The ITV High-definition service launches on Satuday 7th June 2008, exclusively on Freesat. Euro 2008 will be available in high definition. ITV HD will be available via the Red button on Freesat.

More on Freesat at frequencycast.co.uk/freesat.html.

Show 27 of FrequencyCast, the UK’s TV and Tech podcast, is online now. Here’s what we cover:

• News Updates: Freesat launches, Sky Picnic postponed, a free smartphone from BT, Sky Player and ITV’s rabbit.
• Focus - Free satellite TV: Carl and Pete explore free satellite TV, and the new Freesat service in depth.
• Mobile Broadband: Details of those little USB broadband modems.
• Your Questions: DVD recorders, Freesat, twin tuners, wi-fi radios and more.

You can download Show 27 direct to your MP3 player, listen online or view the show notes at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/cast27.html. You can also get us via iTunes.

 

 FrequencyCast UK Show 27 [30:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you’re thinking of getting Freesat, and haven’t got a satellite dish, here’s an interesting loophole.

With Freesat, if you don’t have a dish, it’ll cost you £130 to get Freesat working (£50 for a basic box, and £80 for installation).

Sky Digital are offering something called “Pay Once, Watch Forever“, which offers over 200 channels, for just £75 including installation and a Sky Digibox. You also get four months of Sky’s pay-TV channels as a trial.

So, here’s what you do:

Get “Sky’s Pay Once, Watch Forever” - dish and box for £75 (versus £130). Watch the 200+ free channels plus the Sky subscription channels for 3 months, then tell Sky that you don’t want to subscribe after the trial.

You can still use the Sky box for the free-to-air channels. If you fancy moving to Freesat (for their HD service), then you’ve already got a dish installed suitable for Freesat, and a spare satellite receiver. You can only apply if you’ve not had a Sky contract before.

Until end of May 2008: There’s 10% off “Pay Once, Watch Forever” at Dixons using code SKY10 at the checkout. Click here.

A new UK digital TV service has just launched - quietly. Freesat, offering 80 channels of digital telly and radio launched on 6th May 2008. We’ve got our hands on a rare receiver and put together a quick Audio Update. We’ll have a more complete look at Freesat in the next show, but here are our initial findings. Go to http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/freesat.html

 

 FrequencyCast Update - Freesat launch May 2008 [8:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Freesat, the BBC and ITV service, finally launched today, the 6th of May.

Freesat offers 80 channels TV and radio without subscription. To get the service, you’ll need a satellite dish and a special Freesat receiver.

Channel lineup offers few surprises. Many of the channels available on Freeview are present, including Channel 4, E4, More 4, ITV2, ITV3, BBC3, BBC News, CBBC and CiTV. Five, Fiver and Five US are missing from the lineup, but are apparently expected soon. Other channels include Film 4, True Movies, Movies4Men, Euronews, Men & Motors, Wedding TV, Chart Show TV and Al-Jazeera. You can find the full list here.

High Definition: Freesat is also offering HD content. At the moment, this is the BBC HD service, but this will soon be joined by the ITV’s new HD service. Irritatingly, ITV’s HD content won’t be available to Sky’s almost half-a-million HD customers, and Channel 4 HD won’t be available to Freesat customers.

The cost: To get Freesat, you need a dish pointing in the direction of the Sky Digital satellite (Astra / Eutelsat). If you don’t have a suitable dish, installation costs £80. As for boxes, there are two types at present - a Standard Definition box (from £49), and a High Definition box (from £120). A receiver with a built-in recorder (to rival Sky+) is reportedly due in July this year.

Launch “issues”: Today’s the official launch day, but no-one’s able to actually get a receiver. There are four authorised retailers selling boxes, but anyone looking for one today may be out of luck. After a ring-around, here’s what we found:

• Argos: Five boxes listed on their website, but all out of stock. Some branches appear to have stock, especially the Bush receivers, but they’re under instructions not to sell them. A call to Argos Customer Services (0870 600 3030) revealed that the Goodmans and Bush models weren’t being sold for “Quality Control reasons”, with one online forum reporting an issue with channel reception on the Bush model. Argos are only able to sell the Humax FoxSat - but no stock in London or the South East.
• Currys: No stock. Nothing on the Currys website. We checked in with a Central London store, and were told 4-6 weeks
• Comet: No stock. Calling Comet’s customer service line (08705 425425), we were told 7 days
• John Lewis: Nothing on their website. Rumours that the Humax receiver may be due “later today” in Oxford Street

Alternatives? Free-to-view satellite TV’s been around for a while. If you fancied Sky, but not their hefty monthly fees, they also offer Freesat from Sky with 200 channels for a one-off £150. Sky also had their Sky Pay Once, Watch Forever service - 200 free-to-view channels and free hardware for a one-off £75. Neither offer free HD though

We’ll be following Freesat with interest, and covering this in our next show - don’t miss out - sign up for show alerts.

Show 26 of FrequencyCast, the UK’s TV and Tech podcast, is online now. Here’s what we cover:

• News Updates: Freeview HD, iPhone price cuts, FreeSat rumours, and the return of Blake’s 7.
• Focus - BBC iPlayer: Carl and Pete explore Auntie Beeb’s catch-up TV service, now available on PC, Mac, Wii and iPhone.
• Virgin Media: A closer look at TV and Internet services offered over cable.
• Eee PC: What’s all the fuss about? We explain why this pint-size PC is causing a stir.
• Your Questions: Surge Protectors, cassette dubbing, Top Up TV cards, cheap MS Office and VoD.

You can download Show 26 direct to your MP3 player, listen online or view the show notes at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/cast26.html. You can also get us via iTunes.

 

 FrequencyCast UK Show 26 [31:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Later this year, we can expect to see FreeSat launch in the UK. This is a joint free-to-view satellite TV service that’s due to offer 80 free TV channels, plus some high-definition content.

It’s due in “Spring 2008″. What we know so far can be found on our FreeSat UK page.

Want 200 TV channels without a subscription? Sky has launched Sky Pay Once.

Available exclusively from Dixons online, this costs £75 and includes the box and installation.