Freesat Discussion, How will it affect ROI

TheDriver

hi All,
Just wondering how freesat will affect us, notjust from the EPG butalso channels
e.g. will C4 and C5 be on
Will a card be necessary or 2d occupied
Rumours that BBC want all UKTV channels on there free also......

Will it mean lot more for us
Further, will sky maybe block/not list some of these channels?

Mossy Monk

TheDriver wrote: »

hi All,
Just wondering how freesat will affect us, notjust from the EPG butalso channels
e.g. will C4 and C5 be on
Will a card be necessary or 2d occupied
Rumours that BBC want all UKTV channels on there free also......

Will it mean lot more for us
Further, will sky maybe block/not list some of these channels?

Whatever channels are available on Freesat will be available to anyone in Ireland with a dish pointing towards Astra 2.

five have no plans to join and Channel 4' encryption contract ends next year.

watty

Sky can't and don't block channels. To do so would be against EU law. They may not add all Free UK channels to their EPG though as they have to pay the UK companies. (The UK companies OTH pay Sky to have UK EPG entries).

The Freesat is mostly the channels you get now on a non-Sky box or with sky (some only without card or via other channesl).

The main feature is to have a a full EPG and automatic tuning on a non-Sky supplied satellite Receivers. Existing FTA receivers need manually tuned (unlike Sky) and only have Now/Next EPG.

It's possible that some brands/models of FTA recievers may have later a Software upgrade to add the Freesat user interface features. The Freesat Branded receivers will also have working "red button" features similar or identical to BBC/ITV interactive on Sky, which is currently only on Sky branded receivers.

No card will be needed. Any Encrypted or "Freesat from Sky"/FTV channels will still need a Sky Digibox.

Five has been considering becoming a pay TV only channel much like some RTL channels and Sky1 when UK Analogue closes, so they are very unlikely to join the Freesat group. C4 has indicated "interest".

Zaphod

Will Sky try and stifle the competition by making Sky+ features available to "Freesat-from-Sky" customers by applying their 'crack cocaine' philosphy?

watty

Sky+ is available already to Freesat-from-Sky customers. AFAIK always has been. Extra £10 a month or something.

It's only here you have to have a minimum sub to add Sky+ sub.

The Beeb's doing this as otherwise you have to get Sky to have the usability of Freeview. BBC doesn't want non-payTV satellite viewers to be 2nd class.

Zaphod

watty wrote: »

Sky+ is available already to Freesat-from-Sky customers. AFAIK always has been. Extra £10 a month or something.

Yes, but will Sky offer Sky+ features for free?

byte

TheDriver wrote: »

Rumours that BBC want all UKTV channels on there free also......

That could happen alright, if BBC manage to buy out Virgin's shares.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/12/09/cnbbc109.xml

TheDriver

Indeed but it has been widely rumoured on UK sites that five are now wishing to join the freesat platform especially as they stated this in the white paper initially.
I didn't mean sky would stop you but like Channel 6, things could be well down the pecking order on skys epg if they didn't want it on.
I think it can only be a good thing for us as we will get the spillover for anything the beeb can get us for free!

jonnygee

I think that a lot will depend on the price, I havent looked into it but isnt there some talk that there will be a hd freesat box, If it not too expensive then I would think about selling my current box and upgradingto hd freesat.

TheDriver

Indeed there is a lot of talk as ITV HD, BBC HD and possibly C4 HD will be on it from start according to reports so that will be very exciting stuff, boxes shouldn't be too dear

Mossy Monk

Would be buying a HD bosca if BBC and Channel 4 were available FTA in HD. Not too bothered about ITV HD. HD to them on satellite would probably be a decent standard definition broadcast.

Zaphod

Also interesting to see if the EPG data/software for the new service will be encrypted and limited to certain licensed manufacturers or freely available/open source for everyone. Hopefully the latter.

petronius

Freesat via astra/eurobird 28.2/28.5 - only HD channels at the moment on it are BBC in Test and Luxe TV. Although there is some other ones on 19.2 German and 23. Dont have a HDTV myself but the signals say they are HD!

Channel 4 is locked into a Sky deal until the middle of next year just after the promotional "launch" of Freesat but their stated aim is to get on to the platform when the sky deal expires also with more 4 & e4.

Channel 5 has yet to indicate if it wants to join "freesat" - read on a msg board that they were considering it but also Subs services.

I think RTE & TG4 should go on "freesat" and not on the Sky platform - the government proposed RTE International should be available

Mossy Monk

petronius wrote: »

I think RTE & TG4 should go on "freesat" and not on the Sky platform - the government proposed RTE International should be available

Expect lots of blocked programming if they do join.

watty

Zaphod wrote: »

Yes, but will Sky offer Sky+ features for free?

Oh..
They might. But only if PVR based Freesat boxes are competitive.

I might get tempted. Of course you would need a UK "free sat from Sky" card. It wouldn't be free with no card or on an Irish cancelled card. Eventually they won't charge extra for Sky+ or SkyHD on a subscription anyway.

radiofoot

Do you think that Sky will offer Sky Sports without the need to subscribe to a basic package when Freeview takes off?

I would buy the sports package, but there's no way I'm going to pay for the basic service that I currently get free via satellite. I would imagine many people would feel the same way.

snaps

How comes sky can broadcast all pro grammes to both UK & ROI but RTE only have rights for ROI? I dont really understand this rights issue? I know im treading on thin ice here, but the bond between Uk & ROI seems bigger than ever now, especially in broadcasting topics, Why cant the ROI/UK area all be amalgamated as one area? Most people in ROI watch BBC, ITV, CH4 along with all the sky channels on either cable/sat.

We in Ireland need to think seriously about getting our digital tv platforms sorted out here. Perhaps having the UK broadcasters take control of it isn't a bad thing. They seem to know what they are doing and most of us watch their channels anyway?

Ulsterman 1690

AFIKthe cost of programme rights for a particular countrty is worked out using a number of factors one of them being the number of potential viewers in each country.

As the population of the Republic of Ireland is much smaller than the population of the UK the additional cost to a UK broacaster of acquiring Irish rights is pretty much negligible (and in some cases can be outweighed by increaced ad revenue/lack of encryption costs) on the other hand the additional cost to an Irish broadcaster of acquiring rights for the UK would be considerable even if (as I suspect would be the case) if the viewership was largely confined to the Irish expat community.

Also for a broadcaster like the BBC a very high proportion of its programmes are made or commissioned by it so it isint as much of an issue for them.

Of course there would be nothing (other than the idiotic and commercially suicidal contract that they signed with $ky) to stop RTE turning off the encryption while theyre broadcasting domestically produced programmes.

Mossy Monk

snaps wrote: »

Perhaps having the UK broadcasters take control of it isn't a bad thing.

I disagree completely. Why anyone would want a foreign country to control their home broadcasts is beyond me.

'And now the news from your region'

No thanks. It is fine as it is.

ShaneOC

Dear Santa,

Please can you ask the elves to develop a freesat box with the following features in time for next Christmas.

1. HD
2. PVR
3. Blu-Ray Player
4. DVD (or maybe even Blu-Ray) recorder.
5. DIVX

It'll help reduce the clutter under the TV.

Thanks
ShaneOC

kilasser

ShaneOC wrote: »

Dear Santa,

Please can you ask the elves to develop a freesat box with the following features in time for next Christmas.

1. HD
2. PVR
3. Blu-Ray Player
4. DVD (or maybe even Blu-Ray) recorder.
5. DIVX

It'll help reduce the clutter under the TV.

Thanks
ShaneOC

6. Terrestrial tuner

Charles Slane

kilasser wrote: »

6. Terrestrial tuner

7. DTT tuner.

8. Slot for making toast!

Zaphod

watty wrote: »

Of course you would need a UK "free sat from Sky" card. It wouldn't be free with no card or on an Irish cancelled card.

Or they could just "uncripple" all Sky+ boxes, regardless of whether a card is inserted or not or the type of card inserted. Sky's version of the Trojan horse sitting in the living room.

ShaneOC

Charles Slane wrote: »

8. Slot for making toast!

Don't be silly, you'd burn the television if you had a DTTWT* box under it.

* Digital Terrestrial Tuner With Toaster

Zaphod

There is a profile of Arqiva in the current issue of SatMagazine, where they discuss some of the issues with the Freesat EPG and how they expect to "light up" a 72MHz TP shortly on Eurobird.

Free download:
http://www.satmagazine.com/cgi-bin/display_edition.cgi

I wonder if we will see repeats of the 'Setanta problem' in Ireland, when poorly aligned minidishes will mean the picture will be OK (e.g. from 2D) but the EPG data (from Eurobird) will be non-existent? It would also account for why they are rumoured to prefer Zone 2 dishes for GB.

digitaldr

Will there be any attempt to restrict Freesat HD to UK inhabitants such as needing to get a card posted to a UK address?

Tony

As far as I am aware there will be no viewing cards

digitaldr

That's great news Tony. Ideally I'd like a PVR HD box - will these available at launch or will currently available ones be ok?

Kotek Besar

digitaldr wrote: »

That's great news Tony. Ideally I'd like a PVR HD box - will these available at launch or will currently available ones be ok?

Why not be Be the first to know when freesat launches?

marclt

benifa wrote: »

Why not be Be the first to know when freesat launches?

They want postcodes... anyone know the one for the BBC??? LOL!

Kotek Besar

marclt wrote: »

They want postcodes... anyone know the one for the BBC??? LOL!

I know you were joking, but anyway..

BBC Television Centre
London
W12 7RJ

jonnygee

digitaldr wrote: »

Will there be any attempt to restrict Freesat HD to UK inhabitants such as needing to get a card posted to a UK address?

Im not sure on this, does anyone know if the boxes will be on sale in the south or will they have to be purchased from northern ireland.

TheDriver

I'm sure they will be cardless boxes that will ultimately make their way to the south through the usual vendors.....

Rippy

jonnygee wrote: »

Im not sure on this, does anyone know if the boxes will be on sale in the south or will they have to be purchased from northern ireland.

As there are no viewing cards or other encryption involved, the boxes should be readily available from wholesale outlets in the UK. I certainly intend to stock and install them.
BTW Panasonic are gearing up to launch TVs with integrated Freesat tuners. http://tinyurl.com/2lf4gy
Hopefully they will also have an analogue terrestrial tuner for RTE, TV3, TG4.

TheDriver

Thats if of course the thing ever gets off the ground, seems like delay after delay. The spring start looks unlikely at this stage. Will all be good when it does take off all the same

grahamo

I've heard the BBC freesat box will be a HD box. Does anybody know if it will contain a hard drive for recording?

Tony

Nobody knows anything for sure until the boxes are actually launched

corcaigh07

noob question,if you dont want HD, do you still need a new box for Freesat?

Mossy Monk

No, you can use any FTA STB to receive the channels that will be on this Freesat service. You can use a Sky box to receive the channels.

Zaphod

Diaspora TV to be on air by next St. Patrick's Day

Paris 17th March 2008

This St. Patrick’s Day, Communications Minister Eamon Ryan announced that Diaspora TV would be on air in the UK by next St. Patrick’s Day. Diaspora TV will be an RTÉ channel available on the new Freesat service in the UK.

This channel will be a hybrid of RTÉ One and RTÉ 2 with some additional programming from TG4. The One, Six-One and 9 o’clock news bulletins will be carried live. It will carry a range of home-grown Irish programming that will be of real interest to Irish communities abroad.

Minister Ryan: The 2001 Census in Britain records a figure of 850,000 Irish born people living in Britain. There is many more of direct Irish descent. I know that many of these people have been looking for an RTÉ channel in the UK for some time. I am pleased that foot of last year’s Broadcasting Act, this new channel will be up and running by next St. Patrick’s Day.

I will be working closely with Minister Dermot Ahern to ensure that vulnerable groups in the UK will be supported in receiving the service.

This new channel will provide the Irish abroad with a valuable link to home.”

ENDS

Note to editors:

Freesat is a new free-to-air satellite service that will be available throughout the UK and across the Astra satellite footprint, covering Ireland and some other parts of Europe. It is led by the BBC and ITV. Further information is available at www.freesat.co.uk

http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/Press+Releases/Diaspora+TV+to+be+on+air+by+next+St.+Patricks+Day.htm

Posted similar already in Broadcasting, but most journos have a habit of mixing up freesat/freeview/freetoview, so at least it's spelt out in black and white here.

watty

They could have been doing this since the begining of DTH satellite.

BHG

who forced tara off air - who stopped setanta getting tara tv ? who was about to enter a EPG/videoguard deal with BskyB ? who are not present in todays Parisian press release from Green Minister? & who will pay for Diaspora TV. (btw i hate the working title name) What was wrong with RTE International. notice RTE is not in the name 'Diaspora TV' nor do they run the release as news today on their website. nor does the release say how Diaspora TV is to be paid for.

But at long last we are not listening to the 'blackout' argument. As far as I can see today's release has more to do with next mondays MW closure than march 17th 2009 and a TV service watty pointed out could have been done years ago.

byte

I hope to Jaysus that Diaspora TV is not going to be the final name of the channel!

Anyway, will believe it when I see it.

Foggy43

I have just consulted my dictionary.

Diaspora

noun
1. exile of Jews from Israel: the dispersion of the Jews from Palestine following the Babylonians' conquest of the Judaean Kingdom in the 6th century bc and again following the Romans' destruction of the Second Temple in ad 70
2. Jews living outside Israel: the Jewish communities living outside either the present-day state of Israel or the ancient biblical kingdom of Israel


Microsoft® Encarta® 2007. © 1993-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

I just do not know what to say!

Kotek Besar

Foggy43 wrote: »

I have just consulted my dictionary.

Diaspora

noun
1. exile of Jews from Israel: the dispersion of the Jews from Palestine following the Babylonians' conquest of the Judaean Kingdom in the 6th century bc and again following the Romans' destruction of the Second Temple in ad 70
2. Jews living outside Israel: the Jewish communities living outside either the present-day state of Israel or the ancient biblical kingdom of Israel


Microsoft® Encarta® 2007. © 1993-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

I just do not know what to say!

I'd say it's meaning in this context is more towards the Irish diaspora - or put simply, the Irish expatriate communities.

Tony

Its a working title guys nothing to worry about.

muincav

byte wrote: »

I hope to Jaysus that Diaspora TV is not going to be the final name of the channel!

Anyway, will believe it when I see it.

Sorry lads cant resist it - Diarrhoea Tv:rolleyes:

watty

Foggy43 wrote: »

I have just consulted my dictionary.

Diaspora

noun
1. exile of Jews from Israel: the dispersion of the Jews from Palestine following the Babylonians' conquest of the Judaean Kingdom in the 6th century bc and again following the Romans' destruction of the Second Temple in ad 70
2. Jews living outside Israel: the Jewish communities living outside either the present-day state of Israel or the ancient biblical kingdom of Israel


Microsoft® Encarta® 2007. © 1993-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

I just do not know what to say!

De Danann = Lost tribe of Dan
(They left Israel and took to the Phoenician ships)

corcaigh07

what a terrible name! pity its just a kinda of highlights channel, i want the four channels free to air and be gone UHF!

dbentham

Just a quick question - if I buy a tv from the UK with integrated 'freeview' tuner, will this feature pick up any stations? I am based in Dublin and already have Sky+ but was wondering if 'freeview' will pick up any additional stations.

Tony

Freeview is a terrestrial system nothing to do with satellite, you would need a separate aerial pointed at three rock if you are in Dublin to get anything.