Freeview HD hits the million milestone

Freeview HD - one meeeelion
Freeview HD - one meeeelion

Freeview has hit a major landmark, with more than one million Freeview HD televisions and set top boxes sold.

Freeview believes that 642,000 homes are now using Freeview HD kit – although it is not clear how many of those people are actually using the HD service or if it is just built into their new television.

A major sales spurt in December boosted Freeview HD to a current total of 1.2 million – with Freeview televisions accouting for 22 per cent of the iDTV market in December.

Options

With HD becoming a major selling point for people in the UK, Freeview HD offers a subscription free option for those who do not want a satellite dish or cable connection.

Currently Freeview HD offers four HD channels – BBC One HD, BBC HD, ITV 1HD and 4HD.

Freeview+HD PVRs also sold well, outselling standard Freeview boxes two to one and showing a 118 per cent increase.

Milestone

Ilse Howling, Freeview's Managing Director says: "Reaching this milestone within the first year of launching Freeview HD is a great achievement.

"We know from talking to Freeview viewers that having high definition is becoming the standard when considering what type of equipment to buy.

"As Freeview HD continues to roll out to new areas of the UK this year, it's exciting that Freeview can meet this need by offering quality HD channels without a subscription."

Patrick Goss

Patrick Goss is the ex-Editor in Chief of TechRadar. Patrick was a passionate and experienced journalist, and he has been lucky enough to work on some of the finest online properties on the planet, building audiences everywhere and establishing himself at the forefront of digital content.  After a long stint as the boss at TechRadar, Patrick has now moved on to a role with Apple, where he is the Managing Editor for the App Store in the UK.