Has Channel 4 gone HD on Freeview?

[Woodchuck2000]

I'm using Windows Media Centre (Vista SP1 + 2008 TV Pack) as my main method of watching TV. Just recently, quite a few programmes on C4 have acquired a little 'HD' badge in the guide. Does anyone know if C4 have started broadcasting HD over Freeview?

The picture quality does seem very good, although I'm not sure if I'm just imagining it... I thought HD over Freeview was theoretically possible, but that they weren't going to do it until they'd freed up some bandwidth by turning off the analog signals.

[menthel]

I think it is a mistake. I have noticed this on my timeteam recordings.

Current freeview tuners will not have the ability to decode the hd format that will be used.

[Bunjiweb]

Ive seen this come up on some tuners but its gotta be a mistake, As Menthel said the freeview tuners that are currently in testing use a wider bandwidth than current freeview channels.

[Butuz]

It should be on Freeview HD.

I get C4 HD on Sky Freeview (i.e no SKY contract)

Butuz

[Bunjiweb]

What type of box do you have that will receive and display C4HD?

[GoNz0]

http://www.fortecstar.com/ do HD sat box's that pickup C4 HD and other HD with regular downloadable updates you put on with usb stick

[Butuz]

Originally Posted by Bunjiweb

What type of box do you have that will receive and display C4HD?

It's a Sky+ HD Box, Plug it into the dish and I automatically got all frieview channels, and BBC, C4 and Luxe HD channels.

Butuz

[Bunjiweb]

But that's Free-To-Air rather than Freeview, although the channels are similar the satellite part of it makes it rather different to UHF based aerials. I am not personally aware of any Freeview boxes that work with a regular aerial that is able to receive any of the HD channels from BBC, ITV or C4.

The Humax 9200 PVR box has a HDMI out but I don't think it is compliant with the DVB-T2 system which is what the BBC have been testing HD broadcasts on, see here:

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/televisions/...9297930,00.htm
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/televisions/...9298740,00.htm

Ben

[directhex]

Originally Posted by Bunjiweb

But that's Free-To-Air rather than Freeview,

4HD is FTV, not FTA.

Or, in English, it's encrypted using Sky's proprietary encryption - but using an "empty" encryption key that doesn't cost you any money to obtain. It is NOT viewable right now with FTA-only kit like a Freesat box

[Bunjiweb]

Although the Humax Freesat box is able to view FTA as well.

AFAIK C4 has an agreement with sky hence it is encrypted on their satellites.

FREEVIEW AND FREE-TO-VIEW are different, for god's sake I couldnt make it any clearer without people trying to totally confuse the matter! The original post was asking about Aerial based FREEVIEW not FREE-TO-VIEW satellite feeds...

blimey.

[directhex]

Originally Posted by Bunjiweb

FREEVIEW AND FREE-TO-VIEW are different, for god's sake I couldnt make it any clearer without people trying to totally confuse the matter! The original post was asking about Aerial based FREEVIEW not FREE-TO-VIEW satellite feeds...

Right. That question is answered with a simple "no". But in forms, topics tend to be in something of a state of flux, as one point leads way to the next.

[Georgy291]

i got a 50" plasma and image quility in HD chanel 4, over freeveiw thats in the tv seems alot better than in any other chanels, so i think it could be

also i got a tv tuner for my pc

when i do channel scan it picks up chanel 4, 3 times as 3 different chanels so it could be that they are using 3 chanels as a single HD one

[GoNz0]

Originally Posted by Bunjiweb

Although the Humax Freesat box is able to view FTA as well.

AFAIK C4 has an agreement with sky hence it is encrypted on their satellites.

FREEVIEW AND FREE-TO-VIEW are different, for god's sake I couldnt make it any clearer without people trying to totally confuse the matter! The original post was asking about Aerial based FREEVIEW not FREE-TO-VIEW satellite feeds...

blimey.

alright m8 dont get your panies in a twist

[Funkstar]

Originally Posted by Georgy291

when i do channel scan it picks up chanel 4, 3 times as 3 different chanels so it could be that they are using 3 chanels as a single HD one

DVB-T doesn't work like that.

Easy way to test this. record a program from every isntance of C4 on your system. Them open them up in something like VNC or MediaPlayerClassic and check out the stream properties. I'm guessing they will not be HD resolution. In fact if they are normal TV resolution, then C4 have changed their broadcast stream as they use to be sent out as 640x480 or something similar to reduce bandwidth.

[directhex]

Originally Posted by Funkstar

DVB-T doesn't work like that.

Easy way to test this. record a program from every isntance of C4 on your system. Them open them up in something like VNC or MediaPlayerClassic and check out the stream properties. I'm guessing they will not be HD resolution. In fact if they are normal TV resolution, then C4 have changed their broadcast stream as they use to be sent out as 640x480 or something similar to reduce bandwidth.

4 on Freeview is broadcast in 704*576, at between 0.7 and 1.6 Mbit

[Georgy291]

um im just saying all i noticed, read my signiture for description on how much i understand when it comes to DVB-T