Freesat set to launch in week 18, 2008

Expat

According to an email I received from Freesat, the platform is set to launch during the first week of May, week 18.

The email read:

Thank you for your email. At present I can inform you that the expected launch of freesat is provisionally the first week of May.

With regards to your other questions, I have appointed these to a member of the team with more knowledge in these areas.

We appreciate your interest and support

Best wishes

Freesat

cdtronix

wheres all the publicity for this launch ? no one is going to even know its even launched !

Expat

Yer I would have to agree, for a service that is going to be 'The next big thing' its keeping one hell of a low profile.
You would think they would be gearing up for launch with publicity and as much information as possible! Not Freesat, never mind the launch, we don't even know when a receiver will be in the shops.

danyelle6974

can anyone tell me about this new freesat by ITV&BBC - I have a skybox with a free-to-view card so I can see ch4,ch5 and sky3.... would I need a new receiver to get these channels without the free-to-view card? i.e. is it possible to receive the new freesat through the sky box? Will the free-to-view channels suddenly become free-to-air through my sky box (apart from ch4 until it comes later) when freesat by ITV&BBC launches in May? I am well confused..... I mean one assumes a bit later that e4 will come onto freesat by ITV&BBC and when that happens will I need to switch my receiver to a bbc freesat receiver instead of my skybox? I can't imagaine that sky would improve their freesat service....

PaulR

No-one knows for sure but it's extremely unlikely that you will lose any channels on the digibox to Freesat. They will run in more-or-less parallel as they will use the same channel transmissions with only the EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) to differentiate them.

As far as the rest of your post, C4 (and E4/More 4) will probably join Freesat when they ditch encryption - but will still be available on the digibox just as the Beeb and ITV already are.

PaulR As I get older I find myself thinking about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

aba

from what ive been told my my supplyer all freesat is, is freeview via satellite
will just have to wait and see

PaulR

Well I wouldn't say it's the same as Freeview via satellite as a lot of the channels will be different from Freeview (no C4, E4 or More 4 at present and unlikely to have Five soon or $ly 3 at all).

Perhaps a better description would be to say that it's the equivalent to Freeview but on satellite.

PaulR As I get older I find myself thinking about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

OldBen

And with two HD channels, unlike terrestial freeview as Ofcom is more interested in making money than providing a TV service...

Expat

The BBC has confirmed, that the launch date for Freesat is expected to be Monday 5th May through those retailers appointed by the platform.
Updates will occur on the official site within the next week or so.
They have however suggested that whilst the 5th is the date they are aiming for, if the service is not ready, or if there is still issues to overcome, they have no problem delaying the service further.
Information has been scarce from Freesat, even their own website has no official launch date posted as yet.
Further delay could be damaging for the new platform, and may even cause frustrated viewers to use Sky's rival Freesat from Sky offering.

Freesat News page added to the main Astra 2D site:
_http://www.astra2d.com/freesatnews.htm

cdtronix

People out there are not going to understand any of this when it launches, they probably wont even know it exists ! Poor advertising campaign.

rolfw

Not so much poor, as non-existent.

It is close becoming a shambles of Terminal Five proportions.

They have made no effort to solicit the support of the independents, who as far as I can see will be left out in the cold in favour of a few multiple retailers and national or regional installation companies.

By so doing they fail to utilise a great "in the home" sales force, I have in the last four weeks installed several Sky FTV systems, as I have not been able to guarantee my customers a date for Freesat and even if I could, there is no advantage in so doing, as the work will go to a national.

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satelliteman

Will there be any advantage to having BBC freesat I wonder

$ky Freesat can be fitted for is a reasonable price, it has a well known EPG, easy to use and upgradable to subscription if needed. I can't understand why there is so much excitement regarding BBC freesat as you say smaller installer companies will not get a look in. I will continue to sell $ky Freesat and don't believe BBC f'sat will catch on... We wait and see...

RedDevil_UK

just to confirm that FREESAT is britains best kept secret.... everyone i speak to about it, doesnt know what im talking about

unless they do something fast, it will go down like a lead balloon.

andyw37

I have been informed today FREESAT will launch on May 11th ( for what reason I do not know), receivers will be in the stores for April 30th, although restrictive amounts.

This will be supported by an "aggressive" marketing campaign jointly led by the beeb and itv.

Receivers - standard box with epg as per freeview, with a favourites guide £49.95, PVR £150 and HD £250.

I have this from a good source.

PS CH4 & 5 to join in the clear imminently.

PaulR

Well that last sentence makes me doubt the source I'm afraid. C4 doesn't finish its contract with $ly until later this year and Five doesn't finish until next year.

It's not even sure whether Five will then go FTA as they weren't very keen on FTA when they signed up with $ly 3 years ago.

PaulR As I get older I find myself thinking about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

andyw37

I have just seen a freesat model working, guess what ch 4 + 5 are on the epg, forget the contract, it is not a restraining order, is it a contract yes, but with an opt out clause with no refund, just because a house has an alarm it does not mean the householder must put it on.

Do you really believe that to be seen as a viable alternative to freeview freesat wont have ch 4&5???

boredHousewife

Re: Best kept secret.

Fed up with watching dubbed midsomer murders, we've bought ourselves a satellite dish (see my System) so that I can watch bbc on astra 2d and my other half can watch football on sat 1 (german tv station). But now I've just read about this freesat thing. Or at least, I've tried to read about it, but don't seem to be able to find out a great deal. Can we use a normal technisat receiver to watch the beeb or do I need some special receiver that will available in limited supply at the end of the month? Do I need freesat to watch english tv at all? What's the difference between freesat and what is already out there? Isn't it a case of pointing the dish at the satellite and then the receiver sorts out all the available channels, or is this view too simplistic? Please forgive my ignorance. Any help/advice would be appreciated. Just to show how new to this I am, we bought the system this morning and it is still sitting there on our patio waiting for someone to mount it.

thanks in advance
b.housewife

Expat

Simple answer is not a great deal. The only difference being that with a Freesat receiver you get the 7 day epg, along with interactive services not avilable through your current receiver.

cjgall

The EngadgetHD website are claiming that the freesat service will be going live on friday 25 April.

GUNERDOO

For people without Sat TV then just maybe the Sky Freesat offer for £75 fully Installed is a Cheap way to Start Off, as they say it will cost £100 just to install Freesat. So Install SkyFreesat and also buy a Freesat Box for around £50 pounds and you have got both. Please Dont Shoot Me as this is only a Suggestion

PaulR

No shooting necessary! I'm sure that $ly have deliberately priced their offering to undercut Freesat and spoil the launch.

PaulR As I get older I find myself thinking about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

GUNERDOO

That well maybe but does it matter to someone who can get Sat TV without breaking the Bank to get started ?

GUNERDOO

Tuesday May 6th is looking good at the moment

danyelle6974

So does anyone know whether I have to buy anything or not to receive freesat (including possible ch4 channels when they all fully join)?
Here's was I have:
a sky digital dish installed by previous owners of our house which we have working receiving free-to-air channels via a second hand old sky digital box.

Will I have to buy a new receiver?
If so, will it work with the previously installed sky digital dish?

I am well confused so I would really appreciate id someone could help me out.

I was also hoping to receive a channel called "the Hits" at some point, as well as E4 and More4 - any chance of this happening do you think?

snaithg

In the short term you are probably best advised to keep your existing Sky Box as it already receives all the same channels that will be available from the new freesat service. In addition I would recommend that you purchase a "Freesat from Sky" viewing card (£20) which will provide you with all the other "free" channels available from Sky. This will boost your total numbers to well in excess of those available from freesat, at launch. Don't know offhand whether you will get "The Hits" but you will definitely get E4/More4.

Later on (once many more free channels become available), if you want HD and PVR functionality, you may want to consider purchasing a new freesat receiver.


Graham.