| Freesat from the BBC & ITV |
Freesat is a free-to-air digital satellite television platform developed by the BBC and ITV plc.
The service launched on May 6th 2008 and offerers an alternative to Sky Digital , offering a selection of channels available without subscription.
The service makes use of the additional capacity available on satellite to offer High Definition (HD) channels.
Freesat was set up to ensure that all UK households have the opportunity to access digital TV and Radio, subscription-free.
The Public Service platform will include high definition programmes - without having to pay a monthly subscription.
Freesat was formed in May 2007 as a joint venture between the BBC and ITV, and includes many of the same people behind Freeview.
Freesat is funded 50/50 by ITV and the BBC, and is run on a not-for-profit basis, more channels are expected to be added to the platform during 2010. |
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| Why Freesat? |
BBC and ITV, the two main public service broadcasters in the UK, have made their services available digitally through two platforms, digital terrestrial (Freeview) and digital satellite (Sky Digital).
On digital terrestrial, the channels have always been available free of charge with appropriate equipment.
However, Freeview is currently available to only 73% of the population. After digital switch-off, this will increase to 98.5% for the public service channels and 90% for the full Freeview service.
In order to provide fuller coverage and a larger number of channels, a digital satellite alternative is necessary.
The digital satellite platform has largely been controlled by the commercial operator BSkyB. Initially, both the BBC's and ITV's channels were encrypted since the original satellites used for Sky Digital broadcast to most of Europe though the broadcasters' rights for premium content such as films and sports typically covered the UK only.
The use of encryption meant that any viewer wishing to view the channels had to purchase equipment from Sky and pay for a free-to-view viewing card in order to decrypt the channels. Similarly, in order to use the Videoguard encryption, the broadcasters needed to pay a fee to NDS. |
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| Free-To-Air |
In May 2003, the BBC moved all of their channels onto the Astra 2D satellite which focuses more tightly on the UK. This allowed the BBC to stop encrypting their broadcasts while continuing to meet their licence and copyright obligations.
In September 2005, the BBC and ITV announced that they would collaborate on a free-to-air satellite service to complement Freeview. Two months later, ITV began broadcasting in the clear. |
The free-to-air channels could then be received using any standard digital satellite (DVB-S) receiver. However, the Freesat project aims to provide a more managed service with an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG), interactive features and approved receivers, similar to the Freeview service.
The initial plan was to release the service in early 2006. This was postponed to Autumn 2007 pending approval from the BBC Trust. This approval was received in April 2007. |
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| Channels |
| The service launched officially on 6 May 2008. 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. 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 and Euronews were included on the channel list. |
| HD Channels |
| BBC HD was the only high-definition channel available on Freesat from launch day, with ITV HD added as a 'red-button interactive' service from 7 June 2008. On 12 March 2010 it was announced that ITV HD would change from a red button interactive service to a full time channel called ITV1 HD on 2 April 2010, simulcasting the main ITV1 channel. |
| Regional variations |
| Some channels (notably BBC One and ITV 1) are transmitted in regional variations and the appropriate services are selected by the Freesat receiver from the user's postcode. In March 2010, 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, many Freesat viewers (who cannot receive free-to-view, encrypted content) were moved to regional variations not corresponding to their actual location. |
| Future Channels |
| Freesat had said that it expected to add around 30 channels each month, with 200 channels to be available by the end of 2008 and 230 by early 2009, although this target was not met. In July 2008, Freesat announced that there were a number of "exciting music and international" channels to be added in the near future, including another exclusive-to-Freesat channel, and potentially more high-definition content. To date these channels have not launched. |
| In November 2008, Irish public broadcaster Radio Telefís Éireann announced a delay in launching its new international channel RTÉ International due to financial cutbacks. RTÉ had hoped to launch the new channel, which would possibly have been carried on Freesat, by the end of 2009 though to date there has been no launch. |
| Channels which may join in future are Channel 4 HD, Fiver, Five USA and RTÉ International, BBC One HD will join Freesat when it launches in the Autumn of 2010. STV HD which is already available free-to-air on satellite plans to launch on the platform in the near future. |
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| Freesat Reception Equipment |
At the launch of the service, there were two types of Freesat receivers available, standard definition-only receivers and high definition-capable receivers. As of June 2008 there are only four companies licensed to produce Freesat receivers. Humax launched a Freesat recorder (Freesat+) which was available to the public on 22 November 2008. In the first months of the product being released, there were large stock shortages.
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Following the initial launch, Panasonic introduced three plasma televisions with integrated HD Freesat receivers. At the end of October 2008, Panasonic brought out 2 more sizes which are the 32" and 37".
In April 2009 LG launched 4 LCD TVs with built-in Freesat receivers. The LG series is the LF7700, with screen sizes of 32", 37", 42"and 47". Sony have released two televisions with Freesat receivers, the W5810 and Z5800 series, available from sizes 32" up to 52" and in 100Hz and 200Hz alternatives. |
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| Technical Details |
Freesat broadcasts from the same fleet of satellites (Astra 28.2°E and Eurobird 1) as Sky Digital. Channels are broadcast using DVB-S. The Freesat electronic programme guide is broadcast from the Eurobird 1 satellite situated at 28.5° east. Freesat's role is not broadcasting or availability of channels (although the BBC and ITV are substantial broadcasters in their own right) but instead providing a platform for receiving the channels and the EPG.
All the channels broadcasting to date are broadcasting using DVB-S. Standard definition channels are broadcast using MPEG-2, while high definition channels are broadcast using MPEG-4. Currently, BBC HD uses DVB-S rather than DVB-S2 since the channel shares a transponder with SD channels. Since the channels are broadcast in-the-clear, they can also be received by non-Freesat receivers..
Interactive television is done using MHEG-5 rather than the proprietary OpenTV platform used by Sky.
The specification for Freesat equipment includes having an Ethernet port on the back. This is to allow future on demand programmes provided by the BBC iPlayer (or a service similar to the cancelled on demand Kangaroo service) to be viewed directly on the customer's television. |
| Freesat & Freesat+ User Manuals |
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| Freesat Outside the UK & Ireland |
| It is possible to receive Freesat outside the UK and Ireland, although a larger dish may be required as the Astra 2D footprint is mainly focused on the UK and Republic of Ireland. Freesat receivers ask for a postcode during installation, but this is just to determine which regional services to select. The ITV HD channel is currently not made available to receivers set with a postcode in the STV, Grampian or UTV regions. In the weaker signal areas, C4 reception can be a problem, but by entering a Northern Ireland postcode into any freesat box, the strongest regional variant will be received. |
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| Contacting Freesat |
| Website: www.freesat.co.uk |
| Email: info@freesat.co.uk |
| Phone: 0845 313 0052 |
| Postal Address: |
| Freesat |
| PO Box 6296 |
| London W1A 3FF |
| United Kingdom |
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