British public service broadcaster ITV says it will stop transmitting its standard definition (SD) feed via satellite in October.
The move will impact TV viewers who have not yet upgraded their satellite TV boxes to support high definition (HD) signals, officials with ITV confirmed this week.
Those satellite viewers will need to swap their SD-only equipment for new satellite receiving boxes that are capable of decoding ITV’s HD signals from October, the broadcaster said.
Around 1 percent of ITV viewers have yet to make the switch, suggesting the impact from the impending closure of ITV’s SD feeds on satellite is small.
Customers of Comcast’s Sky satellite and Freesat are most likely to be affected if they have not yet upgraded their set-top boxes to support HD reception. Those with Freeview or Virgin Media are less affected, as those customers have had HD-capable equipment for some time.
ITV’s decision to wind down its SD feeds in favor of HD-only broadcasting mirrors a decision made by the BBC earlier this year.
