Thanks for the really interesting and useful info though. It was given to Channel 5 but they pulled out, so it has been given back to the BBC by default. However, whilst BBC Two HD will appear soon, BBC HD will disappear so they don't need that extra channel. I believe it was recently revealed that Ofcam gave the BBC permission to sell the space to someone else (even for multiple SD services rather than an HD service if desired, although these SD services would only be viewable by Freeview HD boxes, creating confusion). So at this point, we don't know what the new channel will be. The space is available now and Ofcom originally expected it to come online after the London DSO in April but it might not appear now until September.
No, most of the space being freed up will be used for other services, like 4G mobile. Like I said there's probably space for an extra 2 or 3 multiplexes but whether they use them, or when, is another question. Surely there will be another HD multiplex at some point but it could be years away.
I think you'll find that's 1080i50 and 1080p25Traditionally the two formats used are 1080i/25 and 1080p/25 but both are encoded and transmitted as 1080i/25 on cable and satellite. However, Freeview HD allows the transmission of 1080p/25 natively, which increases bit efficiency (and image quality very slightly, depending on your TV's deinterlacer). Look up "MBAFF" for more info!
