FREESAT TO LAUNCH 1ST WEEK IN MAY - PROVISIONAL

[Alsone]

[quote user="J Jones"]I'm certainly not going to spend about 150 pounds for a receiver next month, only to replace it with a PVR later in the year.
[/quote]

I have to agree with this although Humax are are only 1 of several manufacturers so where one fails to address the market, others might step in. IT would be a shame if a quality manufacturer such as Humax let themselves down by not having a combined box available at launch as I would expect thats what a lot of people would be looking for.

[quote user="Eddiewood"]

The freesat lot are a bunch of clowns in my opinion, no Channel 5,
maybe even no Channel 4, no PVR...it's not rocket science![/quote]

Re the PVR Box, see my reply above - more than 1 manufacturer.

So far as content is concerned, I have to agree that a full spectrum of channels should be available but this is more down to the channels than Freesat themselves as I understand it. I'm sure Channel 4 will be there once their contract with Sky has expired, Channel 5 have indicated to me in an email that they aren't currently interested.

However, Freesat still has the potential to be great in my opinion. Where else are you going to get bucket loads of free HD programming with potentially relatively low compression rates. I personally think Channel 5 are making a mistake in not joining and the best way to prove them wrong is for everyone to get Freesat and let them realise they're being left behind.

I think what many haven't relaised yet is just how many consumers are going to fall into weak / no signal areas for Freeview and just how much HDTV's are going to drive demand for HD programming which simply is never going to be big scale on Freeview (in my opinion) because of the limited available bandwidth, a problem that Freesat doesn't have on the Eurobird 1 satellite.

Here's some early indication of Programming tests:
http://www.astra2d.com/freesat2.htm

 

[Clare Newsome]

[quote user="Andrew Everard"]
Hi boss - yes the first epi of the new series of Who is pants so far, isn't it?

[/quote]

At that point it was a mere twinkle in my Sky HD box's eye - now watched and rather ambivalent about. At least Catherine Tate was a little less shouty...

On a converse note, just watched The Invasion on Blu-ray and nowhere near as bad as I feared (though Daniel Craig woefully underused and overdressed).

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Alsone"]
[quote user="J Jones"]I'm certainly not going to spend about 150 pounds for a receiver next month, only to replace it with a PVR later in the year.
[/quote]

I have to agree with this although Humax are are only 1 of several manufacturers so where one fails to address the market, others might step in. IT would be a shame if a quality manufacturer such as Humax let themselves down by not having a combined box available at launch as I would expect thats what a lot of people would be looking for.

[quote user="Eddiewood"]

The freesat lot are a bunch of clowns in my opinion, no Channel 5,
maybe even no Channel 4, no PVR...it's not rocket science![/quote]

Re the PVR Box, see my reply above - more than 1 manufacturer.

So far as content is concerned, I have to agree that a full spectrum of channels should be available but this is more down to the channels than Freesat themselves as I understand it. I'm sure Channel 4 will be there once their contract with Sky has expired, Channel 5 have indicated to me in an email that they aren't currently interested.

However, Freesat still has the potential to be great in my opinion. Where else are you going to get bucket loads of free HD programming with potentially relatively low compression rates. I personally think Channel 5 are making a mistake in not joining and the best way to prove them wrong is for everyone to get Freesat and let them realise they're being left behind.

I think what many haven't relaised yet is just how many consumers are going to fall into weak / no signal areas for Freeview and just how much HDTV's are going to drive demand for HD programming which simply is never going to be big scale on Freeview (in my opinion) because of the limited available bandwidth, a problem that Freesat doesn't have on the Eurobird 1 satellite.

Here's some early indication of Programming tests:

http://www.astra2d.com/freesat2.htm
[/quote]

Only four manufactueres were appointed for the six months after launch. Sagem, Alba, Humax and Panasonic. Sagem are rumoured to have dropped out, and Panasonic will have a Freesat TV, but not from launch. This doesn't mean they won't have other equipment on sale next month of course. But all we can be sure of now, is that Alba and Humax will be releasing receivers with the Freesat EPG, probably in May

Only the Freesat EPG will come from Eurobird 1, and all the channels on the EPG are already available from Astra 2D. HD satellite receivers and PVRs are also on sale. All we're waiting for is equipment with the Freesat EPG.

.

 

[Anonymous]

I currently pay £38 a month for the SKY sports Package primarily for the Football which I must confess over the last couple of months I have hardly watched. So as all the channels are transmitted in Standard Definition as good as they do look on my Samsung Plasma, I am highly tempted to cancel my subscription with SKY and change to FREESAT given I would be able to receive the HD channels FREE as opposed to having to pay extra for the priviledge with SKY