Freesat – A Unique Wholesome Entertainer
November 30, 2008
Freesat is a free to air digital satellite television developed by ITV plc and BBC, which started its service in the year 2008. This works as an alternative to the Freeview service that is telecast on digital terrestrial television. Some of the channels are made available without subscription for users who purchase a receiver. High definition channels are made available on digital satellite broadcasting.
History
Free to air broadcasters such as ITV and BBC, provide services digitally through three different routes such as digital satellite, digital terrestrial and digital cable(subscription-only). Freeview service will be soon available to about 98.5% of the population in UK after analogue TV services has been converted to digital service. BSkyB, a commercial operator controls the digital satellite platform. Anyone wishing to view channels need to get the equipment from Sky and pay for the free to view channels. Standard definition channels are broadcast with the help of MPEG-2 to be compatible to Sky Digital boxes. Freesat boxes also come with an Ethernet socket at the back.
Free to view is a term used in UK for some televisions that run on Sky Digital satellite platform and, that which works on a video guard receiver bearing a viewing card to decrypt the signals. Free to air channels are sent unencrypted and is received through any suitable receiver.
Freeview is a digital service of free digital terrestrial television using the DVB-T standard. To receive Freeview channels a separate set-top box or a TV that comes with integrated digital tuner is essential. A HDTV or High Definition Television is a broadcast service with high resolution compared to the traditional television.
BBC moved its channels to the Astra 2D satellite in the year 2003. This was helpful for BBC to stop the encryption of its broadcasts. In the year 2005, BBC and ITV collaborated to give free to air satellite service. ITV moved their channels to Astra 2D to make them free to air. Free to air channels can be received by using any DVB-S receiver. Freesat has few managed services such as interactive features, Electronic Programmes Guide and receivers.
After its launch in the year 2008, Freesat started advertising all channels from ITV and BBC including all national BBC radio networks. Some channels such as Euronews, CSC Media Group, Al-Jazeera English and Chello Zone were also included in the list. The first high definition channel available on Freesat from the day it was launched was BBC HD. ITV HD was is available through Freesat from June 2008. Few channels such as Sky Sports News, Fiver, Sky3, Five US, Dave, TMF, 4Music, Virgin 1 and UKTV History were available on Freeview and not on Freesat.
Equipments for Reception
Some equipments required for the reception of Freesat service are receivers, satellite dish and televisions. Two types of Freesat receivers are high definition - capable receivers and standard definition- only receivers. Panasonic for the first time launched three plasma televisions that was built with integrated HD Freesat receivers. Sky digital, Astra 2 and Eurobird 1 are the different popular subscription satellite services. Freesat is available with any satellite dish, through a receiver.
Conclusion
Freesat expects 200 channels to be added by the end of the year 2008 and 230 by the end of the year 2009 with about 30 channels added each month. With these developments happening at a faster rate, it is sure that one can expect few more services to be added to its credit soon.
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