May 31st, 2010 by FrequencyCast in HD
The BBC has announced that we can expect a new HD channel later this year.
BBC One HD should start broadcasting in ‘Autumn 2010′ according to the beeb. The channel will be a simulcast of main national BBC One service, and will be available on Freeview, Sky, Virgin and Freesat.
BBC One HD will be able to appear on Freeview as a result of Ofcom revoking Five’s Freeview HD licence in March.
The controller of BBC One, Jay Hunt says: “HD is the gold standard for broadcasting, and it’s right that we bring all the excitement of HD to BBC One – the most watched channel in the UK. “BBC One HD will bring families together for shared viewing of their favourite programmes from EastEnders and Strictly Come Dancing to The One Show, in incredible and vivid detail”.
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May 20th, 2010 by FrequencyCast in Announcement, Podcast
We’ve just released an audio update to keep you informed on what’s new while we’re working on our June show. Here’s what we cover in the update:
- UK Radio listening rockets
- US TV shows to be axed
- We have an iPhone app
- We’re on your Internet radio
- Get a half-price Joggler
- Powerlines break FM and DAB
You can download the update direct to your MP3 player or listen online at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/update.html.
If you have an iPod or iPhone, get shows faster by signing up at iTunes: FrequencyCast on iTunes.
Handy links:
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May 20th, 2010 by FrequencyCast in Digital TV, Freeview, HD
Details are slowly emerging of the first Freeview HD hard disk recorder from Humax.
Here’s what we know so far:
- Name: Humax HDR-FOX T2
- Release date: July 2010 (too late for the World Cup)
- Hard disk: 500GB (125 hours of HD)
- Price: £349
- Tuners: Twin tuner
- EPG: 8 days
The box will reportedly also support media streaming and Internet connectivity via Ethernet.
More when we have it.
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April 1st, 2010 by FrequencyCast in Digital TV, HD, Podcast
Happy April! It’s the start of a new month, and that means it’s time for a new FrequencyCast – and this is show number 50!
Here’s what we look at in Show 50:
- News Updates: Lots of HD news, tablets, cancellations and 3D.
- Focus: Getting more from your MP3 Player
- Hands-on: Who needs and iPod or Apple’s iTunes?
- Your podline and email questions on HD, OS, Freesat and weather
You can download Show 50 direct to your MP3 player or listen online at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html.
If you have an iPod or iPhone, get shows faster by signing up via iTunes.
Links:
Download the show now – you’d be an April Fool not to!
If you like what you’ve heard, please spread the word…
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March 20th, 2010 by FrequencyCast in Announcement
FrequencyCast has just released another news update podcast – this time covering loads of HD news, a look at what Google’s been up to, and a rather fun new social networking app for mobile phones called Waze – plus your feedback on how you use mobiles.
The show is attached to this blog entry, or you can listen at www.frequencycast.co.uk/update.html
If you’re an iTunes user, get the show from the FrequencyCast Podcast page on iTunes
Remember to keep spreading the word about FrequencyCast, your TV and Tech podcast.
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March 18th, 2010 by FrequencyCast in Freeview, HD
Considering buying a Freeview HD box? The first box out, the Humax Fox T2, costs £149.99 at most retailers, but you can save yourself £50 by opting for the new Bush DVB680 Freeview HD receiver.
This Freeview HD box is available for £99.99 on pre-order, with estimated availability on 31st March 2010.
This Freeview HD box from Bush has HDMI, SCART, Ethernet, a 7 day EPG and upscales to 1080p
Available to pre-order now at Argos: Bush DVB680 Freeview HD Box
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March 16th, 2010 by FrequencyCast in Freeview, HD
Regulators Ofcom have revoked Five’s licence to launch an HD service on Freeview by the end of the year. This action has been taken after Five appears to have failed to provide information about when they will be in a position to launch some kind of HD service, or provide Ofcom with details about what HD content would be shown on the channels.
It appears that the licence for the fourth Freeview HD slot now reverts to the BBC , although it’s not clear if they’d look to launch a second HD channel, or if another broadcaster would step in. A fifth HD channel is set to become available in 2011 – and in theory, Five could try for an HD slot again – provided they’d be able to demonstrate that they could start a service in 2012.
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March 1st, 2010 by FrequencyCast in Freeview, HD, Phones, Podcast
Welcome to March 2010, and to a new podcast. In this show, we get all Interactive at you – hope you enjoy and get involved…
Here’s what we look at in Show 49:
- News Updates: More Freeview HD, the end of 6 Music and a new phone from Puma.
- Focus: Getting more from your Mobile – Apps, Maps and Gadgets
- Hands-on: The latest mobile phone watch, plus the Olympus Tough
- Your podline and email questions on Freeview and Sky signal, archiving video and buying a new telly
You can download Show 49 direct to your MP3 player or listen online at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html.
If you have an iPod or iPhone, get shows faster by signing up via iTunes.
In this show, we want some interaction, so get texting on 07882 043 521!
Links:
Share and Enjoy!
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February 22nd, 2010 by FrequencyCast in Freesat, Freeview, HD
We already have a winner for the first Freeview HD-compatible set-top box (won by Humax a few days back) – Now we have the first IDTV set with a built-in Freeview HD receiver. This telly from Panasonic also has an onboard Freesat HD receiver, optional wireless Internet connectivity and an SD card for external media.
The catchily-named Panasonic TX-P42G20B is a 42″ plasma TV supporting “Full HD” (i.e. 1080p) with a refresh rate of 600Hz – and here is our first picture:
The Panasonic TX-P42G20B Freeview HD TV is available now – we’ve found it at Comet online.
Oh – If you’re quick, you can get £60 off this (or anything over £1000 at Comet) using the magic voucher code AW60 at the Comet.co.uk checkout. The £60 off code expires on the 27th Feb 2010.
More on Freeview HD
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February 17th, 2010 by FrequencyCast in Freesat, HD, Podcast
Ladies and Gentlemen, we’ve just released a mid-month audio update looking at the release of the Humax Fox T2 – the first Freeview HD receiver in the market.
The update runs for nearly 15 minutes and also looks at the new Freeview iPhone app, and some news on BT’s wireless network. We also review your feedback to the last full-length show, including your thoughts on weather stations and lounge net-top PCs.
The show is attached to this blog entry, or you can listen at www.frequencycast.co.uk/update.html
If you’re an iTunes user, get the show from the FrequencyCast Podcast page on iTunes
Please tell your friends!
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February 16th, 2010 by FrequencyCast in Freeview, HD
Freeview HD launched in December 2009, but there was one big problem – you couldn’t buy a receiver.
Fortunately, that changed this weekend, when the first Humax Freeview HD boxes started to appear in the wild.
Yes, it’s now possible to get your hands on a Freeview HD set-top box – although HD is only being transmitted in the Granada and London areas at the moment.
The Humax Fox T2 HD
The new box supports DVB-T2, the format used for Freeview HD. It has an 8 day programme guide, auto-updates to new channels, supports digital audio, has HDMI and 2 SCART sockets and a digital audio output.
Those looking to get a little more from their kit will be happy to know that the Fox HD T2 has a USB socket which allows you to connect external storage (hard drive or USB stick) for playback of xVid video, MP3 audio as well as JPG images. The T2 also comes with an Ethernet socket that will shortly be able to connect to your Internet router to give you online services including the BBC iPlayer catch-up TV service
The price?
Considering your average standard-definition Freeview box is around £25, the RRP of the Humax HD T2 of £179 is likely to make a few people gulp (Sky’s HD box, the Sky+ HD box, is currently free, has a Sky+ recorder and can get BBC HD without an HD subscription).
Still, this new Humax looks to be a very capable Freeview HD receiver, and comes from a good pedigree of Freeview and Freesat boxes. We’re reasonably sure this will be a hit.
Available instore at some John Lewis branches. It’s also listed at Argos.co.uk
,
Very.co.uk (cheapest at the time of writing) and
Play.com.
More coverage of the Humax T2 in a podcast update due in the next 24 hours!
UPDATE: Podcast First Look released! Humax HD Fox T2 First Impressions
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January 1st, 2010 by FrequencyCast in Freesat, Freeview, HD, Podcast, iphone
Happy New Year to all of our FrequencyCast listeners!
Show 47, the first show of 2010, has just been released for your listening pleasure.
In this show, we discuss all that’s new with digital TV and technology. Here’s what we cover in this show:
- News Updates: Project Canvas, Tesco iPhone, iPlayer on Freesat, Freeview HD and BT Vision boxes.
- Focus: New Year’s Resolution – Back up your data
- Your podline and email questions on Dave, Slingbox and the BBC iPlayer
You can download Show 47 direct to your MP3 player or listen online at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html.
If you have an iPod or iPhone, get shows faster by signing up via iTunes.
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December 1st, 2009 by FrequencyCast in Freeview, HD, Podcast
It’s the first of December and Show 46 of FrequencyCast, the UK’s TV and Tech podcast, has just been released for your listening pleasure.
In this show, we discuss all that’s new with digital TV and technology. Here’s what we cover in this show:
- News Updates: Freeview HD about to launch, o2 Joggler changes, iPlayer news and more.
- Focus: Getting online with a wireless hotspot
- Hands-on: The Chumby desktop companion, plus a new magic wand
- Your podline and email questions on BT Home Hub, mobile broadband connection, plus Freesat
You can download Show 46 direct to your MP3 player or listen online at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html. If you have an iPod or iPhone, get shows faster by signing up via iTunes.
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November 1st, 2009 by FrequencyCast in Podcast
Show 45 of FrequencyCast, the UK’s TV and Tech podcast, has just been released, to brighten your day.
In this show, we discuss all that’s new with digital TV and technology. Here’s what we cover in this show:
- News Updates: Sky coming to Freeview, Windows 7, and Freeview HD.
- Focus: We compare the TV listings services
- Hands-on: The Olympus LS-11 voice recorder, and the Envi power meter
- Your questions on the Freeview retune, HDMI and wide load sat navs
You can download Show 45 direct to your MP3 player or listen online at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html. If you have an iPod or iPhone, get shows faster by signing up via iTunes.
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September 16th, 2009 by FrequencyCast in Digital TV, HD, Phones, Podcast
Hot off the press, over 16 minutes of tech and TV news from the team at FrequencyCast.
In this update we look at the merging of two mobile networks, what Apple’s been up to this month, Freeview HD testing, BT Vision updates, a Sky offer, the latest on iPhone sat nav applications, and a new DVD release.
The show is attached to this blog entry, or you can listen at www.frequencycast.co.uk/update.html
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July 1st, 2009 by FrequencyCast in Broadband, Digital TV, Podcast
Show 41 of FrequencyCast, the UK’s TV and Tech podcast, has just been released.
In our regular online radio show, we discuss all that’s new with digital TV and technology. Here’s what we cover in this show:
- News Updates: Setanta Sport collapses, a date is set for Freeview HD, plus what’s set to change in our Digital Britain.
- Focus: Broadband – what changes are ahead and how to get a faster connection.
- Hands-on: We play with o2′s fridge door, and a Nintendo get-fit fob.
- Your questions on Sky+, recording radio, photo keyrings and the Setanta aftermath.
You can download Show 41 direct to your MP3 player or listen online at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html. If you have an iPod or iPhone, get shows faster by signing up via iTunes.
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June 13th, 2009 by FrequencyCast in Digital TV, Freeview, HD
This month, Ofcom announced details of the fourth service to be offering free-to-view HD content, when the new Freeview HD service goes live.
Bids are in and the fourth slot has provisionally been awarded to Five. That makes the lineup unsurprisingly BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five.
Five will be offering some of their fdaytime and evening shows HD, with an HD-on-demand service overnight. Five HD aims to launch by the end of 2010.
More details: HD on Freeview.
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June 1st, 2009 by FrequencyCast in Broadband, Digital TV, Freeview, HD, Podcast, Technology, Top Up TV
Show 40 of FrequencyCast, the UK’s TV and Tech podcast, has just been released.
In our regular online radio show, we discuss all that’s new with digital TV and technology. Here’s what we cover in this show:
- News Updates: Plans for Freeview HD in doubt, all change for the charts, new content for Top Up, and odd news for H2G2 fans
- Focus: What’s new with wi-fi wireless technology.
- Hands-on: We plan with the world’s most sophisticated pen.
- Your questions on BT Vision, Virgin Media HD, plus your feedback on the Top Up TV failure in May.
You can download Show 40 direct to your MP3 player or listen online at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html. If you have an iPod or iPhone, get shows faster by signing up via iTunes.
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