Plans for BBC One HD

[RR]

Re STV HD - It is the Aberdeen version they don't carry. It is different from the Dundee version, which is carried, as are the other two STV sub-regions. As Pete says, it is down to coverage rather than any commercial failure.

[VMPhil]

Virgin's display names for BBC channels:

BBC ONE HD
BBC2 HD
BBC 4 HD

Can we hope that BBC Three will be named something like "bbcTHREE" to continue the inconsistency?

/boring-pedant

[CCFG]

Ah yes, my favourite channel after a night out. bbcTHREE.

[jamied]

Points West looking surprisingly good upscaled on BBC ONE HD on Virgin Media.

[Run_Telecine]

But I am a bit not sure which regions are native HD, and which are upscaled. I think only it's London, Salford (North West) and Plymouth (South West) that are native at the moment? Feel free to correct me if there's more, or there are wrong regions.

Yep, London, SW and NW have HD studios - all other English opts are upscaled on Virgin.

[CCFG]

6.30 North West Today was all fine and dandy on HD.

[Rick]

Virgin's display names for BBC channels:

BBC ONE HD
BBC2 HD
BBC 4 HD

Can we hope that BBC Three will be named something like "bbcTHREE" to continue the inconsistency?

/boring-pedant

I hate this inconsistency as well. Happens on Sky & Freeview too, we have 5 USA, but 5USA+1, More4 but More 4+1, 5 STAR but 5ACTION, really bugs me! :lol:

[Markymark]

But I am a bit not sure which regions are native HD, and which are upscaled. I think only it's London, Salford (North West) and Plymouth (South West) that are native at the moment? Feel free to correct me if there's more, or there are wrong regions.

Yep, London, SW and NW have HD studios - all other English opts are upscaled on Virgin.

It's always been said Cambridge is native HD, and Southampton shouldn't be far off now?

I noticed the red screen of death still mentions swiching to 101 for Virgin punters, though I don't suppose it matters, because none of them will see it now!

[paul0363]

Virgin have a significant presence in Dundee and I believe also Inverness. Aberdeen however doesn't have it despite being larger than Dundee.

Border Scotland doesn't have coverage, but Border England does as Carlisle has Virgin.

Virgin does indeed cover Dundee and also Perth,Carnoustie and now Arbroath. All of these are part of the STV North (Dundee) region. Virgin currently doesn't have any coverage north of those areas (so nothing in Inverness or Aberdeen). In fact, Virgin doesn't as yet cover anywhere in Scotland outwith the "Larger Central Belt" .

You can see their coverage areas on this map by selecting Virgin Media from the list on the left of the map.

[Run_Telecine]

Yep, London, SW and NW have HD studios - all other English opts are upscaled on Virgin.

It's always been said Cambridge is native HD, and Southampton shouldn't be far off now?

I noticed the red screen of death still mentions swiching to 101 for Virgin punters, though I don't suppose it matters, because none of them will see it now!

BBC Cambridge is SD - it was installed around 2009.

[Keith]

Yep, London, SW and NW have HD studios - all other English opts are upscaled on Virgin.

It's always been said Cambridge is native HD, and Southampton shouldn't be far off now?

I noticed the red screen of death still mentions swiching to 101 for Virgin punters, though I don't suppose it matters, because none of them will see it now!

BBC Cambridge is SD - it was installed around 2009.

That's slightly surprising to hear it's only SD. Though in fairness it *looks* HD when compared to seeing the Norwich set/output during Breakfast and Politics East.

[James2001]

Means that Channel 4 is now the only one of the main terrestrials not in HD on the main channel number- you still have to go to channel 141 for HD. Presumably because they haven't got HD versions of all the different advertising regions, yet anyway.

[simpfeld]

Virgin have a significant presence in Dundee and I believe also Inverness. Aberdeen however doesn't have it despite being larger than Dundee.

Border Scotland doesn't have coverage, but Border England does as Carlisle has Virgin.

Well Aberdeen Cable was the second cable franchise in the UK as I remember, just after Croydon Cable ? I was always told this was because Aberdeen was considered the right size to see how cable might go in the UK, as a business. And Aberdeen was pretty wealthy.

The downside of being first is that it was all coax. I mean coax for distribution as well as to the home (I think everywhere else after this was pretty much hybrid fibre). So the system really couldn't scale beyond 30 analogue TV channels.

So when Aberdeen Cable went bankrupt, it really wasn't worth someone else taking on this old infrastructure and continuing this business. Would have needed a lot of ripping up of roads and putting down new cables.

That was my understanding.

[Markymark]

Means that Channel 4 is now the only one of the main terrestrials not in HD on the main channel number- you still have to go to channel 141 for HD. Presumably because they haven't got HD versions of all the different advertising regions, yet anyway.

I gather they are not far off that stage, but things may have got delayed by the great Red Bee catastrophe.

Surely there's no reason why C4 HD can't go on 104 on Virgin (and Satellite) in London ?

[Steve Williams]

Surely there's no reason why C4 HD can't go on 104 on Virgin (and Satellite) in London ?

I've seen this mentioned quite a lot, but I do have C4 HD on 104 on Virgin, in the Home Counties.