Reg Hardware

Comments on: Sony launches 'Freeview HD'-ready LCD TV line

1366 x 768 resolution? 

Posted Wednesday 7th May 2008 14:12 GMT

Is that just because you don't have the stats for the 40" and above yet? The current 40" V-series (KDL-40V3000 to be nerdy) and larger are full 1920x1080 panels; they don't seem to be doing sub-40" V-series at the moment on the official site.

Not HD Ready without DVB-T2 

Posted Thursday 8th May 2008 10:17 GMT

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It's not the tuner that's HD Ready in this TV, it's the MPEG decoder. These TVs only have DVB-T tuners, but Freeview HD will use DVB-T2, and tuners for this standard haven't even been designed yet.

DVB-T2 has only just been agreed by the DVB Group, and many people think Ofcom is being wildly over-optimistic that silicon will be ready by the end of 2009, let alone receivers and IDTVs in the shops.

The whole idea of HD in 2009 is just a trick to distract us from the complete rip-off inherent in Ofcom's Digital Dividend strategy. They're selling off the Crown Jewels of broadcasting spectrum to make a quick buck for Gordo's election war-chest, and the TV landscape in Britain will be a lot poorer for it.