Freeview is rolling out a number of changes across the UK this week, including the arrival of a brand-new channel. Whether you watch Freeview channels via a built-in tuner in your Smart TV, a dedicated set-top box with the ability to record and pause live telly, or the Sky Q box …these channels will be coming to your screen in the next few days.
First up, Freeview is switching around the channel numbers for a few key platforms. If you use the numeric keypad on your remote to quickly jump to the right channel – or switch between multiple channels to avoid the ad breaks – then you’re going to have to memorise some new numbers. For everyone else, this change won’t do much but make it more tedious to scroll through the TV guide, since some of the channels have moved from pretty prominent positions (channel 23) to much further down the listings (channel 74).
ITV4+1 will move from Channel 60 to Channel 89, Drama +1 shifts from Channel 74 to Channel 60, and Dave Ja Vu moves from Channel 25 to Channel 74. If you live in Wales, S4CHD and C4 HD are switching places. That means S4C HD will move from Channel 110 to Channel 104, while C4 HD shifts from Channel 104 to Channel 110.
Why the relocation?
It’s to make room for a trio of new channels. W is coming to Freeview for the first time. Until now, the channel – exclusive home to shows like Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, MasterChef USA, Inside the Ambulance – was exclusive to paid-for platforms like Sky Q, Sky Glass, and Virgin TV 360. UKTV, the company behind channels like Dave and Alibi, is behind the W channel.
W arrives on March 28 and will be available on Freeview Channel 25 – the spot previously reserved for Dave Ja Vu.
But as one channel arrives, another departs. Yes, Ideal Extra, previously found on Channel 94, is being removed from all Freeview boxes and devices this week. So don’t waste any time retuning your gadgets if you can’t watch shows on Ideal Extra – you’re not the only one.
