Five HD launches on Sky in July

mrdtv2010

http://corporate.sky.com/investors/press_releases/2010/Five_HD.htm

Exclusive to Sky, no Freesat and no FreeviewHD before 2012 following Ofcom's decision earlier this week to revoke their Freeview HD reservation. A classic Sky 'sweetheart' deal. Its going to be FTV and unlikely to be distributed in Ireland. Those with relatives in NI should get that card as it gives everything in Ireland apart from TV3 and all UK HD channels.

Mr McBoatface

Thanks for the info . Would I be correct to assume as it's going to be FTV people with a Freesat from sky card and a HD box can recieve this ?

BArra

will it be possible to tune it into other channels on a skyHD box for those of us in ROI to view it?

gtg60

BArra wrote: »

will it be possible to tune it into other channels on a skyHD box for those of us in ROI to view it?

Too early to tell, if indeed it is FTV then only a UK card or UK FTV card will allow you to watch it.

If it goes the route of E4 HD then potentially you will need a HD sub OR even a UK HD sub (worst case scenario).

Only time will tell!

mrdtv2010

gtg60 wrote: »

Too early to tell, if indeed it is FTV then only a UK card or UK FTV card will allow you to watch it.

If it goes the route of E4 HD then potentially you will need a HD sub OR even a UK HD sub (worst case scenario).

Only time will tell!

IIRC Five only have rights for the UK to their US shows and therefore it may well be UK only. Its definitely going to be FTV as Sky are bankrolling this deal and have stepped in quickly after Ofcom vetoed Five going on FreeviewHD this week. Its likely to be a two year deal until the new sister satellite to 2D goes up and then FiveHD will probably go FTA like ITV HD and eventually 4HD. NB ITV1HD is testing right now and its identical to the FreeviewHD feed in PQ. (Probably the same source).

gtg60

mrdtv2010 wrote: »

IIRC Five only have rights for the UK to their US shows and therefore it may well be UK only. Its definitely going to be FTV as Sky are bankrolling this deal and have stepped in quickly after Ofcom vetoed Five going on FreeviewHD this week. Its likely to be a two year deal until the new sister satellite to 2D goes up and then FiveHD will probably go FTA like ITV HD and eventually 4HD. NB ITV1HD is testing right now and its identical to the FreeviewHD feed in PQ. (Probably the same source).

Another reason for people to use my excellent post on how to get a FTV card over here

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055800625

Interesting but won't be going down the T2 route until I can get a twin DVB-T2 tuner for my HTPC (won't be holding my breath!)

Mr McBoatface

@ gtg60 :- Your post has been used by many a board member including myself, as far as I'm concerned It's up there as one of the the most useful posts ever !!! It may even make you a god amongst men :-)

gtg60

jobyrne30 wrote: »

@ gtg60 :- Your post has been used by many a board member including myself, as far as I'm concerned It's up there as one of the the most useful posts ever !!! It may even make you a god amongst men :-)

:o:o

Should have been stickied not locked.

At least it hasn't been deleted and we can still post the link.

redout

I heard FIVE messed up their freeview application and have missed out until 2012 at the earliest and their slot was handed to the BBC.

mrdtv2010

redout wrote: »

I heard FIVE messed up their freeview application and have missed out until 2012 at the earliest and their slot was handed to the BBC.

Exactly!

The Cush

The launch of five-HD on satellite seems to be following a trend set in Gerrmany by the the private (commercial) terrestrial broadcasters incl. five's owners RTL, who have decided to launch their HD channels encrypted on Astra requiring a dedicated STB and smart card which will be free for the first year and cost €50 per year therafter.

Commercial broadcasters throughout Europe have found that there is little financial gain and a lot of costs associated with launching HD channels. So the move to encrypted pay HD channels from satellite seems to be the chosen option.

RTL are also in the process of launcing pay DTT channels in Germany. Could five or its sister channels go pay in future?

mrdtv2010

The Cush wrote: »

The launch of five-HD on satellite seems to be following a trend set in Gerrmany by the the private (commercial) terrestrial broadcasters incl. five's owners RTL, who have decided to launch their HD channels encrypted on Astra requiring a dedicated STB and smart card which will be free for the first year and cost €50 per year therafter.

Commercial broadcasters throughout Europe have found that there is little financial gain and a lot of costs associated with launching HD channels. So the move to encrypted pay HD channels from satellite seems to be the chosen option.

RTL are also in the process of launcing pay DTT channels in Germany. Could five or its sister channels go pay in future?

Not quite correct. Five wanted to sublease the offpeak time on the Freeview HD capacity but couldn't find a taker, and so gave up primarily because of their heavy losses (£20 million pa). Uncle Rupert stepped in yesterday with an offer similar to that for 4HD: pay some of the startup costs, and the transmission and EPG costs in return for a period of exclusivity. 4HD's exclusivity ended last autumn, its now on Virgin cable networks, and starts on Freeview HD before Easter (but not in Wales where it will be replaced by S4CHD). The fourth slot on the Freeview HD mux reverts to the BBC because of the rules and Ofcom intends to advertise the fifth slot next year which Five intends to apply for next year with a view to launching FiveHD in 2012 via FreeviewHD. There is increasing speculation that BBCHD will be replaced by BBC1HD and BBC2HD given the BBC acquiring a second slot: this makes sense as the others are now simulcasting their flagship channels in HD.

The other interesting development is that Astra 1N to be launched in Q2 2011 is being moved to 28.2E instead of 19.2E to provide additional UK spotbeam capacity there as an interim measure until 2014: this means that more channels such as 4HD and eventually 5HD can be broadcast FTA via satellite from next year, but 5HD's exclusivity term is likely to be two years.

ITV has rearranged its transponders so that ITV1HD will be transmitted via DVB-S1 MPEG4 from Astra 2D. and some regional English ITV1 services have been shunted off to Astra 2B and are now encrypted. Finally ITV1HD is not on the Sky EPG in Scotland or Northern Ireland and in the case of Freesat you will have to use an England or Wales postcode to get it on the EPG, so 'add channels' will remain in vogue. UTV & STV are planning their own HD channels.

In Germany ARD and ZDF are in HD in the clear via 19.2E and this makes the situation rather more complex, especially as analogue satellite is still very popular, and FTA SD MPEG2 satellite has 10.0 million homes! I wonder if this scheme will work as there is a marked aversion to pay-tv in Germany.