Digital TV News: Digital UK

Freeview UK embarks on an all HD future
Dec 22, 2016 – High definition TV will become the norm in the UK from 1st January 2017 as the Freeview logo is withdrawn from new SD TVs and set-top boxes. Freeview is the UK’s most widely used TV service, currently watched in 19m homes.
News categories: Freeview, DTG, Guy North, Richard Lindsay-Davies, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Terrestrial, UK

Four TV partners join Freeview Play platform
Nov 22, 2016 – Freeview has announced that Freeview Play, the subscription-free catch-up and on-demand TV service will launch on Blaupunkt, Hisense, Sharp AQUOS, and Toshiba devices in the coming months. Freeview Play is the most widely adopted service for catch-up TV in the UK.
News categories: Freeview Play, Digital UK, Hisense, Guy North, Jonathan Thompson, Howard Grindrod, Digital TV, Middleware, Smart TV, UK

UK's DTG releases D-Book 9 DTT specification
Nov 3, 2016 – The DTG’s D-Book 9 introduces recommended guidelines for products delivering free-to-air DTT content within the home network. Representing thousands of man hours of work by contributors from across the industry this annual update replaces D-Book 8.
News categories: DTG, Digital UK, Richard Lindsay-Davies, Pete Sellar, Jonathan Thompson, Digital TV, HbbTV, Set Top Box, Smart Home, Smart TV, Terrestrial, UK

Freeview Play spec adds HEVC and Ultra HD via broadband
Sep 23, 2016 – Digital UK has published an updated technical specification for Freeview Play, setting out new features and requirements for products developed during 2017. Freeview Play combines live television with catch-up TV and on-demand services, making it easy for viewers to watch what they want, when they want.
News categories: Digital UK, James Jackson, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Streaming, Terrestrial, UK

BBC to move from MHEG to HbbTV 2.0.1
Jun 23, 2016 – The BBC, working in collaboration with Freeview, DUK and the DTG, has announced that it has developed a plan to move beyond legacy MHEG technology to industry-wide adoption of HbbTV 2.0.1 in time for equipment manufacturers to build HbbTV into 2018 product cycles.
News categories: BBC, Digital TV, HbbTV, MHEG-5, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Terrestrial, UK

Freeview Play specification available to all
Feb 18, 2016 – Digital UK has published the technical specification for Freeview Play, opening the connected TV service to broadcasters, platforms and equipment manufacturers worldwide.
News categories: Digital UK, James Jackson, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Streaming, Terrestrial, UK

Freeview trade mark licence to be granted only for HD products
Sep 24, 2015 – UK Freeview has announced that the Freeview Trade Mark Licence will only be granted for HD products from the end of 2016. Freeview, alongside Digital UK and the DTG, has been working with television manufacturers and retailers to encourage the take-up of HD.
News categories: Freeview, DTG, Guy North, Richard Lindsay-Davies, Digital TV, Licensing, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Terrestrial, UK

Freeview Play to launch in UK on Panasonic TVs next month
Sep 3, 2015 – Freeview and Digital UK have announced that the new Freeview Play connected TV service, the next generation of the UK’s biggest TV platform, will launch in October. Panasonic televisions will be the first to introduce the service.
News categories: Freeview, Digital UK, Panasonic, Guy North, Caroline Thomson, Andrew Denham, Digital TV, Middleware, Smart TV, Streaming, Terrestrial, UK

Manhattan developing a range of Freeview Play set-top boxes
Jun 23, 2015 – Digital UK and Freeview have announced that set-top box manufacturer Manhattan TV will launch a range of Freeview Play products early next year. The UK-owned company will offer a standalone receiver (T3) and two digital recorders (T3-R).
News categories: Manhattan, Digital UK, Freeview, Abbas Arbab-Zadeh, Ilse Howling, Guy North, Digital TV, DVR, Set Top Box, Terrestrial, UK