Freesat HD vs Freeview HD ?

[swayzak]

hi

I'm a bit confused now ...

I was about to get Freesat, because I wanted access to a few basic HD channels ie. BBC - I'm not really interested in Sky.

But now I hear that HD will be available over conventional aerial, with HD set top box.

Can someone spell out the main differences between the two ?

Which one, if any, offers the option for further channels to be added in the future ?

thanks

swayzak

[BrianMc]

I was about to get Freesat, because I wanted access to a few basic HD channels ie. BBC - I'm not really interested in Sky.

But now I hear that HD will be available over conventional aerial, with HD set top box.

Can someone spell out the main differences between the two ?

By using new (not yet finalised and untested, encoding technology) OFCOM and the broadcasters may be able to shoehorn a (very) few HD-channels onto DTT (at most the 5 main channels). This is unproved - as is its effect on the current SD channels (which may need to lose bandwidth!). You would need a new STB and it won't start for, at least, a couple of years.

Satellite does not suffer from the bandwidth restrictions - BBC-HD is available now and ITV-HD and C4HD should be by the end of 2008.

I would go Freesat - but you could wait for the Freesat PVR (~August) and the ITV and C4 HD channels if you wanted.

[swayzak]

By using new (not yet finalised and untested, encoding technology) OFCOM and the broadcasters may be able to shoehorn a (very) few HD-channels onto DTT (at most the 5 main channels). This is unproved - as is its effect on the current SD channels (which may need to lose bandwidth!). You would need a new STB and it won't start for, at least, a couple of years.

Satellite does not suffer from the bandwidth restrictions - BBC-HD is available now and ITV-HD and C4HD should be by the end of 2008.

I would go Freesat - but you could wait for the Freesat PVR (~August) and the ITV and C4 HD channels if you wanted.

Many thanks

Do you think further channels may be added to Freesat in the future ?

[Stiggy]

Do you think further channels may be added to Freesat in the future ?
You'll get over 500 channels now, most of them rubbish though!

Channel 5 will be missing in the short term, but eventually there will be at least one HD channel from BBC, ITV, C4 and Five.

As said above, Freeview HD is a long way off and will be a necessary compromise. I'm going to try freesat.

[White Lion]

I was in John Lewis in Oxford last Thursday (24th April) and the assistant told me that thre would be a BBC/ITV HD Freeview box available from May 2nd - and that this was hot off the press news etc etc and not many people knew about it. Can anyone confirm or otherwise this?

[Grinnders]

I was in John Lewis in Oxford last Thursday (24th April) and the assistant told me that thre would be a BBC/ITV HD Freeview box available from May 2nd - and that this was hot off the press news etc etc and not many people knew about it. Can anyone confirm or otherwise this?

I think he was confused.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7328029.stm

Freeview HD next year but FreeSat HD seems like next month. I think it's shop muppets that don't know the difference.

[Adrian_F]

I was in John Lewis in Oxford last Thursday (24th April) and the assistant told me that thre would be a BBC/ITV HD Freeview box available from May 2nd - and that this was hot off the press news etc etc and not many people knew about it. Can anyone confirm or otherwise this?

Confusing Freeview with Freesat, a big thread about Freesat boxes here...

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=749429

[2003bluecat]

To complicate matters further there are effectively 2 freesat services.

1. Freesat from Sky - BBC HD has been available on there for a while, not sure on others

2. Freesat from the BBC/ITV - due to launch next Thursday

Details are available on the forum, although the BBC/ITV freesat is clouded with uncertainty and a rather strange lack of publicity considering it's reported launch next week.

Might be worth holding out a few weeks to see what happens!

And apologies if you already know this ;)

[gizzardgiblet]

I have a sky box with a freeview card. I assume I need another box to get freesat HD but can I keep the same Dish?

Does freesat HD come from the same satellite that sky uses?

Cheers

[JayCee]

I have a sky box with a freeview card. I assume I need another box to get freesat HD but can I keep the same Dish?

Yes...you have Free-to-View, not Freeview.

Does freesat HD come from the same satellite that sky uses?

Yes, and a read of a few threads in the forum would have answered both queries.

[gizzardgiblet]

Ok JayCee. Thanks for the reply.