[Keith]

Unfortunately I can't really seeing there being an impetus on either the public or commercial side for any further conversion to HD now. The main PSBs are in HD (and regional) and I expect that's all that really matters to the government. I can't imagine they would be willing to support another digital switchover level campaign where people have to pay to upgrade equipment they (perhaps reluctantly) paid to upgrade when analogue was switched off; especially now during a cost of living crisis.

Freeview HD / DVB-T2 support has been standard on TVs for several years now. The longer time goes on the more households are likely to have TVs that support this standard (not including those using Sky/Virgin). In the short-medium term retaining DVB-T on PSB1 or PSB3 would allow for a legacy SD service of the main channels for those who's TVs can't receive DVB-T2. The other multiplex could then be converted to DVB-T2 with only variations for nations.

Similarly the commercial muxes aren't making anywhere near as much money as they used to as demand for digital linear channels decreases. The ITV annual report said SDN revenue has already dropped and will drop significantly further as long-term contracts - signed when Freeview was at its height - continue to expire and get renewed at far lower rates. I can't see them willingly investing in something that would significantly increases the amount of slots they can offer. Channels would have more leverage to negotiate lower prices when there's plenty of slots available. Even if they limit the number of slots by having HD channels, what's in it for mux operators when they're already carrying the channels in SD anyway? Worth mentioning there was nothing in that ITV report at all about preparing for any sort of investment in SDN in the future.

Perhaps the SD equipment used by muxes will become legacy and significantly more expensive to maintain in the long term? I don't know anything whatsoever about the technical side so don't even know if this would necessarily even be the case, but perhaps that's the only way T2 conversion could eventually happen. But then chances are by then the question will be if DTT itself is even worth maintaining.

Arguably by converting to DVB-T2 they could then charge more for channels to broadcast in HD instead of SD. Potentially this might then increase or stabilise their revenues. I guess though that when the SD equipment becomes too expensive to maintain that'll be the bigger incentive for the upgrades to occur.