ITV Border Scotland upgrades to HD: How you’ll be able to watch
Important information for ITV Border Scotland viewers
From November, ITV Border Scotland viewers will be able to watch their local news programmes in high definition (HD).
The change is part of a major upgrade to all linear channels on ITV1, to bring the best picture quality to all satellite viewers.
Most viewers will not need to do anything and will be able to watch their regional news in HD by choosing channel 103 on Sky, Freesat and Virgin Media. If you watch on an alternative ITV channel on satellite you may not see your ITV regional news service.
Households with an SD-only satellite set-top box will need to upgrade to an HD satellite receiver if they would like to continue to see the correct regional news and other regional content provided for ITV Border Scotland. This will only affect a very small number of people, as around 98% of digital satellite homes across Sky and Freesat can already receive HD channels.
Viewers can upgrade their box by contacting their provider. It is easy to do and should take no more than two weeks. If you are unsure if you have an SD-only box, your provider will also be able to help.
FAQs:
Why is ITV doing this?
This is the final stage in upgrading all ITV1 regions into HD, bringing the best picture quality to all viewers.
We have already successfully transitioned most ITV1 regions into HD and the BBC has already closed all its regional BBC One SD channels on satellite, and launched the HD version of local BBC One channels.
When will the upgrade happen?
ITV1 viewers in the Channel and Border Scotland regions will be upgraded to HD on satellite in November 2023.
From January 2024, households with an SD-only satellite set-top box in Border Scotland, UTV, Wales and Channel will still receive ITV in the usual way but will need to upgrade to a High Definition (HD) box to continue to see the correct news service we provide for those regions.
How do I upgrade?
HD satellite homes don't need to do anything to take advantage of these changes: the right HD regional service will automatically be at button 103, if it isn't already.
Any issue for viewers with SD boxes can be resolved by upgrading to an HD set or set top box. Sky will undertake this free-of-charge for its subscribers. For non-Sky subscribers, HD DSAT boxes are available for as little as £69 with no requirement for an ongoing subscription.
Will all viewers receive the correct HD region?
HD viewers will receive the correct regional HD service at 103.
In homes with older SD-only satellite boxes, ITV will continue to be at 103 but some viewers may receive an alternative ITV regional service. Upgrading their boxes to HD will sort this out and we'd encourage them to talk to their platform provider - either Sky or Freesat.
How many people will be affected by losing their regional news service?
Only SD-only satellite homes in a handful of ITV regions are impacted. Around 98% of digital satellite homes across Sky and Freesat can receive HD channels, so very few viewers will experience any change at all.
Where can I get more help?
If you need to upgrade your SD box you can contact Sky or Freesat using the details below
Sky
0333-7591018
Freesat
0345-3130051
There is a dedicated website as part of the BBC’s HD upgrade rollout which has details on assistance for upgrading a device.
ITV Viewer Services can also help - they can be contacted here.
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