"Possible" start date for Freesat?

[Phlog]

Just received a message from Freesat:

"Freesat is set to launch late Spring, provisionally the first week of May."

But I wouldn't hold your breath. That gives it just two months to be up and running, with products available and everybody briefed - from broadcasters to shops (and us punters, too, of course).

[maldonian]

with products available and everybody briefed - from broadcasters to shops

Only certain shops (http://www.independentelectricalretailer.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/415/A_not_so_Free-sat.html) initially.

And reports indicate Panasonic, Sagem, Alba and Humax were given exclusive rights to manufacture receivers for the first six months, with the suggestion that Alba and Sagem may be producing SD boxes, Humax an HD PVR, and Panasonic including theirs in some of their 2008 TVs. But Sagem are rumoured to have pulled out.

Edit: Welcome to the forum by the way.

[HeadBanger]

Not good news. Sky must be delighted and I suspect they will now tap up the non-Fresat independents and offer good incentives to sell their Sky Freesat instead.

Talk about shooting yourself in the foot before the race has even begun! :suicide:

[Toonaroond]

Not good news. Sky must be delighted and I suspect they will now tap up the non-Fresat independents and offer good incentives to sell their Sky Freesat instead.

Talk about shooting yourself in the foot before the race has even begun! :suicide:

I don't think they've shot themselves in the foot to be honest, it's probably fair to say that this is a marketing gamble but we've yet to see if it turns out to be the wrong choice for Freesat.

At the crux of it is the fact that they want to make as big an impact as possible as soon as possible for the launch. The advertising muscle those retailers have is immense and they'll get the message out quickly and loudly if they think they can steal a march on the competition. This is exactly what Freesat needs because how many people are even aware of the Freesat launch at this moment in time?? Freesat are simply using the retailers marketing budgets to prop up their own feeble efforts in this area.

The independents simply wouldn't be able to help at all in this scenario and ruling them out for the 6 months just makes it commercially imperative for the chosen retailers to do as good a job as possible in those 6 months.

The jury's still out on whether this was the right way to go or not and will be for a while yet I'd say. Personally I think the BBC could have been much more lively on the promotion front, I mean how many people have signed up to Sky recently that might have waited around for Freesat? I know I nearly did....

[Stephen Neal]

Surely the two main HD launch dates are for Euro 2008 and the Beijing Olympics - both HD on Freesat with a following wind. These will surely be a major selling point for all of those people with HD Ready TVs who watch Freeview.

[Lee_JTD]

"Freesat is set to launch late Spring, provisionally the first week of May."



just to confirm the likelyhood of this, i work for one of the retailers due to sell the units and have been given a date of late april for the boxes due in.

Not my area of work so i dont know anymore than that but will try and keep an eye out.

[NoDad]

Surely the two main HD launch dates are for Euro 2008 and the Beijing Olympics - both HD on Freesat with a following wind. These will surely be a major selling point for all of those people with HD Ready TVs who watch Freeview.

I think you're right. Pity England are out, I'm sure there are people who will not watch it now (like me), even in HD. Things would have been so much different with "Watch England's Euro campaign in HD on Freesat". The olympics will be a big draw but a successful platform will need quality programs of all types.

I also think the BBC and ITV want to make sure that they don't do an ITV digital (On-digital) on it. They will surely delay launch and make sure the STBs, programs, EPG and advertising cmpaign are all in place first and they are of good quality.

[Firemanpete]

I welcome the introduction of another Satellite service Mr Murdoch has had too bigger bite of the cherry and has the monopoly over satellite broadcasting in the UK, I say roll out the Freesat from the BBC and ITV lets face it some of the programmes Sky are broadcasting are not even worth switching the TV on for, thats if you dont like the American productions !!

I wait with patience untill May and we have got to remember there is a lot of people that cannot afford the Sky monthly subscriptions and cannot get terrestial digital, which after all was the objective behind this service...

:thumbsup: