NOW AVIALABLE

2010 is the year for Freeview HD for many people. But not all. See the bottom of the page for expected HD area launch dates.

The new machine is expected to be one of the hottest new additions to the set-top box market thanks to a plethora of next-gen functionality.

Not only will it receive HD signals (MPEG AVC/H.264 and MPEG2) from your existing aerial without need for a subscription, but it also upscales to 1080p at 50Hz so broadcasters can adapt the signal to suit the content (so say for films) without interruption.

Home networking is taken care of with the T2 able to transmit content from your network to your TV with the usual visual and audio formats catered for.

Connection wise there’s an Ethernet port for internet connection and future firmware updates, and a USB slot enabling owners to record direct to USB as well as play back stored media, PVR style - though it’s worth bearing in mind that Humax says these are functions to come, and won’t be available at launch.

• Free HD channels from BBC and ITV
• No Subscription, just plug and watch HD TV
• Plus up to 50 digital TV channels and 24 radio stations
• 8-day on screen electronic programme guide
• Interactive TV service via MHEG
• Dolby Digital+ Audio Output
• Parental Control
• Subtitle and Audio Description
• Perfect digital transmission for picture and sound through HDMI output
• Auto detection of new channels and services - No need to ever re-tune
• Receives HDTV signals
• Fully compliant to UK DVB-T2 profile as well as DVB-T
• Standby power : less than 1W
• Resolution format : 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i
• Play media contents in external HDD or memory through USB (MP3, JPG, XViD)
• Portal Ready for future purpose
• Contents sharing with other devices such as PC and NAS through Home Networking     

HD LAUNCH DATES

Timetable (Freeview HD signal availability commences at switchover unless otherwise stated)

England

Area - transmitter group - date

Manchester, Winter Hill, 2 December 2009
London, Crystal Palace, 2 December 2009 – advance network
Newcastle and Tyneside, Pontop Pike, February 2010 – advance network
Leeds/Bradford, Emley Moor, March 2010 – advance network
Birmingham, Lichfield, March 2010 – advance network
Liverpool, central Lancashire, Cheshire, north Staffordshire, Winter Hill relays, March 2010 – retrofit
Exeter, parts of Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Stockland Hill, April 2010 – retrofit
Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Mendip, April 2010
Devon, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly, Beacon Hill, Caradon Hill, Huntshaw Cross, Redruth August 2010 – retrofit
Cumbria and the Lake District, Caldbeck, October 2010 – retrofit

Then Freeview HD rolls out with the rest of the switchover programme, so:

201 – Bedfordshire, Berkshire (parts), Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, East Anglia, East Midlands, East Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Humberside, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire (parts), Stoke-on-Trent, West Midlands (remainder), and West Yorkshire (remainder).

2012 – Berkshire (remainder), County Durham, Greater London (remainder), Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, Surrey, Sussex, Teesside, Tyneside.

Wales

Cardiff, Newport, Wenvoe, March 2010
Swansea, Kilvey Hill, March 2010 – retrofit
West and central Wales, Blaenplwyf, March 2010
Carmarthenshire, Carmel, April 2010 – retrofit
Rest of Wales, Long Mountain, Moel y Parc, Presely mid-June 2010 – retrofit
Anglesey, Llanddona, July 2010 – retrofit

Wales will have switched over to digital and the roll-out of Freeview HD will be complete by the end of July 2010.

Scotland

Glasgow, central Scotland, Black Hill, February 2010 – advance network
Shetland, Bressay, May 2010
Orkney, Keelylang Hill, May 2010
Caithness, North Sutherland, Rumster Forest, mid-June 2010
Lewis, Wester Ross, North West Sutherland, Western Isles, Eitshal Skriaig, July 2010
Angus, Dundee, Perth, and parts of Fife, Angus, August 2010
Aberdeenshire, Durris, September 2010
Morayshire, Strathspey, and parts of Easter Ross, Knockmore, October 2010
South West Scotland, Caldbeck Scotland, October 2010
Inverness and the Great Glen, Rosemarkie, October 2010
South West Highlands and Islands, Torosay, October 2010
Scottish Borders, Selkirk, November 2010 – retrofit

Then Freeview HD rolls out with the rest of the switchover programme so that the whole of Scotland is switched over to digital and will be able to receive Freeview HD by the end of Q2, 2011.

Northern Ireland

Freeview HD rolls out with the rest of the switchover programme so that the whole of Northern Ireland is switched over to digital and will be able to receive Freeview HD by the end of 2012.

Other areas

Isle of Man, Douglas, October 2010 – retrofit
Channel Islands, Fremont Point, end 2010