Freeview retune - the results

Here are the results from the big Freeview retune

^{Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV 1st October 2009 at 07:17}

Regions that have both analogue and Freeview

If you are watching Freeview from a transmitter that also provides analogue TV, then the moves yesterday did this:

• FIVE swapped a slot on multiplex A for multiplex 2 with ITV3.
• ITV2+1 swapped a slot on multiplex D for multiplex 2 with ITV4.
• Price Drop TV started again on Multiplex C.
• QUEST started on Multiplex A.
• TopUpTV Anytime1, 2, 3, 4 move to logical numbers 307, 308, 309 and 310.
• ITV2+1 ends up on number 33.

Regions that have only digital television

When only the full Freeview service can be received (no analogue), then the above changes happened, plus:

• BBC Radio moved from BBCB to BBCA.
• BBC FOUR/CBeebies moved from BBCB to BBCA.
• BBC Parliament, BBC Interactive 301 and BBC Sport Interactive 303 moved from BBCB to BBCA.
• BBC Interactive 302 and BBC News Interactive parked on BBCB due to be closed.

Public service digital TV only transmitters

The main problem for people on the public service digital only transmitters, is that you now have two PLUS ONE channels (same stuff, different time) rather than having choice.

For example, Film4 would provide more choice than Channel 4+1 and ITV3 has totally different content to ITV2+1.



And, the HD services will provide another FOUR channels with the same content AGAIN .. ITV1HD will show the same as ITV1, C4HD shows C4 in HD, FIVE HD will be FIVE in HD and BBC HD simulcasts a BBC channel much of the time.

Choice of viewing would not seem to be public service. With a DVB-T2 box will have THREE versions of Channel 4 (C4, C4+1, C4HD), TWO of ITV (ITV1 and ITVHD), TWO of FIVE (FIVE, FIVE HD) and TWO versions of ITV2 (ITV2, ITV2+1).