I just have to comment on the BBC News article regarding the launch of Freesat - the free-to-air satellite television service backed by the BBC and ITV. Not so much over the service though. More to do with some quotes given in the article.
Freesat is a rather straightforward idea, similar to Freeview, in that it provides digital television free of subscription. The idea is that it carries all the major free TV channels that we're used to from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 although as yet I don't believe there's word on whether Five is part of the line up. The big plus with the service is that it will offer HD (high definition) channels as part of the line up - something that, so far, Freeview has been unable to provide due to capacity issues. There are also plans to have the Freesat boxes connect to broadband internet so that on-demand services like the iPlayer can be used.
Now, unless I'm missing something, the "Freesat" brand is just a marketing and packaging term which will bundle TV channels broadcasting freely (i.e. not tied into a contract with Sky to only be carried on their EPG) with an open EPG that any such channel can join, with a satellite decoder and dish. That's all fine, nothing wrong with it at all.
I am curious though as to why Emma Scott from Freesat, speaking on Radio 5 Live, was quoted as saying "unlike Freeview, you can receive Freesat across the country, which means that in those areas that at the moment can't get access to free digital television this is the first time that you can get free digital TV".
If this is truely the case, then why has it also been the case that at least for the last few years, I could walk into Maplin or other such store, pick up a satellite decoder/dish package, set it up at home and watch free-to-air digital television without paying any subscriptions? I believe an HD version of this has been available for a while as well. And I could do this in an area not covered by Freeview.
Come to think of it, before I subscribed to Sky TV I bought a Sky satellite decoder box from eBay, plugged it all in and watched the free channels. Any channels not listed on Sky's EPG could simply be added to the "Other Channels" option in the menus. Okay it's not as elegant as the Maplin solution above, but does it not count as "free digital TV"?
ITV Executive Chairman Michael Grade was also quoted as saying "the final piece in the digital jigsaw that will ensure that all viewers in the UK have access to free-to-air digital and high definition TV". In a similar vain, to above, UK viewers have had access to this for a while now.
I wish people would just call things what they are, and all this is, is a packaged version of free satellite television, the only major difference being that broadband connection.
Freesat is a rather straightforward idea, similar to Freeview, in that it provides digital television free of subscription. The idea is that it carries all the major free TV channels that we're used to from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 although as yet I don't believe there's word on whether Five is part of the line up. The big plus with the service is that it will offer HD (high definition) channels as part of the line up - something that, so far, Freeview has been unable to provide due to capacity issues. There are also plans to have the Freesat boxes connect to broadband internet so that on-demand services like the iPlayer can be used.
Now, unless I'm missing something, the "Freesat" brand is just a marketing and packaging term which will bundle TV channels broadcasting freely (i.e. not tied into a contract with Sky to only be carried on their EPG) with an open EPG that any such channel can join, with a satellite decoder and dish. That's all fine, nothing wrong with it at all.
I am curious though as to why Emma Scott from Freesat, speaking on Radio 5 Live, was quoted as saying "unlike Freeview, you can receive Freesat across the country, which means that in those areas that at the moment can't get access to free digital television this is the first time that you can get free digital TV".
If this is truely the case, then why has it also been the case that at least for the last few years, I could walk into Maplin or other such store, pick up a satellite decoder/dish package, set it up at home and watch free-to-air digital television without paying any subscriptions? I believe an HD version of this has been available for a while as well. And I could do this in an area not covered by Freeview.
Come to think of it, before I subscribed to Sky TV I bought a Sky satellite decoder box from eBay, plugged it all in and watched the free channels. Any channels not listed on Sky's EPG could simply be added to the "Other Channels" option in the menus. Okay it's not as elegant as the Maplin solution above, but does it not count as "free digital TV"?
ITV Executive Chairman Michael Grade was also quoted as saying "the final piece in the digital jigsaw that will ensure that all viewers in the UK have access to free-to-air digital and high definition TV". In a similar vain, to above, UK viewers have had access to this for a while now.
I wish people would just call things what they are, and all this is, is a packaged version of free satellite television, the only major difference being that broadband connection.