Discovery Channel (UK and Ireland)
Discovery Channel (UK and Ireland)
Discovery | |
---|---|
Launched | 1 April 1989 |
Owned by | Discovery, Inc. |
Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed) |
Audience share | 0.2% 0.02% (+1) (June 2019 (2019-06), BARB [11] ) |
Slogan | Make our world bigger |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Broadcast area | United Kingdom Ireland |
Formerly called | Discovery Channel |
Sister channel(s) | Animal Planet Discovery HD Discovery History Discovery Home & Health Discovery Science Discovery Shed Discovery Turbo DMAX Food Network Home Investigation Discovery Quest Quest Red Really TLC Travel Channel |
Timeshift service | Discovery +1 |
Website | discoveryuk.com [12] |
Availability | |
Satellite | |
Sky (UK) | Channel 125 (HD) Channel 225 (+1) Channel 822 (SD) |
Sky (Ireland) | Channel 125 (SD) Channel 225 (+1) Channel 343 (HD) |
Cable | |
Virgin Media (UK) | Channel 250 (SD) Channel 251 (HD) Channel 252 (+1) |
Virgin Media (Ireland) | Channel 208 (SD) Channel 209 (+1) Channel 219 (HD) |
WightFibre | Channel 75 |
IPTV | |
BT | Channel 322 (SD) Channel 376 (HD) |
Plusnet | Channel 322 (SD) Channel 376 (HD) |
Eir Vision | Channel 520 (SD) Channel 561 (HD) |
Streaming media | |
Sky Go | Watch live [13] (UK and Ireland only) |
Now TV | Watch live [14] (UK and Ireland only) |
TVPlayer | Watch live [15] (UK only) |
Virgin TV Anywhere (UK) | Watch live [16] (UK only) |
Virgin Media Horizon Go (Ireland) | Watch live [17] (Ireland only) Watch live [18] (+1, Ireland only) |
Discovery (formerly Discovery Channel) is a British pay television channel, operated by Discovery, Inc.. Its programming is based on programming produced by Discovery Networks Europe, Discovery Channel Canada and Discovery Channel from the United States.
Discovery | |
---|---|
Launched | 1 April 1989 |
Owned by | Discovery, Inc. |
Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed) |
Audience share | 0.2% 0.02% (+1) (June 2019 (2019-06), BARB [11] ) |
Slogan | Make our world bigger |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Broadcast area | United Kingdom Ireland |
Formerly called | Discovery Channel |
Sister channel(s) | Animal Planet Discovery HD Discovery History Discovery Home & Health Discovery Science Discovery Shed Discovery Turbo DMAX Food Network Home Investigation Discovery Quest Quest Red Really TLC Travel Channel |
Timeshift service | Discovery +1 |
Website | discoveryuk.com [12] |
Availability | |
Satellite | |
Sky (UK) | Channel 125 (HD) Channel 225 (+1) Channel 822 (SD) |
Sky (Ireland) | Channel 125 (SD) Channel 225 (+1) Channel 343 (HD) |
Cable | |
Virgin Media (UK) | Channel 250 (SD) Channel 251 (HD) Channel 252 (+1) |
Virgin Media (Ireland) | Channel 208 (SD) Channel 209 (+1) Channel 219 (HD) |
WightFibre | Channel 75 |
IPTV | |
BT | Channel 322 (SD) Channel 376 (HD) |
Plusnet | Channel 322 (SD) Channel 376 (HD) |
Eir Vision | Channel 520 (SD) Channel 561 (HD) |
Streaming media | |
Sky Go | Watch live [13] (UK and Ireland only) |
Now TV | Watch live [14] (UK and Ireland only) |
TVPlayer | Watch live [15] (UK only) |
Virgin TV Anywhere (UK) | Watch live [16] (UK only) |
Virgin Media Horizon Go (Ireland) | Watch live [17] (Ireland only) Watch live [18] (+1, Ireland only) |
History
It first became available in the UK on 1 April 1989 when Discovery Channel Europe was launched. It was the first extension of the Discovery Channel outside the United States.[1]
Prior to 1993, UK viewers could receive the channel from Intelsat satellites at 27.5° West. In July 1993, the Discovery Channel launched on the Astra 1C analogue satellite on the popular 19.2° East position where it used to broadcast only in the evening, starting at 4 pm. On Astra, the daytime space was filled by CMT Europe until 1994, when TLC (later on Discovery Home & Leisure) moved there. Eventually, Discovery Home & Leisure would broadcast from the morning to 4 pm when Discovery Channel took over and would broadcast for ten hours until 2 am.
With the launch of Sky Digital in October 1998, Discovery Channel moved its start time to 8 am, broadcasting for 18 hours per day. The time-shift channel, Discovery Channel +1, launched at the same time, as did several sister channels.[2] Analogue broadcasts were terminated in 2001.
On 22 May 2006, Discovery HD was made available on Sky as part of the Sky+ HD launch line up. It was also made available on Virgin Media's cable service on 1 April 2010.[3] From 30 June 2011 Discovery HD began to simulcast Discovery Channel in high-definition rather than use a separate schedule.
The channel briefly had a 90-minute timeshift, called Discovery Channel +1.5. It launched on 25 June 2007.[4] It was replaced by Discovery Science +1 on 21 April 2008.
An Irish advertising feed was launched in 2010. Sky Media Ireland operates the channel's output in terms of advertising, sponsorship and scheduling.[5]
On 25 January 2017, Discovery UK announced that they were in a dispute over the fees paid by Sky for broadcast rights and for a time it seemed as though the channels could be removed from the platform after the end of that month.[8] However, an agreement was reached and programming continued uninterrupted.[9]
Programming
MythBusters
American Chopper
Extreme Engineering
How Do They Do It?
How It's Made
Deadliest Catch
Storm Chasers
Man vs. Wild (known as Bear Grylls: Born Survivor)
Modern Top Ten
Wheeler Dealers
Coal
Fifth Gear
Bugs, Bites and Parasites
X-Ray Mega Airport