"FREESAT LAUNCHES AT 12:30pm ON 6TH MAY"

[Phlog]

UKfree.tv has put up what rather looks like a press release from Freesat. This is the opening paragraph:

"Freesat is a joint venture between the BBC and ITV plc to provide a consumer-orientated free-to-air satellite reception service. Freesat does not provide any television or radio channels itself; instead it markets the channels and receiver equipment and co-ordinates the provision on an electronic programme guide."

See: www.ukfree.tv/fullstory.php?storyid=1107051366

[chrissyman]

Will i be able to use my Pace hd receiver which to be honest is pretty poor anyway, won't switch off keeps going to 4.3 etc etc and cannot get ch5 or 4 both encrypted (sky) so i think i will invest in a new freesat hd box anyway , but the pace does have an excellent picture quality.

BBC and ITV are not exactly pushing this' makes you wonder if it will be ready for launch ? i suspect there must be problems' we will see next Tuesday.

[Stephen Neal]

Your Pace box won't get the "freesat bits" - the EPG and the Press Red interactive services - and they are the only major differences between a freesat box and a FTA box. The advantage of freesat is that it is easier for the lay person to use (BBC One is on 101, BBC Two is on 102 etc.) and the EPG will allow for PVRs with better functionality than Sky+ potentially. The Press Red stuff is also important - particularly with Wimbledon and the Olympics coming up. The BBC really don't want people to think you need a Sky box to access the full range of BBC services...

C4 are uplinking a FTA version of C4 on Astra 2D which your box may find (though apparently the audio PID can be a bit tricky to find?) Five are not involved with freesat at the moment so remains encrypted. Apart from a FTA version of C4 (and possibly E4 and More4) appearing you won't notice any major differences using your Pace box.

Don't forget that the broadcasters on freesat aren't broadcasting separate versions of their channel line-up for freesat boxes (apart from the C4 FTA feed on a 2D narrow beam - which is a way of quickly getting them on freesat, because their multiple regional versions of C4 are on a wide beam on 2A which has to remain encrypted for rights reasons) - the freesat boxes are receiving the exact same radio and tv broadcasts as Sky and FTA boxes - the only difference is that there is a second, non-Sky, EPG data stream present as well now, and a second, non-Sky, interactive data feed (using MHEG5 like Freeview, not the OpenTV system Sky boxes use)

freesat receivers are already being sold (Argos and Comet stock them) and are working in people's homes - there are screen grabs elsewhere on these forums - and as the TV and radio broadcasts are the same ones Sky and FTA receivers get currently then it is only the EPG and Press Red stuff that needs to be ready for the launch (and appears to be ready now?)

I suspect the Beeb and ITV aren't plugging it yet until the receivers are fully in shops - and the full channel line-up is available - particularly ITV HD and possibly E4 and More4 (which are in the freesat EPG but still currently only radiated in encrypted forms)

They may also be waiting for a fuller range of receivers to be available - at the moment just standard HD and SD receivers are on sale, SD and HD PVRs are coming later in the year.

I don't remember the BBC launching Freeview in a blaze of publicity either - but I would expect freesat to be included in their digital TV adverts when they next run them.

[chrissyman]

Thanks for that' so i may as well stick with my pace hd box +my old sky digi box for the time being, one more question if thats ok can i get luxe hd on my pace box not sure what ch no it is.

[chrissyman]

Ahh i see that i need a motorized dish as its not available via astra 19.02

[JoeF2k2]

can i use my current sky dish to et freesat? also anyone able to point me in the direction of the required box i maybe need for the service

[mrbleu]

can i use my current sky dish to et freesat? also anyone able to point me in the direction of the required box i maybe need for the service

Yes you can use your current sky dish.

freesat boxes officially go on sale tomorow according to the relaunched freesat website - www.freesat.co.uk. Argos already list them and Comet have stock, not sure about Currys and John Lewis. It looks like the exclusivity of retail outlets is no longer being enforced, so expect to see them in smaller specialist sat shops too.

Bush and Goodmans have SD and HD boxes while Humax will have an HD box at launch.

[JoeF2k2]

Yes you can use your current sky dish.

freesat boxes officially go on sale tomorow according to the relaunched freesat website - www.freesat.co.uk. Argos already list them and Comet have stock, not sure about Currys and John Lewis. It looks like the exclusivity of retail outlets is no longer being enforced, so expect to see them in smaller specialist sat shops too.

Bush and Goodmans have SD and HD boxes while Humax will have an HD box at launch.

Excellent, thanks for that. This seems like a better option for my mum and sister for upstairs as i was gonna run feeds of the sky dish into a sky box to get the free channels for them but it appears there might be a little more FTA channels with freesat so might be better for them.

Is it the same aspect in setting up? running a feed into box from dish and doing it that way?

thanks

[davemurgatroyd2]

Excellent, thanks for that. This seems like a better option for my mum and sister for upstairs as i was gonna run feeds of the sky dish into a sky box to get the free channels for them but it appears there might be a little more FTA channels with freesat so might be better for them.

Is it the same aspect in setting up? running a feed into box from dish and doing it that way?

thanks

At the moment and likely for some time the BBC freesat box will have FEWER FTA channels on its EPG than a Sky non subscription box. Freesat will launch with just over 80 channels rising to some 200 in time Sky already has way over FTA 200 channels. Some broadcasters are unlikely to pay to appear on two EPG lists. Quoted prices for EPG listings are £30,000 for freesat with 1 to 2 million viewers within two years OR £75,000 for Sky for over 10 million boxes, which makes more sense to a broadcaster is up to them. Five and its family are unlikely to be on BBC freesat for some time.

[cooperda]

Will i be able to use my Pace hd receiver which to be honest is pretty poor anyway, won't switch off keeps going to 4.3 etc etc and cannot get ch5 or 4 both encrypted (sky) so i think i will invest in a new freesat hd box anyway , but the pace does have an excellent picture quality.

BBC and ITV are not exactly pushing this' makes you wonder if it will be ready for launch ? i suspect there must be problems' we will see next Tuesday.


Which software version have you got on your Pace - a software update might sort out your problems.

If a channel is 'encrypted' - then getting a 'new freesat box' won't make any difference - that's not a problem of the Pace box.

The BBC HD and Luxe TV (HD) do look great on this box.

But of course only the new boxes be able to show the new EGP.

Cheers, cooperda

[imigix]

Mrbleu states units on sale tomorrow morning from retailers.
I cannot find referance to this on the Freesat web site.
Please can you give more info.

[benraz69]

Mrbleu states units on sale tomorrow morning from retailers.
I cannot find referance to this on the Freesat web site.
Please can you give more info.

Freesat put a new/updated version of their site up eariler today. It appears they were just testing it though, as they have taken it down & reverted back to the old one :thumbsdow

[mrbleu]

Mrbleu states units on sale tomorrow morning from retailers.
I cannot find referance to this on the Freesat web site.
Please can you give more info.

Here is where it came from, the "new" site is now offline. Reference on right where it says April update. However, given that this was probably a beta site, the information may well be untrue, you will find out in the morning :)

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u100/g_d_a_y/freesat-screenshot-1.jpg

[chrissyman]

I have tried updating the software but it says update not available, its a pain sometimes but i guess i can live with it' bbc hd looks very good , but its most annoying when you change channels and it goes from 16/9 to 4/3 then fails to go into standby mode and you have to unplug it:mad: