Freeview HD

[Roop]

With Freeview HD coming on-stream soon in the UK, I wonder if there's a way of knowing whether the TV I bought for my mum 18 months ago will be compatible...?

I read on the Freeview HD site you have to bin your current integrated HDTV for one with a Freeview HD tuner or use a separate HD box. Now, the reason I bought my mum the TV is because she can't be doing with external boxes, loads of additional wires and multiple remotes so more boxes is out of the question.

I have an old PCI Satellite receiver in my PC that I bought way before any HD stuff was around (it's getting on for 10 years old), yet with proper configuration it will receive FTA HD channels no problem. I assume because HD satellite channels use the same CODEC just with a higher resolution and higher bitrate...?

Is this the case for Freeview HD...? Is it the same fundamental system at higher resolution and bitrate...? Will the 37" Panasonic LCD my mum has receive Freeview HD with a OTA firmware update or some such...? She's in Preston which has already gone through the digital switchover and potentially can receive HD (perhaps someone can confirm). Is there a way to test this...?

[FlossyThePig]

Freeview uses MPEG-2 for compression but FreeviewHD uses MPEG-4 so if the TV can process MPEG-4 it will show HD. BBC HD is on channel 50 and ITV HD is on channel 51.

[HereBeMonsters]

FlossyThePig said:

Freeview uses MPEG-2 for compression but FreeviewHD uses MPEG-4 so if the TV can process MPEG-4 it will show HD. BBC HD is on channel 50 and ITV HD is on channel 51.

It's running now??

[Roop]

FlossyThePig said:

Freeview uses MPEG-2 for compression but FreeviewHD uses MPEG-4 so if the TV can process MPEG-4 it will show HD. BBC HD is on channel 50 and ITV HD is on channel 51.

Thanks for this. Let's hope Panasonic were forward looking enough to implement MPEG-4 or at least allow for it in a firmware update...

[dxg]

Roop said:

FlossyThePig said:

Freeview uses MPEG-2 for compression but FreeviewHD uses MPEG-4 so if the TV can process MPEG-4 it will show HD. BBC HD is on channel 50 and ITV HD is on channel 51.

Thanks for this. Let's hope Panasonic were forward looking enough to implement MPEG-4 or at least allow for it in a firmware update...

Although Freeview HD does use MPEG4 to encode the video stream, it also uses a new standard - T2 - to encode the packets of information onto the carrier. As yet, there are *no* consumer boxes available to decode this. If your TV can decode MPEG4, it will be designed to do that on the European standard - DVB-T - and won't work here.

[guffhoover]

Roop said:

FlossyThePig said:

Freeview uses MPEG-2 for compression but FreeviewHD uses MPEG-4 so if the TV can process MPEG-4 it will show HD. BBC HD is on channel 50 and ITV HD is on channel 51.

Thanks for this. Let's hope Panasonic were forward looking enough to implement MPEG-4 or at least allow for it in a firmware update...

Doubt it.

As far as i understand it one of the reasons why Freeview HD sets have not hit the shops in huge numbers is due to a delay in manufacturing the IC's for the tuner.

So its a hardware rather than a firmware/software change that is required to receive Freeview HD.

[Roop]

guffhoover said:

Roop said:

FlossyThePig said:

Freeview uses MPEG-2 for compression but FreeviewHD uses MPEG-4 so if the TV can process MPEG-4 it will show HD. BBC HD is on channel 50 and ITV HD is on channel 51.

Thanks for this. Let's hope Panasonic were forward looking enough to implement MPEG-4 or at least allow for it in a firmware update...

Doubt it.

As far as i understand it one of the reasons why Freeview HD sets have not hit the shops in huge numbers is due to a delay in manufacturing the IC's for the tuner.

So its a hardware rather than a firmware/software change that is required to receive Freeview HD.

Ah crap. No Freeview HD for my mum then. Ah well, it's only tele

[hairyben]

For some reason I KNEW this would happen years ago, that all our new tellies marketed to us as being both freeview and HD would not receive freeviewHD when it came online.

Oh, we'll all just have to go out and buy new products again won't we? KERR-CHING!! Manufactured obsolescence. It makes me laugh about the whole climate change debate, because if what the alarmists say is true, we're DOOMED. Simple as that. We aren't changing, we won't change, we can't change because our society is based on rampant consumerism. And nobody, not the goverment in charge of broadcast standards (who penalise us so often with pseudo-environmental taxes) or the TV manufacturers (who brag so highly about their environmental credentials and eco-awareness) is doing a damn thing to address this.

Sorry to go off-topic-ranting, have a nice day

[HereBeMonsters]

I really hope it comes out soon, as my DVR box is on its way out, and I want the next one to be HD capable.

[fivesixseven8]

HereBeMonsters said:

I really hope it comes out soon, as my DVR box is on its way out, and I want the next one to be HD capable.

Same here. My Humax is on it's last legs and I am going to wait for a freeviewHD version before buying a new one.

[headcase]

Humax do a PVR now that has an HDMI out (max 720p) but im not sure if it has a DVB-T2 tuner, its worth pulling up the spec sheet for it, from memory i think its the 9300

[fivesixseven8]

headcase said:

Humax do a PVR now that has an HDMI out (max 720p) but im not sure if it has a DVB-T2 tuner, its worth pulling up the spec sheet for it, from memory i think its the 9300

It doesn't. No freeviewHD boxes are available yet.