Your source for Asia Pacific regional Satellite News and Free to Air Satellite TV and IPTV Info since 1998. Latest Astra 2E, Astra 2F and Astra 2G news and loss of BBC & ITV satellite channels in Southern Spain and Portugal. News about Freesat, BBC, ITV, C4, & Sky. Flash Starsat Software New Version 2014 HD Receiver Starsat HD HYPER, HD PREMIUM, HD SUPER, USB Receiver, Starsat Flash Software Download. Flash. ![]() ![]() Freesat - Wikipedia. This article is about the free- to- air satellite service from the BBC and ITV. For the similarly named service from Sky UK, see Freesat from Sky. Freesat is a free- to- air digital satellite television joint venture between the BBC and ITV plc, serving the United Kingdom.[1] The service was formed as a memorandum in 2. May 2. 00. 8. Freesat offers a satellite alternative to the Freeview service on digital terrestrial television, with a broadly similar selection of channels available without subscription for users purchasing a receiver. The service also makes use of the additional capacity available on digital satellite broadcasting to offer a selection of high- definition programming from the BBC, ITV plc, Channel 4, Channel 5, NHK and RT UK. Freesat's main competitors are Freeview and Freesat from Sky. History[edit]Background[edit]The BBC and ITV, the two biggest free- to- air broadcasters in the UK, make their services available digitally through three routes: free- to- air via digital terrestrial and digital satellite, and subscription- only via digital cable. On digital terrestrial, the channels have always been available free- to- air with the appropriate equipment. In 2. 00. 7 Freeview was available to only 7. After analogue TV services were replaced in the digital switchover, this increased to 9. Freeview' service. To provide more widespread coverage and a larger number of channels, a digital satellite alternative was felt necessary. Initially, both the BBC's and ITV's channels were encrypted since the original Astra satellites used for Sky broadcast to most of Europe but the broadcasters' rights for premium content such as films and sports typically covered the UK only. The use of encryption meant that anyone wishing to view the channels had to purchase equipment from Sky and pay for a free- to- view viewing card to decrypt the channels. Similarly, to use the Videoguard encryption, the broadcasters needed to pay a fee to NDS Group. Move to free- to- air[edit]In May 2. BBC moved most of its channels from the Astra 2. A satellite to Astra 2. D, which has a footprint that focuses more tightly on the UK.[3] This move allowed the BBC to stop encrypting its broadcasts while continuing to meet its rights obligations. It dropped the encryption two months later.[4][5] Two months later, ITV, whose channels had already been located on the Astra 2. D satellite since launching on the Sky platform some years earlier, also made their channels free- to- air. On 1. 8 November 2. Channel 5 commenced broadcasting a single channel via Freesat,[6] eventually adding its ancillary services 5. USA and 5* (now known as 5. STAR) three years later in December 2. Viva moved from free- to- view to free- to- air on satellite on 1. March 2. 01. 3, before launching on Freesat on 2 April 2. On 2 April 2. 01. Box Television's channels left Sky's subscription package, with six becoming free- to- air on satellite; [8] on 1. April four of the channels – The Box, Kerrang! TV, Kiss TV and Smash Hits – were added to the Freesat EPG.[9] This was followed by Heat and Magic on 2. April.[1. 0]The free- to- air channels can be received using any standard digital satellite (DVB- S) receiver, although those not licensed by Freesat will need to be re- tuned manually if/when channel frequencies are changed. See next section.)Managed service[edit]The Freesat project aims to provide a managed service with an Electronic Programme Guide and interactive features similar to the Freeview service launched three years earlier. Unlike Freeview, however, these features are only available on approved receivers manufactured under licence from Freesat. The initial plan was to launch the service in early 2. This was postponed to Autumn 2. BBC Trust was only received in April 2. However, the service was further delayed and was officially launched on 6 May 2. Launch channels[edit]The service launched officially on 6 May 2. From the launch, Freesat advertised all national television channels from the BBC and ITV as being available on the platform (excluding ITV2 +1), as well as all national BBC radio networks.[1. Channel 4 also managed to make most of its channels free- to- air in preparation for the launch. In addition some channels from other broadcasters such as Chello Zone, CSC Media Group, Al Jazeera English, Zee Live, Zee News. RIA Novosti and Euronews were included on the channel list.[1. High- definition[edit]BBC HD was the only high- definition channel available on Freesat from launch day,[1. ITV HD added as a "red- button" interactive service from 7 June 2. On 2 April 2. 01. ITV HD changed from an interactive service to a full- time channel called ITV1 HD, simulcasting the main ITV1 channel.[1. The name was changed back to ITV HD on 1. January 2. 01. 3. BBC One HD, a high- definition simulcast of BBC One, was made available on Freesat and other platforms on 3 November 2. Channel 4 HD also became available on the platform on 1. April 2. 01. 1. NHK World HD was added to Freesat on 9 May 2. EPG. (The SD channel ceased transmission on 1 October 2. On 2. 3 July 2. 01. BBC added 2. 4 temporary channels to cover the 2. Summer Olympics, the channels share their EPG slot with their standard definition counterpart.[2. On 2. 9 August 2. Channel 4 added three temporary channels covering the 2. Summer Paralympics in high definition from the following day; the three channels also share their EPG slots.[2. On 1. 4 February 2. RT HD was added to Freesat, sharing its channel number with its standard definition simulcast.[2. On 2. 6 March 2. 01. BBC HD was replaced by a high- definition simulcast of BBC Two. On 1. 3 June 2. 01. HD stream of the BBC Red Button was temporarily made available on the EPG.[2. On 1. 6 July 2. 01. BBC announced they would be launching five new HD channels in early 2. The five channels (HD simulcasts of BBC Three, BBC Four, CBBC, CBeebies and BBC News) were in fact launched early – on 1. December 2. 01. 3. Regional variations[edit]Some channels (notably BBC One and ITV) are transmitted in regional variations and the appropriate services are selected by the Freesat receiver from the user's postcode. In March 2. 01. 0, ITV altered several of their regions from free- to- air transmission to free- to- view (because they were moved to a satellite from which transmission covers a much larger area than just the UK and content licensing means that they had to be encrypted). As a result, a few Freesat viewers (who cannot receive free- to- view, encrypted content) were moved to regional variations not corresponding to their actual location. Future channels and recent launches[edit]In July 2. Discovery Networks joined Freesat. Quest (channel 1. Quest Red (1. 69) feature documentaries, sport, entertainment, crime and reality TV.[2. UKTV's Dave and Home channels launched on the Freesat platform on August 1, 2. UKTV’s Drama, Yesterday and Really channels.[2. On September 1. 2, 2. Free. Sports channel launched on Freesat, broadcasting on channel 2. Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Argentina), Motorport, Ice Hockey, Rugby League, Boxing and more.[2. Video on demand[edit]The BBC began to roll out a beta version of BBC i. Player for Freesat devices in early 2. BBC i. Player is an internet based service with around 2. ITV Player is available for Humax, Manhattan, and some Sagemcom devices,[3. Generation Humax devices to viewers using DG and TD postcodes. It is not clear why this is the case.[3. In 2. 01. 0, Freesat also indicated an intent to launch a receiver featuring the You. View service (then called 'Project Canvas') and said that the video on demand services 4o. D and Demand 5 were under consideration.[3. On 2. 8 July 2. 01. BBC Trust approved proposals to introduce the listing of pay content delivered on- demand via broadband.[3. The trust will allow the BBC to continue to play a part in Freesat as the plans did not represent a significant change to the approval previously given in 2. There was no need for a Public Value Test or for further regulatory process. Under the plans some pay content, such as films, would be added to the Freesat EPG alongside the existing free- to- air content. However, there would be no adult material or live streamed sports coverage. Freesat itself will not supply any of the on demand content, but will allow third parties to do so through its EPG. Some content will also be made available through existing channels using an on- screen prompt that would take viewers to an on demand environment.
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