BBC and ITV launch free satellite service

[raff]

BBC and ITV launch free satellite service

A free-to-view satellite TV service has been launched today by the BBC and ITV.

Freesat will enable 98% of UK households to watch digital TV, including some of those currently unable to receive digital programming through a Freeview box.

Customers will make a one-off payment for a satellite dish, set-top box and installation, but will pay no monthly subscription costs. The service will be available from around £129.

The service will launch with 80 digital TV and radio channels – including the BBC’s high definition channel. ITV’s HD channel will be exclusive to Freesat when it launches later in the year. The number of channels is due to expand to 200 by the end of 2008.

The service will compete with Sky’s own free-to-view satellite service, which currently offers around 200 channels to 98% of the country for a flat-rate cost of £150.

Emma Scott from Freesat said the new service would make it far easier for people to watch HD programmes. “With more than 9.6 million HD-ready televisions already sold in the UK, but only a tiny fraction of those who own them currently able to receive HD programmes, there’s a big opportunity for Freesat to lead the way in introducing the UK to high definition viewing,” she said.

However, those wanting to watch high definition TV through Freesat will have to pay extra. The high definition box required to watch HD programming will cost £120, while a standard definition box will cost £49. Installation costs will be around £80.

All the hardware required can be bought from high street retailers, and digital television recorders (which enable viewers to pause, rewind and record live TV) will go on sale later in the summer.

Michael Grade, executive chairman of ITV, said: “The launch of Freesat is the final piece in the digital jigsaw and will ensure that all viewers in the UK have access to free-to-air digital and high definition television. We will launch our HD service with an unrivalled line up of premium football including the FA Cup, England internationals and UEFA Champions League from next season.

 

[torrentthief]

here is the source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7384928.stm

 

[grant]

Transponder scan

Got a motorized system.
Can anyone tell me how to get the new bbc/itv channels
Tried a transponder scan with a dreambox 500s but I don't know what to look for, nothing new came up

 

[Digicon]

Got a motorized system.
Can anyone tell me how to get the new bbc/itv channels
Tried a transponder scan with a dreambox 500s but I don't know what to look for, nothing new came up

I am not too sure on this but i did read that both BBC/ITV have somehow done some form of encryption that will only allow a legit Freesat box to recieve these channels, How true this is i do not know that could explain why you cannot find the channels

ITVHD (the test anyway) is being hidden from "manual tuning" on Sky-HD STBs - and from almost all FTA satellite receivers - by "bending" the DVB transmission parameters - possibly in a way that OFCOM will object to! It's certainly not very DVB-compliant!

http://www.itv.com/Help/ITVHDQuestions/default.html

 

[pinkhelmets]

High definition channels require a High Definition capable receiver & the dm500s is only standard definition. There arent any new channels anyway at this point today, but you can now get E4 More and Channel4. See the Euro-sat section for details.
The new bbc/itv receivers offer a new standard EPG that will be direct competition to sky. Hope that helps explain.

 

[grant]

High definition channels require a High Definition capable receiver & the dm500s is only standard definition. There arent any new channels anyway at this point today, but you can now get E4 More and Channel4. See the Euro-sat section for details.
The new bbc/itv receivers offer a new standard EPG that will be direct competition to sky. Hope that helps explain.

thanks m8 :Cheers:

 

[nohidingplace]

anyone know if the HD box can be used to decode other sats HD stuff?

 

[telewestTUM]

anyone know if its possible to stream an incoming HD stream on a dreambox 500 to a pc using dreamview and view it? i know box cant handle it but thought maybe it could pass it onto the pc which can?

 

[krazylegz]

i wouldnt have thought so m8 as i'll only really sream what the box can see which will probs be just a green screen or blanc screen...............i might be wrong tho