Freesat/free to air Channels V Freeview Channels.

Mint Sauce

So before I ask the question, just making sure I get my terms right.

Freesat: This is a free satellite service marketed at the UK offering all or most of the BBC/ITV/C4/C5 stations, plus other selected News, music, docu, special interest, and radio stations. Can also be got in ROI if purchasing a Freesat Box from the UK, or Sky Box with a cancelled subscription, or a Generic Satellite Receiver. Otherwise known as free to air here and in the UK if not using the Freesat box.

Freeview: Basically all the above channels via digital TV and an aerial, but a UK service, people in boarder ROI counties may also get due to overspill.

Without going into the EPG differences, recording, and other services offered by Freesat, would that be an accurate description?

So my main question is, why the different in some of the selected channels and radio stations. Ie. On the Freview can get 'Quest' but not on the Free to Air. On the Free to Air can get CBS Reality, Drama, etc, and a few slected movie stations, but not on Freeview. On the Radio side can get LBC (london station) on the Free to Air, but not on freeview, and any plans to change to this.

These are just a few of the Channel differences I have noticed compared to my home place (boarder county) using Freeview, and my own house using Free to Air.

Sam Russell

Freesat is the same over the whole of the UK and by entering your post code, it selects the channels you would get in your location. It has no way of knowing where you are actually. There is virually no limit to the number of channels on satellite.

Freeview is geographical by its nature, so you can only receive local transmissions. You might be able to receive more than one service but that is not intended. There is a limit to the number of muxes that can fit into the TV band and each mux can only carry a few channels. All transmitters (in the UK) carry three muxes, with the main ones carrying 6 or 7. It is these extra muxes that carry the channels not on Freesat.

To be carried on either service, transmission charges must be paid. Each channel chooses to go on or not. Simple as that.

icdg

To put things simply OP, Freeview and Freesat are different platforms (Freeview terrestrial and Freesat satellite) and channel operators must negotiate carriage seperately with both platforms. Being on one doesn't necessarily mean it will be on the other although a large selection of channels are on both.

To make things more complicated (and to drag in "free to air") Freesat isn't really a platform at all. Rather it is a particular specification for a satellite receiver aimed at the UK market which includes a proprietary EPG. Makes it easier to use as regards tuning but limits what it can receive. "Free to air" is a broader term which applies to any satellite (or indeed other platform) channel which is transmitted in the clear without any encryption. A non-Freesat free to air satellite receiver is able to receive a far broader range of channels but requires effort in terms of tuning and assigning channel numbers. Free to air satellite doesn't just originate in the UK but for Irish viewers who want to see English langauge channels that's where the biggest interest is. If you speak other lanaguages there are channels from other countries which can be picked up here - Germany in particular has nearly all its major broadcasters free to air on satellite.

Digifriendly

Slight difference in Freesat and Sky box with cancelled subscription. Liverpool TV not on Freesat and AFAIK no Channel 5 HD on Freesat but you will get it if you have a Sky HD box.

Digitalsmart

It's happening with me a well. There are certain channels that I can view on Freeview and not on freesat. However, I was promised that I can view unlimited channels on my freesat

icdg

There are channels that are on Freeview but not Freesat and vice-versa. Its up to the channel operator to negotiate carriage with the platform operator.

Anyway, we don't drag up old threads.