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  • Freeview HD

    Freeview HD

    Due to start broadcasting from Winterhill during December this year, the Granada region will be the first to receive Freeview HD. From here, the rollout of HD will follow the nationwide digital switchover program.

    The transmission systems will be upgraded to support the newer, DVB-T2 system to enable High Definition signals to be broadcast. The bandwidth for this new system will created by changing the compression of the BBC’s Multiplex B.

    The downside to these upgrades however, is that not all televisions and set top boxes will be able to receive the new High Definition signals due to the change in compression needed to send the signals over the air waves.

    While Sky users have access to plenty of high definition channels (via subscription), Virgin Media’s HD selection is more limited and currently Freeview has no HD support. These upgrades will mean the UK is leading then way with DVB-T2 High Definition TV support.


  • 4oD on Youtube

    4oD on Youtube

    In a deal struck today between Youtube and Channel 4, we will see 4oD content being uploaded to watch on Youtube. Launching in the coming months, this will see Channel 4 content appearing on Youtube shortly after it has been aired on TV. Users will also be able to access over 3000 hours of archive TV via the site too.

    The content will be available on Youtube for UK users only, it will probably also reduce the number of user uploaded snippets of Channel 4’s programming.

    When the service launches, Channel 4 will use advertising to support the service. It isn’t an exclusive deal, so content will stay on Channel 4’s 4oD service too, however it will share the load and bandwidth requirements between its own service and Google, which should make it more available in the long run.

    Relating to this, today Ofcom released figures showing that 1/3rd of online adults use video on demand systems, this is a key area of growth for the broadcasters as more people are preferring to watch TV when they want, instead of at the time it is aired.




  • Intel’s vision for the future of TV

    Intel’s vision for the future of TV

    Intel have unveiled how it sees TV sets changing in the future. It sees a more connected device, that is hooked up to the internet to receive extra content and communicate back to various social networking systems.

    With more and more of us getting hard disk recorders (be it Sky+, a Freeview HD recorder or a Media PC) there are more options with how to connect these devices, and thus the TV to the internet. I personally like my MythTV driven media PC (www.mythtv.org), there are alternatives in the form of Windows Media Centre PCs, Apple TV boxes, and more recently other software solutions including Boxee.

    Once connected, the options are limitless on what can be provided to your TV, from the plain old internet, to extra features overlayed over your current TV program, to catch up TV over IPTV.

    Intel wants to be in on the action, developing and delivering System-on-Chip (SoC) style solutions to set top box manufacturers.

    The TV as we know it is changing already, no longer do we have to be at the TV when we want to watch our favourite programmes, what the future brings for it is yet to be known but there are various new ideas under development.