Sky drives HD TV in the UK - satellite broadcaster Sky aims to have 50 HD channels by Christmas 2010

UK terrestrial broadcaster Five is to launch an HD channel in July 2010, on the Sky satellite platform. Five had previously stated that it could not afford to provide Five in HD for the Freeview platform until 2012.

Five HD - the not very original but descriptive name for Five's new HD service - will take Sky's roster of HD channels committed to a Sky launch to 42.

According to The Guardian newspaper in the UK, Sky is aiming to have 50 HD channels by Christmas 2010. Sky and Five HD - read more on The Guardian website here.

This announcement about Five HD comes hot on the heels of the news that ITV HD will shortly launch on Sky. The ITV HD news was particularly welcome as ITV HD will be showing World Cup matches from South Africa in HD this summer. And now ITV HD will be joining BBC HD - which will also be showing World Cup matches in HD, and which is also available on Sky. So Sky HD Box customers can relax in the knowledge that the Word Cup will be an HD World Cup in 2010 for them.

Other HD channels coming soon on Sky include Sky News HD, Sky Sports HD 4 and Hallmark Channel HD.

Sky already have many more available HD channels on their satellite TV platform. Their current HD channel total is around 37, though as we have seen this is growing. Sky are also pushing HD TV massively by:

• no longer issuing Sky Plus boxes - instead customers get the Sky Plus HD Box (though to receive many of the HD channels they have to subscribe to the monthly HD pack on subscription)
  
• pushing their branding of Supertelly, which aims to describe in one word the amazing colour, fabulous sounds and incredinble depth of Sky HD