It replaced the standard BBC Two broadcast on digital services in Wales – running on weekdays from 8.30pm to 10pm.

BBC 2W was designed to offer "a unique experience unavailable anywhere else with the watchwords of topicality and style, intelligence with an occasional touch of irreverence, shining through" for Welsh audiences.

The channel received complaints from some viewers because of its policy of broadcasting only Welsh-based programmes (including many repeats) during its opt-out hours;[4] unlike BBC Two Wales which only opted out for live sport and new programming.

BBC 2W's original ident in 2001 was a bright green design with a stylised spinning cube that could transition directly into a programme menu.

[6] In 2003, a new set of idents debuted featuring a number of live action sequences where a green BBC 2W logo box is integrated into the scene as a physical object (such as on a beer tap or painted on a garage door), whilst still ending up in the bottom right-hand corner location like the usual BBC Two idents.