ITV HD

Infobox TV channel
name = ITV HD
logofile = ITVHD.png logosize = 150px
logoalt =
launch = 9 June, 2006 (Trial Service)
7 June, 2008 (Full Service)
share =
share as of =
share source =
slogan =
owner = ITV plc
picture format = 16:9, 1080i (HDTV)
country = United Kingdom
web = [http://www.itv1hd.com www.itv.com/hd]
sat serv 1 = Freesat
sat chan 1 = Channel 103 "(Via Red Button)"

ITV HD is a British free-to-air high-definition television channel operated by ITV plc, the company which is contracted to provide 11 ITV services in England and Wales. ITV HD is available to view in the United Kingdom exclusively available to Freesat via the red button whilst watching ITV1.

2006 trial

The channel originally existed on a trial basis from June until November 2006, primarily to show the World Cup games to which ITV had the rights.

The channel was available to subscribers of the Telewest "TV Drive" cable service, and was also broadcast as a low-power digital terrestrial (DVB-T) channel from London's Crystal Palace Transmitter as part of a terrestrial HDTV trial involving 450 homes. ITV HD did not broadcast on Satellite TV, unlike BBC HD. It was available on Telewest channel 118 and Freeview channel 503 in homes which were involved in the HD trial.

In addition to the World Cup games, ITV HD showed classic films remastered in HD (such as "All Quiet on the Western Front" and "The Big Sleep"), documentaries (such as [http://www.pbs.org/kqed/oceanadventures/ "Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Adventures"] ) and dramas such as "Poirot".

The original ITV HD stopped broadcasting on the 30 November 2006.

2008 launch

High definition broadcasts from ITV plc launched exclusively on Freesat [Cite web |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/a95312/confirmed-itv-hd-is-freesat-exclusive.html |title=Confirmed: ITV HD is Freesat exclusive |publisher=Digitalspy |date=2008-05-06 |accessdate=2008-05-06] , the new digital satellite service from the BBC and ITV on 7 June 2008, just in time for the start of UEFA Euro 2008. ITV plc plans to spend £10m during 2008 on the launch of ITV HD. [cite news
title = HD version of ITV to launch next Spring
publisher = Digital Spy
date = 12 September, 2007
url = http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/a75516/hd-version-of-itv1-to-launch-next-spring.html
accessdate = 2007-09-12]

ITV HD using other receivers

In order to limit reception to the UK as far as possible, the satellite broadcast uses a non standard DVB stream. [Cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=788062/ |title=ITV HD Test Broadcast |publisher=Digitalspy |date=2008-05-06 |accessdate=2008-05-06] It was intended that only a Freesat receiver would be able to use this broadcast. However, the broadcast can legitimately be watched on some free-to-air receivers in the UK.

Technical problems

ITV HD's first HD drama broadcast of "Harley Street" reportedly suffered technical problems including picture & sound quality and failing to revert to the normal SD broadcast after the programme had finished. Also, several Digital Spy forum members reported that they could not access HD content via the red button due to the ITV HD service "only being available through the London region". [ [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/a112417/first-itv-hd-drama-suffers-tech-problems.html Satellite - News - First ITV HD drama suffers tech problems - Digital Spy ] ]

References

External links

*
* [http://gcse.phpnet.us/hdtv.htm Information about the London HDTV trial and screenshots of the trial ITV HD]
* [http://www.freesatadvice.co.uk/pages/itvhd/index.html Unofficial ITV HD TV Listings]