Freesat Competitor

irart

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2007
Messages
216
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
82
My Satellite Setup
Sky Freesat in UK,
Astra 1 ana/dig in UK
using Technomate -5000 DAPCI,
Astra 2 South Beam and Eurobird in Spain.
My Location
Cornwall, UK
I see that Freesat is to have some direct competion starting next February. It's called Real Digital and has a similar channel lineup to Freesat but with the addition of pay to view channels. You can find details of this at _www.realdigitaltv.com
 

Lazarus

Retired Moderator
Joined
May 29, 2009
Messages
27,078
Reaction score
8,664
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
80cm Motorised.
Several small Dishes.
Much else.
My Location
North York Moors
irart said:
I see that Freesat is to have some direct competion starting next February. It's called Real Digital and has a similar channel lineup to Freesat but with the addition of pay to view channels. You can find details of this at _www.realdigitaltv.com

I'm afraid the former Rapture TV, Broadcaster (Failed), appears to be closely connected to this venture and is promoting it on other Forums.

Freesat, however, is not a competitive business, a point that many seem to fail to acknowledge, perhaps because it doesn't suit their interest. It's merely a facility to enable people who choose Satellite, or who have Hobson's Choice in the matter, to carry on viewing after DSO.

The proposed platform is being supported by Fortec Star (an appropriate marriage, perhaps) and is supposed to be able to offer what hitherto are wholly unspecified additional features over and above Freesat.

Any true competition is really with BSkyB.
 

PaulR

Dazed and Confused Admin
Staff member
Joined
Jun 28, 2003
Messages
18,023
Reaction score
4,046
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
-----------See sig-----------
My Location
Wirral, NW UK and Vaucluse, France.
It's very much a web site under construction, isn't it?

It sound very much what Freesat should have been to start of with.

Really and truly, it's not Freesat that needs the competition, it's $ly. If it comes to pass it could fragment the opposition against $ly.

Also, what subscription channels will they be offering? I can't see $ly willingly offering any of theior tied channels - unless they play a really Machiavellian stroke to wipe out the opposition!
 

irart

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2007
Messages
216
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
82
My Satellite Setup
Sky Freesat in UK,
Astra 1 ana/dig in UK
using Technomate -5000 DAPCI,
Astra 2 South Beam and Eurobird in Spain.
My Location
Cornwall, UK
Interesting replies, thanks.
 

Huevos

Satellite Freak
Joined
Sep 11, 2008
Messages
6,036
Reaction score
1,273
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
57E to 58W, C-band and Ku, DVB-S2, 4:2:2 and blindscan.
My Location
38.5ºN, 0.5ºW
Tivù said:
carry on viewing after DSO.
DSO? I've never heard of that one. What is it, "Digital Switch Off"?
 

Topper

Amo Amas Amant Admin
Staff member
Joined
Nov 18, 2004
Messages
23,991
Reaction score
4,014
Points
113
Age
69
My Satellite Setup
Has gone to a good home elsewhere
My Location
Blackburn, Lancashire
Huevos said:
DSO? I've never heard of that one. What is it, "Digital Switch Off"?

"Digital Switch On" :-rofl2

or ASO analogue switch off :cool:
 

Lazarus

Retired Moderator
Joined
May 29, 2009
Messages
27,078
Reaction score
8,664
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
80cm Motorised.
Several small Dishes.
Much else.
My Location
North York Moors
Huevos said:
DSO? I've never heard of that one. What is it, "Digital Switch Off"?





Sorry - bad habit using UK Acronyms.

Digital SwitchOver


Phased withdrawal of Analogue UHF Telly by 2012, with increased power for Digital Terrestrial taking its place.

It will leave a significant minority without any viable Terrestrial Signal at all.

Hence Freesat :)
 

Analoguesat

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Messages
50,739
Reaction score
11,221
Points
113
Location
Scottish Borders
My Satellite Setup
TM 5402HD
Sky+ UK.
My Location
Scottish Borders
Tivù said:
It will leave a significant minority without any viable Terrestrial Signal at all.

And huge numbers of people with "Freeview Lite" - Half the population of the Scottish Borders only gets 3 DTT muxes as only Selkirk main tx was re-engineered for all 6 muxes.
 

Lazarus

Retired Moderator
Joined
May 29, 2009
Messages
27,078
Reaction score
8,664
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
80cm Motorised.
Several small Dishes.
Much else.
My Location
North York Moors
3 Muxes?

Luxury.


I get precisely one.
 

Huevos

Satellite Freak
Joined
Sep 11, 2008
Messages
6,036
Reaction score
1,273
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
57E to 58W, C-band and Ku, DVB-S2, 4:2:2 and blindscan.
My Location
38.5ºN, 0.5ºW
Tivù said:
Phased withdrawal of Analogue UHF Telly by 2010, with increased power for Digital Terrestrial taking its place.

It will leave a significant minority without any viable Terrestrial Signal at all.
Analogue switch off here is February and there is still only about 90% of the population covered. The other 10% are the ones that live in remote areas (the difficult ones to get signal to). And of the 90% with coverage probably only half of them are prepared. Even when there is coverage in some zones you need an aerial pointing at 3 different transmitters. My new digital terrestrial meter is arriving shortly. I can't wait (no Freesat equivalent here).
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
irart said:
I see that Freesat is to have some direct competion starting next February. It's called Real Digital and has a similar channel lineup to Freesat but with the addition of pay to view channels. You can find details of this at _www.realdigitaltv.com

Hmm, sounds a bit pony, I wonder how many pay channels they'll have and whether the fortecstar receivers will have more than the standard now and next EPG for the free to air channels.

Don't think they are in competition with Freesat, they would appear to be trying to compete with Sky, BTVision, Virgin and TopupTV.

EDIT. See they say they will have a 7 day EPG.
 

smoggy07

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2008
Messages
945
Reaction score
384
Points
63
Age
40
My Satellite Setup
Sky minidish and Sky + HD 250gig Anytime+ box with full ish appart from sports and movies, Dreambox DM500s clone (Pli Jade3 max var F/W), Motorised 1.1Meter Dish
My Location
middlesbrough, teesside, northeast coast, uk
I`ve just found out about Real TV and have been doing some reading up on it

Maplin will be stocking the first load of boxes to be released and they will offer broadband conectivity too!

Got broadband, connect your REAL Digital set top box to your Broadband service and open up a world of catch up services. BBC iplayer and other catch up services are available and a full IP media centre and VOD services are being finalized.

The was ment to start on the 1st of this month but have put back the launch date apparently

Real will be using the Conax encryption according to their site
Conax and REAL Digital have signed an undisclosed length contract bringing the world leading specialists in broadcast security to the new exciting satellite platform.

_http://realdigitaltv.com/about.html
_http://realdigitaltv.com/entry003_conax.html

I wonder how long it is before their flavour of Conax will be open on k*ys or mosc lol
 

Lazarus

Retired Moderator
Joined
May 29, 2009
Messages
27,078
Reaction score
8,664
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
80cm Motorised.
Several small Dishes.
Much else.
My Location
North York Moors
I have my doubts, based upon the track record of the key players in this venture, about whether it will last more than a few months.

And then all that hardware, bought at considerable expense, will have nothing to apply it's special features to.

Just another doorstop.



At least the informed observer will keenly anticipate the ridiculous Litigation that will surely follow failure of the "Platform".
 

smoggy07

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2008
Messages
945
Reaction score
384
Points
63
Age
40
My Satellite Setup
Sky minidish and Sky + HD 250gig Anytime+ box with full ish appart from sports and movies, Dreambox DM500s clone (Pli Jade3 max var F/W), Motorised 1.1Meter Dish
My Location
middlesbrough, teesside, northeast coast, uk
Tivù said:
I have my doubts, based upon the track record of the key players in this venture, about whether it will last more than a few months.

And then all that hardware, bought at considerable expense, will have nothing to apply it's special features to.

Just another doorstop.



At least the informed observer will keenly anticipate the ridiculous Litigation that will surely follow failure of the "Platform".

I`m not buying into it, I have a dm500 and a sky sub so I have no need for it, although the iplayer feature would be handy to have lol

I did send them a message asking when they plan to launch, the channel line up, what premium channels they plan to offer and also if I can use their card in a linux based box such as a dream box for their premium services,

I`m awaiting their reply
 

Analoguesat

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Messages
50,739
Reaction score
11,221
Points
113
Location
Scottish Borders
My Satellite Setup
TM 5402HD
Sky+ UK.
My Location
Scottish Borders
smoggy07 said:
The was ment to start on the 1st of this month but have put back the launch date apparently

Real will be using the Conax encryption according to their site


_http://realdigitaltv.com/about.html
_http://realdigitaltv.com/entry003_conax.html

I wonder how long it is before their flavour of Conax will be open on k*ys or mosc lol

If - and its a big if - they ever get on air with all the delays over the years they will be fta only to begin with. The Conax is really only for Sky Sports 1 & 2 which they will be permitted to carry.. The moment the Conax is prised open Sky can withdraw the sports channels - and that will spell the end of RD as any serious competitor to FS or MurdochTV.

Their boxes are vastly overpriced, from a company with a somewhat dubious track record of supporting boxes long term (FortecStar) and at least to begin with only available from maplin

The boxes also seem to have the requirement to have to pay for a card to activate the full epg which makes me wonder just how much actual demand there will be for them.
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
Unless you *just* want to receive Sky Sports 1 and 2 without any of the other channels that you *must* have with Sky, it seems a bit pointless to be honest.

Isn't Conax fairly secure these days?
 

Lazarus

Retired Moderator
Joined
May 29, 2009
Messages
27,078
Reaction score
8,664
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
80cm Motorised.
Several small Dishes.
Much else.
My Location
North York Moors
Well now that F1 is (to some extent) joining Croquet on the dreaded Sky, even a refusenik like my good self might be tempted to get Sky Sports if the price is right. But I'd certainly never pay for the compulsory (and unwanted) Mixes that BSkyB incorporate into their Pricing Policy.

That said, the irony is that the history behind Real Digital stops me dead in my tracks.
 

davemurgtroyd

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2009
Messages
1,314
Reaction score
709
Points
113
Age
74
Location
Oxford
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
Oxford
Analoguesat said:
If - and its a big if - they ever get on air with all the delays over the years they will be fta only to begin with. The Conax is really only for Sky Sports 1 & 2 which they will be permitted to carry.. The moment the Conax is prised open Sky can withdraw the sports channels - and that will spell the end of RD as any serious competitor to FS or MurdochTV.

Their boxes are vastly overpriced, from a company with a somewhat dubious track record of supporting boxes long term (FortecStar) and at least to begin with only available from maplin

The boxes also seem to have the requirement to have to pay for a card to activate the full epg which makes me wonder just how much actual demand there will be for them.

Apparently the EPG is also encrypted and requires the viewing card. There will also be a mini pay package called "Real Essentials" - channel line up not yet known.
 

TJExcalibur

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
1,836
Reaction score
1,096
Points
113
Age
81
Location
Out of this world.
My Satellite Setup
Master Focus 90cm .Gigablue UHD Quad 4K on TM 2600 motor. *Tm 5402 HD M3, *Atemio Nemesis. *Not Used.
My Location
Southern England
Topper said:
"Digital Switch On" :-rofl2

or ASO analogue switch off :cool:

AhSo........AhSo.jpg
 

Analoguesat

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Messages
50,739
Reaction score
11,221
Points
113
Location
Scottish Borders
My Satellite Setup
TM 5402HD
Sky+ UK.
My Location
Scottish Borders
Captain Jack said:
Unless you *just* want to receive Sky Sports 1 and 2 without any of the other channels that you *must* have with Sky, it seems a bit pointless to be honest.

Isn't Conax fairly secure these days?

Anyone want a bet as to how long it'll stay secure before its prised open when RD get their sticky fingers on SS1 & 2????

I give it six months tops..
 
Top