Chris

I'd hazard a guess that the overwhelming majority of Sky's customers don't even know you can manually tune the box, and wouldn't want to try even if they did know how.

It is inevitable that, over time, a lot of channels that are currently encrypted will go FTA. This will be thanks first to the BBC who used their muscle to get one of the Astra transponders refocused on the UK only (thereby solving rights issues), then with ITV formed a marketable, alternative proposition to Sky. It becomes worthwhile for other channels to make the jump to FTA and to develop interactive services if they think someone is actually watching. Which wasn't happening before, because until now FTA DVB-S boxes have been a hobbyists product available in Maplins, rather than a consumer product available in Currys and John Lewis.

Hands up who thinks C4's channels, and Five's, later this year, would have gone FTA if it hadn't been for Freesat?

Sky are doing nobody any favours here. Any benefit anyone is getting from this is because of the existence of Freesat. This is what happens in a market where there is a choice, rather than a single supplier calling all the shots.

Some things the Sky STB spec doesn't have:

- Ethernet, therefore no possibility of a broadband return path and therefore nothing even close to VOD from the iPlayer or 4OD
- ITV HD (not something I'm enthused about personally, but each to their own)
- Integrated TV/receiver equipment