... but BBC ONE HD won't be a simple simulcast.
It is to be a UK network version(*)
, so expect content from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on the channel whilst BBC ONE SD is showing alternate programming at times even in England.
Presumably that means that there will be an English regional programme in that slot 85% of the time!
Have they actually confirmed what news content (if any) BBC One HD is to show? AFAIK none of the current news studios are HD, with the exception of BBC London's new premises (though AIUI they run in SD currently...) Reporting Scotland's studio is HD too I believe, though again, run in SD currently.
I think what DVB Cornwall meant was that there is likely to be more
non-news
HD content from the nations. The prime example from Wales would be Doctor Who, but of course Casualty and Crimewatch are supposed to be moving to Cardiff, and presumably to HD in the process. However, AFAIK the main studio at Cardiff is SD and I don't know of plans to convert it to HD. That would mean that Wales-only studio shows (sitcoms like High Hopes) would have to be made elsewhere or with hired in kit - not entirely out of the question. I'm not entirely familiar with High Hopes - is it indeed made in C1?! Pacific Quay's contribution to the channel could potentially be quite large however and River City could follow EastEnders and switch to HD giving the channel another showcase soap (though ISTR River City's ratings were disappointing when it was repeated across the UK). The nation with possibly the least to contribute to the BBC One HD channel would be NI I suppose. They produced Messiah I think, but most of the rest of their 'regional' programmes are news or politics-based I think.
As far as English Regions is concerned, there would need to be a
huge
amount of investment to make any impact on the channel. The network production centres in Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester coiuld I suppose make some stuff in HD and with Manchester's move to Salford on the cards that's fairly likely. Bristol and Birmingham have lost their own post-production businesses however in recent years so presumably all their stuff is edited in facility houses (maybe in London!). Helicopter Heroes is one of the few shows made by a non-network production centre English Region to get a national transmission. That could potentially be the sort of programme that might go HD - but of course, it's primarily shot with camcorders by video journalists. While their cameras might be domestic HD standard, I gather this is not considered broadcast HD standard and would it really be a good demonstration of HD anyway? They could chose to move all production of Inside Out to HD. Regional showings of the programme could remain in SD of course, but the networked 'best of' programmes what they traditionally seem to end the series on could then be HD. Not a particularly efficient way of working of course as the majority of the stuff would only be seen in SD.