[Merged]BBC Trust provisionally approve "Freesat"

[Cobbydaler]

Link (http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/news/press_releases/27_02_2007.html)

Do people think this is a good idea? Seems an expensive way of bridging the gap in Freeview coverage until analogue is turned off...

[Hugh]

Are there any cost estimates? (couldn't see any in the link, except "The costs to the BBC are modest and comparable with those of Freeview. Launching the proposition as a joint venture would further increase value for money.")

[RS100]

BBC Trust provisionally approves Freesat

12:15pm: The BBC Trust has provisionally approved the launch of Freesat, the corporation's proposed free-to-view satellite service in partnership with ITV. More follows.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/consult/open_consultations/freesat.html

[Hugh]

cobby beat you to it...
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/64/33609139-bbc-trust-provisionally-approve-freesat.html

[AndyCambs]

The link doesn't work - but it does say here may be delayed until autumn 2007 though.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5172378.stm

[Horace]

All BBC and ITV channels are already free to air on satellite and have been for a long time. Not sure exactly what difference this ruling makes apart from making it official.

[RS100]

LOL COOL:)



cobby beat you to it...
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/64/33609139-bbc-trust-provisionally-approve-freesat.html

---------- Post added at 13:48 ---------- Previous post was at 13:47 ----------

Well another upper cut to murdoch is welcome by me freesat bring it on:)

---------- Post added at 13:49 ---------- Previous post was at 13:48 ----------

sorry about that here is correct link http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/consult/open_consultations/freesat.html

mods can you please merge this thread with the other one

The link doesn't work - but it does say here may be delayed until autumn 2007 though.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5172378.stm

[etccarmageddon]

All BBC and ITV channels are already free to air on satellite and have been for a long time. Not sure exactly what difference this ruling makes apart from making it official.the PVR functionality - that's the biggest threat to SKY as it competes with the SKY+ product but subscription free.

[Cobbydaler]

Plus guaranteed subscription free HD content, which terrestrial digital will have limited bandwidth for I believe?

[RS100]

If you read the pdf's PSB FREESAT will be the name of the system

[12noon]

It's just been on the BBC news on TV.
;)
It didn't say that much about it though.

[Paul K]

How can they call it freesat when sky have already launched their own not so free "Freesat"?
http://www.freesatfromsky.com

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

So how many STB's are people going to need!

[Chris]

How can they call it freesat when sky have already launched their own not so free "Freesat"?
http://www.freesatfromsky.com

Because BBC/ITV already trademarked 'Freesat'. They originally announced this two years ago but it has been bogged down in STB specifications ever since, plus the fact that C4 and C5 are currently locked into encryption deals with $ky that would prevent them being available in the clear. There is no point launching Freesat until it can offer at least the same channels as Freeview.

Sky's service is called 'Freesat from Sky' because they can't call it 'Freesat'. And it is widely believed that they only launched it to try to spoil the BBC/ITV effort.

Digital terrestrial TV is limited in a couple of very important ways. First off it is going to be many years after analogue switch-off before it gets anywhere near blanket coverage of the UK; there are hundreds of fill-in transmitters that will not be digital-enabled on switchover day or for a long time afterwards. So it's important, seeing as we believe in universally available public service broadcasting in this country, to make provision for those who will not be able to get a DTT signal. The other biggie is that Freeview can't support HDTV, so Freesat will be the best -in fact the only- way to deliver subscription free HD content in the medium term.