STV has expanded the reach of its HD channel in the former Grampian TV region following a long awaited update on Monday.
- Freesat viewers across the north of Scotland now receive their local STV in HD by default.
- Viewers in the Edinburgh and Dundee area continue to miss out.
STV has officially upgraded its TV service for the North of Scotland to HD by default on Freesat. Viewers across the Highlands and Islands can now access STV North in HD on channel 103. The regional service contains the local STV News bulletins from Aberdeen.
Previously, STV was the last remaining of the main five public service channels still offering a service in standard definition only in the affected region. However, until now, viewers could choose the Glasgow version of STV HD from lower down the Freesat channel list.
The update was long-awaited, and follows the free-to-air switch of STV North HD on satellite in September. There had been suggestions that recent changes to Channel 3 HD services on satellite, which includes both ITV1 HD and STV HD, had taken slightly longer than originally envisaged.
Dundee and Edinburgh Freesat viewers miss out
Despite the recent update, STV’s regional HD channels covering the Dundee and Edinburgh areas remain unavailable to Freesat viewers. They are currently encrypted via satellite and only available on Sky Q and Sky+HD receivers.
In the Edinburgh area, local STV is SD only on channel 103. The Glasgow version of STV HD is available on channel 111.
In the Dundee area, the local opt-out of STV North is unavailable. Instead the Aberdeen copy of STV SD is offered on channel 103. STV North HD is on channel 111. It is currently the only part of the UK where the local Channel 3 service isn’t offered free-to-air on satellite in either HD or SD.
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By: Marc Thornham | Image: STV