AV Magazines

In a move likely to ruffle the feathers of the Freesat brigade, Ofcom has announced that three High-Definition Freeview channels will launch in Blighty before the end of 2009.

New HD channels each from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 will be offered over an upgraded TV platform, broadcast on the new DVB-T2 standard.

This new standard however means that current equipment will not be compatible, so consumers will once again need to upgrade their AV system to reap the rewards.

New versions of the set-top boxes will be available in time for the staggered roll out, which begins in the Granada region next year and ends in London in 2012.

Ofcom also commented at a possibility of a fourth Freeview HD channel arriving in 2010.