BBC One HD launches 3rd November, BBC HD changes channel no

The BBC has confirmed that BBC One HD will launch at 7pm on Wednesday 3rd November, across all the digital TV services where the current BBC HD channel is available.

You’ll find the new channel – which will be a simultaneous broadcast of the main BBC One – at Freeview channel 50, Freesat 108, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.

The exisiting BBC HD channel will move to Freeview channel 54, Freesat 109, Sky channel 169, and Virgin Media channel 187.

Eastenders in HD? Not yet!

While the recent burning of the Queen Vic in EastEnders has heralded a new set, ready for HD production, the show won’t actually be in HD until Christmas Day, according to the BBC. So while you’ll get to see the new Vic next week, you won’t see it in all its glory until then.

Wednesday the 3rd will see a raft of programming in HD, starting with The One Show, followed by Wallace and Gromit: World of Inventions. Programmes that aren’t yet made in HD will be upscaled.

The existing BBC HD channel will showcase the best HD material from the BBC’s other TV channels.

Gone Digital’s original announcement is here.

Update: Here’s some comment from the head of BBC HD, regarding the launch.

BBC ONE HD - The Apprentice, part of the launch night line-up. Thanks to the BBC for this image

8 Replies to “BBC One HD launches 3rd November, BBC HD changes channel no”

  1. BBC ONE HD Launches 3rd November BBC HD Changes Channel No.

    Why no mention of freesat in this announcement? Will BBC HD occupy EPG slot 108?

    1. Apologies; I had all the info there, and just omitted Freesat when typing it up. Now added – Freesat will have BBC One HD on 108, and BBC HD on 109.

  2. What about regional variations?

    Will it only show BBC1 London or will we get different programs when the non-HD BBC1 goes regional?

    1. At the moment, it’s not regionalised, so there’ll be an on-screen caption reminding people to switch to SD for their local news. It also means that Scotland and Wales will get the main BBC One feed, rather than their national versions of the station. In her BBC blog about this, Danielle Nagler says that some of the national productions might find their way to the BBC HD channel, so that they can still be seen in HD.

  3. As a BBC HD ex-pat viewer living in Switzerland it’s very disappointing that with the launch of BBC One HD many of my favorite programmes are no longer shown on BBC HD e.g. Strictly Come Dancing, Garrow’s law etc.

    After 2 years of enjoying many programmes in HD and 5.1 it’s a shame that the Beeb doesn’t seem to care about international viewers especially when BBC HD has been the flagship reference channel that has set the standard for others to follow.

    PC

    1. It may sound harsh, but why should they care about international viewers of BBC HD? It’s a channel aimed at the UK audience*, and primarily broadcast on platforms for the UK. On every one of those platforms, both BBC HD and BBC One HD are available, usually side by side. So, shows that were previously on BBC HD are now available on BBC One HD.
      If you are using a free to air satellite receiver to pick up BBC HD directly – which may be possible in some parts of Switzerland – then you will also be able to get BBC One HD, which is on the same transponder.
      But, if you are receiving it as a rebroadcast then it is entirely the fault of whoever is doing that rebroadcast, and has decided not to come to an agreement with the BBC to show One HD as well. It hardly seems fair to complain that the BBC – whose primary duty is to UK licence fee payers – is failing to take into account in their scheduling issues affecting foreign broadcasters retransmitting BBC HD.
      * If you are receiving one of the international editions of BBC HD, then those are managed by BBC Worldwide, as subscription channels, and scheduling of those will be a separate issue from anything involving the domestic BBC HD/BBC One HD channels. There’s no reason for that to be affected at all by BBC One HD, which is why I assume you are talking about the UK channel.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.