FreeView HD

[Hightower]

Looking at freeview HD for the World Cup. Freeview site says Freeview HD is available on 25th Feb 2010, but is only an estimate. How close are these estimates? Should it be available in my area now, 3 months after the time the estimate said?

 

Also, this is the cheapest box I can find:

 

Buy Bush DVB680 Black Freeview HD Set Top Box. at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for .

 

Should this be okay or can anyone recommend a cheaper alternative?

[sted]

Freeview HD Rollout Dates | Freeview HD Rollout Schedule in UK shows when you should be able to get it (assuming you know your transmitter). Debending on area etc you may need signal booster/better arial etc same as normal freeview really. As to boxes tbh id wait and get a twin tuner recorder rather than a standard set top box. sharp and phillips are releasing theirs at the end of the month though id be tempted to wait for a humax

[tommej]

Woops freeview not freesat Edited May 4, 2010 by tommej

[sted]

Am i right in assuming I could stick a new LNB on my sky dish and then use that to recieve Freeview HD to my media center? If/when there is any coverage at all..

 

freeSAT yes if you can find a freesat certified pc card then yes an extra lnb (or 2) would give media centre freeview hd i believe though im not 100% sure the codec is there for hd ota

 

freeview is always antenna not satellite dish based

[SteveBentley]

Should it be available in my area now, 3 months after the time the estimate said?

 

You don't say which area you're in - if you can name the transmitter you use it would help to be more specific. AIUI in areas which have had analogue switched off, the HD transmissions are at the highest power they will get to and should be available from relay transmitters.

 

In areas which haven't had DSO yet the HD multiplex is an afterthought, just from the main transmitters. Often a frequency which could have high powered transmission without interfering with other services in other areas wasn'tavailable, so HD may be available, but at a lower power than the other freeview services, so if you're in a fringe area it's dubious whether you'd get it.

[Hightower]

I believe we're Pontop Pike transmitter. This seems like it did indeed go live in February as planned, so I have ordered my box, will be picking it up tonight, and can't wait to watch Darren Bent take us to the Final in HD!

[laserblazer]

The Argos customer reviews on that Bush set are pretty favourable. Except for the remote and the guy who lives in a no-signal area and is using wet-string as an aerial!

[fafster]

I'm going to be building a media centre PC, but the DVB-T2 cards required to get FreeviewHD aren't yet being released to manufacturers of PC components.

[SteveBentley]

Pontop is live, but with the "interim" HD lash-up rather than the proper full power service.

[Hightower]

Pontop is live, but with the "interim" HD lash-up rather than the proper full power service.

 

What does this mean (sorry for my ignorance).

[SteveBentley]

Basically because Pontop is still transmitting analogue services and SD Freeview, they've had to find another frequency for the HD service. In order to find a spare frequency they may have had to reduce the power or restrict the power in certain directions where that frequency is in use for other services. I don't have any details to hand on whether that is the case for Pontop, but I've heard that in some places there are people who can see the mast out of the window but can't get the HD service because there is a null in their direction to protect another transmitter's service.

 

The frequency allocation plan for the whole country was drawn up some 40 or so years ago with just 4 channels in mind, so adding an extra 6 Freeview SD multiplexes plus HD is a bit of a stretch in some areas!

 

Once the Tyne Tees area undergoes Digital Switch Over, Freeview services move to the frequencies which were carrying analogue broadcasts, at a much higher power. So if you can't get the HD signal now, you will be able to in a year or so.

[Hightower]

Well, bought the box last night. Took one last look with the old freeview box - which was grainy, putting blues dots on the screen in places, and generally crap. Plugged in the new one and flicked onto channel4 SD - picture was so much better and this must be done by the upscaling. Was really impressed, and thought the HD Channel 4 can't be much better, but I flicked over anyways and....... WOW! HD TV is fantastic!

 

So now I have a freeview box that actual makes my TV look good, and that's just in SD, but flick into HD and it's a different story!

 

I can't wait for the world cup now!

[steve]

I can't wait for the world cup now!

 

Me neither, but that's because I'm going to see it in real life

 

5 weeks and counting ......