As HD becomes the norm, UKTV is launching making three of its channels available in high definition in Ireland.
- Irish versions of Alibi HD, Dave HD and W HD launch at the beginning of November.
- This ends an anomaly where the SD versions carried Irish adverts, but the HD version didn’t
- Paves the way for broadcaster to end SD copies of the channels in the longer term.
UKTV is launching HD versions of Alibi, Dave and W for the Irish market. From 1st November, Sky+HD and Sky Q users in the Republic of Ireland will be able to access localised versions of the channels from the main channel list on the following channel numbers:
- 109 Alibi HD
- 111 Dave HD
- 132 W HD
The channels have been broadcasting in HD for some time. But while UKTV has broadcast an Irish version of the channels in standard definition, there’s only been a UK version of the HD channels.
With SD broadcasts in rapid decline, broadcasters will want to ensure relevant advertising can reach as many viewers as possible.
UKTV is owned by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. But while the BBC itself is closing SD channels this winter, SD versions of UKTV channels will continue to be broadcast. On Sky, these can be found in the 800s, near the bottom of the TV guide.
Ahead of the launch, test transmissions have been running on Astra 28.2, frequency 11523 H. The channels are encrypted.