Loading ...The BBC have increased their high-definition content on BBC HD (channel 108) to 9 hours per day, 7 days per week. This combined with ITV HD means you will now be able to enjoy an average of 70 hours per week in glorious high-definition on Freesat.
Speaking on the BBC blog, Danielle Nagler, Head of BBC HD and BBC Vision said;
Those paying close attention may have noticed that for the first time today outside of a major event, the BBC HD schedule is up at 9 hours. That’s the full service that we have permission for from the BBC Trust, and from now on (until there is any extension to the service) the channel we plan to deliver to you.
We’ll start daily at 4pm, and run through to between 12.30 and 1.30 7 nights a week although we will of course still extend the channel hours when there are sporting or other events that fall outside those hours.
Danielle is known and respected for giving very honest reports of the goings on at BBC HD, and often welcomes comments, questions and suggestions to help improve BBC HD in the future. Danielle’s latest BBC blog post can be found here; an interesting read as always.
It’s great to see the BBC have increased their HD hours right up to the limit in which they are allowed at present, and goes a long way to prove the continued investment the BBC have in high-definition content. Well done to all concerned, keep up the good work.
March 17th, 2009 at 8:16 am
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF THE EXTRA HOURS WERE ADDED DURING THE AFTERNOON AND NOT TO 130AM IN THE MORNING
haroldQuote
March 17th, 2009 at 8:32 am
9 hours per day, 7 days a week plus the couple of hours a week that ITV do HD is a bit more than 10 hours per week as stated above! Probably should be average of 10 hours per day…
MarkQuote
March 17th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Typo, thanks Mark, hours per week adjusted accordingly!
adminQuote
March 17th, 2009 at 10:07 am
This news is fine but I have concerns about the BBC’s attitude towards who is watching HD television.
I suspect that a child is not too fussy about the resolution of LazyTown or In The Night Garden.
And to push teen orientated content up until 8pm also wastes a valuable slot that could be used to hook into mainstream. No adult watches Raven or MI High. So they switch off.
What bugs me most is the idea to the Beeb that HD is an excellent vehicle for showing people strutting around a muddy stage at ‘Glasto’ in 5 minute bites. Music, for the purist, should be about the audio and not the visual. So is HD bandwidth such a good use of that ? – given that DAB is available to all for free also and the BBC should be promoting that format too.
Its good – but it could be a great deal better and if it were it might convince ITV that it should be trying a bit harder…
The Duke Of HunsletQuote
March 17th, 2009 at 10:44 am
One thing that will improve watching stats for BBC HD is if they always show programmes that are on both HD and SD either at the same time or if not, always show on HD first. For example, the current programming schedule for Heroes is to transmit on BBC3 days before BBC HD. This means that fans either watch first in SD then watch a repeat showing in HD, or not watch the first transmission in SD and wait for the HD, or more likely, only watch the SD transmission.
Nik CarterQuote
March 17th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Good news. Come on ITV it is your turn now to increase HD content.
I agree with Nik Carter. They should make a point of showing HD first.
I stopped watching Heroes in HD as BBC3 shows new episode 1 week before the HD channel. So I am a bit pissed off about it too.
YASARQuote
March 17th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
ITV cannot even transmit their published HD. What happened to Law and Order last night? Started for about 1 minute and then blanked out for the rest of the program.
Gareth PriceQuote
March 17th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Not really 9 hours as we are still getting loads of repeats.
Trevor HarrisQuote
March 17th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Yep. This business of showing content later then SD is a bit daft. The entire series of Survivors was aired on HD after the entire series had been shown on BBC1. This was meant to be one of the Beeb’s flagship autumn series – instead we got to watch…repeats of Last Of The Summer Wine instead.
Its a bit hit and miss…when it should be a simple ‘hit’.
The Duke Of HunsletQuote
March 17th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
I agree with The Duke of Hunslet in that a good 2 hours a day in prime time are absolutely wasted on kids programs that are already showing on CBBC. Just how many kids need to see those programs in HD? It’s the parents that are paying for this kit, so come on BBC cater for the folk who would actully appreciate the better quality.
The Bourne GripeQuote
March 17th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Don’t moan . .
Well done BBC . . I know you are doing your best . .
StevenQuote
March 18th, 2009 at 12:44 am
It’s good but we are still way behind the US and Australia for HD content. Will we ever catch up I wonder ?! The way to get the FTA HD channels is also such a mess in this country…ITV with it’s daft red button access only from freesat Ch4 HD only available on sky but not freesat. No real ‘universal’ access like Oz or the states etc
DaveQuote
March 18th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Agree with 4. childrens tv in HD is a wste of space. No 5 or 6 year old is going to notice or even care about SD vs HD.
Also, how about films in HD?
We had Wallace and Gromitt over Christmas and pretty much nothing else. The BBC seem to have very little film content and what they do have is always shown in SD. Why? Nothing is more suited to HD and 5.1 than a film!
Al (Original)Quote
March 18th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
I have a motorised satellite setup and get canal+ from sweden on thor satellite at 1 degrees West and BBC HD is running all day. Granted it’s part of a pay package but surely whatever money BBC are making selling their channels abroad can go toward providing a full service to viewers in the UK?
GeoffQuote
March 18th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Let me be more specific here…about viable HD content.
Tonight.
IN THE NIGHT GARDEN – My girlfriend’s 5 year old son says this is a ‘baby’ program. He doesn’t know what HD is.
A QUESTION OF GENIUS. A Panel quiz show. We get to see in glorious HD as people answer questions and hop from one foot to another in embarrassed silence. Great HD content – as good as any wildlife program!!!
A FOLK CONCERT FROM FESTIVAL HALL. Hey nonny nonny and a fa-la-la rovin’ I will go. Just look at the incredible vista of HD colours in that mans beard!!! What’s the point of 5.1 for a live concert. Live concerts are ALWAYS mixed in mono – otherwise people on one side of the hall will get a different experience to the other side of the hall. Any ‘post mixing’ is just ‘fiddling’ for the sake of it.
There must be better BBC output worthy of a slot in the schedule???
The Duke Of HunsletQuote
March 18th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Looking forward to Doctor Who for the first time in HD this Easter…sure to be a big draw for BBC HD. Things will get better in time, I’ve no doubt.
What other programmes would you good people like to see make the switch to HD???
MattQuote
March 19th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Good to see more BBC HD coverage, does anyone know why sometimes the HD version of the program is shorter than the SD version, both Natures great events and Yellowstone HD versions were 10 minutes shorter?
John EvansQuote
March 19th, 2009 at 10:49 am
On some of those nature programmes, the last ten minutes is a ‘Diary’ or ‘Making of’ segment, and those are often not filmed in HD, or contain enough SD material that they don’t fulfil the criteria for the HD channel.
I suspect the main reason those bits are in there is so that a programme can be made to fit the slots used when it’s sold to commercial broadcasters overseas; the 10 minute diary gives the BBC something to fill an hour’s slot over here, plus a useful extra for overseas DVD sales.
Nigel WhitfieldQuote
March 22nd, 2009 at 9:03 am
I had the series link set up on bbc hd for the green green grass , All went well until the last episode when they only put it in sd , so i missed it . Thanks bbc. sent them an e-mail , no reply or sorry or repeat of episode. Apart from that i am enjoying the channel.
Dean smithQuote
March 27th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
I have been watching BBC HD for almost two years now, and can say it’s a lucky dip as to whether you can find some little treasure or end up with the booby prize. Glastonbury, Wimbledon and the 2007/8 New Years Fireworks Display have made this channel so memorable, but unfortunately this channel is too short to cater for so many tastes, and in more recent times seems to lack any guidance or back bone and has almost given up the fight. Bring me as many live events as poss, especially from around the UK, and please get those lazy HD camera men out in the field and do us proud. Lets put Britain back on the pioneering map.
Chris AldredQuote