ITV Digital was replaced in late 2002 by Freeview, which uses the same DVB-T technology, but with higher levels of error correction and more robust (but lower-capacity) modulation on the "Public Service" multiplexes in an attempt to counter the reception problems which dogged its predecessor.
31 March 2004 saw the return of a limited pay-television offering to the digital terrestrial platform with the launch of Top Up TV.
This new service is designed to appeal to those who do not want to pay the higher subscription fees that Sky Television and the Cable networks demanded.
Now over 100 programs are broadcast overnight and added to the box's hard disk, so that it may be watched at any time.
The pilot paved the way for full switch-over to digital television signals throughout the United Kingdom by the Government's deadline of 2012.
To improve long standing interference issues in the Meridian and Anglia franchise areas a small number of new transmitters will be brought into service when those regions are converted in 2010 and 2011.
Freeview HD launched in December 2009, from the Crystal Palace and Winter Hill transmitters, to coincide with digital switchover at the latter.
Telewest, a cable TV company now part of Virgin Media, distributed HDTV programs to 400 customers in the south London area.
The service is provided via a personal video recorder, branded as V+ and formally known as TV Drive.
[2] On 1 November 2005 ITV turned off encryption on all of its satellite based signals, following the lead from the BBC.
These transmissions are on a limited spotbeam which is aimed primarily towards the United Kingdom, via the Astra 2D satellite located at 28.2° east.
This theoretically limits reception to the UK, Ireland, Iceland and the northern region of France, allowing ITV to fulfil licensing agreements with content producers.
Public consultation on the Trust's provisional conclusions on the proposed BBC HD service ended on 23 October 2007.