Is high-definition television (HDTV) available on Freeview?
Many Freeview viewers across the UK are now able to watch high definition TV channels. New technology and a reorganisation of the way channels are allocated on digital terrestrial television platform has freed up space for up to four Freeview HDTV services. The first three HD channels became available when the digital switchover took place in the Granada TV region in the north-west of England in 2009. Now many parts of the country are able to receive Freeview HD, including our area, the West Midlands. All four HD channels should be available across the country by the time digital switchover is due to be completed in 2012. One of them is BBC HD with the three others, including ITV, Channel 4 or Welsh language channel S4C and Channel Five at a later date. Viewers who want to watch the new channels will have to buy a new set-top box incorporating the superior MPEG-4 rather than MPEG-2 compression technology. Alternatively most manufacturers are now producing some of their new 2010 models
