Perhaps it's a knock on effect of the global rescession, but the latest report by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising has found that TV viewing is at the highest it has been in 18 years.
Viewers watched an average of 3.75 hours of TV a day last year, the highest figure since 1992, according to IPA research.
As one would expect to find, the first and last quarters of the year, with less daylight and fewer people away on holiday, tended to show the highest television viewing figures.
Interestingly, the IPA revealed that only 8.2 % of UK households relied on an analogue signal to catch their favourite shows, showing that the digital switch-over is almost complete.
While ITV and GMTV gathered 19% of the total television audience in the last three months of 2009, likely thanks to the popularity of the X-Factor, BBC1 continued to achieve the highest share of all the terrestrial channels, at 21%. All five analogue channels continue to lose ground however, as multi-channel satellite options grow in prominence.
All the scrum crunching, drop kicking action of the 2010 6 Nations Rugby tournament will be broadcast in high-def, free of charge, thanks to Freesat HD and the BBC HD channel.
This year's 6 Nations rugby tournament will be broadcast on BBC HD from February 6th until the 20th of March, with Ireland and Italy squaring up in the first match.
It's a good year for Freesat HD-owning sports fans. They can also look forward to The World Cup on the BBC HD channel and ITV1 HD, as well as Winter Olympics, Golf Masters, Wimbledon, FA Cup and UEFA Champions league matches.
For more info, check out www.freesat.co.uk.
You may have only just finished shovelling the snow off of your driveway, but it looks like more will soon be headed to your flatscreen too. Freesat have today confirmed that you'll be able to watch all the coverage from this years 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics in high-definition, as free as ever.
The HD coverage kicks off on the 12th February with the game's grand opening ceremony. Snowboarding, slalom skiing, bobsleigh runs and (everyone's secret favourite) curling will all be featured.
It looks set to be a good year for sport-loving Freesat owners. The World Cup, Golf Masters, Rugby Six Nations and Wimbledon will all be available on the BBC HD Channel with the FA Cup, England World Cup internationals and UEFA Champions league matches also being presented in high definition over on ITV1 HD.
For more info, visit www.freesat.co.uk.
Looking for a Freesat+ DTR that will be HD ready straight out of the box? Sagem's Freesat+ DTR could soon be filling that gap under your flat screen.
Available in two 250GB or 500GB models, the new boxes feature auto set-up options to help you watch HD content within minutes of plugging in the DTR.
Sagems' MD Raphael Fainac said, "Sagem is a leader in set top box technology, we provide our customers with products that they need. Our top of the range Freeview + boxes and exciting new Freesat+ DTR's will bring a festive cheer to UK households this Christmas. We pride ourselves on providing great quality and hard wearing devices that give customers a completely satisfactory user experience from purchasing to using and any required customer care."
Confused over the differences between Freesat and Freeview, and not sure which set-top box you should be getting? Fill out Sagem's handy questionnaire at www.sagemdigital.co.uk to help find the box for you.
The first technical transmissions of Freeview HD have begun today.
The Winter Hill transmitter group is currently beaming broadcasts to select areas of Manchester, with the Crystal Palace group doing the same for pockets of London. They are the first in the world to adopt the DVB-T2 standard and MPEG-4.
James Jackson, BBC head of broadcast infrastructure carried out a demonstration live at the BBC Media Centre. Promotional cuts from BBC HD and ITV HD broadcast by the Crystal Hill group were displayed using brand new IDTV's manufactured by Sony and Panasonic. Both channels were fully incorporated into the Freeview electronic programme guide.
Though the BBC broadcast was the same as is currently available on Freesat, ITV's offering was currently just an upscaled broadcast of the ITV1 channel. ITV have committed however to broadcast most of their top peak programme scheduling in full HD as the service becomes more widespread.
The BBC hope to have a national coverage of 50% for Freeview HD in time for the 2010 World Cup, reaching its maximum 98.5% national coverage by late 2012. Channel 4 also hope to launch a Freeview HD channel in the new year, with as many as five other HD channels in the wings from the network.
For news of when your area will be receiving Freeview HD broadcasts, click here.
Elgato has announced that its latest EyeTV Sat box will work with Freesat, including receiving HD broadcasts, provided you have the same required satellite and connections as you would when you buy a Freesat digi-box.
While technically this should always have been possible, given that Freesat is based on open broadcast standards, it immediately brings to mind the issues surrounding Hauppage's WinTV Nova-S USB2 receiver that Freesat claimed wouldn't work.
We've been waiting quite a while for Panasonic's new Freesat+ PVR Blu-ray recorders to hit the UK, and finally they've arrived.
With a special consumer web site to mark the "UK's first Blu-ray recorder" event, Panasonic offers up the DMR-BS850, DMR-BS750 and DMR-XS350.
Now for the kicker... the price.
The DMR-BS850 comes in at around £860 while the DMR-BS750 is only slightly cheaper at £760. The DMR-XS350, which doesn't have Blu-ray, is about £605.
Apparently that's justified by Panasonic asking just how much your memories (which you'll be recording to Blu-ray disc) are worth. Riiiight.
Full specifications for each player over the jump.
Freesat has announced that, from Wednesday 1st July, The Bill will be showing in high definition exclusively on the Freesat satellite platform.
The first episode -- "Conviction Cover-Up" -- starts a six-part series.
It follows a line of popular ITV dramas to get the HD treatment including Lewis and Law & Order UK.
It's a shame that these dramas are currently only (easily) available to Freesat users. Hopefully the advent of Freeview HD (or perhaps some better licensing agreements instead).
Freesat has announced that it will has UK exclusive coverage of this year's Black Entertainment Television Awards, including high definition output.
A standard definition BET channel is already available on Freesat channel 140, but to mark this special event an additional BET HD channel will be added to the EPG on channel 142 from Thursday 2nd July until after the screening on Saturday 4th July, 8pm.
Of course you'll need a HD-capable Freesat digibox to be able to view the programming in high definition.
Highlights of this year's BET Awards include hosting by Oscar winner Jamie Foxx and performances from Beyonce Knowles, Jay-Z and Kanye West.
The awards take place this Sunday, 28th June in Los Angeles.
Freesat has just been awarded the 'Best New Brand or Business' award at the Marketing Society Awards for Excellence, seeing off competition from the likes of Innocent and the BBC iPlayer service.
This is interesting given that the initial marketing push felt a little lacklustre. To win against other brands -- not just technology / entertainment ones -- shows that the free satellite service has made its mark in the UK marketing industry.
It's a big week of football next week, as Manchester United take on FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final on Wednesday 27th May, and then Everton play Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday 30th May.
Both games will be available exclusively in high definition on the ITV HD channel, currently only readily available on the Freesat platform.
It's one year since Freesat launched in the UK and despite a few teething problems with poor marketing and availability of boxes, the company has heralded the first twelve months as a success.
Some key statistics include:
- Nearly 400,000 overall Freesat sales;
- Up to 70 hours of HD programming shown on Freesat every week;
- 3,000 hours of BBC and ITV high definition programming shown since launch;
- Nine out of ten Freesat customers would recommend the service to a friend.
We'd already heard that Panasonic was to release at least one Blu-ray recorder with built-in Freesat tuner, but now the company has announced three machines on their way to the UK this summer.
In summary, the DMR-BS850 and DMR-BS750 are Blu-ray disc recorders with Freesat+ functionality, while the DMR-XS350 features a standard DVD recorder and high definition recording to the hard drive.
From the Blu-ray perspective, the two models feature BD-Live compatibility. Freesat-wise, they have twin tuners. Audio-wise, they can handle Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio.
Ahh, a four-day weekend beckons. Here's a look at some of the high definition highlights available across the UK channels this weekend.
Don't forget, you need Freesat in order to watch ITV HD, and either Sky or Freesat to watch BBC HD or Channel 4 HD.
Animation
Good Friday
10 April | Chicken Run
Classic Aardman Animations comedy with the voices of Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha and Imelda Staunton | 4.20pm | BBC HD |
Good Friday
10 April | Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death
Follows the plasticine pair running their own bakery business. | 8.30pm | BBC HD |
Easter Saturday
11 April | Finding Nemo
Animated underwater comedy | 5.10pm | BBC HD |
Easter Saturday
11 April | Persepolis
Animated drama based on graphic novel of Marjane Satrapi. | 11pm | Channel 4 HD |
Replacing Wild at Heart which concluded last Sunday, Kevin Whateley returns as Lewis in a new four-part series, beginning next Sunday, 22nd March, 9pm on ITV HD.
ITV doesn't seem to boast about its high definition achievements, but this two hour drama is the latest in the line to get the HD treatment. The BBC is more prolific, but ITV is catching up.
It's a shame that it can only be enjoyed via Freesat, as that narrows down the audience who can enjoy it. Nevertheless, Lewis is a worthy addition to the format.
The first episode sees performances from, among others, Laurence and James Fox and Art Malik.
According to remarks made to James at Electric Pig last week, Toshiba has sided with Freeview HD and will build the new standard into TVs due to launch by 2010.
Product manager for Toshiba's UK TV operation, Andrew Line, said that Toshiba had always planned to support Freeview HD. As an added blow, he suggested that the company would not be making TVs with integrated Freesat receivers.
Though Panasonic has had the lion's share of Freesat-integrated HDTVs to date, it had seemed likely that LG would also create Freesat IDTVs.
Here's a selection of the best high definition content available on UK TV today.
Comedy
That Mitchell and Webb Glimpse (9.45pm, BBC HD) is a fifteen-minute highlights programme from series two of the sketch show.
Drama
Doctors (6pm, BBC HD) sees Julia helping a distressed gypsy with a skin problem.
Law & Order: UK (9pm, ITV HD) sees a pensioner's grisly discovery forcing the retrial of a man found guilty of murder.
Here's a selection of the best high definition content available on UK TV today.
Documentaries
Nature's Great Events (9pm, BBC HD) looks at the annual flooding of Botswana's Okavango Delta, which turns miles of arid plains into waterholes. Millions of animals are drawn to the water, including herds of elephants and buffalo, zebra, giraffes, birds and vast clouds of dragonflies.
Drama
Doctors continues tonight at 6pm on the BBC HD channel. Jimmi gets involved in a student film.
Desperate Housewives continues at 10pm on Channel 4 HD. Susan and Edie find themselves locked in a basement.
Mad Men is repeated tonight at 11.20pm on the BBC HD channel. Don finds himself caught in the middle of marital issues between TV comedian Jimmy and his wife Bobbie. Meanwhile, Joan gets engaged.
There's also another chance to see Law & Order: UK at 10.35pm on ITV HD. The team look into the killing of a former vice cop after his body was found in an underpass.
Here's a selection of the best high definition content available on UK TV today.
Comedy
Shameless continues at 10pm on Channel 4 HD, followed by The Big Bang Theory at 11.10pm and My Name is Earl at 11.35pm.
Drama
Doctors (6pm, BBC HD) sees Lily's life in danger when she crosses paths with a hypochondriac.
In Mad Men (10pm, BBC HD), Don ends up at the police station after crashing his car.
In Damages (11.35pm, BBC HD), a suspect is arrested for the murder of Daniel's wife.
Here's a selection of the best high definition content available on UK TV today.
Comedy
The final part of The Green Green Grass airs tonight at 8.30pm on BBC HD, as Marlene receives shocking news when she plans to renew her marriage vows on her 40th wedding anniversary.
Documentaries
In Darwin's Dangerous Idea (9pm, BBC), Andrew Marr traces the development of evolutionary theory from its beginnings to the present day, showing how it has influenced virtually every area of modern life. He begins by exploring the impact of Charles Darwin's ideas on religion and morality, revealing why many Muslims, Jews and fundamentalist Christians still regard his theories as heresy.
Alternatively, on ITV HD at 9pm, Billy Connolly: Journey to the Edge of the World sees the comedian travelling on board a cruise ship from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the fabled Northwest Passage.
Perhaps it's a knock on effect of the global rescession, but the latest report by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising has found that TV viewing is at the highest it has been in 18 years.
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