Top Up Your Freeview
Freeview
DTV Services, trading as Freeview, is the name for the collection of Free to air services on the Digital Terrestrial Television platform in the UK. The service is jointly run by its five equal shareholders - BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky and transmitter operator Arqiva. DTV Services is designed to market changes to the platform. In association with the Digital TV Group, DTV Services is responsible for marketing specifications such as Freeview+, the PVR brand and Freeview HD - the roster of forthcoming HD channels.
Freeview officially launched on 30 October 2002 at 5 am when the BBC and Crown Castle (now Arqiva) officially took over the digital terrestrial television (DTT) licences to broadcast on the three multiplexes from the defunct ITV Digital (originally called ONdigital). The founding members of DTV Services, who trade as Freeview, were the BBC, Crown Castle UK (now part of Arqiva) and British Sky Broadcasting. On 11 October 2005, ITV plc and Channel 4 became equal shareholders. Since then, the Freeview model has been copied in a number of countries including Australia, New Zealand, France and Italy.
Freeview Costs
Freeview provides no channels at all, the promotional efforts not extending to the consortium members' premium or pay-per-view channels and no subscription channels. The name distinguishes the service from ITV Digital, cable and satellite digital TV services. To receive the services that Freeview promotes, a set-top box (typically available from £15) or a new television with an integrated digital tuner is required. DTT reception cards for computers are also available for a similar price. Some viewers also need an aerial upgrade which can cost around £80 to £180. The annual television licence must still be purchased, as is required for all viewers of broadcast television in the UK.
A subscription-based DTT service, Top Up TV, launched in March 2004 using unused channel space on multiplexes that were owned by parties who, at the time, were not members of the Freeview consortium. The Top Up TV service is not connected with the Freeview service; it simply runs alongside it on the DTT platform. It was possible to receive Top Up TV selected Freeview set-top boxes or televisions equipped with a card slot or CI slot, however, this was discontinued in 2006 in favour of "Top Up TV Anytime", a service which depends on a proprietary set top box.
The Digital TV Group the industry association for digital television in the UK, is responsible for co-ordination between Freeview, Top Up TV, and other digital services.
Freeview Coverage
77% of the UK population can currently receive the full Freeview service, with more able to receive a selection of channels now and all channels after digital switchover. Coverage is being increased as digital switchover takes place across the UK.
Ofcom estimates that the coverage level of the three public service broadcasting multiplexes will reach 98.5% of the population (the same as analogue television) and six-multiplex reception will cover 90% of the population once the digital switchover has been completed in 2012. The full package of sixty Freeview channels (six-multiplex) will only be available via the main transmitter in each transmitter group. Those who rely on a local relay transmitter for reception will only receive around eighteen channels (three-multiplex) after digital switchover.
Approximately 27% of households were in a location that couldn't receive Freeview broadcasts. Maximum Freeview coverage of the UK whilst analogue and digital services were running in tandem was reached in the years before digital switchover in the UK began. Digital UK, the body backed by the UK government and UK broadcasters is currently switching off the analogue TV services in the UK, region-by-region. In June 2009, the BBC has announced that high definition TV (HDTV) broadcasts on digital terrestrial television will start in December same year.
In 2007, the Whitehaven transmitter in Cumbria switched to digital. Then in 2008 viewers in the Scottish Borders had their analogue signal switched off and their Freeview signal boosted, and coverage increased to minor relays. In 2009, Freeview coverage increased: The South West of England switched to digital between April and August; Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway and the Isle of Man switched in June. Wales is currently in the process of digital switchover, with existing analogue services being replaced by high powered digital signals carrying the Freeview service.