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Sky Freesat review
Sky Freesat and HDTV Options
In this article we compare Sky Freesat to the new BBC Freesat HD service and provide help and advice for choosing the right subscription-free digital TV service in the UK, either by satellite or via your existing TV aerial.
BBC launches Freesat HD
In direct competition with Sky Freesat and the subscription based Sky HD service, the BBC and ITV have jointly launched a new Freesat HD TV service, which currently offers two subscription-free HDTV channels, together with 140 free standard definition digital TV and radio channels. BBC Freesat HD is broadcast via the Astra satellite at 28.2E (the same orbital position as used by the Sky Digital platform - so you could use an existing Sky dish to receive this new service).
To complement the launch of BBC Freesat HD, Humax has launched their Humax Freesat+ HD PVR which offers similar features to the Sky+ HD recorder, but without the need for a monthly subscription.
The necessary equipment to receive BBC Freesat HD or Freeview (the UK's terrestrial digital TV service via your aerial), is available online from John Lewis and Currys.
UK Digital TV Comparison Table
Sky Freesat |
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BBC/ITV Freesat HD |
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Sky+ HD |
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Freeview Digital TV |
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Comparing Free Digital TV Services
To clarify - Freeview is subscription free digital TV via your aerial requiring a Set Top Box or IDTV (Integrated Digital TV) whereas, by comparison, Sky Freesat and BBC HD Freesat both offer free digital TV channels via a satellite dish requiring either a Sky Digibox or a Freesat HD box, depending on which digital satellite TV service you choose.
To compare products, Sky Freesat still offers more free digital TV and radio channels than Freeview or the BBC / ITV run Freesat service - although it doesn't currently offer any HD TV channels - so you'll have to purchase the subscription based Sky HD service in order to gain access to Sky's HD channels.
So how do the satellite based digital TV services compare to Freeview which is received via your aerial? Well, in comparison, Freeview channel density is limited by the number of available UHF channels for broadcasting the terrestrial digital TV service - so not surprisingly Freeview offers fewer channels.
Freesat from Sky and the separate BBC run HD Freesat service, by contrast have access to multiple Astra satellite transponders and are able to offer more channels. Sky Freesat now features around 240 free digital TV channels to your home delivered via a satellite dish. This compares to around 40 free digital TV channels on the DVB-T Freeview TV service via an aerial.
Freeview terrestrial digital TV reception is currently only possible in around 75% of the UK via an conventional aerial, due to the lower power of the digital terrestrial TV service. Whereas Sky TV reception (including Freesat from Sky) is possible in around 98% of the UK. Around 2% of UK locations, particularly homes in deep valleys or surrounded by tall trees obstructing the view of the Sky satellite, will not be able to receive Sky TV. Visit our Sky TV reception problem page for more help and advice.
Installation Options For Sky Freesat
If you don't have Sky TV already, for a one-off fee you can purchase a Sky Freesat installation to receive a good choice of free to air digital TV channels, without paying a monthly subscription. Alternatively as an existing Sky TV subscriber, you could cancel your monthly subscription and purchase Sky Freesat FTA viewing card for a one off payment of £20, subject to the conditions of your contract. More information and help on the available options is provided below.
New Sky Installation
To get Sky Freesat if there is no existing Sky TV box or satellite dish (minidish) installed at your UK address, you will need to buy a new Sky Freesat installation, by calling 0870 240 5651. A trained Sky engineer will then fully install a Sky box and minidish at your property and provide a Freesat viewing card for a one time payment (currently £146.81). After this one off payment, there is currently no monthly Sky subscription for Freesat.
The Pay Once Watch Forever package from Sky offers half price installation which includes subscription channels for 4 months, after which (if you choose to keep them) a monthly subscription of £19 applies. Although, you can cancel your subscription to these Sky channels before the end of this term.
Save Money by Installing Your Own Sky Box
Alternatively, you can buy a second hand Sky box on Ebay (or buy one new) and install it yourself using a suitable satellite alignment meter or get a friend or local Sky installer to install it, then all you need to pay Sky is a one-off payment of £20 for a Sky Freesat card, including service activation.
Note: Satellite alignment meters are available from Maplin.
The one off £20 fee for a Sky Freesat card applies even if you have no current Sky subscription at your premises. After this one off payment, you can enjoy the benefits of subscription free digital TV by satellite, whilst saving money on the £146.81 installation charge. And, as previously stated, all Sky Freesat customers currently enjoy no monthly subscription!
Existing Sky Subscriber - Changing Subscription to Freesat from Sky
You can cancel your existing Sky TV subscription and purchase Sky Freesat by calling 0870 240 5651, assuming that your contract allows cancellation. Your Sky subscription will then be changed (downgraded) so that you can only receive the 120 free digital TV channels available on Sky Freesat. As an existing Sky TV subscriber, to make this change you will only need to make a one off payment (currently £20) for a Freesat viewing card.
If you mainly watch the free digital TV channels on Sky and want to cancel your monthly Sky subscription for the Sky TV premium channels like Sky Movies and Sky Sports, then this option will be attractive.
Sky Freesat Channels
For an up to date list of channels on Freesat from Sky click here.
Sky Freesat has many of the same free digital TV channels as Freeview including popular general entertainment channels: BBC1, BBC2, BBC THREE, BBC FOUR, ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, C4 and five. Unfortunately, many of the additional free TV channels on Freesat (which are not available on Freeview) are "special interest channels" many of which feature sales presentations of products and services rather than general entertainment.
When I compare the channels offered, Freeview has more quality music TV channels with HITS and TMF, whereas Freesat offers CNN (currently unavailable on Freeview) and a much better selection of digital radio channels. So, Sky Freesat having more free digital TV channels than Freeview doesn't necessarily mean higher quality programming!
Free to Air TV Channels
You will need a viewing card to view certain channels on Sky Digital. Currently these include Channel 4, Five, Five Life, Five US and Sky Three - but the list may vary in the future.
BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, BBC4 and ITV1, ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4 are all free to air channels and can be watched without a viewing card (with a Sky Digibox and a correctly aligned satellite dish of the recommended size). Please refer to our article Sky Digital reception in Europe for more information.
BBC Freesat HD TV Service
The BBC and ITV have joined together to offer the UK's first HD TV service via digital satellite. Currently BBC HD programming is limited in hours to between 8pm and midnight and the ITV HD offering is an "red button service" whereby you press the handset red button to activate HDTV viewing when an HD logo appears at the top of the screen.
To receive Freesat HD TV you'll need an Freesat HD digital set top box which you'll need to connect to your existing Sky TV dish (as the HDTV service uses the same satellite). If you haven't got a Sky dish on your property, you'll need to get a local CAI installer to fit one at a cost of around £80.
It's worth noting that by changing the LNB on your existing Sky dish you can still enjoy subscription channels from Sky Digital as well as having access to Freesat HD TV. A Quad LNB allows up to 4 digital receivers (whether they be Sky Digital or Freesat) to be fed from one dish via separate coaxial cables. An LNB upgrade may mean your dish needs re-aligning slightly as quad LNB's are slightly heavier than single LNB so the dish elevation can be affected.
You can buy a Freesat HD box from John Lewis, Currys, Argos and Comet online. Prices start for the HDTV compatible set top boxes start from around £120, with standard definition (SD) boxes from £50. A digital TV recorder (DTR) which allows the recording of BBC Freesat HD TV as well as standard definition services and the ability to pause live TV is also available at around £299.
To make the BBC Freesat HD service even more attractive, Panasonic manufactures the an integrated Freesat HDTV (the Panasonic Viera PZ81 IDTV series) making HDTV reception possible via satellite without the use of an external digital set top box.
More information on the BBC Freesat HD TV service is available on the official Freesat HDTV website.
Disclaimer
All information on this page relating to Freesat from Sky and BBC Freesat HD TV is provided in good faith and all help and advice is provided to the best of our ability. The channels provided on Freesat from Sky are subject to continual amendment by the broadcaster and hence no guarantee concerning accuracy of information is provided.
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