action. Of those who attended the screenings we held, 76% said that the 3D view did make them feel as if they were more involved in the match and many of the cinema screenings had people applauding, hushing others, and gasping at individual points as if they were really sitting in SW19.

Quite a few people told us that they had been sceptical about 3D television, and thought it was a bit of a gimmick, but that our coverage of Wimbledon had persuaded them otherwise - but another important message to emerge was that even for those who enjoyed the 3D, it's "good old-fashioned HD" (as one viewer put it) that really matters and adds to the television experience. We will be doing more - not least the final of this year's Strictly Come Dancing in December. And we'll be using these further experiments to try to understand more about the potential extra value that 3D can add for you as viewers. We want to understand the part 3D should play in the future of what we offer to licence payers, and my conclusion from our analysis of Wimbledon is that at the moment the jury is still out.

If you are interested in understanding more about how we filmed Wimbledon in 3D, the film tells the story of the production and the partnership behind it.

Danielle Nagler is head of HD and 3D at the �鶹Լ��

You'll find a number of interesting blog posts about 3D TV on the �鶹Լ�� Internet blog - mostly of a more technical nature.
Danielle is also a regular contributor to the �鶹Լ�� Internet blog. Read all of her posts here.

�鶹Լ�� HD Picture Quality: some myths laid to rest

2009-12-14T14:29:41+00:00

Over the course of the last week, the debate about �鶹Լ�� HD picture quality which has been running since August has entered a new phase. The Head of Technology for �鶹Լ�� HD, Andy Quested, has serialised an extended review of his response to all the areas that have been covered over the course of the many posts on this subject, and included in that epic some insights into the results of the technical tests that have been carried out to assess picture quality. Looking at your comments I can see that there are still areas on which our views differ.

Editor's note: This is an extract of Danielle Nagler's response to the large amount of interest raised by Andy Quested's recent posts on HD quality. To read the full post and to comment visit the Internet blog.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to Encoding: Before we start

2009-12-04T10:07:33+00:00

Editor's note: Over at the �鶹Լ�� Internet blog Andy Quested of �鶹Լ�� HD has published the first in a series of posts addressing issues raised in the ongoing robust debate surrounding the �鶹Լ��'s HD service. To read the full post and to comment visit the Internet blog.

Friday It's been sometime since my last post on the blog but I have tried to be as active as I could on the existing ones. I read all the posts and my thanks go to Paul Eaton who has listed many of my comments just to prove I do exist! I try to answer points raised in the blogs but unless there is a specific issue, I just can't answer each post individually. Because there's a lot to say, I thought it would be better to serialise this blog over the next week with each episode covering a different topic. I will make no apologies for the titles and many thanks to the memory of Mr Adams.

A day in the life of the Head of �鶹Լ�� HD

2009-11-02T12:23:38+00:00

Over at the �鶹Լ�� Internet blog, Danielle Nagler has posted a fascinating piece which not only gives an insight into the daily tasks facing the Head of �鶹Լ�� HD, but also attempts to give a flavour of the range of current issues for the �鶹Լ�� and HD. These include: picture quality; HD programmes and schedule; navigation, Freeview HD and �鶹Լ�� HD Strategy. For the full post head over to the �鶹Լ�� Internet blog.