This week, my 8320HD displayed a Freeview network information dialogue box and also added a temporary new option to its main menu. There's been advance notification of Freeview channel changes posted up by the Freeview folks for the first time since I got my 8320HD! Apart from telling you that you'll need to re-tune your 8320HD any time after 5.00pm GMT on Monday 15th November, it fails to actually explain why the re-tune is necessary.
A Digital Spy posting makes a good stab at guessing the channel changes - some channels are moving around and others are being dropped. It looks like ITV1+1 (yawn!) is coming to Freeview in Jan 2011, though presumably only in its SD incarnation. And, yes, QVC has a Freeview contract for another 12 years - yet another good reason for the 8320HD to be able to delete channels.
Oh, and in case you're wondering why the recent BBC One HD launch never got a Freeview notification on the 8320HD, I suspect it's because the Freeview folks can only send notifications to all Freeview boxes (both SD and HD) and not just to HD-capable ones. Imagine the chaos if Freeview SD-only boxes notified users that BBC One HD was coming and they'd need to re-tune!
Re-tune update: Not a huge amount happened after I re-tuned my 8320HD on Monday evening, except for a new bizarre ITV Preview 1 placeholder channel (number 35), which has had a blank screen and no EPG programmes ever since the re-tune. This may well be the rumoured ITV+1 channel slot that's due to be filled in Jan 2011.
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