'Film 4' free from Sunday July 23rd...

[gameboy]

From Sunday July 23rd 'Film 4' is free on cable, satellite and Freeview.

From 3 pm until 3 am wall-to-wall movies 7 days a week.

Looks like they have something for everyone...

[Channel Hopper]

There's a catch

[BarMoo]

Indeed. Wall-to-wall adverts, LOL.

If its anything like the main channel: that'll be ONE HOUR in every FOUR: oh, and don't forget the sponsorship tie-ins to up profits even more.

Still, for those just interested in the 'free' aspect - Enjoy! You'll make Andy Duncan a happy man, hehe.

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[600]

Will this be available to us poor folks in Southern Greece? Or just the chosen few with Astra 2D coverage?

600

[BarMoo]

With the exception of the main channel (Channel4) all their other ventures are on 2D. Don't quite understand the question

The upshot is - if you cannot receive E4, More4 or Film4 (10729 V tp 42) - like, now - then don't expect to see it in your region after the 23rd July.

Have to say 600, if you have a half decent collection of DVD's, I don't think you will be missing much - and DVD's don't have 4 ill-timed commercial breaks in the hour, LOL.

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[BGonaSTICK]

LOL, I've never known anyone moan so much about something that's free

How many people subscribed before, and can say that their viewing's been ruined?

[BarMoo]

I can put up with a channel being free, but it depends on the content.

Channel4 and Five get on my tits with the number of commercials - that's why I bought an hdd recorder so I could skip them. Fine if its BB or the F Word or that gizmo show on five, or, even QVC (sic). What is totally unbearable is if its a film - even with a clever PVR.

five and Channel4 just cut in ads where the computer says so, its bubblegum to them - but I want to watch something where the flow is maintained, blah blah.

I don't like people who munch loud stuff in cinemas either.

Agreed, audience share and income rose dramtically when E4 went FTA; which is why almost all Channel Four channels are, now, FTA. And when F$Weekly disappears, there will be enough room to squeeze on the main PSB on 2D as well. So it won't be long before poor Greece sees nothing at all from channel4.

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[T_G]

The ad breaks are annoying, but it could be worse - you might be watching German TV. Their breaks are twice as long and 4 times more annoying...it is all relative. If they will bring good movies I don't mind the odd break.

[BarMoo]

I have been wading through my old Brit VHS's since my Panny 30 went ape and some of them have adverts at the head of the tape. Thankfully, they can be spooled-through too

It got me thinking. Why couldn't FreebyFilmFour have 16 mins of commercials at the top of every hour - then users could enjoy the film.

German TV commercials? I'll keep my mouth shut: given that over the years I have edited my fair share of 'em (the decent one's that is).

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[T_G]

German TV commercials? I'll keep my mouth shut: given that over the years I have edited my fair share of 'em (the decent one's that is).

.

WTF!?! You're one of THEM? Obviously you didn't do a good job...shoudda cut out much more

[BarMoo]

Well if by removing Nivea woman zits, making BMW's look unscratched, tracking DE logos/text onto American Kellogg's spots, adding captions and having arguments about extending the 'enjoyment' shot - yes, I guess I am one of them: but you don't have to hold it against me.

Maybe that's why I hate adverts so much

[never thought about it till now]. I always watched the BBC at home (until they moved to 2D) - LOL.

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[T_G]

Well, it's a job...someone's got to do the dirty work...might as well be you...

I am ok with the ads as long as they don't get too long, I think UK TV just about has it right, and it seems the watchdog has teeth. In Germany, the ads are horrible and most stations ignore the rules about length, content etc.

[BarMoo]

Well, it's a job...someone's got to do the dirty work...might as well be you....

Well, its the best paid labourer's job i've ever had, hehe. Mind, if you are a decent copyrighter (at the ad agency) you can double that salary. B******s.

I do like the new Pepsi slogan though - "Its the Cola" - sweet and clever.

Sorry, totally/going OT ................

Yes, Free Film4 - bring it on. Its Free innit.

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[BGonaSTICK]

Yep. Confirmed FTA this evening. Wish it was encrypted though. I'd rather have the clap than sit through 'Lost in Translation' again!

[jimbo]

I can't see what all the fuss is about .... how many film channels does one need showing movies we've probably seen elsewhere.

[rolfw]

Oh I don't know, as it is the first free to air terrestrial film channel, a landmark in my opinion and probably of concern to TCM. In my opinion TCM made a mistake by not being free to air when it launched on terrestrial digital, I could see it following suit in the medium term.

[Channel Hopper]

Sexy Beast ranks as one of my top 30 films.

Pleased to see the channel really isn't putting too many ad inserts (on the first night ).

[wod]

yeah they seem to be placed every 20 mins or so

[alcina]

I don't mind ads on FTA channels, these channels have got to be paid for some how...but I object to ads on channels I'm paying to watch! So long as Film4 doesn't get as bad as UKGold for ads (20 mins of ads every hour ) I can cope. Actually...UKGold pisses me off BIG TIME...I have paid via my TV Licence for these programs to be made by the BBC in the first place...then I have to pay again to subscribe to UKGold...and then they have the audacity to make me sit through the longest advert breaks on any UK chanel I've seen...whilst I'm paying to watch them! Grrrrrr....!!!! How many times do they want paying for the same piece of crap? I exercise my right to the off switch here...

Having said all that and trying desperately to come back on topic....I agree with the comment about anyone with a decent DVD collection need not watch Film4 - I used to subscribe to Film4 back in the OnDigital days because it had "lots of great films on"...until I realised I'd got them all on DVD anyway!

Sorry...I'll go back under my stone now
Alcina

[BarMoo]

Not too many commercial ..... yeah, only about every 20mins or so ......

I never had Film4 as a subscription channel, but a good question for those that did have it, would be: have they upped the spots now it is free to air? Or did Film4 never have ads?

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[alcina]

IIR when I subscribed to it when it was first launched, it had ads, but only in between films. It didn't break a film up - rather like watching a film on the BBC...only the ads in between the films were for more than just the Radio Times (other listing magazines available)

Alcina

[BarMoo]

Thanks for that alcina. In hindsight, GBP6.00? a month doesn't seem too bad now, LOL.

Yet in the beginning no-one actually wanted to pay the extra.

Still preferred the old TCM

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[jimbo]

I subscribed to Film 4 and it's sub-ordinates sometime ago but, gradually, their programme seemed to become distilled from what was on offer at first. Then the little free programme booklet stopped arriving and in the end I decided there was nothing really different anymore. Hence my comment above but let's see what happens.

[2cvbloke]

I remember being able to watch Film4 for free on my dad's old OnDigital box before ITV took over and messed it up, it was totally unmodified or anything, just a normal box with a genuine subscription, all I had to do was got to Channel 4's digital teletext page, then press a coloured button to go to Film4's text page then select "View fullscreen" and watch Film4 for free, had a 1cm (on a 28" TV) blue border on the edges, but it was for free...

[spiney]

Well, I think it's brilliant! For example, today they're showing Hitchcock's "Topaz", unseen on (free) British tv for a long time.

Er, were there problems last night with the video distribution? My picture kept breaking up, although reception was ok, the symptoms did suggest problems with their sdi link ......