Briantist:RT @jackschofield: @Briantist Much the best title of any paper.li I know. I even click the link sometimes ;-) jackschofield:@Briantist Much the best title of any paper.li I know. I even click the link sometimes ;-) Jrowe101:Seeeee yaaaaaa, 3DTV. W/o sports, youre done. RT @Briantist: ESPN Is Killing 3D Broadcasts By the End of the Year http://t.co/HlBNd8fLzj
There are more questions than answers about the new joint BBC-ITV Freesat project.
What we do know is that it will use the existing free-to-air BBC transmissions from the Astra 2 satellites. ITV will stop using Sky's encryption services and broadcast free-to-air from the same satellites.
BBC/ITV Freesat service will have a separate electronic programme guide (EPG), which will allow any channel already broadcasting free-to-air on digital satellite to join. If BBC/ITV Freesat will have the same channel numbers as Sky Freesat or Freeview, and who can instigate future changes is not yet clear.
No decision has been taken to mandate the use of OpenTV operating software as Sky use, the inclusion of a modem and subscriptioncard slots. Without all three of these, BBC/ITV Freesat boxes could not be upgraded to Sky's subscription services.
All of the satellite's existing interactive services are written using the OpenTV software. Without this relatively expensive and propriety software in each set-top box, providers of interactive television channels will have to duplicate their code to work on both Sky and BBC/ITV channels.
As new software wouldnt need to pass Skys approval system, this could reduce the development time.
BBC/ITV Freesat boxes wouldnt need to keep Skys constraints, so could have mobile-phone SMS technology, Ethernet ports to connect to broadband, web-browsers and file-sharing of recorded programmes.
hi guys,if anyone could help, i live in barcelona and so to recieve bbc and itv i must tune in to astra 2 28.2 and not hotbird as the shop instructed, is that correct. i can get every language except english, thanks for any advise.
kevin.
Hi Briantist,
Why is it that I do not receive all channels from Astra 2? Do I need to keep fine - tuning the dish to receive al frequencies or is the limit the size of the dish? I find I receive different stength/quality of signal on different channels. Finally (for now !), why does rain and wind [neither at extreme levels!] affect the reception so much, especially on some channels more than others?
Regards
Phil: It depends where you are. If you are outside the UK, a very large dish is required. If you are within the "normal" footprint areas, your dish is probably slightly misaligned, or you have a connection problem that is either reducing the signal from the dish. A final reason could be that the voltage signal from the Digibox to the LNB that select "Horizontal" or "Vertical" mode.
Hi Briantist,
Next problem............. New Channels are beginning to be advertised but if I re-scan to receive them I then have to remove all the channels I don't want by going through the edit mode. Any way round this?
Regards
My Freeview and analog signals are very poor so I am thinking of a satellite solution which is future proof. I have no interest in Sky so what is my best option now befor the 2008 launch of ITV/BBC Freesat?
I'd like to know the best set top box OR whether I should be patient and wait till next year.
Hi having read Phil's and Braintist questions and response (5/May/07) regarding the SILVERCREST SL 65/12 I got exactly the same problem and thanks to their talk it prevented me from buying an additional LNB thinking it has to be that, I had a neighbour try the box for me and yep it's fine, after 2 days each with apx 2hrs trying I cried to God to let me 1) Chuck it in the bin and 2) Have Analogue back with a UHF output too, how much easier it was 1st a fuzzy pic then alittle turn and WHAM-BAMM clear as a DVD on HD, Thats the biggest problem with the SCART connections they don't let you see whats going on behind the menus, My neighbour also stated that you have to be perfectly alligned for digital signals that are narrower than the old faithful Analogue signals which are too easy to find, The book ISNT much help it doesnt tell you elevations for every inch of the UK!!!! I noted another question somewhere around here " Why is my W/S LCD TV stretching people sideways" (A):Because the makers of the programs your watching are too tight to buy a W/S camera and your TV set is in either CINEMA or W/S mode, If you set it to Auto then it shrinks automatically which defies the reason for buying one, which is great for her in doors who often asks me "am I that wide?" no dearest it's my camera its not W/S
and the TV is set to WIDE all the time! well heck thats what I bought it for, not just because it uses more power than an old CRT tv! I feel guilty everytime I put it on, as guilty as the person in DVLA senting 7 pieces of paper (TREEs) just to ask me to tax my car every 6 months!
Ive worked out a simple solution to ALL TV and SAT Problems
BIN the lot and use a projector tv
Its a joke honest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But its not as funny as this below!!!!
You could always ask TV Licensing What is happening to the extra £5 we are all still paying (2 x £5 rises in one year) for the BBC to work on digital technology, and they stated last year that they would not be producing anymore digital channels, so does that mean there will be a £5 deduction in the TV licence? NO the JAGS need petrol tooo!
Hi Just looking through all these Q&A's and found them really quite usefull, but what i would like to know is when the freesat is available would we all have to realign our dish??? or can we just pop out buy a new box and plug it in.
As the New Freesat kicks off next year.And the Signals are comming from the same position as the Sky programs.Can my Sky Dish be used in the future for receiving the new Freesat Signals instead of Sky,Would it be possible to connect the new digi Box to it.
As we live on the costa blanca in spain, what size dish will be the minimum to receive Freesat for BBC and ITV? I read that Freesat is being transmitted from the Eurobird Satellite which has a larger footprint.
I too am living on the costa blanca and have a sky package with a sky plus digital receiver. This I am receiving on a 1 meter dish. When Freesat begins I am planning to cancel my sky subscription, will I be able to receive ITV and BBC with this size dish, and will my Sky Plus box still work or will I have to change the sky box.
Lin Barrett: There is no need to wait until the Freesat boxes start, your existing setup will give you the same channels. But you will not be able to use the Sky+ PVR facilities without an active subscription.
Hi everyone. Can anyone give me some advice. I currently subscribe to sky and have an SD sky + box. I want to keep my sky subscription but don't want to pay them £10 per month for HD. Will I be able to use an HD freesat box to receive the free HD channels and still use my existing sky + box at the same time? Thanks
Briantist, thanks for the advice. I'll be doing this unless Sky drop the £10 per month HD subscription fee, which seems unlikely at the moment. Cheers
Hi there, a very helpful forum. If I start using Sky Free-to-view now (am interested only in BBC and ITV channels) will these channels still be broadcast via Sky once BBC Freesat comes online? I live in Belgium. Thanks
Hi Martin, These channels are broadcast by the bbc & itv using the astra 2d satellite, they can be accessed with a sky digibox using the sky epg or by tuning a fTA digital receiver to the correct frequency, this will not change when freesat launches. So the answer is yes you can get these channels with or without a sky digibox & this isnt going to change. you will need a dish big enough to get astra 2d at your location. Mark Aberfan Aerials
Hi, I am totally confused now as I don't really understand what it means on the Freesat website when it says that the Freesat platform is being set up on Eurobird, as it has a much larger footprint. It doesn't say that the BBC and ITV will continue to broadcast from the Astra 2d satellite, and gives the impression that BBC and ITV will also move to Eurobird, meaning that a smaller dish will be sufficient to receive BBC and ITV. What exactly is the platform? and do you know if BBC and ITV, channel 4 and 5 will definately remain being broadcasting from Astra 2d. How is it that we can receive Five on a meter dish and need a 2.4 dish to receive BBC and ITV? I am living on the Costa Blanca.
I live in a block of flats with a communal Sky dish.
Will I be able to simply connect a new Freesat HD box through the existing aerial connection to receive Freesat HD in the spring of 2008?
I have an HD ready TV.
Well you know any digital sat box will receive all the free to air channela now. Except of course Channels 4 & 5. As there pretty hopeless who cares. £37 gets you all you need from Maplin. Just use existing Sky dish. Dead Easy and now need to Pay Sky anything. Long live choice!
We read a lot about people who live in the south of spain but what about us who live in the Catalunya area? We live in the Castellon area and have problems with channel 4 it always has interference any advice please would be appreciated. What do you think of the HD boxes any comments would help us to decide if we need one or not. We have just purchased a 50" Plasma with HD but do not know if we will be able to keep using our skybox when changes take place. Yours ignorant to such things.
marie bingham: C4 HD is going to be for Sky SUBSCRIBERS only until Freesat starts. If you have reception problems, you probably need a bigger dish. But check the cables and connectors are in the best possible order first!
hi there..i live in germany/dortmund and i got the Multytenne from TechniSat. it is a very smal dish (45cm) and you can get every freesat channel from 4 sat positions
(astra 19E,23,5E and 28E..hotbird 13E)
you can get all UK freesat channels without any problems..like heavy rain or snow...the instalation is very ez..just point it in the right direction ( on astra 19,2E ) and you are good to go..4 satellites in one. but you can also just use the DigiDish 45 for a single satellite.
just check out the web page from technisat
Digital television: receivers, TV, DVB-T, satellite reception, cable - TechniSat Digital GmbH and you will be free from sky:-)
i did it..and i'm very happy...
hauseter:-))
Can you tell me when freesat is launched in March will the programmes that are to be broadcast, ie Dave, become available to watch on the current Sky Card that enables us to watch channel 4 and Five. Or will we have to still pay the subscription to receive it.
Stephen Levey: I understand that this should be the case. UKTV is a joint BBC/Virgin company, so they would be fine about it, but UKTV has a long-standing restrictive contract with BSkyB.
Thanks for the rapid response to my question, I suppose we will just have to wait and see then.
Is there an actual date in March yet for the launch of Freesat? Am I right in thinking that if I use a free to air satellitereceiver then I will receive all the channels available without the need of a card, as I do already with BBC and ITV.
Stephen Levey: There isn't an actual launch date yet, I presume to stop any Sky spoiler campaign (for there will be at least one, won't there? Back when the BBC started UK Gold, sky renamed on it's movies channels Sky Movies Gold the week before as a spoiler. Yes, BBC/ITV Freesat requires no card,
23:50
on UK Free TV
All about Freesat - ukfree.tv 
First comments 
Earlier comments ◊ Later comments
Latest comments
Digital television: receivers, TV, DVB-T, satellite reception, cable - TechniSat Digital GmbH
