BBC One HD- Coming soon

[SiHart]

The BBC today announces it will be launching a simulcast of BBC One in high definition (HD) this Autumn.

BBC One HD, which will simulcast a network version of the BBC One schedule for the first time, will see some of the BBC's most loved programmes including EastEnders, Holby City, The One Show, The Apprentice, The Weakest Link and QI move to HD by the end of the year. They will be broadcast alongside Autumn schedule highlights including Strictly Come Dancing, Human Planet and Waterloo Road.

Plans are also underway for HD moves for Songs Of Praise and Casualty, as well as Match Of The Day, A Question Of Sport, and Blue Peter.

BBC One in HD will be made available to all digital television platforms offering HD channels – Freesat, Freeview, Sky and Virgin Media.

It will be in addition to the existing BBC HD channel, which will showcase the best of the rest of the BBC in HD. It is also announced today that the BBC HD Channel itself will extend its regular broadcast hours over the coming months from around nine hours a day to 12.

The BBC is charged with "delivering to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services" under its Royal Charter. With today's announcement, the BBC continues its transition to deliver all its programmes in HD, with BBC One leading the way.

Jana Bennett, Director BBC Vision, says: "BBC HD has established itself as the most popular HD service, and these changes are important next steps in improving that service still further, providing an opportunity to showcase the wide variety of BBC programmes in the highest possible quality. We recognise that audiences have already been enjoying many of their favourite programmes in HD, and I'm delighted that we can now broaden their choice."

Danielle Nagler, Head of BBC HD, says: "HD is the future of television: people who have HD have clearly told us that they want more of their licence fee-funded content in HD. I'm delighted that the HD simulcast of BBC One will become available on satellite, on cable, and now also on Freeview's new HD service. This is a key moment for us on the journey to HD becoming the norm for all our programmes and channels.

"Audiences have already been enjoying many BBC One programmes in HD on our existing HD channel and the arrival of BBC One simulcast in HD will make it easier for them to find the programmes they love in high definition. BBC HD – the most popular HD channel in the UK – will continue to show programmes from across all BBC channels."

Jay Hunt, Controller, BBC One, says: "HD is the gold standard for broadcasting, and it's right that we bring all the excitement of HD to BBC One – the most watched channel in the UK.

"BBC One HD will bring families together for shared viewing of their favourite programmes from EastEnders and Strictly Come Dancing to The One Show, in incredible and vivid detail."

The Autumn launch is the first stage in delivering BBC One in HD. The majority of programmes in the BBC One network evening schedule will be available in HD at launch, and by 2012 it is expected that the vast majority of all BBC One titles across all hours will be in HD.

The BBC's existing HD Channel will continue to remain home to the best of the BBC's programmes from across all its channels, including Top Gear, the Proms, Later… With Jools Holland, The Culture Show, Dragons' Den, Being Human, Mad Men, sporting programmes including Wimbledon, as well as CBeebies favourites In The Night Garden and ZingZillas.
Notes to Editors

BBC One HD will be made available to Freeview, Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media platforms.

The BBC's award-winning BBC HD channel is available on Freesat 108; Freeview 50; Sky 143 and Virgin 108. BBC HD was voted Channel of the Year by Freesat viewers last year, and has also won TRIC awards for HD Programme of the Year for coverage of the Beijing Olympics (2008) and for the natural history series Life (2009).

In a summer of sporting events, BBC HD will be broadcasting more sport than ever before, with Wimbledon, Queen's and the World Cup.

The BBC HD channel launched in December 2007 and was the UK's first free-to-air high definition television channel. The channel features a broad range of quality programmes from across the BBC channels, including spine-tingling drama, heart-stopping nature epics, and the very best of sport, entertainment and music programming in beautiful detail.

HD is the latest in a long line of major improvements in television technology, which has moved from black-and-white analogue to widescreen colour over the last 50 years. HD gives exceptionally clear, crisp pictures with vivid colours and up to five times more detail than standard definition, as well as the possibility of surround sound.

To find out what you need to do to get HD visit bbc.co.uk.

Rumoured start date is 15th November.

Si xx

[Perry Vale]

November 15th...?! Hurry up!

[Larry]

The BBC is charged with "delivering to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services" under its Royal Charter. With today's announcement, the BBC continues its transition to deliver all its programmes in HD, with BBC One leading the way.

well considering that itv, channell 4 and channell 5, all have a simualcast HD, channell on the sky platform the BBC, didn't really have much choice but to do the same.

[Perry Vale]

I think you're rather missing the point...

the BBC continues its transition to deliver all its programmes in HD

How many programmes do ITV, C4 and Five actually make in HD? The majority of programming on those channels are simply upscaled SD. Most of the stuff in HD is imported US shows, or movies. Or 'Come Dine With Me'.

BBC One HD is only launching because Five backed out of their committment to join Freeview HD so that they could take the easy money from $ky, leaving an unused slot on that platform.

[Stephen Morgan]

It seems hardly a full scale launch though, some programmes have been transmitted in HD for a while, Doctor Who, Waterloo Road, The One Show, Antiques Roadshow, Single Father. Holby City goes HD from next Tuesday while Casualty and Eastenders have to wait a while longer. So does this national launch mean that everything on BBC1 will be HD by November 15th? Or upscaled from SD?

[Perry Vale]

It seems hardly a full scale launch though...

As I said, the only reason it's launching at all is that the BBC were handed back the vacant Freeview HD slot after Five jumped ship, and had to find something to fill it with.

So no, not everything will be in HD at first, but much more than any of the other PSB's, and more being added all the time. I imagine that much of the launch will focus around Eastenders being in HD for the first time. I think it's great news, as it will allow the original BBC HD channel to have more variety in it's schedule and show more of the many shows that have been filmed in HD over the last few years that never got a showing in HD.

[Rob McCow]

Yay! Antiques Roadshow and BBC Breakfast in HD. They'll have to spend a lot more money on dusting!

[SiHart]

BBC One HD Channel to launch 3 November

BBC Press Office Release:

BBC One HD Channel to launch 3 November and EastEnders to go HD on Christmas Day
Date: 21.10.2010

Category: BBC One; BBC HD

The BBC today announces that BBC One HD will launch at 7pm on Wednesday 3 November across all HD platforms: Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.

The new high definition (HD) channel kicks off with a series of programmes made in true HD: The One Show, followed by Wallace And Gromit's World Of Invention, the new series from award-winning Aardman Animations, as well as some food for thought with Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers and Jimmy's Food Factory.

The Apprentice and Film 2010 will also show in HD that evening.

It is also announced today that the BBC's award-winning continuing drama EastEnders will broadcast in HD for the first time on Christmas Day, allowing viewers to catch all the drama in Albert Square in even more vivid detail.
EastEnders follows Holby City, which made the move to HD on 18 October. It will be shown on the BBC's existing HD channel, until BBC One HD launches in November.

The new HD channel will simulcast a network version of the BBC One schedule, with the majority of peaktime programmes in HD, including The Apprentice, Strictly Come Dancing, Children In Need, Antiques Roadshow, Countryfile, The Graham Norton Show and The Royal Variety Show.

Jana Bennett, Director BBC Vision, said: "Whether it is seeing the flicker of irritation on Lord Sugar's face in a boardroom showdown or watching the beads of sweat fly from the dancers on Strictly, BBC One HD is the biggest sign yet that HD viewing is now part of the mainstream."

Danielle Nagler, Head of HD and 3D, says: "It's incredibly exciting to begin the official count down to the launch of the new channel and we're delighted to be launching with BBC One's popular flagship programe, The One Show.

Si xx

[Perry Vale]

Well, only another few hours to go now....

[Si Hunt]

I can't wait to watch Eastenders in HD later.

Si.

[Perry Vale]

Much later.....

Off-topic....I couldn't help thinking the new Queen Vic set had been made slightly larger? Magically appearing kitchen, aside. I guess when it was first designed it was with 4:3 screens in mind!

[Darren]

Do we have to retune our freeview boxes?

Just been looking at comments on the BBC, and there are a lot of unhappy people. It's being broadcast in a lower resolution, and they are using a DOG.

[Perry Vale]

Just been looking at comments on the BBC, and there are a lot of unhappy people.

As Tom Jones once said, it's not unusual....

A DOG was sadly inevitable, but what do they mean by a "lower resolution"? Are they talking about the bitrate, do you know?

And yes, I believe you'll have to do a rescan if you have Freeview HD. Should work if you do it now. No need on standard Freeview boxes, obviously.

[Darren]

My hd ready tv has freeview built in, as does my hd ready DVDR. That should give me BBC 1 HD shouldn't it.

Regarding the resolution, it is broadcasting in 1440x1080 as opposed to 1920x1080.

[Perry Vale]

My hd ready tv has freeview built in, as does my hd ready DVDR. That should give me BBC 1 HD shouldn't it.

Not unless it's Freeview HD. Freeview HD signals cannot be picked up by standard Freeview machines. If you don't see the Freeview HD logo, then you won't be getting it. If it was, you'd already have ITV 1 HD & C4 HD....?

Regarding the resolution, it is broadcasting in 1440x1080 as opposed to 1920x1080.

Ah right, cheers for that, remember reading about it now.

[Darren]

Bugger.

[Si Hunt]

It was obvious that Eastenders was at one time supposed to launch in HD today, what with the start of BBC1 HD and the unveiling of the "new" Vic. What a bitter dissapointment to everyone that it's still in shonky old non-HD quality. I bet someone, somewhere got in a lot of trouble for missing a deadline.

Si.

[Perry Vale]

It was obvious that Eastenders was at one time supposed to launch in HD today, what with the start of BBC1 HD and the unveiling of the "new" Vic.

I very much doubt it. You have to remember that BBC One HD only came about a few months ago due to the fact there was a vacant slot on Freeview HD left by Five dropping out.

I find it far more likely that it was always the plan to launch it on Christmas Day, however when those plans were drawn up the idea was to give the (already existing) BBC HD channel a big publicity push (as EE on Xmas Day is one of the year's biggest draws).