Freeview and HDTV - will it ever happen?
 

Will the Freeview bandwidth ever be able to handle HDTV? I would imagine it
would mean cutting down the number of channels drastically. But then again
surely they will have to go HD at some point to be able to compete with Sky.

Will the Freeview bandwidth ever be able to handle HDTV? I would imagine it
would mean cutting down the number of channels drastically. But then again
surely they will have to go HD at some point to be able to compete with
Sky.
Yes.

Will the Freeview bandwidth ever be able to handle HDTV? I would imagine
it would mean cutting down the number of channels drastically. But then
again surely they will have to go HD at some point to be able to compete
with Sky.
Yes.

8K system...... More bandwidth..... Single Frequency networks.......
64QAM....... Government realises it can't sell off analogue bandwidth as
no-one wants it / needed for HDTV via Freeview. Room for the major channels
to go HD.

Mat Overton wrote:
Will the Freeview bandwidth ever be able to handle HDTV? I would imagine
it would mean cutting down the number of channels drastically. But then
again surely they will have to go HD at some point to be able to compete
with Sky.

Yes.


8K system...... More bandwidth..... Single Frequency networks.......
64QAM....... Government realises it can't sell off analogue bandwidth as
no-one wants it / needed for HDTV via Freeview. Room for the major channels
to go HD.

With 64QAM and H264 we could fit 3 HDTV channels per multiplex, they'd
probably squeeze 4 in there. With 8k we could move to a SFN and (if we
got rid of regional variations and France didn't exist) use all 48
channels, giving a maximum of 192 HDTV channels on freeview. Making a
rough assumption that we could work it out with France if they had half
the channels and we had the other half (of course this restriction only
applies to the south east) that would still leave room for 96 HDTV
channels. This of course isn't going to happen, but it'll be for
political rather than technical reasons. They'll sell off spectrum and
they'll keep regional variations and they'll keep legacy SD channels
going, etc. How many HDTV channels we end up with (from zero to lots) is
anybody's guess.

Ben wrote:
:
: 8K system...... More bandwidth..... Single Frequency networks.......
: 64QAM....... Government realises it can't sell off analogue bandwidth as
: no-one wants it / needed for HDTV via Freeview. Room for the major channels
: to go HD.

: With 64QAM and H264 we could fit 3 HDTV channels per multiplex, they'd
: probably squeeze 4 in there. With 8k we could move to a SFN and (if we
: got rid of regional variations and France didn't exist) use all 48
: channels, giving a maximum of 192 HDTV channels on freeview.

Don't get too excited too early! There are NO plans to go to SFN. There are,
indeed, no plans *AT ALL* for DTT HDTV in the foreseeable future!

"Brian McIlwrath" wrote in message
...
Ben wrote:
:
: 8K system...... More bandwidth..... Single Frequency networks.......
: 64QAM....... Government realises it can't sell off analogue bandwidth
as
: no-one wants it / needed for HDTV via Freeview. Room for the major
channels
: to go HD.

: With 64QAM and H264 we could fit 3 HDTV channels per multiplex, they'd
: probably squeeze 4 in there. With 8k we could move to a SFN and (if we
: got rid of regional variations and France didn't exist) use all 48
: channels, giving a maximum of 192 HDTV channels on freeview.

Don't get too excited too early! There are NO plans to go to SFN. There
are,
indeed, no plans *AT ALL* for DTT HDTV in the foreseeable future!

Well why were the BBC demonstrating a system for sending HD over DTT at the
recent Mediacast show? They had 2 systems, one that transmitted the HD data
in real time - uses a lot of bandwidth; the other was a neat hybrid that
downloaded data the previous night into a PVR type device that when added to
the SD picture sent in real time (i.e the same signal as presently sent)
would combine to give an HD output. Both gave impressive and, to my eyes,
identical results.


--
Paul Schofield

Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana

Paul Schofield wrote:
"Brian McIlwrath" wrote in message
...
: With 64QAM and H264 we could fit 3 HDTV channels per multiplex, they'd
: probably squeeze 4 in there. With 8k we could move to a SFN and (if we
: got rid of regional variations and France didn't exist) use all 48
: channels, giving a maximum of 192 HDTV channels on freeview.

Don't get too excited too early! There are NO plans to go to SFN. There
are,
indeed, no plans *AT ALL* for DTT HDTV in the foreseeable future!

Well why were the BBC demonstrating a system for sending HD over DTT at the
recent Mediacast show?

Because BBC R&D are working on HD projects. However, that doesn't mean
that it's "BBC policy" to deliver HD broadcasts - quite the opposite,
if you talk to them.

You might ask what game they're playing. Well, R&D are doing what R&D
have always done (though broadcasting MPEG-2 HD is hardly "R&D" -
several countries in the world are already doing that commercially!),
while the people in charge have yet to wake up.

I'm sure they will, but it's sad that they don't appear to have a plan
yet.

Probably too scared (before charter renewal) to tell the government
that all those "freed" analogue frequencies will be needed for HD.
Maybe they'll be less timid after charter renewal.

Cheers,
David.

Paul Schofield wrote:

"Brian McIlwrath" wrote in message
...


Ben wrote:
:
: 8K system...... More bandwidth..... Single Frequency networks.......
: 64QAM....... Government realises it can't sell off analogue bandwidth


as


: no-one wants it / needed for HDTV via Freeview. Room for the major


channels


: to go HD.

: With 64QAM and H264 we could fit 3 HDTV channels per multiplex, they'd
: probably squeeze 4 in there. With 8k we could move to a SFN and (if we
: got rid of regional variations and France didn't exist) use all 48
: channels, giving a maximum of 192 HDTV channels on freeview.

Don't get too excited too early! There are NO plans to go to SFN. There


are,


indeed, no plans *AT ALL* for DTT HDTV in the foreseeable future!



Well why were the BBC demonstrating a system for sending HD over DTT at the
recent Mediacast show? They had 2 systems, one that transmitted the HD data
in real time - uses a lot of bandwidth; the other was a neat hybrid that
downloaded data the previous night into a PVR type device that when added to
the SD picture sent in real time (i.e the same signal as presently sent)
would combine to give an HD output. Both gave impressive and, to my eyes,
identical results.




Correct, it was the DTG stand that was displaying the Terrestrial HD
demo. ( I was there too)

The system uses a low data rate overnight, or during the day to slowly
send a HD program of film to a set top box equipped with a hard disk
recorder.
When received, the prog is played out at HD.

A

Steven Sumpter wrote:
Well the government will have to get used to the idea that they won't
make any money out of those frequencies. The mobile phone companies
have been stung with the 3G licences and have enough space anyway, and
the frequencies allocated for wireless broadband remain unsold. The
frequencies vacated by analogue television are needed for HDTV, DVB-H
and maybe even digital radio, and I think there is little demand for
them for any other purpose.

Hi Steve!

There's still money to be made - if one slot out of eight in a national
DTT mux can sell for several million pounds (ITV3 IIRC), there would be
a couple of hundred million to be made from a sell off, even to TV
companies.

Of course you're right that the government were hoping (dreaming!) of
making much more than that, but I guess they'll take what they can get.

Cheers,
David.