Topic: Londoners like free HD TV

[Clive]

The Register

UK broadcasters the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five have hailed the trial run pumping out HD content across the Freeview free-to-air digital TV network a "technical success", paving the way for terrestrially broadcast nationwide HDTV in the very near future.

The trial was launched in June this year, sending HD TV broadcasts to 450 users in the London area. The sample group were largely very positive about the service, with 86 per cent saying they expect the service to be rolled out fully within three years.

Of course, that's up to the broadcasters rather than the punters, and none of the channels took the opportunity to commit to a specific timeframe for as-standard HD broadcasts.

Indeed, the statement put out by the broadcasters was long on take-as-read consumer comments - they think HD's good for sport and wildlife programming, which you'd never guess in a million years, would you? - and short on action on the part of the broadcasters. ®

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/22/uk_hdtv_trial_successful/

[Simon]

I only bought a new TV last year, so I won't be upgrading all that soon.

[Sandra]

- they think HD's good for sport and wildlife programming,

I can definately see the advantage for wildlife and anything involving long shots as HD makes a massive improvement of the focussing and detail of the foreground and background.

I cant really think of any sports that would be improved much by HD.

If you are watching something like football and there was a shot with the crowd in the background of it then you could possibly recognise someones face in the crowd as its more detailed but I dont think that the actuall guy kicking the ball would be much different to seeing the same game on SD TV.

Oddly enough I was discussing HD terrestrial with a friend this evening.
Our area is scheduled for analogue switch off in 2008 I think.
We were thinking that the government wont want the spare bandwith being idle and getting no revenue from it until all the country has switched off in 2012, so hopefully they may start HD transmissions as early as 2008 here, or why switch off so soon