Freesat: Free satellite TV by BBC and ITV tv to launch!

[the-cable-guy]

yep if you have a Sky Digibox & a FTV card it will work, as will Channel 4 HD. however as i say freesat receivers dont have a Videoguard cam, so until Channel 4 & five go FTA you wont get them.

[andygrif]

Originally Posted by Matt D

I got my box for roughly just over half what Sky charge, via eBay, & think it was quite a good price for double the space of a Sky+ box, plus BBC HD & C4 HD, plus upscaling over HDMI of the SD channels.

How do you find the upscaling? Is it better on SD channels than letting the TV do it? To be honest, this was the real issue for me in getting an LCD panel - as the SD TV quality is so poor compared to my lovely big Sony CRT.

[the-cable-guy]

iv always wondered this also.

I'm planning to get the Panasonic HD telly with integrated Freesat for Christmas.

[Tezcatlipoca]

Originally Posted by andygrif

How do you find the upscaling? Is it better on SD channels than letting the TV do it? To be honest, this was the real issue for me in getting an LCD panel - as the SD TV quality is so poor compared to my lovely big Sony CRT.

IMO, using my equipment (now 17 month old Samsung R7 HD Ready TV), & my eyes... Yes, the Sky HD box does a *very* good job of upscaling SD channels.

Looks better using my Sky HD over HDMI with upscaling enabled, than letting the TV handle it, & certainly much better than using my old Sky box hooked up via RGB SCART. Also much better than the built-in Freeview's PQ.

[andygrif]

Originally Posted by Matt D

IMO, using my equipment (now 17 month old Samsung R7 HD Ready TV), & my eyes... Yes, the Sky HD box does a *very* good job of upscaling SD channels.

Looks better using my Sky HD over HDMI with upscaling enabled, than letting the TV handle it, & certainly much better than using my old Sky box hooked up via RGB SCART. Also much better than the built-in Freeview's PQ.

Excellent, thanks Matt

[Berealwith]

This will blow all the others away.............It's out in June.......just read the spec

All Panasonic Freesat models are supplied with HD & SD Digital Satellite, SD Digital Terrestrial and SD Analogue Terrestrial Tuners with easy user navigation between Freesat, Freeview and analogue terrestrial services.

These sets also come equipped with a LAN Connector for connection to a broadband router, enabling internet connection for future service enhancements. (Suitable broadband router and contract with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) will be required - not supplied).

All of Panasonic’s PZ81 models benefit from an optical output for Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound output for connection to a 5.1 channel amplifier, so that viewers can enjoy a home cinema surround sound experience.**

For ease of use, the TVs come with Freesat EPG and Gemstar GUIDEplusâ„¢, 7-day on-screen electronic programme guides with easy to navigate categories for both satellite and terrestrial digital services. Another easy operation innovation is Enhanced Viera Link, which allows interlinked operation of various Panasonic AV devices using only the Viera remote control, by simply connecting the devices to each other by an HDMI cable. The PZ81 also benefits from 3 HMDI Connectors

Linky http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_G...l#anker_733435

I want one.......It has lan connector, and a SD Card slot

[the-cable-guy]

? how much are those going for do uno ?

That telly is on my Crimbo list. Here's a picture of it from the Freesat Press launch:



The picture was taken by the bloke who runs www.ukfree.tv, which has been consistently the best place for news about Freesat since long before the launch.

The Freeview-only Pannys with a similar spec to this are going for about £600 in John Lewis. I expect the bells and whistles will add another couple of hundred. I reckon it will be worth it, I want a simple set-up in the corner of my room with no STBs and no cables trailing all over the place.

The only thing I want to know is, will it be wireless LAN enabled or will it need a cable ... in which case I'll be looking into getting a wireless adapter for mine, so we can make use of the iPlayer functionality that's being built into the Freesat spec.

[the-cable-guy]

yes thats correct, however all Channel 4 channels are now FTA, if you manually tune them in on a Sky receiver. i dont have HD myself but others have said that with a FTV card they get Channel 4 HD without paying a subscription.

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

[the-cable-guy]

? how are they doing no one any favours ? Channel 4 have a contract with Sky concerning the encryption of their channels (as five do) & to be fair you cant expect Sky to waver this because BBC & ITV have released an EPG. most ppl that i know (who are not technically minded) know how to add other channels & if their subscribing to Sky or have a FTV viewing card then why would they care when their getting those channels already ? also none of those integrated/ethernet enabled tv's/receivers are on the market yet so you cant compare Sky's equipment to equipment that isint even available yet.

---------- Post added at 22:30 ---------- Previous post was at 22:27 ----------

for anyone that doesnt know how here is a guide on how to add other channels on Sky: http://www.vowles-home.demon.co.uk/Sat/SkyITV.htm ignore the bit about ITV, which is out of date but how to add other channels isint.

---------- Post added at 22:33 ---------- Previous post was at 22:30 ----------

& heres tuning details for Channel 4's FTA feeds:

Channel 4: http://en.kingofsat.net/find.php?que...l&filtre=Clear

More 4 & More 4 + 1: http://en.kingofsat.net/find.php?que...l&filtre=Clear

E4 UK & E4 UK + 1: http://en.kingofsat.net/find.php?que...l&filtre=Clear

Film 4 & Film 4 +1 (which are FTA anyway so viewers with Sky receivers dont need to manually tune the Film 4 channels in): http://en.kingofsat.net/find.php?que...l&filtre=Clear

Originally Posted by the-cable-guy

? how are they doing no one any favours ? Channel 4 have a contract with Sky concerning the encryption of their channels (as five do) & to be fair you cant expect Sky to waver this because BBC & ITV have released an EPG. most ppl that i know (who are not technically minded) know how to add other channels & if their subscribing to Sky or have a FTV viewing card then why would they care when their getting those channels already ? also none of those integrated/ethernet enabled tv's/receivers are on the market yet so you cant compare Sky's equipment to equipment that isint even available yet.

---------- Post added at 22:30 ---------- Previous post was at 22:27 ----------

for anyone that doesnt know how here is a guide on how to add other channels on Sky: http://www.vowles-home.demon.co.uk/Sat/SkyITV.htm ignore the bit about ITV, which is out of date but how to add other channels isint.

---------- Post added at 22:33 ---------- Previous post was at 22:30 ----------

& heres tuning details for Channel 4's FTA feeds:

Channel 4: http://en.kingofsat.net/find.php?que...l&filtre=Clear

More 4 & More 4 + 1: http://en.kingofsat.net/find.php?que...l&filtre=Clear

E4 UK & E4 UK + 1: http://en.kingofsat.net/find.php?que...l&filtre=Clear

Film 4 & Film 4 +1 (which are FTA anyway so viewers with Sky receivers dont need to manually tune the Film 4 channels in): http://en.kingofsat.net/find.php?que...l&filtre=Clear

Not very long ago, none of the 'main' UK channels, including the BBC, were FTA. All of them were paying Sky for encryption services and the *only* way to get any of them via satellite in the UK was to pay Sky for a subscription. This has entirely changed, *because* of moves made by the BBC and ITV and now Freesat. Sky has responded to the competition and the result is, it is no longer necessary to pay Sky to get the main UK channels by satellite.

I hear what you're saying about your mates' ability to tune their own STBs but I'm not convinced that your circle of friends and acquaintances is anything like a representative sample of UK households, so it doesn't prove anything.

The fact that the ethernet kit hasn't come to market yet really isn't relevant - it is not just a theoretical part of the Freeview spec, the kit is coming. That Panasonic TV was demonstrated on launch day and it has scheduled months to go on sale later this year. All they're doing now is manufacturing sufficient stock.

I think you're clutching at straws now: I'm assuming you admit the ethernet functionality and integrated Sat receiver are actually quite nice things to have, and that's why the only thing you can say against them is that they're 'not out yet'. So tell me: which is better, a satellite receiver with a broadband return path for interactive services, or one with dial-up?

[the-cable-guy]

yes all the UK channels were encrypted however they were FTV & not pay tv, i know cuz when me mam cancelled her subscription when she had Sky many years ago we were still getting all of the UK terrestrial tv channels. its not hard to find the info on how to manually add channels & if theres the ability to do it on freesat receivers then ppl would need to know how to tune to get all of the FTA channels at 28 East. im not clutching at straws its just that you cant compare equipment with equipment that isint even out yet as you havent used it (neither have i). its like saying that a Playstation 3 is better then an XBox 360 before the Playstation 3 had been realised. i cant really answer your question about broadband return paths for interactive services as iv never used anything that has the capability, so id just be guessing if i did

Originally Posted by Chris T

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

Did the BBC manage to get Astra to refocus a single transponder, or was it a transponder on Astra 2D which has all of its transponders focused on the UK. If a single transponder can be refocused then Astra could do more of them, I don't think they can.

Sky did an integrated TV/receiver in the early days, it didn't prove popular. As far as I'm concerned I'd rather have seperate boxes, if one breaks down I don't then have to replace the whole thing. One last thing, how long do people think it will be before h.264 SD channels will start? Thats a lot of integrated TV's that will need a seperate decoder box. I'm thinking more about the Freeview TV's rather than Freesat, the Freesat ones will have h.264 decoders built in if they can already see BBC HD.

I think Sky are victims of their own success. They have been the only ones willing to spend very significant amounts of money, buying programming and investing in new technology. More HD channels than anyone else in Europe etc, but because they are a company looking to make money people will always be looking to get it cheaper and criticising.

---------- Post added at 12:44 ---------- Previous post was at 12:22 ----------

Originally Posted by the-cable-guy

yes all the UK channels were encrypted however they were FTV & not pay tv, i know cuz when me mam cancelled her subscription when she had Sky many years ago we were still getting all of the UK terrestrial tv channels. its not hard to find the info on how to manually add channels & if theres the ability to do it on freesat receivers then ppl would need to know how to tune to get all of the FTA channels at 28 East. im not clutching at straws its just that you cant compare equipment with equipment that isint even out yet as you havent used it (neither have i). its like saying that a Playstation 3 is better then an XBox 360 before the Playstation 3 had been realised. i cant really answer your question about broadband return paths for interactive services as iv never used anything that has the capability, so id just be guessing if i did

UKTV are definitely not FTV. A quick check on Sky's packs shows Dave, UKTV Drama and UKTV Gold are in the variety pack for example.