BBC HD to close and become BBC TWO HD

Rick_

This was reported as happening last year and then postponed, and now it has been announced by the BBC as part of their cost cutting measures that BBC HD will close and become BBC TWO HD in the near future.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15165926

mustang68

Wonder what we'll get in the ROI?

Stinicker

mustang68 wrote: »

Wonder what we'll get in the ROI?

Just another reason to adapt Freesat over Sky, Sky have BBC HD on the ROI EPG at the moment but not BBC1 HD, despite it being FTA and already having BBC1 NI on the EPG in Standard Def, I wonder if it will force Sky to put BBC1 HD on the EPG for ROI customers seeming at BBCHD will be renamed BBC2 HD, it would look silly to have one but not the other.

Pat Gleeson

I was thinking the same thing on another thread.

dulpit

This pleases me, always found it a bit weird that there was this extra channel hanging around...

spurskiely

Would be handier all round .

evilivor

Paddy C wrote: »

This was reported as happening last year and then postponed, and now it has been announced by the BBC as part of their cost cutting measures that BBC HD will close and become BBC TWO HD in the near future.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15165926

So I guess this means the HD material off BBCs Three and Four like The Fades and Wilfred will be orphaned now?

Minstrel27

Looks like it. The only plus from this move imo is Moto GP in HD

homer911

evilivor wrote: »

So I guess this means the HD material off BBCs Three and Four like The Fades and Wilfred will be orphaned now?

I cant really see them wasting this investment - hopefully they will move to BBC Two

Rick_

BBC TWO HD will show repeats of BBC 3 and programming during the day on BBC 1 and 2, and at night for post-watershed stuff that can't be repeated during the day.

Mayo Exile

Also noticed the following further down that BBC press release:

There will also be no reinvestment in long wave, which will lead to the end of Radio 4 on LW in the long term.

Remember the absolute uproar that followed in Middle England amongst Test Match Special listeners when this was initially proposed years ago. The BBC backed down then. Probably not this time.

Tomk1

This makes sense.
Aside, I don't understand why they don't have a dedicated deaf/hard of hearing channel, instead of having deaf-programming after midnight. BBC-HD should of been used for that.

vimes

There's no way in hell that Sky are going to permit people to have a full-schedule HD channel without forking over the HD-tax. It is just completely outside their gougbusiness model.

The channel will just be quietly dropped, and we'll return to having no option but to watch the atrocious BBC "Nardern Areland" service.

blueser

Mayo Exile wrote: »

Also noticed the following further down that BBC press release:



Remember the absolute uproar that followed in Middle England amongst Test Match Special listeners when this was initially proposed years ago. The BBC backed down then. Probably not this time.

Back in the good old days (!), Radio 4 LW was fantastic for the cricket.Brian Johnson, Fred Trueman, Henry Blofeld, Jonathan Agnew etc etc. Great days.

Rick_

BBC ONE HD will also launch 3 new channels for Scotland, Wales and NI. So, if you prefer to watch the NI version of BBC ONE over the others available, you'll now be able to see Newsline in upscaled HD and watch programmes in some cases a few hours after everyone else has already seen them, or in some cases, not at all. :rolleyes:

John mac

blueser wrote: »

Back in the good old days (!), Radio 4 LW was fantastic for the cricket.Brian Johnson, Fred Trueman, Henry Blofeld, Jonathan Agnew etc etc. Great days.

it still is! especially when they turned off the coverage online at 18:00 without any notification.

_Kaiser_

mustang68 wrote: »

Wonder what we'll get in the ROI?

Stinicker wrote: »

Just another reason to adapt Freesat over Sky, Sky have BBC HD on the ROI EPG at the moment but not BBC1 HD, despite it being FTA and already having BBC1 NI on the EPG in Standard Def, I wonder if it will force Sky to put BBC1 HD on the EPG for ROI customers seeming at BBCHD will be renamed BBC2 HD, it would look silly to have one but not the other.

My guess is it'll be removed from the EPG on the day it switches over

G-Money

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

My guess is it'll be removed from the EPG on the day it switches over

According to the Sky forum, BBC One HD not being available is a technical problem they are trying to resolve. Whether that's true or not remains to be seen.

I live in an apartment and get Sky through a communal dish. I don't think I will have the option of getting Freesat even if I wanted to.

JDxtra

That technical problem is only when adding it to your "other channels". There is no technical problem preventing it appearing on the ROI EPG.

blueser

Paddy C wrote: »

BBC ONE HD will also launch 3 new channels for Scotland, Wales and NI. So, if you prefer to watch the NI version of BBC ONE over the others available, you'll now be able to see Newsline in upscaled HD and watch programmes in some cases a few hours after everyone else has already seen them, or in some cases, not at all. :rolleyes:

No thanks. Never watch the Northern Ireland version of BBC1 or 2; too many local programmes that mean nothing to me messing up the schedules. Coming from Manchester originally, I'll usually watch the North West version for the local news from that region.

_Kaiser_

G-Money wrote: »

I live in an apartment and get Sky through a communal dish. I don't think I will have the option of getting Freesat even if I wanted to.

Could be wrong here, but I'd imagine it'd be as easy as swapping out the Sky box you have at the minute for a Freesat one as both services are available on the same satellite/dish.

jc84

the reason BBC One HD is not on the irish EPG is because it's the London version that's in HD, if its true that they are launching a Northern Ireland version then i'd say sky will more than likely add it to the lineup

blueser

jc84 wrote: »

the reason BBC One HD is not on the irish EPG is because it's the London version that's in HD, if its true that they are launching a Northern Ireland version then i'd say sky will more than likely add it to the lineup

Not sure if there is a region for BBC1 HD. When they go over to the regional news bulletins at the end of the network news, an on-screen message comes up saying something along the lines of BBC1 HD not being able to show regional programming.

excollier

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Could be wrong here, but I'd imagine it'd be as easy as swapping out the Sky box you have at the minute for a Freesat one as both services are available on the same satellite/dish.

Yes, it really is that simple.
Just add a UK postcode for the region you want, and away you go.

byte

blueser wrote: »

Not sure if there is a region for BBC1 HD. When they go over to the regional news bulletins at the end of the network news, an on-screen message comes up saying something along the lines of BBC1 HD not being able to show regional programming.

Paddy C wrote: »

BBC ONE HD will also launch 3 new channels for Scotland, Wales and NI. So, if you prefer to watch the NI version of BBC ONE over the others available, you'll now be able to see Newsline in upscaled HD and watch programmes in some cases a few hours after everyone else has already seen them, or in some cases, not at all. :rolleyes:

Paddy has that covered.

G-Money

Where can you get a Freesat box?

maygitchell

G-Money wrote: »

Where can you get a Freesat box?

Argos up north is a good choice

blueser

G-Money wrote: »

Where can you get a Freesat box?

I'm pretty sure one or two on here could help you out;
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=155714

icdg

There'll be no regions for BBC Two HD, and the long term future of regional BBC Two is under threat, BBC Two's English Regions are all but gone (they still in theory exist on analogue, where it is still running, but are rarely if ever used).

This statement is very telling:

"However, we do not believe it is affordable or good value for money to convert the current BBC Two variants in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to high definition. The current standard definition variants on BBC Two will be maintained at least until 2015 while we review their long-term future, however, we are committed to maintaining the range and quality of the television output we currently provide"

Translation: we want to kill off the BBC Two nations, but we're unsure what to do with the programming that's on them at the moment. A big problem is the fact that Northern Ireland and Wales broadcast Celtic League rugby at prime time at weekends and its not practical to move it to BBC One due to the high amount of "flagship" BBC programmes that are broadcast on BBC One at the same time. BBC Wales has seperately committed to keeping live Celtic League rugby for the present. The solution might be to make BBC One London available in the nations on all platforms. Anyway its not an immediate problem.