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Freesat on Freeview HD

Freesat have released a statement about Freeview HD

Freesat have released a statement about Freeview HD
published on UK Free TV

Freesat, commenting on today's Ofcom announcement that it has awarded two licences for HD channels on Freeview from 2010, Freesat would like you to note that:

  • Roll out of Freeview HD channels will be linked to digital switchover, currently taking place in the UK which means that HD will only become available in the UK on a region by region basis from launch until 2012
  • In order to view HD channels on Freeview, consumers will need to replace their existing Freeview receiving equipment (either a set top box or a television with a Freeview receiver built in) by purchasing entirely new equipment
  • Freeview coverage in the UK currently stands at 73%. Even after digital switchover there will still be a proportion of UK households which will not be able to view Freeview and it's HD channels whilst Freesat reaches 98% of UK homes now
Freesat adds, "With Freesat, subscription free high definition (HD) is already a reality for the UK. We believe our no strings offer of over 130 channels plus great HD programmes from the BBC and ITV, for a one off payment of as little as 120, is leading the way in making HD the standard that viewers will come to expect in the future."

"Due to the way we broadcast our service, via satellite rather than traditional aerial, HD is available now to 98% of UK homes via Freesat. Freesat homes don't have to wait until Digital Switchover reaches their region to get HD for free which for large parts of the country is still over three years off."

And they didn't mention that Freeview HD is limited to 720-line services (2.5 times SD in terms of pixels), whereas Freesat is already 1080-line (5 times SD's pixels).

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Comments
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

7:17 PM

Duncan Brack: Do you have a model number?

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Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
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Duncan Brack
7:45 PM

UE40D8000.

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Duncan Brack's 6 posts GB flag
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

7:07 AM

Duncan Brack: The manual at http://tinyurl.com/GPDVBEUA says you can record using the device onto a USB hard drive or memory stick.

However, the television set only has one tuner, so you can't record something you are not watching, so it really only useful to record things when you are out, rather than something that is on at the same time as something else you are watching live.

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Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
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Duncan Brack
12:17 PM

Thanks very much - I hadn't spotted the manual, have had a look at it now.

Final question: presumably I can just plug an ordinary PVR, with tuner, into it and record on that?


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Duncan Brack's 6 posts EU flag
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

2:09 PM

Duncan Brack: The manual seems useful.

No, you certainly can't plug a PVR into the television set to record from it, but you can attach a Freeview+, Freeview+HD or Freesat+HD box with the set - just attach it using an HDMI cable.

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Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
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Duncan Brack
3:14 PM

Apologies. I meant a PVR with a freesat tuner built into it and connected to the TV would work to record freesat progammes. Do I understand correctly?

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M
Mike Dimmick
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

7:52 PM

Duncan Brack: Freesat tuners need an independent connection from the dish to the box. That's because the tuner has to send some control signals back up the cable to the dish, to select low or high frequency range and horizontal or vertical polarization. To cram in more channels, both polarizations are used for different services.

Freesat PVRs usually have two tuners, so you can record one programme while watching another. That requires two connections to the dish. Since the TV itself supports Freesat, you could connect only one of the PVR's inputs if you're short of connections.

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Mike Dimmick's 2,486 posts GB flag
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Duncan Brack
9:37 PM

Thanks very much indeed - you've been really helpful.

Duncan

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Duncan Brack's 6 posts GB flag
Monday, 14 November 2011
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Jan Baker
1:27 PM

live in France, have freeview with satellite and digibox.(ASTRA 2).Have new LD TV and wish to buy Humax Box, so I can record, not sure what model AND lso would like to receive some HD TV, is this possible in France, would I have to retune my Astra 2 channels, or would this be automatic when I buy a Humax box.Another little prob, does the Humax receive Sky News, have been told no.Thanks from a technical novice Jan

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Jan Baker's 1 post FR flag
Les Nicol
sentiment_satisfiedGold

2:40 PM

Jan Baker - The Humax receiver you require is the FOXSAT HDR (available with either a 320GB or 500GB Hard Drive). The 320GB model has the option of being motorised and therefore can be set-up for multi-satellite reception. the 500GB model doesn't have this feature.

The "Freesat" EPG (electronic programming guide) which currently will auto tune around 200 or so channels but doesn't have SKY news included. However the receiver also has a standard European EPG option and can be set-up manually after the auto set-up of the former. Several hundred more channels are tuned in,in this mode, including SKY News. It's then a one button press on the remote to switch between the two options

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