ITV HD to launch next month

Finally, ITV has decided to bite the high definition bullet and make ITV HD available on Sky+ HD & Virgin Media V+ making the channel available well in time for the football World Cup that kicks off in June.

This will mean that ITV HD will also become visible on the electronic programme guides of Freeview and Freesat.

Currently viewers wishing to watch an ITV programme in HD have to press the Red Button to activate to the service.

The World Cup matches have been almost equally divided between ITV and the BBC, but it’s not all about football, as most of the peak time programming will be available in HD too.

The addition of ITV HD will take BSkyB’s offering of HD content to around forty; by the end of 2010 the broadcaster has targeted fifty HD channels.