Freeview "overtakes Sky Digital"

**Matt D** · 19-04-2007, 19:14

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6571203.stm

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBC News

Freeview is now the most popular way to watch multi-channel TV in the UK, according to the digital service.

Freeview said 8.2 million UK homes now received the service on their main TV sets, based on figures up to March.

Its biggest rival, Sky, had almost eight million subscribers at the end of 2006, while cable broadcaster Virgin Media had three million customers.

Also...

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBC News

Freeview has also announced the launch of Freeview Playback, a digital recorder intended to replace video and DVD recorders.

Hmm. Will it offer anything extra over what all the various existing DTT PVRs can do, or is it simply a "Freeview" branded PVR?

Central · 19-04-2007, 21:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6571203.stm

Also...

Hmm. Will it offer anything extra over what all the various existing DTT PVRs can do, or is it simply a "Freeview" branded PVR?

To be fair Sky is a Pay TV where as Freeview is not. If Freeview was a pay tv would they still be beating Sky?

awibble · 20-04-2007, 09:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Be*

To be fair Sky is a Pay TV where as Freeview is not. If Freeview was a pay tv would they still be beating Sky?

freesat is free tho, i think i read somewhere that skys figures include freesat.

andygrif · 20-04-2007, 10:07

Where?

This official document clearly says not. http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_...ease031106.pdf - see page 13.

toots66 · 20-04-2007, 11:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt D

Hmm. Will it offer anything extra over what all the various existing DTT PVRs can do, or is it simply a "Freeview" branded PVR?

IIRC, it's supposed to have series link and PDC-like features.

awibble · 20-04-2007, 13:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by andygrif

Where?

This official document clearly says not. http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_...ease031106.pdf - see page 13.

Not sure... carn't get that document to open tho.

I'll keep an eye out for where i read it tho.

andygrif · 20-04-2007, 14:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by awibble

Not sure... carn't get that document to open tho.

I'll keep an eye out for where i read it tho.

It's a PDF file from Sky. Here's the bit I was talking about as an image for you, and I have highlighted the official position.

**Stuart C** · 20-04-2007, 14:15

I have to admit, I'd have been surprised if Freeview didn't overtake Sky. Not because it is a better service (it isn't, although Freeview is good), but because it's getting near impossible to buy a TV without a Freeview decoder built in..

awibble · 20-04-2007, 17:19

hmm, wonder where i read about it been combined figures, it could of been somewhere else, there again freesat was only recently approved wasnt it?

i wish i could get my freeview tuner to un-tune its self as ive disconnected the areal atm.

**Matt D** · 20-04-2007, 18:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by toots66

IIRC, it's supposed to have series link and PDC-like features.

Hmm. I'm sure the various existing DTT PVRs have that anyway, at least some of them.

Gareth · 21-04-2007, 13:34

I concur - hardly surprising really, but then again it is Freeview themselves who are reporting this as news.

A better comparison would be the number of subscribers of paid-for services from Sky, NTL and Top Up TV.

Freeview is ....er, free (once you've paid your licence fee), much like terrestrial TV. So maybe we should compare Freeview to terrestrial telly..? Also, what do they mean by "multi-channel TV"? We've had more than one channel on terrestrial for donkeys' years now.