[Jimbo2022]

Given the ample warning they've given everyone via the onscreen messages, I would say they're unlikely to run the services beyond the 8th Jan. I would expect them to just disappear.

The plan is to have everyone switched over to HD ahead of that date. That's why the messages are now so obtrusive. They want people to be changing now, not in January.



I don't think it was in the software. I'm fairly sure it was a normal service, albeit a dummy one, with normal EPG data with the message.

They definitely could do the same today if they wanted to, much like they did on Freesat with channel 106 when the HD regions launched. However I suspect they probably won't bother, for no other reason than they haven't done that for any other service that switched to only HD broadcasting.

Itv one on 103 prior to 15 Nov 2001 was indeed an RPG data insert on a dummy channel on 11778V that never had any video or audio present.

It disappeared from the EPG when the first 16 itv regions launched simultaneously to the EPG at 1700 that day, despite having been on air since 5 November 2001.

The method has not been used since on any service. These days the channels are just launched on a number inserted as new, changed, or removed straight away 

They stay on air fir around 30 minutes after EPG updates, before getting switched off.

Sky Mix however carried on broadcasting in SD off the EPG.

The BBC have announced there will be a caption from 8 Jan 2024, but exactly how long it will stay is unknown.

The channel 106 on Freesat, that us now no longer in the EPG, is an MHEG slate, not MPEG2 so is invisible on most equipment. I expect BBC to transmit an MPEG2 caption with the downtime music from 8 January. For exactly how long is the big question