Technology: freesat

Who's behind freesat?

freesat is a joint venture between the BBC and ITV and comes to you from many of the same people that launched Freeview. freesat came together formally as a joint venture in May 2007, and is funded 50/50 by its shareholders, ITV and the BBC. The joint venture is run on a not-for-profit basis.

As TV advances with many more channel choices, interactive services, and high definition TV, these broadcasters want as many viewers in the UK as possible to have access to their new services, such as HD TV. ITV and the BBC believe that viewers should have the choice of accessing all of these services and more, without paying a subscription.

 

What is freesat?

 freesat is a brand new digital satellite TV service, launching in the Spring, and available to almost all households across the UK.

For a one-off payment for a digital box, satellite dish and installation, freesat will offer you more than 80 TV channels. If your TV is HD–ready, freesat will also give you access to the world of High Definition programmes…subscription free!

 

Why should I get freesat?

freesat is the best way to get the amazing HD experience without paying a subscription. With incredibly sharp images, brilliant colours and amazing sound quality, it'll take your viewing enjoyment to another level. Available to almost every household in the UK, freesat will also give you more than 80 channels, and you'll be ready for digital switchover, so won't need to do anything more when the time comes.

 

When will freesat be available?

freesat is launching in May 2008.

 

How many channels will I get?

Because freesat is delivered via satellite, there's a huge range of TV, radio and interactive services to choose from with more than 80 channels.

You won't be overwhelmed by all these channels – we've organised them into easy-to-use categories with our freesat on-screen guide, so you'll easily find what you want at the press of a button.

 

Where will I be able to buy freesat?

When it launches, freesat will be available through high street retailers.

 

How much will it cost?

A one-off payment will get you the lot. You'll pay for the digital box, the satellite dish and installation. There will be a selection of equipment available with a range of functionality to deliver additional benefits, such as digital TV recorders and TVs with freesat receivers built in. NB: You will still need a satellite dish with a TV with freesat receiver.

Prices and products available will be announced closer to launch.

 

Will there be any ongoing costs?

No! That's the beauty of freesat – no subscription and no contract – not now, not ever.

 

What about HD?

Watching TV in high-definition is an incredible experience. With four times as much picture detail as standard TV, HD makes a massive difference to your enjoyment of TV.

The BBC launched a high-definition television channel on 1st December 2007. Broadcasts include drama, live events and documentaries, as well as sport and film.

Millions of people have already got HD-ready TV sets but until now haven't been able to access HD programmes for free. freesat will give you high definition programmes, guaranteed free from subscription.

 

If you have an HD-ready television, or are thinking of buying one, freesat is for you!

 

Can I get freesat regardless of where I live in the UK?

Because freesat's content is delivered via satellite, almost every household in the UK will be in coverage. Only 2% of households will be outside the satellite spacecraft's footprint.

Some people may not be able to get freesat, for example those households whose satellite dish is not pointing towards the correct satellite, or whose dish can't be positioned to see the satellite properly - usually if you live at the bottom of a large building, or your satellite dish is blocked by a tall building or other obstruction near you.

 

If you think you might be in that 2%, once freesat is available you might want to contact your local installer to see if freesat is an option for you.

 

For the technically-minded amongst you, although the freesat service uses Astra 2 at 28.2° East, a similar 45-60cm dish pointing at the nearby Eurobird at 28.5° East, ought to also be able to receive freesat. Note that these satellites are also already in use for existing UK digital-satellite television platforms.

 

Will I need an aerial upgrade?

No. freesat is not delivered through your aerial but via a satellite dish, so no need for aerial upgrades, but you will need a satellite dish.

 

What is digital switchover?

Starting in 2008 and ending in 2012, TV services in the UK will go completely digital, region by region. This process is called digital switchover. The UK's old television broadcast signal (‘analogue') is being switched off and replaced with a 'digital' signal. Any TV set that's not converted to digital when switchover takes place will no longer be able to receive TV programmes. freesat is a great way to convert to digital TV.

 

Will it mean my TV will work after digital switchover?

Yes! If you have freesat you will have digital TV, so whichever TV set in your house you connect to, it will be ready for digital switchover.

 

What if I already have a satellite dish on my house?

If you currently use this dish to receive services such as BBC Three and ITV2, your existing dish is probably suitable for receiving freesat. Once freesat is available you might wish to contact your local installer to see if this will work for you.

 

Do I need an HD-ready television to watch high definition programmes?

You need an HD-Ready television and an HD digital box in order to view high definition programmes in high definition. You may also need to purchase an HDMI lead, but your high street retailer will be able to let you know about this. Once you have the right equipment installed, you can watch live sport, national events, stunning natural history, landmark drama, world-class documentaries and more in amazing HD.

If you haven't yet got an HD-ready television you can still be prepared for the future by getting a freesat HD digital box. With a freesat HD digital box you can still view HD programmes on your standard definition television but the content will be scaled down to standard definition. If you buy a freesat standard definition box you will not be able to view HD programmes even if you have an HD-ready television.

 

What about interactivity/red button?

The BBC will offer a wide range of red button services on freesat. From launch you'll be able to read the latest news and sport stories 24 hours a day, check out what's happening in the world of business, enjoy entertainment news and quickly access the official lottery results.

 

From Summer of 2008, you will be able to get a wide range of news in video at any time you want it, with weather information for where you live. During the Beijing Olympics, you'll be able to choose between coverage of different sports and highlights to get the whole BBC Olympics package.

 

Coming later will be enhanced coverage of many other sporting and music events, children's games, plus all of the interactive content you have come to expect from your BBC digital TV channels.

 

Will freesat have subtitling and audio description capabilities?

All freesat receivers will offer Subtitles and Audio Description, though the menu options for selecting them may differ slightly between manufacturers and models.

Further details regarding Freesat can be found on their website www.freesat.co.uk