Although Freeview has been destined for HD for quite some time, it has been far too long since we've heard about any progress. Thankfully, the Beeb is attempting to change all that, and it's moving forward with DVB-T2 tests. Reportedly, said standard is an advanced version of DVB-T -- the protocol currently used in the UK for digital terrestrial transmissions -- that provides an increase in efficiency and more bandwidth for more content. If all goes to plan, at least three high-def channels (one of which will be BBC) will be carried via DVB-T2 by the close of 2009, but it seems that ITV, Channel 4 and Five will have to cast lots for the remaining two openings.

[Via Digital Spy]

So we've invaded your personal space before by asking how many options you have for HD programming, and we've also wondered about the primary medium of delivery, but this week's question hovers around the tried-and-true antenna. We're simply curious to know how many of you out there still rely on OTA programming for some or all of your HDTV consumption? Are there enough locals to keep you from shelling out to a pay-TV provider every month? Do you supplement your service with OTA offerings? Or do you tune into OTA locals just because they look better than what's delivered via cable? Deposit your vote below.

[Image courtesy of HMSTV]

And you thought Microsoft bringing back the SideWinder was gnarly. Announced today, AMD is resurrecting the long-standing AIW line with its first-ever high-definition variant: the $199 ATI All-in-Wonder HD. The PCI Express 2.0 card attempts to handle both PC gaming and HDTV duties by boasting specs like DirectX 10.1 support, a 725MHz engine clock, 600MHz memory clock and MPEG2 / VC-1 / H.264 video decoder acceleration. You'll also find Vista and AMD LIVE! certification badges to go along with the dual-link DVI port, HDMI jack (which supports 5.1 Dolby Digital transmission) and optional component video connectivity. As expected, users can capture live programs (as well as pause / rewind) in SD or HD over-the-air, and there's even support for ClearQAM. For those looking to take their clips elsewhere, the bundled Avivo software converts it for viewing on some of today's most popular handhelds (yes, including the iPod). Look for models from Diamond Multimedia and VisionTek to hit retailers in North America late next month. Full release after the jump.

Charter customers in 11 LIN TV-owned markets can breathe a sigh of relief, the cable company and broadcaster have reached an agreement in principle that should allow them to continue to carry the stations' programming. Check the original post for the affected areas, however since your TV stations won't be going dark June 30, there's no real hurry. Always great when an agreement can be reached and no one has to miss even a second of that sweet, sweet HDTV.

Prepare for another round of affiliate owner/cable network squabbles, as LIN TV has announced negotiations with Charter Communications "appear unlikely" to result in a retrans agreement, and that cable customers in Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Hartford-New Haven, Springfield (Mass), Dayton, Providence and Toledo can expect affected stations to be pulled from the lineup when the current agreement expires June 30. Of course LIN TV is taking the opportunity to educate customers about DISH Network where the stations are available courtesy of their recent agreement. Check after the break for a list of potentially affected stations while we hope for an 11th hour reprieve, although with the two sides at odds over what "fair market value" of digital signal is, we're not confident this will turn out any better than the 4 month break Suddenlink customers experienced earlier this year. (Warning: PDF read link.)

Just like efforts to close the analog hole, our old friend the broadcast flag (don't remember what that is and how it was defeated? Take a quick trip back to 2005 with us) has reared its ugly head again. Displaying the kind of tenacity rarely seen outside of horror movie villains and potential presidential candidates, some Vista Media Center users have apparently gotten the above popup while trying to record broadcast TV from NBC. Since the FCC regulation giving the broadcast flag its power to remotely disable your recording ability was overturned, not only should it not be enabled, there's no reason the system should respond if it were. The EFF's working with the makers of the HDHomeRun to find out why this happened at all (although it's not the first time); whether it's an honest mistake somewhere or if Microsoft slipped a bit of extra DRM into its latest OS.

[Via EFF]

Can you believe it? No really, can you believe ATSC has been kickin' around in TV sets and on street corners for a quarter-century now (okay, so maybe just "established" for that long)? Sure enough, the Advanced Television Systems Committee gathered on Thursday to celebrate its silver anniversary and to take a long hard look at what the future holds. Needless to say, quite a few folks will be getting acquainted with the standard now that the analog shutoff is getting dangerously near. The meeting also touched on taking ATSC mobile with ATSC-M/H and the "next generation of services for fixed receivers" with ATSC 2.0. We know, it's probably all you can do to hold back those tears after hearing of this momentous occasion, but once you're over it, why not chime in below with your fondest ATSC memories? Remember that first digital-tuner TV you got? Yeah, good times.

We knew it was coming, and after waiting for quite some time for FreeSat to go from concept to reality, television viewers across the UK can finally indulge. If you'll recall, a recent survey found that just 5-percent of Europe's HDTV owners actually bothered to tune into HD programming, but now that number is likely to change. Effective today, 98-percent of the UK can fork out a one-time fee of £49 ($96) to £120 ($234) in order to acquire a FreeSat set-top-box, and after an £80 ($156) installation, users will have subscription-free access to BBC HD, ITV HD (coming soon), Channel 4's digital service and around 70 other TV / radio channels. Better still, that number is slated to rise to 200 before the year's end, and unsurprisingly, the launch is expected to boost available high-def offerings in the region. Anyone across the pond have their equipment set up already? How's the service?

[Thanks, Ivan]

Britain began its own digital switchover months ago, but now it seems that there may be some grousing in the UK about the post-analog world. There are some serious concerns about the takeoff of HDTV in Europe, and a recent report concludes that HD-DTT (digital terrestrial television) penetration could be limited to 7-percent by the time the analog shutoff completes in 2012. But now the UK, acting as a bellwether for Europe, is considering plans to hand back up to 12 frequencies initially headed to the auction block. The good news: this plan would produce up to 40 HD-DTT channels for all to enjoy. The bad news: this would require broadcasters to modify their transmission equipment beyond initial plans for the digital transition, which in many cases has already moved into implementation. That sounds expensive, and if European broadcasters are anything like US ones, expense was the major hurdle in getting onboard with the analog shutoff to begin with. We really admire the goal of getting OTA HD across Europe, but we don't think this will fly -- at least not without some serious turbulence.

You patient folks over in the UK have waited a long time for FreeSat to become a reality, and it seems as if that wait will come to an end this Friday. According to an anonymous source across the pond, his store has received a memo stating that the service will go live on April 25th May 6th. Additionally, professional installation is set to run customers around £80, while receivers will set citizens back £40 to £100 depending on which box you choose. We're also told that both SD and HD set-top-boxes will be available, and even though they're expecting a rush of orders from day one, installation should be taken care of within a week or so at the latest. Hopefully this little birdie isn't too far off -- guess we'll find out soon enough.

Update: It's looking like May 6th now.

Right on cue, Television New Zealand (TVNZ) -- the nation's largest free-to-air broadcaster -- has gone live with the country's first ever HD digital service. By utilizing DiviCom Electra 7000 high-definition encoders, the new Freeview digital terrestrial television (DTT) service was launched this week and is currently available to "approximately 75 percent of homes nationwide." Of course, what we want to know is: how does the quality rate? Drop us a note below and make us all envious of where you call home.

Canada's own Bell ExpressVu is currently mulling an interesting plan that could bring "free" OTA networks to folks faraway from towers and terrified of paying a cable provider for TV service. Dubbed FreeSat, the proposed service would give Canadians "free access to a limited number of high-definition channels," all of which would be local OTA (read: not pay-TV) networks. It wasn't revealed how much the receiver itself would cost, nor was it clear if broadcasters would be kosher with the idea. Bell Canada argues that the plan would give the aforementioned networks a way to get their content to more customers without "huge investments" in new transmission towers, but of course, there is always more than one side to the story. Needless to say, we can't imagine this being the last time we hear of this endeavor.

With pay-TV prices headed nowhere but up and programming quality getting dodgy in spots, we've got just the thing for those looking to go OTA. The Gray-Hoverman Antenna for UHF Television Reception is an improved version of the original Hoverman antenna, and thanks to a little help from computer modeling, users are reporting some fairly amazing pickups. Best of all, the creators have made the instructions for assembling one yourself totally free and available in the read link, and just in case the 0 to 60 mile range of the single bay edition isn't enough for you, the double bay model can purportedly fetch stations from 20 to 100 miles out. We'd love a little confirmation if any of you are courageous enough to put one together and give it a spin.

[Via RetroThing]

Granted, many CBS affiliates -- Raleigh's WRAL and Indianapolis' WISH, just to name a couple -- have been multicasting the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament OTA for years now, but after seeing a breakdown of the schedule over at KPHO, we felt it prudent to remind sports fanatics that busting out the antenna may not be such a bad idea tomorrow. Phoenix -- which just had seven HD channels flipped on by Cox -- is one area in which the local CBS affiliate is multicasting every remaining March Madness game on its array of digital OTA channels, and five other carriers in the heart of Arizona are also providing ways to see every matchup. Granted, we doubt each of these will be seen everywhere in high-def, but feel free to check with your local CBS affiliate to see if you'll be left out of any of the Madness.

[Thanks, Steven]

Kiwis, clear your calendars, OTA HDTV hits April 2. Freeview HD won't need very much of the April window earlier given for its launch, with TVOne, TV2 and TV3 all broadcasting in HD covering an estimated 75-percent of New Zealand homes, with set-top boxes expected on sale the same day. The big media event doesn't take place until the 14th, but why wait?