Another significant change is coming to Freeview this week: In a continued effort to modernize television viewing experiences, the BBC has made more changes to the channel lineup on certain Freeview devices, with HD finally taking centre stage.
This comes after last October’s repositioning of several BBC HD channels. Now, BBC One HD and BBC Two HD are also joining the fray, ensuring that high-definition viewing is more accessible and intuitive than before.
However, these channel number changes are only relevant to people with newer internet-connected Freeview Play TVs or set-top boxes, and won’t affect older Freeview boxes.
This means that – for now – only a handful of devices (and TVs) can support this change (see the full list below).
As we reported last October, the BBC has already moved several HD channels, including BBC Three HD, BBC Four HD, CBeebies HD and more to new channel numbers on supported Freeview Play devices.
This was part of the BBC’s strategy to make HD versions the ‘default’ for viewers as more devices support HD channels.
Until those changes, the BBC’s HD channels were positioned, on Freeview, in their own separate “HD Section” of the EPG, from Channel Number 101 and up, while the SD versions occupied the lower channel numbers.
So BBC Three, for example, was on Channel 23, and BBC Three HD, was only on Channel 109.
With most TVs now supporting HD channels, it makes sense to transform the HD versions of channels into the ‘default’ versions of those channels.
October’s Freeview changes were as follows:
- CBBC HD moved from Channel 204 to Channel 201
- CBeebies HD moved from Channel 205 to Channel 202
- BBC Three HD became available on both Channel 23 and 109
- BBC Four HD was positioned on Channel 9 and 106 (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland), and Channel 24 and 108 in Scotland
- Standard Definition (SD) versions were relocated to higher channel numbers.
More BBC Channels Moving
Building on the changes made previously, and with the BBC now having all its BBC One HD and BBC Two HD local regions on digital terrestrial television platforms (Freeview, Freesat and YouView), it was time to push the second HD:SD swap – and make the HD versions of BBC One and BBC Two the default.
Therefore, this week’s Freeview numbering changes (on supported devices), as of June 7, 2023, are as follows:
- BBC One HD and BBC Two HD will now appear at the top of the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) on Channel 1 and Channel 2.
- BBC One HD and BBC Two HD will also retain their numbers in the HD range on the Freeview guide (Channel 101 and Channel 102).
- The SD versions of BBC One and BBC Two will be relocated to the 600s range of the EPG (Channel 611 and Channel 612 respectively).
So now, here’s the full list of BBC channels with a default HD channel number on supported devices:
- BBC One HD: Available on channels 1 and 101, with the SD version relocated to 611.
- BBC Two HD: Available on channels 2 and 102, with the SD version relocated to 612.
- BBC Three HD: Available on channels 23 and 109, with the SD version relocated to 613.
- BBC Four HD (England, Wales, Northern Ireland): Available on channels 9 and 106, with the SD version relocated to 614.
- BBC Four HD (Scotland): Available on channels 24 and 108, with the SD version relocated to 614.
- CBeebies HD: Available on channel 201, with the SD version relocated to 205.
- CBBC HD: Available on channel 202, with the SD version relocated to 204.
Will My TV Support These Changes?
Not all TVs and Freeview devices will be able to take advantage of these changes, as they will only show up on newer (as in, from 2020 onwards) Freeview Play devices, that support Freeview Play’s Channel List Management technology.
The popular Manhattan T3-R and T3 Freeview boxes, for example, don’t support this – but their upcoming newer models (the T4 and T4-R models) will support this technology.
Therefore, if your device or Freeview Play TV doesn’t support the Channel List Management feature – nothing will change for you this week, and the BBC channels will remain in their existing slots.
To find out if your TV supports the enhanced listing feature and can process the HD:SD swapping when connected to the internet, first go to Channel 100 (the ‘Freeview Explore’ service) on your Freeview Play device.
Then, select “Help and Settings” and check the “Freeview Play platform ID” in the bottom right corner of the screen.
If your TV’s ID is on the list of compatible IDs, your TV should be able to handle the swapping when connected to the internet.
Here’s the full list of TV and device IDs that support the new changes:
| Freeview Play Platform ID | TV Brand/s – Year of release |
|---|---|
| EL21-A2K | Smart Tech, Bauhn, EKO – 2021 |
| EL21-A4K | Smart Tech, Bauhn, EKO – 2021 |
| HI21-2K | Hisense – 2021 |
| HI21-4K | Hisense, Loewe (by Loewe) – 2021 |
| HI22-962K | Hisense – 2022 |
| HI22-964K | Hisense – 2022 |
| HI22-99 | Hisense – 2022 |
| HI23-96 | Hisense – 2023 |
| LG22-F22 | LG – 2022 |
| LG22-K8AP | LG – 2022 |
| LG22-K8HP | LG – 2022 |
| LG22-K8LP | LG – 2022 |
| LG22-LM21AN | LG – 2022 |
| LG22-O22 | LG – 2022 |
| LG23-K8HPP | LG – 2023 |
| LG23-K8LPN | LG – 2023 |
| LG23-LM21ANN | LG – 2023 |
| LG23-M23 | LG – 2023 |
| LG23-O22N | LG – 2023 |
| MTC21-A2K | JVC – 2021 |
| MTC21-A4K | JVC – 2021 |
| P20-4K | Panasonic – 2020 |
| P20-A | Panasonic – 2020 |
| P21-4K | Panasonic – 2021 |
| P22-4K | Panasonic – 2022 |
| P23-4K | Panasonic – 2023 |
| SO21-AT2K | Sony – 2021 |
| SO21-AT4K | Sony – 2021 |
| SO22-AT4K | Sony – 2022 |
| TPV21-AM | Philips – 2021 |
| TPV21-AT | Philips – 2021 |
| TPV22-AM | Philips – 2022 |
| TPV22-LN90 | Philips – 2022 |
| TPV23-LN76 | Philips – 2023 |
| TPV23-LN902K | Philips – 2023 |
| TPV23-LN904K | Philips – 2023 |
| UMC21-AT | Sharp – 2021 |
| UMC22-2K | Blaupunkt, Bush, Polaroid, Sharp, Technika – 2022 |
| UMC22-4K | Blaupunkt, Bush, Polaroid, Sharp, Technika – 2022 |
| V20-MB180G31 | Bush, Digihome, Hitachi, JVC, Panasonic, Toshiba – 2020 |
| V20-MB180G32 | Bush, Digihome, EGL, Luxor, Nordmende, Polaroid, Solas, Techwood, Toshiba, Walker – 2020 |
| V20-MB181 | Altimo, Bush, Digihome |
Also note that if you disconnect your TV from the internet, the enhanced channel listing will be lost, and the listing will revert to BBC One and BBC Two in standard definition at the top of the EPG.
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Toshiba update/
Yesterday I had an automatic software update appear on my TV. First impression is that this may have resolved the problem of having to retune to restore BBC HD to Epg 1,2,9 and 23. Also set is not flashing red and green on standby light has not been activated since.
Lets hope the is the end of this long running saga.
Will advise if problem reoccurs
I had a Software update on my Toshiba TV about 4 weeks ago and since then the HD manipulated channels have NOT been lost! so it looks like Toshiba/Vestel have finally fixed the bug that they had. I also had a Software Update on my 32″ Techwood yesterday so hopefully this will of fixed the bug on the Techwood tv, but it’s too early to know yet… I will update in a few weeks as to whether the bug has been fixed on Techwood or not….
Today I got a software update for my Toshiba TV…now I have all the channels back on EPG but iplayer will not load. All the other free streaming apps seem to work – even the garbage which I never use (no names, no pack drill…)
Is this a case of ‘fix one problem and create another’?
Has a chat with Toshiba a passed your post to them and their reply was it would not retain the channels and within 48 hours a retune would be need to restore BBC hd etc to Epg 1 etc.
So for now I will keep interrupting the red/green flashing so as not to have to do a retune.
Regrettably I may have to replace the TV which is only 2 years old
See my previous posts. I have found a way to prevent having to do a retune. When the stand by light flashes just select a channel and press say 1 fro BBc 1 the light continues to flases for 4 or 5 times and then BBC1(HD comes up and trhe EPG has not lost bbc hd atr EPG1,2, 9 and 23.
I am hoping that when SD is stopped that the problem will go away.
Update – and good news! Spoke with Toshiba technical support today, pleased to say that (a) they answered really quickly and (b) I spoke with someone who clearly knew what they were talking about and who had a ready answer. There’s a ‘hidden’ menu on my TV, accessed by pressing the ‘home’ button followed by 4725 (you won’t see anything appear on screen when you press the keys). From these hidden options there’s a factory reset available which will clear any problems left behind from various updates, do a new channel scan and voila, I now have iplayer back, BBC1 and BBC2 HD on EPG positions 1 and 2, and no missing channels further down the list.
I’ve just found this web page and I think it answers a question which has been puzzling me for weeks – over the Christmas period I did a retune and did indeed see BBC1 HD and BBC2 HD appear as channels 1 and 2 on the EPG. But I had also lost channel 52 and others on that multiplex. Next day however, the missing channels had reappeared and there was no longer a channel 1 or 2 in the EPG, I had to use 101 and 102 instead. Yesterday I did another retune with the aerial lead disconnected and yet another retune with it connected again, lo and behold 1 and 2 reappeared as HD channels but 52 et al had gone again. This morning the situation was the same. Any idea why the channels on whichever multiplex 52 is on seem to have gone? My TV is a Toshiba with that red/green flashing light (about which, until I read this article, I had no idea!)
Hi, when your TV is connected to the Internet the brodcasters ie BBC currently, can provide Channel Enhancement, which means they manipulate your TV guide to show BBC HD channels on the prominent channel positions, so BBC1 HD, normally available on channel 101 is now also shown as BBC1 HD on channel 1. The problem is when Toshiba and Techwood TVs all made by Vestel do an update when the TV is turned off, this is being done while the standby light flashes Red/Green and the Bug in the update knocks out channel 1 for bbc1, channel 2 for bbc2 etc etc and the only way to get the channels back into the Fteeview Guide is to retune with the Internet connected… I spoke to Toshiba Management approx 3 months and they offered to refund me the cost of my Toshiba 50” and Techwood 32” by contacting the Shop where I bought the TVs from and providing the shop with a unique code from Toshiba and Techwood to enable the return and refund. Toshiba and Techwood are supposed to be doing a software update to fix the Bug, they don’t appear to of done this yet for their customers…. Hope this helps…
updated copy of email just received from BBC:-
Thank you for bringing the issue to our attention – this is happening due to a fault with the television software that we understand the manufacturer is working to address in a future software upgrade. However, we do not have enough information at this point in time to know if that the software upgrade will fully fix the issue. We understand that currently only the BBC has taken advantage of the feature that allows broadcasters to put the better quality HD versions of their channels into the more prominent EPG numbers – which explains why only BBC channels are being affected by the swap and the subsequent fault that you have reported on your TV set.
We have worked with Freeview (and their parent company Everyone TV) on implementing the channel swap feature – and we know that they are in regular dialogue with television set manufacturers. If you consent to us sharing the personal information that you have given to us, then we can pursue this matter further with Freeview/Everyone TV.
Thanks again for getting in touch.
I received the same Email reply two days ago….
It would be difficult to expect a tv manufacturer to be responsible for a change in signal transmission created by the BBC. We can only hope that when the full change over is done early next year when SD transmissions on the BBC are withdrawn that the problem will go away. |In the meantime have you notified the BBC :
[email protected]
You would not believe both my Bush TVs bought within a year have the same problem. They have replaced one and put a new control panel in the other Monday.
It still does it on both.
Thank you thank you thank you. Google explains everything and experts have no clue. Now to wait for signal to get sorted.
Bush tvs are also made by Vestel and that’s where the problem lies, I have not received yet the two USB software updates in the post yet and have just phoned Toshiba/Teckwood helpline to be told one was posted yesterday and the other has not been sent out yet… so now hoping to receive them next week and will then be able to see if their fix works. There are thousands of Vestel branded TVs that will need sorting by Vestel….
The Toshiba TV model I have has a function when switched into stand by which flashes red and green, this is checking for upgrades. I have found by interrupting this by simply starting the tv before is stops flashing that all channels are retained. So if your set has the same function visible or not, having put the set into standby restart the tv after three seconds check the bbc tv channels and then switch the set back into stand by. I used to disconnect my tv from the mains each night, but Toshiba advised me not to.
Hi, i have a 50″ Toshiba TV bought last year (2022) with the latest software i also bought a 32″ Teckwood tv for the bedroom 8 weeks ago, again with the latest software. About 4 months ago after the transmitter upgrade at Sandy Heath my FreeviewPlay Channel Management List now shows the BBC HD channels at the normal SD channel… so for example BBC1 HD is on channel 101 and now also on Channel 1. BBC2 HD is on channel 102 and now also on channel 2. and the same applies for the other BBC HD channels etc. This manipulation of BBC HD channels can only be done with the latest software built into New TVs within approx the last 3 years and your TV has to be connected to the internet to allow the Management List Guide to be manipulated…. the PROBLEM Is that when the TVs do certain updates it is losing those manipulated channel out of the Management List Guide and the only way to bet them back is to do a retune, this is happening to me nearly every day now and sometimes twice a day… this has got more and more frequent now over the last 4 months since this change came into effect in my region. ive been speaking to Freebiew for 4 months now and they have been trying to get to the botyom of it and have been helpful, they told me this week that the bbc are aware of the problem and that Vestel are also aware of the problem (vestel manufacture Toshiba and Teckwood TVs as well as many other brands) I also spoke 4 months ago to the Toshiba Helpline and decided to ring them again yesterday, they now tell me that they will post me updated software on a USB stick, one for each TV i have and to manually plug the USB stick into my TVs and apply the update and they believe this should fix the issue. They told me that updates over ghe air and internet can get corrupted and not update the TV correctly. I should revieve the USBs middle of next week and lets see if it resolved this problem…. its quite intolerable to have to re-tune two TVs nearly everyday…….
UPDATE:- Had the USB stick for the Techwood arrive 12 days ago and the problem still exists. The Toshiba USB stick arrived last Friday and the problem still exists, having to do a re-scan everyday to get the missing channels back!! I spoke to the Toshiba/Techwood a few days ago to tell them that sending the USBs did not sort the problem, and after a while on the phone with them was told Vestel would not be doing any fix for their problem and i would just have to live with it!!! I would now think that Vestel should stop selling all its branded TVs worldwide as they are aware of this issue and would be selling TVs under misrepresentation as well as selling TVs which are not fit for purpose which is illegal under the consumer rights act 2015.
Without a tv that is HD ready, does this change mean that I have to buy a new TV? If I don’t buy a new TV and can no longer receive BBC channels, would I be exempt from the Licence fee?
My Toshiba tv purchased in 2022, the Epg listings have been corrupted since the Mendip transmitter started to move BBCHD from 101 to position 1 etc.
When the set was switched off a function which is activated on average twice a day where the stand bye light flashes red and green would loose the BBC HD channels at Epg 1,2,9 and 23. Having spoken to Toshiba they advised me they were aware of this problem which affects other sister brands such as Bush. I cannot get any where with Freeview or the BBC.
Following on from a second set of engineering works at Mendip, commencing on 4th Sept, my set somehow manged to restore all BBC SD in correct positions images with 102 etc for BBc Hd except for BBC1 west HD which is now listed at 803!
I am fed up with retuning My set is only a 32 inch tv so Hd vs Hd is not so important. The set is Full Hd.
No one can tell me when the final change to BBC 1 west Hd for EPG1 will work
Update earlier this week I lost ITV1SD at EPG3 I waited two days with no itv (although 103 hd was working). Did a retune and BBC HD was placed at epg 1,2, 9 and 23 But once again after my Toshiba tv was put into stand by and the power light went into red and green flashing, a function which is in the instructions, I lost all BBC at EPG 1,2,9 and 23 so did a full retune fist by rescan with no aerial connect to clear all programme memory as suggested by Freeview then rescanned with aerial and recovered BBc with HD at epg 1 etc.
From previous experience if I interrupt the red/green flashing by turning the set on the BBc channels are not lost.
None of these problems existed until work started on Mendip transmitter at the end of July and for most of September there was no problem until work was restarted on 16th October.
This change has broken some older Sony devices including my RDR-HXD890. All BBC Channels have been lost and the EPG no longer works.
See:-
https://community.sony.co.uk/t5/home-cinema-projectors-players/rdr-hxd890-freeview-epg-not-working/m-p/3915911#M20632
How is this better – there is no mention of the other HD non-BBC channels moving also? Are we saying that these devices will now have to look at 1, 2, 103, 104 and 105 for the “main” channels? Bonkers!
And for the channels to revert if the Internet is lost….i can see an awful lot of confused people out there with their channels jumping round
Life saver, thank yoooooou!!!! I thought I was going mad, no notifications whatsoever of the change. My problem was, over the weekend, subtitles on all terrestrial BBC channels had gone TINY!!!! I tried everything; all other channels were fine, no change. Having read your article, lo and behold, go to 611 and 612, respectively, there is BBC 1 and BBC2 with NORMAL sized subtitles again. Thank you, thank you so much. When will Channels 1 and 2 be back to normal, any idea? All my thanks
With this in mind, there is going to be problems if your internet is down – which seems to be common. I had issues with TalkTalk with this and more recently was Vodafone – without any communication, many people thought the problem stemed from its router, until we recognised that this was happening all over UK on social media. But I guess if people want to watch tv, then they can do this with using mobile data on their mobile phone, but its the older generation that I feel sorry for. Its good that BBC are moving forward on this, but perhaps they should of consulted with various broadband companies first, before making a rash decision on this.