Future of freesat

boris232

I have been trying to convince my in-laws to install Freesat so that they can get BBC etc. when the analogue signal is gone. However someone has told them a story that supposedly Freesat will be gone in the near future i.e 2-3 years and this is putting them off.

Can anyone tell me whether they is any weight to this rumour?

Thanks

The Cush

boris232 wrote: »

Can anyone tell me whether they is any weight to this rumour?

No.

Was the person that told them trying to sell them a subscription package for Sky or UPC or were they confusing it with analogue terrestrial switchoff?

Over 2 million Freesat receivers sold to date (http://www.google.ie/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&source=hp&q=freesat%202%20million&pbx=1&oq=&aq=&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&fp=1&biw=1304&bih=559&pf=p&pdl=500&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&cad=b), it not going to happen that these viewers will be left without TV. Approx 1-2% of the UK population isn't within coverage of a DTT transmitter and this was one reason that the Freesat platform was developed the BBC/ITV.

NIMAN

Freesat is here for good. Don't worry.

boris232

Nope - it was the uncle in law telling the father in law. To be honest I think that he is mixing it up with the analogue switch off. Just had to see what people thought.

Cantona's Collars

boris232 wrote: »

Nope - it was the uncle in law telling the father in law. To be honest I think that he is mixing it up with the analogue switch off. Just had to see what people thought.

Inlaws with half assed bits of info are the worst,had one that cancelled Sky to get rid of the "filthy channels" but still had them fta and no way to block them on the skybox.:) I told her that would happen but she wouldn't listen.

Freesat is here to stay,there's too many people on it plus the thought of everything on pay tv is a no-no and the likes of Sky/Cable wouldn't be allowed to have a monopoly.

Your folks can be safe in the knowledge they'll have Freesat forever.

boris232

Thanks for that. Keeps the in-laws happy!!

homelink

[QUOTE

Freesat is here to stay,there's too many people on it plus the thought of everything on pay tv is a no-no and the likes of Sky/Cable wouldn't be allowed to have a monopoly.Your folks can be safe in the knowledge they'll have Freesat forever.[/QUOTE]


Maybe further down the road that may not be the case. The next generation of satellites may have multiple,tighter spot beams, (as with Saorsat) that would make English FTA channels difficult to pick up in Ireland.

norbert64

hehe, I don't think the idear is entirely out there, lol.

With the advent of saorview now, (saorsat some time down the line also) and the fact that general fta/dtt combo boxes are coming down in price/becoming more user friendly, I don't think Freesat have the market all tied up really.

In one respect, I guess you could say, G*D BLESS competition.

Ok, so there is always the possibility that people will get separate Freesat/Saorview boxes, or separate Fressat & fta/dtt combo boxes.
However, with the recessionary times we live in, I think if pushed, people might go for the combo or saorview stb alone rather than Freesat. :cool:

Tomk1

boris232 wrote: »

Nope - it was the uncle in law telling the father in law. To be honest I think that he is mixing it up with the analogue switch off. Just had to see what people thought.

Just go ahead and install FTA (freesat), go HD even if you don't have a HD TV. They will be delighted and for weeks will keep asking 'how much is this costing a month'....free.

NIMAN

I got Freesat in about 3 or 4 months ago, after being a Sky customer for over 20yrs.

I got rid of Sky because I found that I was rarely watching TV.

Now I still watch little TV, but at least its not costing me £540 per year.

Johnmb

homelink wrote: »

Maybe further down the road that may not be the case. The next generation of satellites may have multiple,tighter spot beams, (as with Saorsat) that would make English FTA channels difficult to pick up in Ireland.

Nah, the spot beams aren't that small, and won't be for quite a long time. We'll still get the overspill from the beam aimed at Northern Ireland in the same way that they'll get the Saorsat overspill from us even if they do switch to the Ka band spot beams for Freesat. And even that probably won't happen because there's no need, the existing beams are focused enough to satisfy the licensing agreements.

endakenny

How could your in-laws fall for this clearly unbelievable lie?

mike65

endakenny wrote: »

How could your in-laws fall for this clearly unbelievable lie?

Because most people do not spend their days on tech message boards I imagine.

The Cush

endakenny wrote: »

How could your in-laws fall for this clearly unbelievable lie?

I wouldn't call it a lie just incorrect advice from a relation based on something he read or heard. Happens all the time even here on this forum.

Cantona's Collars

endakenny wrote: »

How could your in-laws fall for this clearly unbelievable lie?

Wasn't a lie,just misinformation,see the OP's post#4.

@ The op,take a look at this thread for a cheap combi box that does fta and saorview,could be what the folks are looking for and won't break the bank.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056284276

icdg

homelink wrote: »

Maybe further down the road that may not be the case. The next generation of satellites may have multiple,tighter spot beams, (as with Saorsat) that would make English FTA channels difficult to pick up in Ireland.

Too many Astra dishes now being used to pick up FTA channels in the UK that a move to a different position a la Saorsat would be met with huge anger.

There would be considerable engineering problems in designing a beam that could cover the whole UK - including Northern Ireland - and not also serve the Republic. Simple geography millitates against it.

Apogee

icdg wrote: »

Too many Astra dishes now being used to pick up FTA channels in the UK that a move to a different position a la Saorsat would be met with huge anger.

They could co-locate a Ka-band sat or new Ku/Ka-band sat at 28E. Which might eventually happen due to bandwidth requirements for multiple HD or even Ultra HD services into the future.

But I wouldn't see this necessarily meaning such services would be unavailable to ROI considering that limiting the spotbeams to NI+GB only is impractical.

endakenny

boris232 wrote: »

I have been trying to convince my in-laws to install Freesat so that they can get BBC etc. when the analogue signal is gone.

They might not need a satellite dish. They might be able to pick up the UK channels via digital terrestrial overspill after DSO takes place in NI.

rosco p coltrane

NIMAN wrote: »

I got Freesat in about 3 or 4 months ago, after being a Sky customer for over 20yrs.

I got rid of Sky because I found that I was rarely watching TV.

Now I still watch little TV, but at least its not costing me £540 per year.

Why did you get Freesat in??, if you just cancel sky, you will get the freesat channels through your skybox, all the bbc's, itv's channel 4's, etc... except you wont get the irish channels - you'd have to use rabbit ears for those.

Foggy43

icdg wrote: »

Too many Astra dishes now being used to pick up FTA channels in the UK that a move to a different position a la Saorsat would be met with huge anger.

There would be considerable engineering problems in designing a beam that could cover the whole UK - including Northern Ireland - and not also serve the Republic. Simple geography millitates against it.

This is the UK. I admit it is extremely unlikely in the foreseeable future that Freesat could end but.......... any decisions by the powers of the day will be taking by us bending over, taking it up the backside and we will just think of England.

Fr0g

I was in a TV shop yesterday and was told by the in-shop head that Freeview had been "switched off".

You have to take these pronouncements with a pinch of salt. It is poor form though that someone who is supposed to have some sort of clue about the products he is selling is so misinformed.

Digifriendly

rosco p coltrane wrote: »

Why did you get Freesat in??, if you just cancel sky, you will get the freesat channels through your skybox, all the bbc's, itv's channel 4's, etc... except you wont get the irish channels - you'd have to use rabbit ears for those.

But if you live in ROI will you get ITV's/Five etc on the Epg? I know with a cancelled subscription here in NI the box reverts to UK FTV box with Five etc as card becomes a FTV one but what happens in the ROI after cancelling Irish subscription since there is no such thing as a FTV card?

rlogue

Fr0g wrote: »

I was in a TV shop yesterday and was told by the in-shop head that Freeview had been "switched off".

You have to take these pronouncements with a pinch of salt. It is poor form though that someone who is supposed to have some sort of clue about the products he is selling is so misinformed.

Pure and total nonsense. Freesat is intended like Saorsat here in Ireland to be a permanent fill-in for those who cannot receive DTT in the UK. It won't be switched off.

mike65

Digifriendly

I have a non sub SKY box and it has all the main terrestrial channels and their digital spin offs. Channel 5 has to be added manually (as does ITV4 +1 now they've bumped it off the EPG)

norbert64

Digifriendly wrote: »

But if you live in ROI will you get ITV's/Five etc on the Epg?
I know with a cancelled subscription here in NI the box reverts to UK FTV box with Five etc as card becomes a FTV one but what happens in the ROI after cancelling Irish subscription since there is no such thing as a FTV card?

You definitely won't get Five on the EPG.

On older SD boxes I think you can still get the ITVs, bbc's at 101 & 102.
However for newer Sky+HD boxes, I believe most are geolocked to the ROI epg, aka RTE1 & 2 at 101/2, even after cancellation. :cool: