BBC will stop broadcasting in Standard Definition (SD) next month, leaving some Sky TV and Freesat viewers unable to tune in to its channels. Ahead of the shake-up, the Beeb is urging viewers not to wait until the eleventh hour to upgrade any older kit.
“To avoid losing channels, we strongly recommend that any impacted viewers upgrade as soon as possible," it warns.
The BBC has previously revealed that demand for its online resources to help with the switch had been lower than anticipated, pushing the broadcaster to bring forward the original March 2024 deadline to January 8, 2024.
If you're a TV Licence Fee payer with an SD-only set-top box from Sky or Freesat, you'll need to make some changes in the coming days to continue to watch BBC channels.
Freesat viewers with incompatible kit will need to buy a new set-top box, which starts around £50 and maxes out at £300 for a flagship model with 4K Ultra HD support and a spacious hard drive for hours of recordings.
If you’re a current Sky subscriber, contact the company for an upgrade. However, if you’re still using an older SD-only Sky TV box without a subscription, you’ll need to resubscribe first to be upgraded.
An example of the message that will be displayed on the test channel (Channel 799 on Freesat) set-up by the BBC if your current hardware isn't compatible with High Definition (HD) broadcasts
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From January 8, anyone with an ageing set-top box from Sky TV or Freesat will need to upgrade to newer kit or be left unable to access popular channels like BBC One and BBC Two. After that deadline, trying to tune-in will summon a warning message that says “channel closed”.
There will also be a link to direct any remaining viewers to the available support.
And it’s not just TV channels that will be impacted by the switchover too — BBC radio stations will also stop working for those with SD-only boxes. Although the BBC will continue to broadcast radio via satellite across the UK in the same audio quality, changes to a number of technical parameters means the services won’t work on ageing hardware either.
Confirming the upcoming switch-off, Director of BBC Distribution & Business Development, Kieran Clifton posted an update on the online resource page: "We are now in the final stages of migrating those remaining SD-only satellite homes on to HD-enabled devices.
"Because of this, we are moving the switch-off date of our SD channels on satellite platforms slightly from March 2024 to 8 January 2024. This means from 8 January next year, a ‘channel closed’ message will appear on all our SD channel feeds on satellite.
"Only homes still using SD-only satellite devices can access these versions at their primary positions in the electronic programme guide, and these devices will need to be upgraded to continue watching BBC channels."
When the BBC shutters its SD broadcasts via satellite, the only place to continue watching its channels in the lower-quality format will be Freeview, which remains unaffected next month.
The Beeb isn’t alone in scaling back its Standard Definition operation, with ITV also planning to scrap non-HD versions of ITV1, ITV2, and ITVBe in the coming weeks.
For both ITV and BBC, one of the biggest barriers to shutting down Standard Definition channels has been local news broadcasts, which were the last studios to enjoy the upgrade in picture quality afforded by the move to High Definition (HD) broadcasts.
If you rely on a Freesat box, the easiest way to check whether your kit is compatible with High Definition (HD) broadcasts is to head to Channel 799. This is a test channel created by the BBC to help viewers navigate their similar switch to HD-only broadcasts.
The only purpose of the channel is to indicate whether your TV hardware is compatible with HD broadcasts. If your box is incompatible, you'll see a message about the upcoming transition to HD.
If you're watching telly on an older Sky TV box, the best way to find out whether you'll need to upgrade is to press the Services button on your remote control, followed by 4 and 5. Then you'll need to check the version number of your set-top box.
Sky has provided the following version numbers for ageing hardware that will need to be upgraded to continue watching BBC channels and radio...
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Both Freesat and Sky have helplines for those who are concerned about the switch to HD coming next month from ITV and BBC. Sky customers with older, incompatible boxes should call 03337591018, while Freesat viewers in the same situation should dial 03453130051 for guidance.
