The good news is that the BBC have been given the go ahead by the media regulator OFCOM to launch a Freeview HD channel. The bad news is that in all probability this will initially be restricted to around 4 hours of scheduling a day.
Although the BBC HD channel will be available on digital satellite digital and cable TV by late 2008, with nine hours a day of programming, the Freeview service will offer a paltry 4 hours of programming between 2am and 6am. Current bandwidth restrictions are to blame, but the BBC hope to increase the schedule to 9 hours with the digital switchover in 2012.
The BBC HD channel has been available on a trial basis since May 15, 2006, with the first HD programme, Planet Earth, shown on May 27. BBC HD was first available to viewers of the Astra 2D satellite (Sky HD) and Virgin Media cable service subscribers and has also been broadcast as a digital terrestrial (DVB-T) service from London's Crystal Palace Transmitter, enabling the channel to be viewed by a selected trial group of 450 homes.
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