HD on Freeview in 2009

Digital viewers who use the Freeview service will be able to view some of their favourite TV shows in HD. This comes as the regulator Ofcom announced that the first area to receive the Freeview HD service will be the North West of England.

There will however be only a maximum of four channels being able to transmit in HD, one will be the BBC, while for the others ITV, Channel Four, Five and the Welsh language network S4C have all been invited to bid for the service.

The reason why there will be a staggered delivery of this HD service is simply because it will only become available as the analogue signal is turned off. This will mean that free view users in some areas will not get this service until 2012. However they will also need to have a HD television or another set top box to receive the HD signal.