BBC Red Button HD

Freeview 303 now titled as BBC Red Button HD

with info

Coming Soon: the best of BBC Red Button in HD.

So the BBC is getting the one remaining vacant HD stream on the Freeview HD mux PSB3 then?

In which case, if they want to show a 3D programme, does that mean they'll show it on 303, and thus be able to show a normal 2D HD version on BBC1 HD or BBC2 HD as appplicable?

Yes. But more importantly, what channel code will BBC Red Button HD get? I nominate BR#.

Will CBBC, Cbeebies, BBC Three and Four be using this to simulcast in HD?

It's a very good idea and thought, I suspect (but hope not) there's some arcane BBC Truss rule that would forbid it.

A luxury the red button can do without today. They've got some cheek today plugging the "first digital" Glastonbury with 6 streams online when in the past on Sky/Cable they usually offered five via the TV, and up to 4 on Freeview.

Also will the HD red button be on other platforms. If not there is no reason why they can't regionalise BBC1 HD on Freeview as that throws the platform neutrality argument out of the window.

If only the BBC had a dedicated HD channel that say showcased the best of HD programmes from all their channels... It could be called BBC HD.

Oh.
They closed it.

Also, I don't think they support platform neutrality anymore

And more surprisingly, the BBC have acquired a slot on ARQ A DTT multiplex for Red Button 302. Which reverses their recent change to only 1 Red Button video stream, and introduces a differential between full Freeview and Freeview "lite" areas

I suspect it will be - there's capacity available on DSat I believe, now there are two HD transponders. The BBC currently run 5 HD services on DSat (4 x BBC One and 1 x BBC Two) - so there is a spare slot available for an HD Red Button service?

I suspect until the regional content is produced in HD, the arguments for spending money on HD opt-out and encoder chains would be difficult to justify.

Unlike ITV, the BBC doesn't have to worry about regional adverts...

I guess this solves the 'Where will the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary 3D special be broadcast' question...

That improves things and presumably would be replicated on Sky/Cable/Freesat. A shame they couldn't get their act sorted a year ago before the Olympics though, and personally I'd bump BBC Parliament off to ARQ A (if any MPs want to moan about it they can bloody well push for the funding to add at least one more mux to the "lite" service!")