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Rebuilding Freeview High Definition from 2019 onwards

There is a bit of a dip in the space available on Freeview HD for high definition channels once 5G mobile services start next year, but the capability will return.

Understanding the capacity on Freeview HD is very lego  Photograph: Shutterstock
Understanding the capacity on Freeview HD is very lego Photograph: Shutterstock
published on UK Free TV

As Freeview High Definition users in Cornwall already know, the number of TV channels being broadcast in the UK will be cut back in mid-2020  to make way for the fifth generation of mobile phone data services.

This is because the number of multiplexes being broadcast will be cut back to the original six.   The extra two were provided as a “interim service”.    A Freeview multiplex is a single broadcast of binary data that occupies a 8MHz frequency range.    In the UK each of these can carry 24.1, 27.1 or 40.2Mbps or of data.

Because older TV sets and set-top boxes can only work with 24.1 Mbps, it is only possible for the owners of the multiplexes to use the higher capacity modes when every home has switched to Freeview HD capable equipment.  This equipment is marked with “DVB-T2”.

As illustrated, the total bitrate (in a home that can receive all the multiplexes) will change over time.

Meet the multiplexes

Not all the multiplexes are the same:

  • only three are broadcast to the whole of the UK;
  • a different three are broadcast in the better DVB-T2 mode;
  • legally, only BBC channels may appear on BBCA
  • also, legally, only public service broadcast channels (ITV, C4, C5) can appear on D3&4
  • The HD mode multiplexes have more bits and use a more video efficient encoding system (MPEG-4)
  • The current license to broadcast have different end-dates

This can be summaries in this table.

Multiplex name

 

Expires

 

HD mode?

Coverage

Mode

Bitrate today

com7

 

21 June 2020

 

Yes

76%

6

40.2

com8

 

21 June 2020

 

Yes

76%

6

40.2

D3&4

 

15 November 2022

 

No

100%

3

24.1

ARQA

 

15 November 2026

 

No

90%

8

27.1

ARQB

 

15 November 2026

 

No

90%

8

27.1

SDN

 

15 November 2026

 

No

90%

8

27.1

BBCB

 

16 November 2026

 

Yes

100%

6

40.2

BBCA

 

31 December 2027

 

No

100%

3

24.1

Freeview requires about 2.2Mbps for a standard definition channels and three times that for a high definition one (6.7Mbps). 

 

The Freeview HD EPG problem

One problem for people with Freeview HD receivers will note is that HD channels are grouped together in the program guide, rather than appear as replacements for the standard definition channels as viewers expect.    This is because the six channels on the BBCB multiplex (BBC One, BBC Two, CBBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5) can only be seen on newer boxes, making channel number replacement impossible without breaking the oldest Freeview equipment.

Basically the UK-wide BBCA and D3&4 multiplexes can’t change mode until ALL homes can receive them.

 

 

The interim position

There is good news, however, for the SDN, ARQA and ARQB multiplexes.    They can switch modes to the high definition whenever they feel that it is commercially practical.   This might be at a lower level of Freeview HD box use, perhaps 80% or 90%.   

By switching to DVB-T2 mode, each of them can increase their capacity from 27.1 to 40.2Mbps and take advantage of MPEG4. 

So, of the 80Mbps lost when com7 and com8 close, half of that can be got back by SDN, ARQA and ARQB upgrading, which would be enough for an extra 6 full HD services.

 

 

The HD public service channels

This diagram explains what will happen to create space six more Freeview HD channels.

The gains for the BBC when everyone has a DVB-T2 receiver are larger.     It will:

  • No longer need half of the capacity on the BBCB multiplex (20.1Mbps) as it can move these channels to BBCA
  • Gain 16.1 Mbps on BBCA due to the mode change;
  • Gain 6.6 Mbps from not simulcasting three services in SD and HD
  • Use the “gained 22.1Mbps” Be able to supply all the BBC television channels in HD to all UK homes

For the D3&4 multiplex, the gains are similar:

  • No longer need the 20.1Mbps on BBCB, making it available for other UK-wide services.
  • Gain 16.1 Mbps on D3&4 due to the mode change;
  • Gain 6.6 Mbps from not simulcasting three services in SD and HD
  • Be able to broadcast ITV, C4 and C5 in HD to all UK homes

 

I hope that's as clear as possible!  Any qestions? 



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Comments
Friday, 23 July 2021
P
Pat
12:42 PM

Is there any announced date yet for when Crystal Palace CH55 will stop transmitting?

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Pat's 2 posts GB flag
P
Pat
12:44 PM

Is there an announced date yet for when Crustal Palace CH55 will stop transmitting?

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Pat's 2 posts GB flag
S
StevensOnln1
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

2:09 PM

Pat: COM7's licence expires in June 2022 so it will close within the next 12 months (although it could be terminated earlier with 3 months notice). No announcement has yet been made regarding closure dates for COM7, nor what will happen to any of the channels is currently carries.

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StevensOnln1's 3,604 posts GB flag
Friday, 19 November 2021
M
MICHAEL JOHN HOUSTON
1:55 PM

Caldbeck transmitter has dropped BBC News/BBC4 and the +1 channels in HD due to the 5g issue. will these be restored at some point, along with Quest HD ( Ch 114? ) Thanks

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MICHAEL JOHN HOUSTON's 1 post GB flag
C
Chris.SE
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

2:08 PM

MICHAEL JOHN HOUSTON:

The temporary COMs 7&8 multiplexes (which in any event were only transmitted from a limited number of main transmitters ~30 out ~80) were turned off at Calbeck when part of the 700Mhz Clearance programme was done in July 2019.

The reason was, the cost involved in transmitters and antennae to move the service to the new temporary frequencies of C55 & C56 was not deemed to be cost effective considering the size of audience it reached.
COM8 closed in June 2020 for commercial reasons and COM7's licence expires in June 2022.
No announcements have been made about any of the services currently on COM7. There has been lots of speculation about some of the other multiplexes being converted to T2 transmissions, so having room for some of these. But it is all speculation, Nothing has been announced to date.

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Chris.SE's 4,093 posts GB flag
Thursday, 9 December 2021
T
Test
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

6:19 AM

Test: This is a test post.


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Test's 4,093 posts GB flag
Friday, 31 December 2021
S
Steven Smith
1:18 PM

So, when all the multiplexes change to T2 mode, there's going to be a lot of perfectly serviceable TV sets that don't work anymore because they don't have T2 capability and we're all supposed to junk them and buy new ones. Is that an accurate analysis. Do you know if sales of DVB-T only sets & boxes been banned yet (as they should be if I am correct)?

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Steven Smith's 1 post GB flag
C
Chris.SE
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

1:33 PM

Steven Smith:

No it's not an accurate analysis as no announcements have been made about the conversion of ANY of the 5 current non-HD muxes to T2.
Secondly, it's highly unlikely that when it does happen, that they'd be all done at once, it'll be a progressive thing and will no doubt happen region by region as well. It's more likely that such conversion will start with the COM multiplexes and not the PSBs so those with only "Freeview Light" transmitters will be the last to be affected.

IIRC, non-T2 sets and boxes have not been on sale for some considerable time and the "Green Tick" logo was withdrawn from such items long ago.
And of course any usable sets out there that are not T2, can make use of T2 set-top boxes until their owners decide to replace them. Some have suggested there could be a scheme to supply such boxes in a manner similar to that which was done for DSO.

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Chris.SE's 4,093 posts GB flag
Sunday, 13 March 2022
P
Peter Hamlin
4:40 PM

I understand from the forum at:
Missing channels via Freeview recorder | AVForums
... and from the posts here that the Crystal Palace Transmitter COM7 / UHF 55 service is now scheduled for closure June 2022.

(1) Has this date been confirmed ?

(2) Have any further announcements been made about any of the services currently on COM7 (since MICHAEL JOHN HOUSTON's post, Friday, 19 November 2021, above) - including if any of the TV Channels broadcast via COM7 / UHF 55 will be retained, and if so, the new frequencies to which they will be moved ?

(3) Where can more be found about the planned changes to COM7 / UHF 55 services ?

Thanks in advance

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Peter Hamlin's 2 posts NL flag
S
StevensOnln1
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

5:30 PM

Peter Hamlin: 30th June 2022 is the end date for the COM7 multiplex licence and the centre gap frequencies of the 700MHz band (where COM7 sits) were awarded to EE in Ofcom's 700MHz auction last year, so that is the basis of the widely held prediction of COM7 closing. There has been no announcement of the exact closure date, nor has any broadcaster announced what will happen to any of their channel on COM7. There is currently a small amount of capacity available on COM4-6 but there isn't anywhere near enough to accommodate every channel currently on COM7 and it will be more expensive as COM4-6 have greater coverage.

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StevensOnln1's 3,604 posts GB flag
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