BBC HD

{{Short description|High-definition television channel}}

{{About|the former UK channel|the international and maritime channel|BBC HD (international)|the replacement|BBC Two}}

{{distinguish|CBBC HD}}

{{Use British English|date=December 2010}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}

{{Infobox television channel

| name = BBC HD

| logo = File:BBC HD.svg

| logo_size = 250px

| logo_caption = Logo used from 2006 to 2013

| launch_date = {{start date and age|2006|05|15|df=yes}}

| closed_date = {{end date and age|2013|03|25|df=yes}}

| picture_format = 1080i HDTV

| owner = BBC

| sister_channels = BBC One
BBC Two
BBC Three
BBC Four
BBC News
BBC Parliament
CBBC
CBeebies

| replaced_by = BBC Two HD

| website = {{URL|http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbchd/}}

| availability_note = (at time of closure)

| terr_serv_1 = Freeview

| terr_chan_1 = Channel 102

}}

BBC HD was a high-definition television channel owned by the BBC. The channel was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007 before its discontinuation on 25 March 2013. It broadcast only during the afternoon and evening and only broadcast material shot in high definition, either in a simulcast with another channel or by inserting a repeat of an HD programme.

The channel featured a mix of programming including new episodes of Top Gear, Doctor Who and Hustle, repeats of HD programmes including Planet Earth, Bleak House and Torchwood as well as live coverage of large events such as The Proms, Wimbledon, the Eurovision Song Contest and the FIFA World Cup.

The channel closed for the final time at 01:20 am on the night of Monday 25 March 2013, and was replaced with BBC Two HD the following day on Tuesday 26 March, partly as a result of budget cuts affecting the entire corporation.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/oct/06/bbc-cuts-2000-jobs|title=BBC cuts: nearly 2,000 jobs to go|work=Guardian.co.uk|date=6 October 2011|access-date=6 October 2011}}

History

=Trial=

BBC HD began broadcasting on 15 May 2006 as a trial station to test the possibility and technical practicality of broadcasting programmes in HD.{{cite web|last=Pryde|first=Alix|title=Hello BBC Two HD; Goodbye BBC HD|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/posts/BBC-Two-HD|work=About the BBC Blog|publisher=BBC|access-date=26 May 2013|date=19 March 2013}}{{cite web|title=BBC to trial High Definition broadcasts in 2006|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/11_november/08/hdtv.shtml|work=Press Office|publisher=BBC|access-date=26 May 2013|date=8 November 2005}} The first programme to be broadcast that was specifically made for HD was natural history programme Planet Earth, which was shown on 27 May 2006. The trial in 450 businesses and homes was set to last until June 2007; however, just before this deadline, the BBC Trust began a Public Value Test of the service to determine whether, as the BBC argued, the service was of worth to the general public. As a result, the HD service was extended throughout the testing period, which began on 21 May. The result of the test, announced on 19 November, was that they had approved the BBC Executive's high definition television proposals to allow the launch of UK's first free-to-air, mixed-genre public service HD channel.{{cite web|title=BBC Trust HDTV public value test final conclusions|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/news/press_releases/2007/hdtv_final.html|publisher=BBC Trust|access-date=26 May 2013|date=19 November 2007}}{{cite web|title=High Definition television (HDTV)|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/governance/tools_we_use/new_services/pvt/hdtv.html|publisher=BBC Trust|access-date=26 May 2013|date=14 November 2007}}

=Official launch=

The channel officially launched on 1 December 2007, although much of the programme makeup and format of the broadcasts remained the same from the trial.{{cite web|title=What is HD?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbchd/what_is_hd.shtml|publisher=BBC|access-date=26 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014131740/http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbchd/what_is_hd.shtml|archive-date=14 October 2012}} This new channel was nationwide and platform neutral, in that it was carried by all providers as a free to air channel. This channel, as recommended by the BBC Trust's Public Value Test, broadcast only for around nine hours a day during prime time and only showed programmes made specifically for HD. The channel would air programmes from across the BBC channels.

This arrangement continued until 2010, when the increase in HD content saw several changes. 2010 had been the BBC's internal deadline for the majority of new content to be produced in HD and as a result the broadcast space was fast running out.{{cite web|last=Limbert|first=Chrichton|title=High definition vision|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ifs/hi/newsid_4730000/newsid_4739000/4739094.stm|work=Newswatch|publisher=BBC|access-date=26 May 2013|date=22 February 2006}} As a result, on 3 November 2010, BBC One HD launched as a separate simulcast of the channel and at approximately the same time, BBC HD's broadcast hours were extended to twelve hours a day.{{cite web|title=BBC One goes high definition|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/news/press_releases/2010/hd.html|publisher=BBC Trust|access-date=26 May 2013|date=28 May 2010}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/05_may/28/hd.shtml|title=BBC One HD to launch Autumn 2010|work=BBC|date=28 May 2010}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/10_october/21/bbconehd.shtml|title=BBC One HD Channel to launch 3 November and EastEnders to go HD on Christmas Day|publisher=BBC|date=21 October 2010}} Due to BBC One HD’s launch, BBC HD on Virgin Media moved from channel 108 to channel 187. The channel now catered for the programming of the BBC's channels other than BBC One.

From 2011, the channel also began to experiment with showing select programmes in 3D. The first such broadcasts were the live men's and women's finals of the 2011 Wimbledon Championships{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/9506439.stm|title=Wimbledon finals to be first 3D broadcasts on BBC|publisher=BBC Sport|date=7 June 2011}} and continued with the broadcast of that year's Strictly Come Dancing final in December.{{cite web|url=http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2011/08/02/strictly-final-to-screen-in-3d/|title=Strictly final to screen in 3D|publisher=Broadband TV News|date=2 August 2011}} 2012 saw one of the most ambitious levels of 3D coverage with the BBC screening the opening and closing ceremonies and the men's 100m final of the 2012 Summer Olympics including a daily highlights programme in 3D.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/bbc2012/gamestime/3d-coverage.html|title=BBC confirms 3D coverage plans for London 2012 Olympic Games|publisher=BBC|date=15 February 2012|access-date=20 December 2019|archive-date=26 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171126024023/http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/bbc2012/gamestime/3d-coverage.html|url-status=dead}} In addition to this, the channel also broadcast in 3D the men's and women's finals of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships,{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/media/news/a388268/wimbledon-goes-multi-platform-with-the-bbc.html|title=Wimbledon goes multi-platform with the BBC|work=Digital Spy|date=19 June 2012}} the natural history programme Planet Dinosaur Ultimate Killers in August,{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/internet/posts/3d_killer_dinosaurs_watch_in_2|title=Planet Dinosaurs Ultimate Killers in 3D|publisher=BBC|date=14 August 2012}} the second half of the Last Night of the Proms on 8 September 2012,{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2012/summer-of-3d.html|title=A 'Summer of 3D' on the BBC|publisher=BBC - Media Centre|date=4 July 2012|access-date=20 December 2019|archive-date=31 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231222147/http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2012/summer-of-3d.html|url-status=dead}} the adaptation of Mr Stink on 23 December 2012 and Killer Dinosaurs and the Royal Christmas Message on 25 December.{{cite web|url=http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/bbc-hd-mr-stink-3d-201212212485.htm|title=BBC HD Channel To Simulcast Queen’s Christmas Speech & New Drama Mr Stink in 3D|publisher=HDTVTest|date=21 December 2012}}

=Closure=

Initial reports of the closure of the channel began to surface in July 2011 when Broadcast magazine claimed that the BBC HD would become more of a simulcast of BBC Two{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/media/news/a329777/bbc-hd-boss-danielle-nagler-quits.html|title=BBC HD boss Danielle Nagler quits|last=Laughlin|first=Andrew|work=Digital Spy|date=14 July 2011|access-date=15 July 2011}} when Danielle Nagler, head of HD and 3D at the BBC, left the corporation in September.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/ariel/14142352|title=Danielle Nagler to leave BBC|work=Ariel|date=13 July 2011|access-date=15 July 2011|archive-date=17 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717141756/http://www.bbc.co.uk/ariel/14142352|url-status=dead}} Although this was later disproved,{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/wotsat/status/91175566950150144|title=BBC HD is NOT ...|work=What Satellite and Digital TV|date=13 July 2011|access-date=18 July 2011}} it caused speculation about the channel's future given that the new head of the channel was Janice Hadlow, controller of BBC Two.

The channel's future was again called into question following the BBC's Delivering Quality First review of the corporation's spending. The review sought cost-cutting measures following the government settlement that froze the license fee, reducing the BBC's income, and saw the corporation take on additional responsibility for funding some services. The review recommended that BBC HD should close and be replaced with a simulcast of BBC Two.{{cite web|url=http://consultations.external.bbc.co.uk/bbc/dqf/consultation/subpage.2011-07-27.3215590272/ |title=Delivering Quality First: Public Consultation - Section 2: Television |work=BBC Trust |date=6 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007030930/http://consultations.external.bbc.co.uk/bbc/dqf/consultation/subpage.2011-07-27.3215590272/ |archive-date=7 October 2011 }} The proposals were approved by the BBC Trust in May 2012{{cite web|url=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/review_report_research/dqf/final_conclusions.pdf#page=15|title=Delivering Quality First Final Conclusions|work=BBC Trust|date=15 May 2012}} and subsequently, BBC Two HD launched on 26 March 2013, replacing BBC HD; which was closed the night before.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/bbc-two-hd.html|title=BBC - Media Centre - BBC Two HD Channel to launch 26 March|date=19 February 2013|work=BBC Online|access-date=20 December 2019|archive-date=25 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225181040/https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/bbc-two-hd.html|url-status=dead}}

The "BBC HD" name remains in use for a channel available to the maritime industry, including on select cruise ships.

Broadcast

=Availability=

At the time of the official launch, BBC HD was available universally on all HD broadcasters as a free-to-air station. Satellite viewers could watch the channel on Freesat or Sky, who received their signal from the Astra 1N satellite. The channel was also available to cable television customers through Virgin Media's basic package. The service was also carried on digital terrestrial television in London, from Crystal Palace, until May 2007 as part of the channel's trial and gradually made available nationwide on a region-by-region basis from 2 December 2009.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/11_november/16/freeview.shtml|title=BBC announces timetable for Freeview HD signal availability|work=BBC|date=16 November 2009}}

The service expanded into the Republic of Ireland with the channel's carriage on UPC Ireland's Digital+ HD service from 5 August 2009{{cite web|url=http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2009/08/05/upc-ireland-introduces-hd/|title=UPC Ireland introduces HD|work=Broadband TV News|date=5 August 2010}} and on the Sky Ireland platform from 27 April 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.theairwaves.net/index.php/satellite/4107-bbc-hd-added-to-sky-roi-epg|title=BBC HD added to Sky ROI EPG|work=The Airwaves|date=27 April 2010|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724100220/http://www.theairwaves.net/index.php/satellite/4107-bbc-hd-added-to-sky-roi-epg|archive-date=24 July 2011}}

=Technical specifications=

The channel was broadcast at a display resolution of 1440 by 1080i, which despite being less than the usual 1920 by 1080 resolution used for HD broadcasts was still acceptable to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) of which the BBC is a member.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2009/12/the_hitchhikers_guide_to_encod_2.html|title=The Hitchhiker's Guide to Encoding: So Many Tests, and Thanks for All the Recommendations (Or the BBC and the EBU)|work=BBC|date=8 December 2009}} But after years of pressure from bloggers and tech experts alike,{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} the BBC finally relented and switched BBC HD to full 1920 resolution for all broadcasts, not just when 3D was being broadcast. The channel encoded in H.264/MPEG-4 AVC for satellite and terrestrial broadcasts and in MPEG-2 for cable transmissions.

Over time, changes were made to the way that the channel is broadcast or received. Following the launch of BBC One HD on 3 November 2010, both the new channel and BBC HD were statistically multiplexed on the satellite feeds.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tv/2010/05/bbc-one-is-going-high-definiti.shtml#P96807387|title=BBC One is going High Definition|work=BBC|date=28 May 2010}} Equally, on 6 June 2011, the satellite transponder carrying BBC One HD and BBC HD was upgraded to DVB-S2.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2011/06/changes_to_bbc_hd_channels_on.html|title=Changes to BBC HD channels on satellite on 6th June|publisher=BBC|date=2 June 2011}} In addition to the satellite changes, alterations were made in March 2011 for the Freeview HD encoders to change automatically between 1080i at 50 fields per second to 1080p at 25 frames per second depending on the programme's GOP.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/researchanddevelopment/2011/04/software-upgrade-for-bbc-hd-on.shtml|title=Software upgrade for BBC HD on Freeview|work=BBC R&D Website|date=5 April 2011}} Unfortunately some receivers did not handle the transitions between these modes well, resulting in sound and picture disruption.{{cite web|url=http://www.whathifi.com/news/bbc-experiments-with-1080p-broadcasts-on-freeview-hd-but-viewers-complain-of-audio-dropouts|title=BBC experiments with 1080p broadcasts on Freeview HD - but viewers complain of audio dropouts|work=What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision|date=20 May 2011|access-date=22 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522051635/http://www.whathifi.com/news/bbc-experiments-with-1080p-broadcasts-on-freeview-hd-but-viewers-complain-of-audio-dropouts|archive-date=22 May 2011|url-status=dead}}

==2009-2010 bitrate drop==

On 5 August 2009, the channel's satellite encoders on the Astra 2D satellite were replaced by newer models. A side effect of this change was a drop in bitrate from 16 megabits per second (Mb/s) to 9.7 Mbit/s, leading to a large number of complaints to the BBC.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2009/09/picture_quality_on_hd_a_respon.html|title=Picture Quality on BBC HD: a response|work=BBC|date=17 September 2009}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2009/10/a_day_in_the_life_of_the_head.html|title=A day in the life of the Head of BBC HD|work=BBC|date=30 October 2009}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2009/11/points_of_view_and_hd_picture.html|title=Points of View and HD Picture Quality: a response|work=BBC|date=13 November 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a188724/bbcs-keating-speaks-on-bbc-hd-bitrates.html|title=BBC's Keating speaks on BBC HD bitrates|work=Digital Spy|date=26 November 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a189387/freesat-backs-bbc-hd-picture-quality.html|title=Freesat 'backs BBC HD picture quality'|work=Digital Spy|date=1 December 2009}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2009/12/bbc_hd_picture_quality.html|title=BBC HD Picture Quality: some myths laid to rest|work=BBC|date=12 December 2009}} The problem only occurred on the satellite platforms as the cable versions were encoded by the provider themselves and so remained at 17 Mbit/s{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2009/12/the_hitchhikers_guide_to_encod_4.html#P89707190|title=The Hitchhiker's Guide to Encoding: And Another Test...(Or PSNR and all that...) Post 86|work=BBC|date=11 December 2009}} while the later launched terrestrial version was statistically multiplexed between 3 Mbit/s and 17 Mbit/s.{{cite web|url=http://www.reghardware.com/2009/12/03/freeview_hd_launch_report/|title=Freeview HD goes live|work=Register Hardware|date=3 December 2009|access-date=10 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806175601/http://www.reghardware.com/2009/12/03/freeview_hd_launch_report/|archive-date=6 August 2012|url-status=dead}} Further anger ensued that the new satellite bitrate fell below the recommendations set out by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), of which the BBC is a member. These recommend a minimum of 12 Mbit/s, but as Andy Quested, principal technologist at the BBC stated, the current technology gave a consistent reliable output of 8-10 Mbit/s which would soon become the requirements with improved technology.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a190449/bbcs-quested-talks-ebu-recommendations.html|title=BBC's Quested talks EBU recommendations|work=Digital Spy|date=8 December 2009}}

Within four months of the change, by mid December, the number of complaints on this issue to the BBC reached 130 of which one was passed straight to the BBC Trust.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8415636.stm|title=BBC High Definition service draws complaints|work=BBC News|date=16 December 2009}} At around the same time a petition was added to the official Number10 website in December 2009, petitioning then Prime Minister Gordon Brown to bring the BBC into line with the EBU standards.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a193133/bbc-hd-picture-quality-petition-launches.html|title=BBC HD picture quality petition launches|work=Digital Spy|date=30 December 2009}} The petition was sparked by the BBC's insistence that there was no problem with the bit rate. In addition, tests run by consumer publication Which?, published in December 2009, found no significant decline in picture quality on the BBC HD channel, labelling the difference in picture quality between the new and old BBC HD broadcasts as "insignificant".{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a193011/which-backs-bbc-hds-picture-quality.html|title=Which? backs BBC HD's picture quality|work=Digital Spy|date=29 December 2009}} Meanwhile, the international version of BBC HD continued to broadcast on satellite at the higher bitrate and screen resolution.{{cite web|url=http://informitv.com/news/2009/12/11/bbchdquality/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121209182009/http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:jCX2vlU9YDUJ:informitv.com/news/2009/12/11/bbchdquality/|url-status=live|archive-date=9 December 2012|title=BBC HD quality definition draws criticism from viewers|work=informitv|date=11 December 2009}} The following year, on 30 April 2010, a delegation of viewers who had complained met with Andy Quested and Danielle Nagler{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a217485/bbc-hd-quality-campaign-to-meet-bbc.html|title=BBC HD quality campaign to meet BBC|work=Digital Spy|date=30 April 2010}} to argue that BBC HD was failing to "deliver a very high quality technical service to viewers, by adhering to, or seeking to exceed, industry standards for picture resolution". The visitors took part in an evaluation of the new and old encoder's picture quality (by an ITU R500 test) and the results demonstrated that the new encoder, at much reduced bit rate, was not only "as good as" but actually much better than the old.

The issue was resolved when, on 3 June 2010, the BBC introduced variable bitrate encoding and fixed previous problems with mixing, fading and noise in pictures.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2010/06/picture_quality_on_bbc_hd_a_vi.html|title=Picture Quality on BBC HD: a Viewers' Group Visit (part 1)|work=BBC|date=4 June 2010}} The variable bitrate encoding allowed the channel to maintain the same average bandwidth while allowing an increase in bitrate for more demanding programme scenes such as fast movement. Equally the fixes for mixing and fading treated specific problems with changing scenes, while a configuration change for 'noisy' video means the BBC no longer needed to use noise reduction techniques that often reduced the overall picture quality. The changes were welcomed by campaigners.{{cite web|url=http://wotsat.techradar.com/news/bbc-boosts-hd-bandwidth-and-quality-18-06-10|title=BBC boosts HD bandwidth and quality|work=What Satellite & Digital TV|date=18 June 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100623051546/http://wotsat.techradar.com/news/bbc-boosts-hd-bandwidth-and-quality-18-06-10|archive-date=23 June 2010}}

==3D broadcasts==

Whenever the BBC has broadcast programmes or events in 3D, there were other technical changes made to the channel that accompanied it. The BBC's first broadcast of the Wimbledon finals in 2011 saw the screen resolution increased from the usual 1440 by 1080 to 1920 by 1080 between 13 June and 6 July.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2011/06/gearing_up_to_deliver_wimbledo.html|title=Gearing up to deliver Wimbledon 3D|publisher=BBC Internet Blog|date=7 June 2011}} Equally, the same occurred for the 2011 Strictly Come Dancing final when the resolution was changed between 8 December 2011 and 5 January 2012. An increase to 1920 horizontal resolution was again observed on 30 May 2012 as part of the preparations of 2012's 3D broadcasts.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/posts/final-preparations-for-deliver|title=Different ways to listen and watch the BBC's Olympics 2012 coverage|publisher=BBC|date=24 July 2012}}

=Presentation=

The BBC HD channel only ever ran at its peak for an average of twelve hours a day, usually from mid afternoon, and was only ever allowed to expand beyond these hours for coverage of significant sporting events. When off air, the channel would broadcast a looped series of clips identified as the BBC HD Preview. These were of extended trailers and extracts for upcoming programmes on the channel separated by the channel's idents. These segments were also notable in their hourly broadcasts of the HD testcard, nicknamed Test Card X, overlaid with a BLITS audio test signal which allowed users to test and adjust their picture quality and position and the quality of their surround sound respectively.{{cite web|last=Quested|first=Andy|title=A Christmas Present from the HD Channel!|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2008/12/a_christmas_present_from_the_h.html|work=BBC Internet Blog|publisher=BBC|access-date=27 May 2013|date=17 December 2008}} Equally, an audio visual synchronization animation was also broadcast hourly.

The channel's presentation was unique from the other BBC channels and used its own style of programme idents and trailers. The channel originally used an ident that featured a diamond shape falling backwards down a stream before exploding to several more diamond shapes before taking its place back where it started to be back-lit over an announcement.{{cite web|title=BBC HD|url=http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/otherchannels/bbc_hd.html|publisher=TVARK: The Online Television Museum|access-date=27 May 2013|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510061821/http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/otherchannels/bbc_hd.html|archive-date=10 May 2012}} These were used until 2009 when the presentation changed to a style featuring an ordinary scene which would become extraordinary when viewed through a rotating diamond shape. An example of this was a cat chasing pigeons that was seen as a lion when looked through the diamond shape.{{cite web|title=BBC HD Ident|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pvbh9|work=BBC Idents|publisher=BBC|access-date=27 May 2013}} Original programme trailers and slides used the back-lit diamond shape as a base, while the 2009 versions used bright colours and textures inspired from the idents, for example the picnic blanket from the cat ident.

Programming

{{see also|List of television programmes broadcast by the BBC}}

The channel's programmes were sourced from every BBC channel and were of mixed genres. The channel would only broadcast productions made in high definition and would not upscale any programmes from standard definition for use on the channel - in contrast to the BBC One HD and BBC Two HD simulcast services. Any individual programme could contain up to 25 per cent non-HD material converted from SD, for example archive shots in a documentary. Some high definition recording formats like HDV as well as some film formats like 16 mm are considered by BBC to be "non-HD".{{cite web|title=Technical Standards for Delivery of Television Programmes to BBC Worldwide|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/dq/pdf/tv/tv_delivery_of_programmes_to_worldwide_v1.0-2011.pdf|work=BBC Guidelines|publisher=BBC Worldwide|access-date=27 May 2013}} As many of the BBC's top productions were made in HD from soon after the channel launched, many of these productions were broadcast on the station at some point.

=Live events=

The channel had broadcast several live and significant events in HD. Sporting events include the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, the Australian Open and French Open from 2009, the FIFA World Cup 2006 and 2010, the Euro 2008 Championships, the US Masters golf, Open Golf, England football internationals, action from the FA Cup and Six Nations rugby. The channel also broadcast the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics. For the latter, the channel simulcast BBC Three's Olympic coverage and broadcast some of BBC Two's content in HD late at night, time permitting. In 2008, BBC Sport officials indicated that they hoped to offer all of their output in HD by 2012, based on the availability of global feeds and planned new studios or HD-friendly renovations in London and Manchester.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sporteditors/2008/12/plenty_to_look_forward_to_in_2.html BBC - Sport Editors: Plenty to look forward to in 2009] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115071638/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sporteditors/2008/12/plenty_to_look_forward_to_in_2.html|date=15 January 2016}}

Non sport broadcast include simulcasts of The Proms, the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and the 2009 United States presidential inauguration and coverage of the 2010 United Kingdom general election. It also regularly broadcast Test Card X which would last 90 seconds to 2 minutes.

=Children=

The channel also aired select CBBC and CBeebies shows, a schedule in 2009 shows:

See also

References

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}