Anyone got Freesat?

Hiya,
Has anyone here got Freesat?

I'm currently with Sky, but the ONLY show we watch on Sky One is Lost, which is returning for it's final series on Friday.

Let's face it, there's nothing else on Sky One apart from Ross Kemp. That's it.

The only channels we watch are the ones you can get for free, so there's no point really in paying a monthly subscription.

So me and Mrs Mikey are thinking of ditching Sky after Lost finishes in 4 months time and settling for a free option.

We can't get Freeview in our area, so FreeSat is the only free option as it gets fed through an existing satellite dish.

Weird though... Freesat is a dual effort from BBC and ITV, yet it doesn't have Dave or GOLD.

I rarely watch Dave, but would miss it if it went.

Haven't got Freesat, but my Mum is always complaining that there's nothing on it. If that helps?

You can get a Free-to-air TV card from Sky. Will just ensure you don't loose most of the Free channels when the sky cards update.

Ah right, okay

Quote: Mikey Jackson @ January 31 2010, 7:40 PM GMT

We can't get FreeView in our area, so FreeSat is the only free option as it gets fed through an existing satellite dish.

Weird though... FreeSat is a dual effort from BBC and ITV, yet it doesn't have Dave or GOLD.

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Well there's not really a subscription platform on Freesat, so that rules out G.O.L.D.! IIRC, the present set up is such that Dave is broadcast from a satellite with a wide range; without encryption, although you'd be able to pick it up on a Freesat box, it'd be available on the continent. The BBC (and I guess ITV, but am not certain) is broadcast from a satellite that is much more exacting in being able to be picked up in the UK alone. And of course Dave is only licensed - and only has show broadcast rights - in the UK.

Where are you that Freeview is still unavailable? How long is it until your area is switched over to digital?

South Coast. Near Brighton.
We don't get it until 2012.

I brought a Freeview box for the missus 2 Christmas's ago. I couldn't pick up a thing, not even chlaymidia.

Because of the beach literally in my back yard and because of surrounding tall buildings, we can't even get a decent mobile phone signal, let alone anything else.

Why Freeview still runs through a TV ariel is beyond me.

Maybe I'll get FreeSat after Lost finishes, then get Freeview when the switchover happens.

I'd rather have the extra few channels that Sky/Virgin provide. Comedy Central can be quite good. As well as all the nature channels.

Quote: Mikey Jackson @ January 31 2010, 11:16 PM GMT

Why Freeview still runs through a TV ariel is beyond me.

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Well, because that's the whole point of it!

I'm not free Sat - but I might be available Fri.

Quote: Morrace @ February 1 2010, 1:04 AM GMT

I'm not free Sat - but I might be available Fri.

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Say it ain't so, Mon.

lol @ Morrace.

Well, because that's the whole point of it!

Yeah, granted. Good idea at first, but surely by now it should be able to be accessed by ariel AND/OR dish.

I'd rather have the extra few channels that Sky/Virgin provide

Me and the missus hardly use Sky or any of it's premium channels.

Quote: Mikey Jackson @ February 1 2010, 9:15 PM GMT

Yeah, granted. Good idea at first, but surely by now it should be able to be accessed by ariel AND/OR dish.

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Well that's the point of Freesat.

You've got to remember that Freeview isn't a platform in the way that Sky or Virgin TV are. It's not been designed with the express intention of providing extra channels. It's an upgrade to the existing analogue broadcasts. That it allows more data (channels) to be broadcast is a joyous bonus. Suggesting that it should be available by satellite is missing the point totally.

Quote: Mikey Jackson @ January 31 2010, 11:16 PM GMT

South Coast. Near Brighton.
We don't get it until 2012.

I brought a Freeview box for the missus 2 Christmas's ago. I couldn't pick up a thing, not even chlaymidia.

Because of the beach literally in my back yard and because of surrounding tall buildings, we can't even get a decent mobile phone signal, let alone anything else.

Why Freeview still runs through a TV ariel is beyond me.

Maybe I'll get FreeSat after Lost finishes, then get Freeview when the switchover happens.

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Surely you don't need to 'get' freesat. Are not all the freestat channels visible on a Sky receiver? So Freesat is what you get if you pay NO subscriptions at all.

Sky was doing a promo where you paid c £80 & got dish and receiver and maybe had to take out a short subscription, but when he subscription ran out, if you didn't want to renew, you were allowed to keep the equipment & just use it for the free channels.

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I do have a non-SKY dish & receiver here, but I guess it is not yet lined up too well as the quality is often poor. I hardly ever use it, and I normally use Freeview Digital TV by Aerial. (note correct spelling of Aerial)

Almost all the channels on freeview are on the freesat, Except as mentioned DAVE, and annoyingly Sky Three which is free on Freeview but encrypted on satellite. It is classed a Free-to-View program, which means it doesn't cost anything but you need a Sky receiver & decrypt card.

The non-crypted programs on the satelite are called Free-to-Air, not Free-to-View.

Most of them are encrypted. Sky offer free viewing cards (as I think was linked to above). You won't get the benefit of the recording functionality without a valid card either.

Quote: Aaron @ February 2 2010, 1:40 AM GMT

Most of them are encrypted. Sky offer free viewing cards (as I think was linked to above). You won't get the benefit of the recording functionality without a valid card either.

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No most are not encrypted, only the SKY ones (and other commercial channels) and as you say some of those are free too but you still need a decrypting receiver & the relevant Sky card to view them.

There are lots & lots of no-encrypted channels, but most of those are stuff you don't want to bother to watch. It does have all the regional versions of the BBC though should you want to watch something only shown in say Scotland or Wales.

Quote: billwill @ February 2 2010, 1:51 AM GMT

No most are not encrypted, only the SKY ones (and other commercial channels) and as you say some of those are free too but you still need a decrypting receiver & the relevant Sky card to view them.

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Define "most" and "encryption" then.