Skip to main content

HDTV Free to Air Trial in London, England

Informitv reports that leading terrestrial channels have come together for the first trial of high-definition digital terrestrial television in the UK, which will include BBC coverage of the World Cup and Wimbledon.

The closed technical trial is officially limited to a sample of 450 households in the London area. The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five are contributing to the trial, which is initially expected to last for six months. It aims to test the technical aspects of delivering high-definition services to conventional television aerials.

The BBC HD stream is being transmitted by National Grid Wireless and the commercial multiplex is being broadcast by Arqiva, with technical support from Siemens and Thomson respectively. It is possible to pick up the low-power MPEG-4 signals from Crystal Palace in south London in many parts of the capital, but they will not be viewable on normal Freeview boxes.

Receivers are being produced by consumer electronics companies Humax and ADB. They are being made available to 450 selected households in an audience research panel being conducted by TNS Media. High-definition terrestrial television is already available in countries such as America and Australia, but the limited capacity within the available broadcast spectrum currently inhibits deployment in the UK.

Popular posts from this blog

Digital Identity Market Reaches $80B by 2030

The digital identity market is evolving and growing. After years of fragmented adoption and experimentation, we're witnessing the convergence of regulatory mandates, tech maturity, and more market demand. The fundamental challenge has always been straightforward: how do we prove who we are in an increasingly digital world without creating security vulnerabilities or sacrificing user experience? The answer emerging today involves a complex ecosystem of regulations, standards, and technologies that are finally aligning to make digital identity possible, practical, and scalable. Digital Identity Market Development Recent market analysis by Juniper Research reveals compelling growth projections that underscore this market's maturity: Market expansion from $51 billion (2025) to $80 billion (2030) — a 56 percent growth rate driven by concrete fundamentals rather than speculative hype. Two primary growth drivers — tightening regulatory requirements and maturing technologies, includin...