Will the linear BBC Red Button channel still operate?
If the BBC are retiring MHEG5 then there will really be no reason for it to continue - as all the Red Button stuff will be HbbTV and point to online streams instead of a DVB stream. The BBC could conceivably run it as a scheduled linear channel - but navigating and promoting it would be tricky and audiences would probably be pretty low.
I've read reports that it is MHEG5 that's being switched off (not just Digital Text in MHEG5) - as the reports also mentioned the end of the graphic front pages for the DVB-T Radio services too - so my guess is that Red Button linear channels on DVB-T are likely to go.
I'm assuming Freesat MHEG5 will also go - but not sure about Digital Text on Sky (where there is no HbbTV or Connected Red Button equivalent)?
Yes but not the editorial text system ...
MHEG 5 is also the middleware on tv STB etc and the platform services are and will continue to be delivered ...
I've read reports that it is MHEG5 that's being switched off (not just Digital Text in MHEG5) - as the reports also mentioned the end of the graphic front pages for the DVB-T Radio services too - so my guess is that Red Button linear channels on DVB-T are likely to go.
If that's the case surely the next logical step is to deliver the Freeview radio services via the net rather than over the air.
Of course though this is all just tinkering - what the BBC really should be telling us is they're closing their SD channels and saving significant cost s by halving the amount of space on Freeview they actually use.
I've read reports that it is MHEG5 that's being switched off (not just Digital Text in MHEG5) - as the reports also mentioned the end of the graphic front pages for the DVB-T Radio services too - so my guess is that Red Button linear channels on DVB-T are likely to go.
If that's the case surely the next logical step is to deliver the Freeview radio services via the net rather than over the air.
Of course though this is all just tinkering - what the BBC really should be telling us is they're closing their SD channels and saving significant cost s by halving the amount of space on Freeview they actually use.
But until there is universal uptake of HD equipment and Freeview HD tuners (of which the majority will be SD), they can't turn SD signal off; I dare say even relatively recent (budget) TVs with built-in Freeview don't have Freeview HD support - some of the more expensive ones that Amazon, Netflix, sing, dance and do the dishes have the support.
Freeview has been HD as standard for nearly three years now, and similar for Sky too. HD penetration was at 72% a couple of years back. It's time for TV companies to make that last push - yes, they could in the short term have an interim SD only mux for the PSBs, but Freeview needs to future proof and switch to DVB-T2 across it's muxes - ideally that would mean more of the PSB channels in HD but in reality it would at least remove the simulcast channels, though just as with digital TV the main commercial players who may not be willing to put channels in HD immediately would want to ensure the spectrum isn't handed over to rivals, so would put holding content there.
I think Freeview Play is almost standard now too - and technology moves on much quicker nowadays than it did even a decade ago. Politically though the will probably not there to support those in society who may need the help to make the switch compared to the analogue switch off a decade ago.
Some of us still run analogue CRT sets with a DVB-T tuner attached to them (mine is the kitchen set). I know there's an August DVB-T2 receiver with a scart socket that will keep that going.
If we were to go DVB-T2 only, there may be a market for mass produced DVB-T2 boxes to enable those budget HD ready and older sets that are DVB-T only receivers to upgrade.
Some of us still run analogue CRT sets with a DVB-T tuner attached to them (mine is the kitchen set). I know there's an August DVB-T2 receiver with a scart socket that will keep that going.
If we were to go DVB-T2 only, there may be a market for mass produced DVB-T2 boxes to enable those budget HD ready and older sets that are DVB-T only receivers to upgrade.
On a mass produced level, you could make a T2 box that also produces a downscaled SD output via Scart, to serve those still using SD only TVs (predominantly CRTs) I don't know how many CRTs are still in use these days, I sold one of mine this year to a 'Retro Gamer' on ebay, that's an interesting world!
Freeview has been HD as standard for nearly three years now, and similar for Sky too. HD penetration was at 72% a couple of years back.
That's a slightly misleading figure to quote. I believe that 72% HD penetration figure was for the single, main set in a household - not all TVs in use. I know many households - mine, my parents', my in-laws' - all of which have HD viewing solutions for their main TV (either with an integrated tuner or external STB capable of receiving HD), but still have Freeview SD sets in secondary locations (bedrooms, kitchen etc.)
The HD figure will drop significantly if you count all TVs in use.