Channel 4 HD to start on Freesat
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV Channel 4 and Freesat today announced that Freesat HD viewers will soon be able to enjoy Channel 4 HD when the channel launches on the subscription free satellite TV service in April.
Channel 4 HD becomes the fourth HD channel on Freesat joining BBC One HD, BBC HD, and ITV1 HD.
Freesat Managing Director Emma Scott said: "This is fantastic news for Freesat. C4HD is a high quality channel and we're sure it will prove popular with our discerning viewers.
"The addition of a fourth HD channel makes Freesat an even more attractive offer for savvy TV viewers looking for quality TV without monthly bills."
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Wednesday, 9 February 2011
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Peter4:33 PM
Briantst,
I'm not sure I can justify spending about £130 for a BGT3595 (Dual DVB-S2 but only DVB-T) PCI-E card just to add C4 HD on Satellite.
Do you know for certain that C4 HD FTA will stay on a DVB-S2 transponder? After all BBC One HD, BBC HD and ITV HD are all on DVB-S.
I know the BBC have said they will be moving to DVB-S2 in the future, but AFAIK there is no announced time scale for this to happen.
If C4 HD is definitely going to stay on DVB-S2 then I will probably just wait for Freeview HD coming to my area instead, and then go for a BGT3620 (Dual DVB-T2) PCI-E instead for about £110.
As you can guess, I'd be happiest if C4 HD went to a DVB-S transponder.
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Thursday, 10 February 2011
Peter: I've been looking at Hauppauge WinTV NOVA-HD-S2 DVB-S2 Digital Satellite.. | Ebuyer.com .
I'm EXPECTING that Channel 4 HD will move to an Astra 2D transponder.
I'm still waiting to hear back as to why the PSB broadcasters don't use DVB-S2 on Astra 2D yet.
Windows 7 Media Centre supports 4 receivers with no problems.
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peter10:44 AM
Briantst: Thanks for the link to Nova-HD-S2. This may wellbe a possible option, albeit it looks to only have one tuner, so I might need 2.
My belief was that the PSB broadcaster were staying with DVB-S so that they would be supported on older kit for compatibility reasons, but I'd love to know the real reason.
I've also sent C4 a question asking them whether they will be using DVB-S (like the other PSBs) or staying DVB-S2.
For interest, I am already using Windows 7 with Media Center (under test) with 4 DVB-T feeds (2 from the BGT3540 and 2 from Hauppage USB Sticks) - this means I rarely run out of tuners now.
I have the 2 satellite feeds from the BGT3540 currently through DVBViewer but want to switch these into Media Center as well when I get the time. I believe Windows 7 Home Premium Media Center can support up to 12 tuners.
My plan is to ditch my Virgin V+ service later in the year and just use the PC instead.
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peter: The BBC told me "it is our intention to move to DVB-S2 as it is more data efficient, and all Freesat boxes support this".
There is no practicable limit to the number of tuners that WMC can use with W7.
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Josh
4:19 PM
4:19 PM
Does Windows 7 actually support DVB-S2 the same as it does DVB-S?
Also I know, nothing to do with C4 HD but, why is it BBC HD has had to share a transponder with BBC One SD since it launched in 2006? Why couldn't it have got it's own transponder so that it could use DVB-S2?
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Josh: Yes. As I've said above, DVB-S2 is the same as DVB-S with some new parameters.
The HD is provided by the MPEG4 codec, it has nothing to do with the broadcast parameters used.
If the BBC had used S2 for the transponder, it would be wasting the rest of the bits on it, as Sky SD boxes have no access to S2.
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Peter7:12 PM
I've just had a response from C4...
Thank you for contacting Channel 4 Viewer
Enquiries regarding CHANNEL 4 HD.
We do plan to be using the DVB-S2
transmission mode in alignment with the
strategy of our satellite transmission
provider, therefore, I am afraid that PC
cards, or for that matter, any other
receiver that cannot receive DVB-S2, will
suffer as a result. Freesat HD branded
equipment should be OK, however, with DVB-
S2.
Please note that other broadcasters may
adopt DVB-S2 transmission in the future
also, which will present the same problem
again.
Thank you again for taking the time to
contact us here at Channel 4 and for your
interest in our programming.
Look like I'll need a new card then for C4 HD...
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Peter: That's good news from a broadcaster efficieny point-of-view, not so good if you have a, what we will now have to call "old fashioned" DVB-S card.
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Friday, 11 February 2011
D
david4:23 PM
Salisbury
please is there a date in april when channel four goes freesat hd
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david's: mapD's Freeview map terrainD's terrain plot wavesD's frequency data D's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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