Switzerland's SRG SSR begins its migration to high definition

The Swiss SRG SSR begins a plan to launch six HDTV channels in 2012 and turn off broadcasts in standard definition starting in 2015.

The Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR has announced its intention to launch six channels in high definition, through cable and satellite, at the beginning of 2012. The channels that it will initially air in HD are SF 1, SF ZWEI, TSR 1, TSR 2, RSI LA 1 and RSI LA 2. Within this migration plan to HD, SRG SSR has shown its intention to simultaneously broadcast in SD only until 2015, for cost reasons. According to the SGR SSR, half of Swiss homes would be able to receive HD signals.

For two years, the network has been testing HDTV programming that will disappear once regular broadcasts of these new channels begin.