HD channel speculation thread.

demented · 23-12-2008, 19:42

So we know we'll be getting 4 HD channels by quarter 2 2009. What will they be? This thread is really set up for the discussion going on in media boy's thread.

With ITV HD http://www.techradar.com/news/televi...plained-492069 and http://www.pvrjunction.co.uk/ofcom-a...and-channel-4/ and even http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitalt...l-in-2010.html we could be in for a few the next couple of years.

I think they'll be
ITV HD easy to get hold of once the freesat exclusive period ends
C4HD
Eurosport HD
Discovery HD.

Of course the cynic in me thinks that due to Neil Berkett saying we already had two HD channels, that one of the "three or four" will be some airy fairy classification of a non-existent expansion of VOD as a "channel".

Andrewcrawford23 · 23-12-2008, 20:13

Maybe there will be 5

dnt forget we have 2 already even though one is missing

demented · 23-12-2008, 20:14

Haha, that's optimism

. I like it. I just mean we've had promises of HD expansion on VOD quite a few times...

23-12-2008, 20:50

I found an interesting article on the Digital UK website Click Here

9 million TV sets sold year upto October 2008 and 90% of these being digital, i bet a vast majority of these tvs are HD ready as well

The demand for HD is there

brundles · 23-12-2008, 21:10

Personally, my money is on them using VOD to provide "channels".

Isn't ITV HD tied up with the Freesat exclusivity for a while yet?

bayards · 23-12-2008, 23:48

Hopefully the ITV exclusivity thing is for a year - and if I remember that far back didn't Freesat launch late Spring this year?

Must admit that I am at Mum's with Sky HD - i can't get enough. C4 HD is stunning (Alan Carr's celebrity Ding Dong). Barbara Windsor in SD looked fine but when checked on channel 140 - you could see the difference. Oil of Ulay anyone lol!!!

H

Cropstar · 24-12-2008, 00:48

Not quite so sure why everyone's so obsessed over the above channels. Channel 4 isn't showing HD most of the time on its HD channel, Eurosport hardly ever seems to show true HD and FX and Sky One HD are hit and miss at best.

Sports and Movie channels are where the action is, this is what Virgin should be pushing for if it really wants to compete with Sky

moroboshi · 24-12-2008, 01:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cropstar

Not quite so sure why everyone's so obsessed over the above channels. Channel 4 isn't showing HD most of the time on its HD channel, Eurosport hardly ever seems to show true HD and FX and Sky One HD are hit and miss at best.

Sports and Movie channels are where the action is, this is what Virgin should be pushing for if it really wants to compete with Sky

Surely documentaries are the biggest winner with HD. Planet Earth is still *the* most stunning demonstration of high definition to date (particularly on blu-ray), and new stuff like Oceans is also first class. Nothing is as visually rich and stunning.

Movies are big winners too I'll agree, and I'm a big fan of watching films on BD. It's also worth mentioning that a big reason to switch to HD which people forget is the sound also gets a big boost - from 2 channel stereo to 5.1 channel Dolby Surround. It's still miles away from the lossless audio on blu-ray, but is a nice improvement all the same.

cablestrider · 24-12-2008, 07:58

History, Nat Geo, Discovery and FX would be cool :-)

demented · 24-12-2008, 15:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cropstar

Not quite so sure why everyone's so obsessed over the above channels. Channel 4 isn't showing HD most of the time on its HD channel, Eurosport hardly ever seems to show true HD and FX and Sky One HD are hit and miss at best.

Sports and Movie channels are where the action is, this is what Virgin should be pushing for if it really wants to compete with Sky

C4 is one of my favourite channels. Plus I watched several of their new season of programmes that were filmed in HD and not available to us - The Devil's Whore, Catastrophe and The Ascent of Money. All right I didn't literally watch them as they were in SD so I watched them on catch up tv on demand but you know what I mean. C4 are quite crafty as if you add up their repeats then they actually show more content than BBC HD do somedays, it's just dispersed through the day so people don't notice it and I don't think it's unfair including repeats, after all BBC HD spend endless amounts of time on repeats. Eurosport, don't have a problem with it. The SD channel is 4:3 and poor quality, any HD offering is better. I saw some TdF on Eurosport HD after it launched and it was really good pq. Sky1 and FX are not channels I watch but I know other people lust after the HD versions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by moroboshi

Surely documentaries are the biggest winner with HD. Planet Earth is still *the* most stunning demonstration of high definition to date (particularly on blu-ray), and new stuff like Oceans is also first class. Nothing is as visually rich and stunning.

Don't know about biggest winner, much as I like them. I don't think docs look too bad on BBC1 and BBC2 as those channels have all right bitrates in SD and documentaries don't have a lot of fast moving action. I'd love Nat Geo, Disc and History (Bio and C&I are not the best content wise). History HD in particular has a fair bit I'd watch. Glad to see other people that enjoy the documentaries. I saw that Steve Austin snake thing on Five? a couple of years back and then saw it on Disc/Nat Geo or one of them on Sky HD, totally different programme. Insane! According to some schedulers next month BBC HD will be shooting several non-nature documentaries in HD.

Quote:

Originally Posted by moroboshi

Movies are big winners too I'll agree, and I'm a big fan of watching films on BD. It's also worth mentioning that a big reason to switch to HD which people forget is the sound also gets a big boost - from 2 channel stereo to 5.1 channel Dolby Surround. It's still miles away from the lossless audio on blu-ray, but is a nice improvement all the same.

For anyone who reads the BBC HD blog I don't think there's any risk of people forgetting about the sound, that Principal Technologist for the BBC is only bothered about sound and talks about it constantly! I don't think movies will lose out. If either C4 or ITV HD are added the number of movies will go through the roof compared to what it is now. It'll also be interesting in late 2010 what this 4th freeview channel will be - Five, a BBC simulcast, e4, film4. They all sound absurdly unlikely but someone has to run a service.

frogstamper · 24-12-2008, 15:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by bayards

Hopefully the ITV exclusivity thing is for a year - and if I remember that far back didn't Freesat launch late Spring this year?

Must admit that I am at Mum's with Sky HD - i can't get enough. C4 HD is stunning (Alan Carr's celebrity Ding Dong). Barbara Windsor in SD looked fine but when checked on channel 140 - you could see the difference. Oil of Ulay anyone lol!!!

H

Your showing your age bayards

Oil of Ulay went out ages ago, its now called Oil of Olay so as to appeal to a younger generation.

demented · 24-12-2008, 15:57

Freesat was launched in May 2008. One of the reasons why I thought it was most likely to be added summer 2009 in the run up to the launch on freeview.

I remember Ulay and I'm not that old!

12noon · 24-12-2008, 16:38

I'd like Nat Geo & Discovery.

Virgin 1 HD would be good though. Terminator SCC in HD.

toady · 24-12-2008, 16:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by demented

It'll also be interesting in late 2010 what this 4th freeview channel will be - Five, a BBC simulcast, e4, film4. They all sound absurdly unlikely but someone has to run a service.

I'm hoping for QVC HD

demented · 24-12-2008, 16:40

I think it has to be a PSB, otherwise you'd probably be correct!