BBCi: Snooker

Updated colour scheme from later in the tournament:

BBCi: Pet TV

BBCi: Sportscene

Live coverage of Celtic vs Rangers from BBC Scotland was available nationwide via the red button:

Prompt on BBC One (England) after pressing the red button

MHEG banner that appears when switching to the red button feed

MHEG BBCi logo (bottom right) remains on-screen throughout

7-day EPG to be extended

The seven-day EPG trials will be extended to London from 14:00 on May 5 from the Crystal Palace, Guildford, Hemel Hempstead and Reigate transmitters. Each will transmit full SI (service information) data. All multiplexes except A will carry the extended data.
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UKTV Updates

The recently re-branded UKTV channels have now had their names updated on the EPG. Freeview channels UKTV History and UKTV Bright Ideas and Top Up TV channels UKTV Gold, UKTV Style and UKTV Food have all had their channel names updated. Channel 22 has also been renamed Ideal World, following the channel's recent launch.
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BBC considers High Definiton TV

The BBC is considering rolling out High Definition television (HDTV) in the next five years, due to consumers buying increasingly large screen TVs. Sadly, HDTV is unlikely to come to DTT due to limited bandwidth.
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Ideal World launches on Freeview

Shopping channel Ideal World has started broadcasting on Freeview channel 22. The unannounced launch follows channel 22 being blank since the launch of Freeview in October 2002.
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YooPlay Games

YooPlay Games is the new name for F2P Games. As well as a new name, Freeview's only games channel has also had a makeover:

Main menu:

Radio station selection:

Jokes and trivia:

Prizes and winners:

Tetris:

Darts:

Solitaire:

Scooby-Doo in Mansion Mayhem (Ring Realms):

New text services for The Hits

Emap music channel The Hits launched a new text service today, which was temporarily removed due to the problems it caused to some receivers. The new "press red" prompt slides onto the screen before disappearing after a few seconds. The text screens are now similar in style to the Emap radio stations' slides.
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Freeview popular in Ireland

Sales of Freeview receivers have reached 100,000 units in the Republic of Ireland, even though the service is only broadcast in the UK. The Irish viewers have been receiving the service using DTT transmitters over the border in Northern Ireland (where there are around 200,000 Freeviewers) and across the sea in Wales.
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Channel 4 plan new digital channels

Channel 4 plan to launch new digital channels next year, according to The Times. The broadcaster hasn't yet decided whether they will subscription or free channels, but their new advertising funded channel More4 will be on Freeview. Various genres including music, comedy and factual programmes are being considered.

YooPlay replaces F2P Games

YooPlay Games has launched on Freeview channel 53, replacing F2P Games (previously known as "Free2Play Games"). The games haven't changed, but there are now four to choose from (up from three), and viewers have the option to purchase an all-day pass or pay-per-play. Free levels are still available.

Top Up TV launches

Top Up TV has launched on digital terrestrial television. The new pay-television service offers 10 timesharing channels – E4, UKTV Gold, TCM, UKTV Style, Discovery Channel, Discovery Home & Leisure, UKTV Food, Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Bloomberg – for £7.99/month. The service is currently only available to owners of ONdigital set top boxes, as there are no compatible receivers (with card slots) on the market.

Cartoon Network begins testing

Cartoon Network has begun test broadcasts ahead of the official launch of Top Up TV on Wednesday. Other channels are still broadcasting the Top Up TV Promo video or other video tests.
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BBCi: The Genius of Mozart

Prompt on BBC Four after pressing the red button

Disney's "Daytime" begins testing

SDN have commenced test transmissions of the new non-subscription channel that is being launched by Disney. The channel was provisionally called "Daytime" - and the name has been seen on test broadcasts - however it is thought that Disney are now considering a new name. Digital Spy members have reported seeing the tests during the daytime hours on channel 25, which will be used in the evening and overnight by Top Up TV channel TCM from March 31. The new channel will have its own channel number but will timeshare with the subscription channel, and will not be available in Wales as the space is used by Welsh-language channel S4C2.
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Freeview "could outstrip Sky by 2007"

MediaGuardian is reporting that Freeview could be more popular than Sky by 2007, according to research carried out by ZenithOptimedia. Freeview is expected to be in ten million homes, compared to 8.9 million Sky homes, four years from now.
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EPG delayed... again!

Testing of the seven-day EPG on the Crystal Palace transmitter has hit unspecified technical problems, delaying full nationwide implementation of the service.
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Sky drop "Channel 6" plans

The Times reports that BSkyB boss James Murdoch has decided to abandon plans for the launch of a new entertainment channel on Freeview (a so-called "Channel 6") so that the company can focus on developing its pay-TV services. Sky News, Sky Sports News and Sky Travel will however continue to broadcast on Freeview but they will not receive significant increases in funding.
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Top Up TV channels appear

Top Up TV channels broadcast on multiplex A - that's all of them except E4, Boomerang and UK Food - have launched placeholders on the EPG today. The channels, rather than being grouped separately, are mixed in with the existing Freeview channels.
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