High-definition TV delayed
WHILE THE TABLOIDS FULMINATE over Pussygate, an even bigger shambles at the BBC is going largely unreported. The launch of the corporation's test HDTV service looks likely to be put back until the end of the year because the once-great broadcaster can't make its mind up over which protocol to use.
The governing body of the BBC, the BBC Trust, has decided that the Beeb will offer a high-definition service, but at the moment it will be limited to satellite viewers until Ofcom's plans for the Freeview digital terrestrial service are finalised. At the moment, test HD broadcasts are planned to run during the peak viewing hours of 0200 to 0600. To get the necessary space, this means taking down five of its Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) channels to release the necessary bandwidth.
Insomniacs wishing to view the tests will need to fork out for an MPEG4 set top box, but may then have to buy a DVB-T2 decoder if Ofcom decides on a complete reorganisation of the digital TV spectrum.
In August, Ofcom said it wasn't minded to allocate extra frequencies to facilitate DTT HDTV, so a major reshuffle would appear to be on the cards.
The Trust's statement said: "It would be possible for the BBC to launch this service almost immediately. However, the possibility of a major reorganisation of the DTT platform introduces the prospect that future HD services may be provided using the DVB-T2 transmission protocol on a dedicated HD multiplex. This would require consumers to have DVB-T2-capable set-top boxes and so calls into question the proposal to provide a four-hour overnight service on Freeview from next year using the existing DVB-T protocol. On this timescale, users would have to upgrade their set-top boxes in the short-term in order to gain MPEG-4 capability to receive the four-hour interim service. Then they would face a second upgrade to gain DVB-T2 capability in order to receive the full nine-hour service (as well as HD propositions from the other PSBs)."
A final decision from the Trust isn't expected until the end of November. ยต
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Bit unfair. Surely the issue is with ofcom not the Beeb. They are only trying to launch whatever HD service they can on freeview under the restrictions and uncertanty that ofcom to blame for..... I belive they deserve kudos for at least trying.
Why say "the once great broadcaster" when it is plainly still one of the best in the world ?
I would have thought that blighty would have had HD by now? Down here in oz we have it supplied in different degrees but all now broadcast at least 720p.
" I would have thought that blighty would have had HD by now? Down here in oz we have it supplied in different degrees but all now broadcast at least 720p."
We have, but it's satellite only apart from a small trial by the BBC in the London area last year. There is really no space in the current spectrum for terrestrial HD, which is why there's all the delay. Even if the best version of the revised spectrum result, there won't be room for more than 4 HD channels, whereas on Sky we have a dozen already, and more coming.
" Why say "the once great broadcaster" when it is plainly still one of the best in the world ?"

I'm sorry but the BBC has very much been going downhill recently. BBC News 24 is now a joke - presenters trying to tell jokes, being informal, being very emotive and sensational, going for headlines (the obscene amount of coverage over Madeline), focusing on random trivial stories, over-the-top music behind headlines, "entertainment news" (plugging films), etc. It is also used to advertise BBC products like the recent Elvis show. The local BBC news is also bad, with it here in Cornwall being used to plug random commercial entertainment acts / events.

I was flicking through the channels a while back and thought I'd watch Al Jazeera for a laugh... the only laugh I got was that it is actually better than the BBC. Give it a watch before criticising. The presenters speak perfect formal English, the style is very formal, there are top notch documentaries from well respected journalists, it DOESN'T just focus on one story to grab viewing figures and it covers a lot more diverse political subjects that are often glossed over by other western channels. In short it does everything that BBC News 24 is SUPPOSED to do. I couldn't believe it.

The BBC needs to stop plugging commercial interests, it needs to stop sacrificing quality to grab viewing figures and it needs to stop the dumbing down we are seeing. The BBC is meant to be impartial and without advertising to provide a public service - now that it's happy plugging corporate interests (promoting films, making programs for commercial export to America, putting ads on foreign versions of the websites, etc) I think it's relevance has greatly diminished. The only thing going for the BBC at the moment is the BBC News website. Why should we pay a licence fee to an organisation that is little different from the others it's meant to be protecting us from? It's sad but most of the deterioration has occurred within the past year... before then I was a staunch supporter of the licence fee.

I'm sure plenty of people will jump in to defend the BBC, as it is part of our heritage and what makes our TV different to the US, but please think before you do. I can't imagine many people thinking that it has improved over the past year.