6 November 2008
Digital TV viewers in London may be able to watch the 2010 World Cup in high definition (HD) for free as part of a pilot being run by Ofcom. The regulator announced last month that the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 will be launching HD channels and content on Freeview. Rollout of the service will begin next year and will continue until 2012 in time for the London Olympic Games, with densely populated areas being among the last to go HD. But Ofcom is looking at the possibility of speeding up the rollout in London by temporarily reassigning some spectrum frequencies. It is hoped that this could be done in time for the football World Cup in June 2010, which will take place in South Africa. To watch the new channels, viewers will have to purchase a new set-top box that is compatible with the technology standards MPEG4 and DVB-T2.