SKY TV AND FREESAT.

Forum posting proved difficult for Mr.Kent so here's his "E" mail queries.
Mr. Kent from U.K. asks;
Dear Freesatnews will you please advise me about Sky and Freesat. What is the difference between Freesat from SKY and this new Freesat from the BBC.
Do I need a dish or can I use the SKY dish I have on the side of my house already? I cancelled my subscription about three months ago and have been watching free television still using my SKY dish and SKY box. I read somewhere that the package from Freesat is the same as SKY Freesat, Is this wrong?
As an old age pensioner on a tight budget I could no longer afford SKY and had to pack it in and what a hassle that was because I tried to cancel on the third of the month I was forced to pay for the whole month, so how much is the new Freesat going to cost?
*****************
Thank you Mr Kent for your "E", mail, but we will answer for the benefit of everybody who are like yourself are unsure or have been misinformed. We hope this answers most of your queries.
*****************
Question;
Can you use your Sky receiver to pick up BBC/ITV Freesat.
Answer;
The simple answer is yes (in part), to explain; at the moment some free to air
channels are being picked up using a SKY receiver, you should note that using a SKY receiver to get these free-to-air channels is not in the mainstream SKY listings, you have to go into the extra channels dept. using the SKY receiver remote which we feel is rather strange and should have been in the mainstream listings along with all the other channels and this will continue
as long as it does not interfere with exisitng SKY viewers, but it is
NOT, repeat NOT completely clear if this will continue as more and more
channels are added to Freesat and contracts of various channel providers
come to the end of their respective contracts. The cost of being added to
Freesat is a fraction of the cost being contracted to the SKY platform.
The possibility of dual illumination cannot be ruled out either.
The Freesat Metadata will be sent out to two satellite receivers, one being SKY
and the other being Freesat, but it has already been made public that the
BBC have architecture in place in the BBC/ITV Freesat box that will make
the data stream invisible to other satellite receivers, which it looks very
much as if only two boxes will be able to either see or pick up the Metadata
in either case the EPG or Electronic Programme Guide will only
be useable in the Freesat box from the BBC/ITV.
There is much talk about contracts and ifs and buts about channels that have
copyright problems, there will be no problems when the new BBC architecture is in place, or dual illumination is used or implemented just exactly the same as it will be when Freesat gets first switched on.
The SKY dish can be used for Freesat but nothing has been released with respect to the Freesat gear, ie; LNB the LNB or low noise block which points to the centre of satellite dishes could be different. BBC have already commented that the existing dishes can be used but no mention has been made about the LNB.
The satellite receiver is special says WIKI so perhaps they too have learned
about the new architecture designed by the BBC research and innovation.
The cost of Freesat is only on your initial purchase of Satellite Dish, LNB,
Coax cable, DTG TESTED and PASSED Freesat hd digital box.
It may well be possible to use existing receivers to loop through to use your Freesat box. Some costs will be cut if you use an existing satellite dish.
Note for George here; you cannot "get out" of your SKY contract if you have signed up for twelve months, but we have heard of disgruntled customers who have given 1 months notice to SKY on their 11th month and their contract ceased after 12 months and not 13.

FREESAT SNIPPET ON DIASPORA TV.

DIASPORA TV TO JOIN FREESAT.

Nearly 1 million Irish born citizens living in the
United Kingdom will like ourselves be overjoyed to learn
that Diaspora TV is another quality Freesat channel.
Eamon Ryan the Irish Communucations Minister announced
that Diaspora TV will be part of Freesat by St. Patricks
Day 2009.
Channels from Diaspora include RTE One,RTE 2, & TG4
and these are expected to be incuded as a hybrid channel.
The subject of Irish ex-pats importance of Irish home
grown TV is not new, so now that it is going to happen
I'm hoping to view some Hurling.

HD DIGITAL TELEVISION BREAKDOWN.

TECHNICAL BREAKDOWN OF THE HIGH DEFINITION STREAM.

HD digital TV breakdown.
HDTV
High Definition television transmits more picture information and better quality sound than traditional standard definition television.
So what exactly does this mean to Joe Public?
The breakdown;; future broadcasts will soon be mixed with SD or Standard Definition and HD or High Definition and we will certainly see a slow transitional move to more and more High Definition (HD) programming.
HD or High Definition picture quality is around five times clearer than exisitng TV pictures and HD sound can be surround sound is more immersive. You only have to view a nature or sport feature once, and your hooked. You will also read and hear about upscaling of pictures which again is better than normal SD or Standard Television, but is your poor mans High Definition (HD) in comparison to proper HD.
To understand further we need to take a look at Multiplex,DVB-T and the futures DVB-T2.
A Multiplex is a set MHz block of UHF spectrum which carries a bundle of digital TV channels. 1 digital Multiplex occupies the same amount of spectrum as a single analogue TV channel.
DVB-T technology is referred to as modulation with respect to digital TV signals
and the current standard is named DVB-T, this allows more efficient use of the Multiplex spectrum. DVB-T2 is in development.
Digital Multiplex transmission is subject to trade-off between coverage, capacity and resilience to interference. At present, digital television is transmitted in the spectrum gaps between analogue television channels. See our FAQ's page for more detail.
The BBC make a cautious trade-off at 16QAM mode between coverage, capacity and interference in order to ensure consumers receive a robust signal. As digital switchover proceeds and interference from analogue channels stops being an issue, the BBC will convert its Multiplexes to 64 QAM mode, enabling more channels to be carried in the Mulitplex spectrum.

FREESAT OFFICIAL DIRECTIVES.

OFFICIAL FREESAT DIRECTIVE.

The following information is now in the public domain and is very important to any one considering future purchases of FREESAT equipment and we have been screaming from the rooftops advising everyone to make sure their new equipment is 100% FREESAT LOGO'D.
***********
freesat is a new free digital satellite TV service launching in spring 2008. Any free-to-air channels
carried on Astra satellites may be part of both freesat and Sky. The transmissions will be shared by
the two platforms. This means two different sets of channel information “metadata” must be carried in
the same transmission. The new freesat data must not affect the millions of Sky receivers already in
use. BBC Research & Innovation have designed the architecture and system specification so that
freesat data is effectively invisible to non-freesat TVs and set-top-boxes.
freesat metadata includes the information needed to display an EPG such as program names, times,
and descriptions, and to indicate the presence of subtitles, audio description, and interactive
elements. In addition it also carries the following:
Genre information for both channels and programmes.
Guidance information for each programme which enables the receiver to display a warning of
the level of violence/language/sex and to allow the user to restrict viewing of certain
programmes.
Content management to control copying and export of content.
Regional information, to ensure viewers in different areas receive the appropriate regional
variant of each programme.
Triggers and data which enable accurate recording and series linking to work.
To reduce the bulk of all this data we have designed a compression method which will speed up
transmission of all this data and thereby improve the user experience.
Current and future work
The main thrust of work is in two parts:
Firstly, maintaining and updating the system management section of the freesat specification, while at
the same time conducting our own internal proof-of-concept testing and validation.
Secondly, collaborating with other organisations to help them implement the specification. For
example:
Manufacturers who will create freesat TVs, recorders, and set top boxes.
DTG Testing Ltd who will provide the receiver conformance testing which products will have
to pass if they are to carry the freesat logo.
****************
This statement may also highlights why anyone trying to pick up test signals cannot, because any other satellite receiver may not see the signal.

BBC HD DIGITAL SCHEDULE FOR THE EASTER WEEKEND.

EASTER WEEKEND TOTS AND TEENAGERS BONANZA.


The BBC HD DIGITAL schedule builder can feel rightly proud of their Easter Weekend treats for the youngsters, making me wish I was a kid again.
Friday the 21st at 16-05 GMT, starts with; "High School Musical", until 17-50 GMT.
following this is no less than six episodes of the kids spy drama called, "M.I.High".
Saturday the 22nd at 16-40 GMT kicks off with more from "M.I.High", until 17-40 GMT. following this at 17-40 GMT. the excellent film " Toy Story 2", gets the HD treatment. following Toy Story at 19-00 GMT we are treated to more "M.I.High", until 20-00 GMT.
EASTER SUNDAY the 23rd starting at 13-000 GMT Sport lovers can view in sparkling HD the "Figure Skating World Championships", watchable until 14-30 GMT.
At 14-30 GMT. starts "The Electric Proms", with live rock artists like, Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Cold War Kids, Reverend all well known and very popular with the teenagers and youngsters alike, this finishes at 16-30 GMT.
At 16-30 GMT we get the kids drama all about Lauren who is 15 years old and her intelligent Dinosaur called Eno, the name of the programme is Dinosapien and it finishes at 19-25 GMT.
EASTER MONDAY continues with the Easter extended hours and further showings of the story of Lauren and her intelligent Dinosaur Eno in the kids drama Dinosapien, viewing from 17-00 GMT until 19-30 GMT.
EASTER WEEKENDS will never be the same again if this is what we have in store for the future.
BBC, take a bow, excellent viewing on the BBC HD DIGITAL CHANNEL.

FREESAT HD DIGITAL BOX JARGON.

BBC DESCRIPTION OF FREESAT HD DIGITAL BOX.
John overseas asks some more questions with regard to the new FREESAT HD DIGITAL BOX AND HD TV'S.
THE FREESAT HD DIGITAL RECEIVER OR BOX AND HD FREESAT TV WHICH HAS THE FREESAT BUILT IN, and the breakdown of jargon which as we write here is getting closer to the public release information;
As stated in many public BBC releases the Freesat HD digital box will be expected to have one of two or both connections named HDMI and/or DVI.
To break it down; read the latest information about HDMI here! To read this information you may need the pdf. reader which is free (although most users will already have it in their computers.) and you can download the pdf. reader from here!!
DVI
Digital Visual Interface was developed for uncompressed compatibility between suitable electronic equipment.
The Freesat HD digital box must also have included HDCP
HDCP is the name given for copyright protection developed by Intel. Corp.
The Freesat HD digital box will also have included DVBS and be capable of DVB-S2.
DVBS stands for Digital Video Broadcasting Satellite.
Sound tests have also been carried out with DOLBI 5.1
This means five (5 ) small speakers and a bass woofer.
Freesat HD digital boxes will be capable of Mpeg-4 HD Stream.
The Freesat HD digital box and the HD Freesat TV will also have the
All these technical points must be in the new Freesat HD digital box and also the HD TV with the Freesat built in has also considered the add in named IP STB.
The IP STB will probably be used eventually as it cannot be expected for everything to come on stream all at once.
The IP STB means Internet Protocol Set Top Box, so the chance of Internet Multimedia is closing in fast.
Expected size of new satellite dish? John overseas; we have been informed that a 60 cmtr. dish will be suitable for all over U.K. as the signal will be so strong.
Will there be different boxes?
The answer to this is yes! although a few manufacturers are making the Freesat HD digital box there will be small variations either using the remote (epg; for example) or within the Freesat HD digital box framework which will only concern an satellite receiver engineer.
Our advice;
Buy the best Freesat HD digital box you can afford, remembering 2009 will see some remarkable TV and Internet Multimedia progress.
When you buy your High Definition (HD) Freesat HD Digital box make 100% sure it has been passed by the quality assurance with the Freesat Logo.
Some of the HD TV manufacturers who have been granted a license to make HD TV's are;
ADS-Trading...Vantage/Intek Digital
Homecast
Humax
LG Electronics
Netgem
Pace...Pace/Strong/Viasat
Philips
Technotrend..TT-Select
Sagem
Samsung
Sony
Toshiba Information Systems...Toshiba
***
These brands are licensed to carry the HDTV LOGO.
Happy and FREE viewing soon!

BBC HD DIGITAL STEP UP A GEAR CLOSER TO FREESAT TV.

BBC HD DIGITAL STEP UP A GEAR ESPECIALLY FOR THE KIDS.

BBC HD DIGITAL STEPS UP A NOTCH TESTING THEIR BRILLIANT HD CHANNEL BEING TRANSMITTED FROM 28.2 DEGREES EAST.
YOU READ IT HERE FIRST; AS OF THE 21 st OF MARCH 2008 THE BBC HD DIGITAL CHANNEL ARE EXTENDING THEIR HOURS AND TREATING ALL THE KIDS WITH PROGRAMMES ESPECIALLY FOR THEM, WITH FILMS SUCH AS "HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 AND ON THE 22nd MARCH TOY STORY 2 AND WE KNOW BOTH THESE FILMS WILL BE OUTSTANDING ON HIGH DEFINITION. GOING BACK TO THE 21st MARCH IN THE AFTERNOON WITH PERFORMANCES FROM "ARCTIC MONKEYS AND KAISER CHIEFS FOLLOWED BY "HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 THEN NO LESS THAN SIX (6) EPISODES OF
M.I.HIGH TIMING GMT FROM 17-50 UNTIL 20-50 AND ON THE SAT. 22nd MARCH FOUR MORE EPISODES OF M.I.HIGH CAN BE VIEWED.
THE BBC HAVE GOT THIS SPOT ON AS OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN WILL LOVE THIS BONANZA OF SPECIALLY SELECTED CHILDRENS PROGRAMMES. THE BBC HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THE ADULTS EITHER AS THEIR PROGRAMMES START AFTER THE 9 PM WATERSHED.
NOT TO BE MISSED THIS WEEK ON BBC HD DIGITAL; *****PLANET EARTH*****, BROADCAST ON TUESDAY 18th MARCH 2008 (TOMORROW) AT 23-00HRS GMT.
ON SAT 22nd MARCH SHOWS THE EMOTIVE "SHROUD OF TURIN" DOCUMENTARY.
MOVING ONTO THE 23rd MARCH KIDS WILL LOVE THE CHILDRENS DRAMA CALLED
"DINOSAPIEN", WITH EIGHT (8) EPISODES STARTING AT GMT TIME 16-30 UNTIL
19-50. WHAT A WEEKEND THE KIDS HAVE IN STORE, EXCELLENT STUFF FROM THE BBC HD DIGITAL CHANNEL.

FREESAT TV WORKING ON ASTRA 2.

FREEESAT TV TESTING CHANNELS ON ASTRA 2 AT, Transponder C5, 11.390H.

There is a catch though, for over 2 months we have been testing this channels spectrum constantly and it has shown nothing on any of our highly Specialist Satellite Receivers!

With just over two months to go before the start date the only conclusion one can draw from this fact and as we are the only ones saying this apart from the BBC themselves is as follows,
BBC/ITV FREESAT will be invisible to Non-FREESAT Boxes either that or the BBC/ITV are going to launch FREESAT TV in the blind?

FREESAT HD TV QUESTIONS STILL TO BE ANSWERED.

FREESAT QUESTIONS STILL TO BE ANSWERED BUT ARE STILL SKETCHY.

In reply to John overseas,
we have broken your answer down to three parts for easy answering and every readers benefit if they are curious.
Your first question, was similar to what we have been asked many times now, how many channels will FREESAT transmit? and the second part of the section of the question can you pick channels up from other satellites with the same FREESAT receiver?
Domain-Holdings answers;
The initial line up suggested there would be eighty (80) channels with at least eight (8) of them being High Definition (HD), this figure looks positive to rise.
Depending on the channel storage ability of the new HD FREESAT BOXES, in theory it could be motorised to pick up thousands and thousands of free channels and all for the price of a motor to fix behind your satellite dish, and at the moment in U.K. the motor is an extra £70.
Your second part is rather controversial, and that is will ex-pats or military personnel be able to buy a box and use it overseas as U.K. taxpayers.
Rather than go into politics we will answer the best we can, again for the many ex-pats and military personnel who will be in range of the satellite footprint.
It is already in the public domain that the new FREESAT HD BOX will have inside it architecture to make the FREESAT datastream invisible to other receivers, this is designed so that it will not interfere with the already millions of Sky boxes. To clarify this, as is known, the datastream will be transmitted from the satellite to both the new FREESAT boxes and the existing Sky boxes, the jury are still out whether new channels will be added only to the FREESAT HD BOX and not the Sky box as and when they are released and added.
We have read reports that the signal sent out by FREESAT will be up to three (3) times stronger than existing targeted satellite signal, this makes it obvious that awful weather will have little effect to the datastream.
Finally the cost options; at todays prices the costs are approx.
FREESAT TV HD BOX......likely to cost approx. £180
******************
Seperate motorised system;
Free to air satellite receiver.....prices from approx. £30 upwards(Maplin)
Satellite dish....price approx. £25
LNB (low noise block...for the centre of the dish)...price approx. £5
Coax cable (CT100 or RG6)...approx. 30 pence a mtre.
F-connectors...approx. 50 pence for two.
Fixing bolts for your dish...approx. £5
Satellite mtre....not compulsory...approx. £10

Hope this helps John and many others.

TECHNICAL JARGON AS ADVISED BY THE BBC.

TECHNICAL JARGON FOR HD TELEVISION AS ADVISED BY THE BBC.
HDTV
High definition television transmits more picture information and better quality sound than traditional standard definition television. This enables picture quality to be sharper and more immersive and the sound can be surround sound.
SD
Standard definition refers to the conventional television pictures which do not deploy the HD format.
***************************
720p and 1080i
Standard definition television pictures are made up of 576 horizontal lines refreshed at a rate of 25 times per second. The increased amount of picture information transmitted for HDTV means pictures are made up of more lines – i.e. there is a greater level of picture resolution. The accepted standards for HD picture resolution are currently 720p (720 progressive – 720 lines refreshed at 50 times per second) or 1080i (1080 interlaced – 1080 lines refreshed at 25 times per second). The BBC Executive’s application proposes to use both these standards. 1080p is also becoming available (1080 lines refreshed at 50 times per second).
***************************
DTT
Digital terrestrial television is the form of digital television which viewers can receive through their normal television aerials. The platform comprises six multiplexes broadcasting both free-to-view and pay-television channels.
Freeview
Freeview refers to the bundle of free-to-view channels on DTT collectively marketed under the Freeview brand.
Multiplex
A multiplex is a fixed 8MHz block of UHF spectrum which carries a bundle of digital television channels. One digital multiplex occupies the same amount of spectrum as a single analogue television channel.
IPTV
Internet protocol television is a form of digital television delivered over a broadband network using internet protocol.
****************************
MPEG-2 and MPEG-4
Compression is used to encode a television channel for digital transmission. To reduce the volume of data that needs to be transmitted, and thereby fit more channels onto a multiplex, compression reduces the amount of information that needs to be sent from one second to the next. Information that is constant – e.g. a plain coloured background – can be reduced so that the capacity can be concentrated on changing information. The process by which this has been done hitherto is called MPEG-2. A new, more efficient process called MPEG-4 will be applied to HDTV services on satellite and DTT. Channels encoded in MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 can be transmitted on the same multiplex. But current Freeview set-top boxes are capable of decoding only MPEG-2 services, so consumers would need to upgrade their receiving equipment in order to receive HD channels in MPEG-4 alongside standard MPEG-2 services
***************************.
DVB-T and DVB-T2
The technology by which a digital television signal is transmitted is referred to as modulation. The current standard is called DVB-T. A replacement, DVB-T2, is in development. This will allow more efficient use of spectrum capacity. DVB-T and DVB-T2 cannot be mixed on the same multiplex. Current Freeview set-top boxes are compatible only with DVB-T, so consumers would need to upgrade their receiving equipment in order to view channels transmitted using DVB-T2. DVB-T2 equipment is expected to be available to consumers by late 2009.
*****************************
16 QAM and 64 QAM
Digital multiplex transmission is subject to trade-offs between coverage, capacity and resilience to interference. This is referred to as the mode. At present, digital television is transmitted in the spectrum gaps between analogue television channels. So the BBC makes a cautious trade-off – at 16 QAM mode – between coverage, capacity and interference in order to ensure consumers receive a robust signal. As digital switchover proceeds, and interference from analogue channels ceases to be an issue, the BBC will convert its multiplexes to 64 QAM mode – enabling more channels to be carried in its capacity.

FREESAT TO FAIL SAYS, TOP UP TV?

The short meesage below was released some weeks ago but never really picked up by the Media!

"Freesat will fail, warns Top Up TV chief Will the upcoming free-to-view satellite service, Freesat, fly or fail? It all depends on who you listen to. According to Top Up TV’s Chief Executive Nick Markham, the service will struggle to make an impact against the UK’s Freeview and Sky platforms. He made the pronouncement at the recent Broadcast Building Audience Loyalty conference, claiming that Sky’s dominance will cause the Freesat project to struggle. He said: “Sky has spent years perfecting its service and made sure that every home with satellite TV had it through Sky devices".

First thing anyone might notice is the fact that TOP UP TV is not in HD and may never be so its in their interest for FREESAT to fail.

FREEVIEW TV was only a success because of the BBC Expert Advertising Strategy if they can do it once then what will it be like when both they and ITV join forces not to mention the other 200 channels already committed to joining FREESAT HDTV.

FREESAT TV won't fail because it has the best people in the world (BBC) working for it 24-7.

TECHNORATI.COM TO LINK TO THE FREESAT HDTV BLOG.

Technorati Profile

PANASONIC, HUMAX, SAGEM TO SUPPLY FREESAT HD DIGITAL BOXES, RECEIVERS.

The BBC has reported that there will be only four (4) FREESAT TV HD Digital Boxes Available at the FREESAT TV Launch Date.

There was many rumours around that there maybe more Domain Holdings / Aberdeen Website Design understands that the main players in the battle for top spot in the FREESAT TV HD DIGITAL BOX, SET TOP BOX Honours List will between Panasonic, Humax, Sagem and one other (will we report when it is known).

All FREESAT Set Top Boxes made by PANASONIC, HUMAX and SAGEM will only be available from either John Lewis Curry's or Comet in the UK for the first six (6) months then it will be rolled out to other retailers like Argos etc.

CURRYS COMET AND JOHNLEWIS.COM TO SELL FREESAT TV BOXES AND DISHES.

Comet, Currys and John Lewis have been awarded
exclusive rights to sell and install FREESAT Receivers
and Satellite Dishes for the first six months after the official
launch date sometime mid May 2008.

Many retailers are voicing their concerns that distribution of
FREESAT TV may not be trouble free as John Lewis has 26 Stores
only with none in Wales or Ireland although they do have an excellent
online shopping system.

One of the main worries being moted is the fact that many areas that
can not recieve Freeview is in the same areas that the above johnlewis.com and
the Dixon Group do not have any retail outlets nearby and this would
only leave internet online FREESAT TV Sales and only if they had internet access.

This also raises the question about organising instalations, if one orders online
and he stays in the Western Isles of Scotland in a very remote place it is going
to be very difficult to plan and organise the said install to the very people
FREESAT TV was really meant for!

FREESAT RECEIVER, FREESAT TV, FREESAT EQUIPMENT.

FREESAT BOX, FREESAT TV, FREESAT EQUIPMENT.

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW FREESAT BOX, FREESAT TV, IN FACT ALL FREESAT EQUIPMENT HAVE INBUILT TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS THAT WILL MAKE "ALL", FREESAT CHANNELS INVISIBLE IF YOU ARE USING ANY TYPE OF SATELLITE RECEIVER THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE "FREESAT LOGO STAMPED ON IT". MANY FORUMS ARE STILL PUTTING OUT WRONG INFORMATION REGARDING THIS COMPULSORY "FREESAT LOGO EQUIPMENT".

C.I.H. DICISION FOR FREESAT.

THE RETAILERS GROUP C.I.H. DECISION ON FREESAT HD DIGITAL TV.

C.I.H.
23
Q1: I am a member of a 1000 retailer group(C.I.H) -we know that nearly half our customers across the country cannot get good Freeview reception-we are staggered that Murdock (Sky) was allowed on Freeview (monopoly or what?) and now he’s going to change to mpeg then offer free programmes-draw people away from existing Freeview -then offer high definition-then he's a total monopoly-we cannot wait for the BBC to offer a real BBC - not Sky – repeat - not SKY satellite FREESAT - that is BBC Freesat service - it must have high def ability - unlike Freeview terrestrial-the public is totally hooked on having high def
Q2: yes yes yes -see answer to question1
Q3: apart from the very poor reliability of the terrestrial signal and sensitivity to ghost images - connections etc - the ability to have the bandwidth for high def is crucial and some people would much prefer a dish to a "twig" -the dish can be at ground level
Q4: absolutely high definition -the public already believes that when they buy(many already have) their high def TV -they will of course see high def-they are very very annoyed that they will only see high def if they pay Mr Murdock - the Freeview EPG is excellent-so a hard disc recorder would be great
Q5: You should have done it 3 decades ago!!!-may we have it by yesterday please-many many customers will be very relieved
Q6: yes
Q7: yes yes yes
Q8: what it will do is hopefully stop Mr Murdock totally taking over Britain completely( he really is in the middle of killing off the terrestrial Freeview system-please stop being so naïve - or is the Mr Blair/ Mr Murdock friendship too powerful to stop - under no circumstances do a joint venture with Murdock-
Q9: do not allow under any circumstances-the use of Sky decoding software-under no circumstances allow any pay per view-it will allow under the carpet deals to subsidise boxes to get the subscriptions this will distort the price and kill of the genuine dealer who is at present giving advice and guidance to the public-a huge proportion of the public just want a good licence paying service-nothing else - they do not want to see a box for £150.0 or £10 if they subscribe to whatever
Q10: yes yes yes yes yes -at last-sanity- how on earth you can have a system called Freeview which is not free - i.e. card operated-that is Sky- infuriates so many people - you have no idea - I have around 90% would rather not have TV than have Murdock taking over their Licence paying service
Q11: Technically it must not be compatible with any SKY service-do not allow the units to be card accessed - or if you do - encrypt so that only a card supplied via the licence address database(i.e. issued with payment of the licence fee) will work-if there is any way that the
24
unit can be designed to be used also as a SKY box-Murdock will gobble you up and destroy the system (I am not paranoid-Just look at the last 15 years of TV )
Q12: we are very excited at the prospect-just don’t understand why it has not already been done-communicate urgently with TV makers-the power required to transmit is a lot less than lots moor conventional transmitters-make the box makers use low power supplies(Grundig sat boxes were 87% efficient when Pace was 24% efficient)-don't let rubbish manufacturers produce power gobbling units -specify say 1 watt standby or less-its quite easy-it just costs a tiny bit more to start with

CHANNEL 5 WILL JOIN FREESAT.

CHANNEL 5, WILL IT OR WON'T IT JOIN FREESAT?

CHANNEL 5'S OPINION OF FREESAT SHOW THEY ARE GOING TO JOIN FREESAT WHEN THEY CAN, WHETHER IT BE AFTER CONTRACT RELEASE FROM SKY OR MAYBE EVEN DUAL ILLUMINATION, WE LOOK FORWARD WITH INTEREST.

Channel 5
Five supports the BBC’s Freesat initiative as a worthwhile contribution to the process of digital switchover. We recognise that because Freeview is currently unavailable to over one quarter of households, for many people the only digital option they have is Sky. A Freesat offering would provide a valuable alternative route to digital for people who are unwilling for whatever reason to take up Sky’s subscription or “Freesat from Sky” offerings.
Five looks forward to joining the Freesat venture and to our service being made available on the new platform. However, it will take some time for us to negotiate appropriate agreements with rights holders to enable us to broadcast “in the clear”.
We therefore urge the BBC Trust to approve the proposal for Freesat proposed by the BBC Management

SKY'S OPINION ON FREESAT TV FROM THE BBC AND ITV.

SKY'S COMPREHENSIVE ANSWER TO THE BBC AND ITV JOINT VENTURE FROM THE BBC TRUSTS 12 QUESTIONS.

BSkyB
13
1. Introduction
1.1. Sky is grateful for the opportunity to respond to the BBC Trust consultation on the BBC Executive’s proposals to launch a national satellite-based free-to-view digital service (Provisional Conclusions of the BBC Trust on BBC participation in a “Freesat” Proposition, February 2007 – henceforward ‘the consultation document’). We note that the BBC Trust has provisionally reached the conclusion that the BBC be allowed to proceed with this service and is consulting on that basis. The platform is to be developed and managed by a joint venture entity but for convenience it is referred to as ‘BBC Freesat’ in this response.
2. The need for a Public Value Test
2.1. We note that the Trust considers that the BBC Freesat proposition is a “non-service activity”, as defined by Clause 22 of the Framework Agreement, which does not require a service licence, as it is a means of distribution which does not have “the nature of a service” which “generally involve the selection or commissioning of content as well as its scheduling or distribution” (consultation document page 5). Accordingly, in the Trust’s view, the normal process of consultation which would apply to a new BBC service, the Public Value Test (PVT) comprising a Public Value Assessment and a Market Impact Assessment carried out by Ofcom, does not apply.
2.2. Subsequent proposals to introduce new services on the BBC Freesat service (e.g. high-definition broadcasting) would thereafter be subject to separate PVTs (consultation document page 5).
2.3. We are concerned that the Trust may not have taken all elements of the Framework Agreement into consideration when arriving at its decision not enter into a PVT for the Freesat proposition.
2.4. Clause 18 of the Framework Agreement states that, in relation to the Trust’s responsibility to determine which activities of the BBC should be covered by a service licence “the Trust should have regard to three considerations and the need to demonstrate how they have been taken into account. None of the three considerations is conclusive on its own. Sometimes different considerations may pull in different directions and the Trust must weigh them up and reach an overall conclusion on where the public interest lies.” (Clause 18(2) of the BBC Agreement). Those considerations are:
2.4.1. “a presumption that activities which involve the selection or commissioning of content and its scheduling or distribution are likely to be appropriate to be covered by a service licence”;
2.4.2. “the importance of delivering the greatest benefit and clarity for licence fee payers and making the decisions which would make most sense to them. In particular, activities which are recognised as a service by licence fee payers are likely to be appropriate to be covered by a service licence, and the boundaries between different service licences are likely to reflect the boundaries between services in the perception of licence fee payers”; and
14
2.4.3. “the potential benefits of such a decision in providing certainty as to the scope of that service for, and opportunities for consultation with, other operators in the market place”. (Clauses 18(3) to 18(5) of the BBC Agreement)
2.5. On our reading, the Trust appears to have taken account only of the first of these considerations in deciding that the BBC Freesat proposition is a “non-service” that does not require a PVT. The decision if the other considerations had been taken into account might have been different, and we invite the Trust to re-examine this matter.
2.6. Our view is strengthened by the Trust’s decision to conduct a PVT in relation to the BBC’s so-called ‘on-demand services’, which, inter alia, included proposals to simulcast the BBC’s existing linear services, and make content available on an on-demand basis on a variety of new and existing platforms. In common with the BBC Freesat proposition, none of those “services” will require its own service licence, and may be described as being “limited to one element of distribution”. The parallels with BBC Freesat seem strong.
3. Rationale for the proposition
Competition
3.1. Sky believes that the arguments put forward in the consultation document that the new BBC Freesat proposition is a welcome addition to competition (see e.g. consultation document pages 10, 12, 18) are difficult to sustain in the context of ‘competition’ being state-funded.
3.2. Sky welcomes competition generally, including from other commercial satellite providers, and believes increased choice for consumers is a good thing. We are confident that our own Freesat service will be a very strong competitor to any rival offering. Our concerns are to do with the principle, which the Trust seems to accept without reservation, that it is an appropriate role for state-owned entities to be used as instruments of industrial or competition policy. There is a considerable body of economics and practical experience that indicates that such an approach is more likely to produce undesirable outcomes than good ones. It is a policy that has no place in a liberalised market economy such as the UK’s.
3.3. The Trust states that it has received privileged legal advice ‘on the Freesat proposition’s compliance with competition law (including state aid law)’ (consultation document page 14). Given its commitment to openness and transparency (consultation document page 3) the Trust should publish this advice and we will look at it and respond if necessary.
A ‘subscription-free’ service
3.4. Sky is particularly concerned by the failure of the Trust accurately to describe the nature of Freesat from Sky contained in the consultation documents. On at least six occasions the reader is left with the clear impression either in terms or by implication that Freesat from Sky remains available to customers only by the grace and favour of Sky and that at some point the service might cease to be free (see e.g. consultation document pages 10, 12, 18).
15
3.5. This is, in particular, evident in one of the two “stated objectives of the proposition” which is:
“Offering a free-to-view digital upgrade path to ensure that licence fee payers can be offered all the benefits of digital… guaranteed free of subscription in perpetuity.” (consultation document page 7, emphasis added)
3.6. Further references to this proposition include:
“There would also be no guarantee that there would remain a subscription free route to access BBC services in such circumstances.” (consultation document p10)
“Furthermore, the Freesat service is guaranteed to remain subscription free.” (consultation document page 12)
3.7. Reception of the BBC’s services (and the services of any other broadcaster that broadcasts channels on a free to air or free to view basis), including HD services, is “guaranteed free of subscription in perpetuity” via Sky’s platform. Sky has absolutely no control over whether a broadcaster using its digital satellite platform decides to make its channel available on a subscription or a free to air/ free to view basis.
3.8. It is important to recognise that this is not simply a function of regulation (and, therefore, dependent on the persistence of the current regulatory regime, though there is no reason to believe that that regime would change in the foreseeable future). It derives from the fact that satellite transmission capacity is provided independently of Sky (by Astra and Eutelsat), and that any DVB-compliant services broadcast via that satellite capacity can be viewed via Sky’s set top boxes1.
3.9. On a number of occasions in the consultation document this implicit proposition appears to lead to erroneous statements. In particular, we would draw the Trust’s attention to the following:
“For those households not receiving digital services, 6 of the BBC’s 8 TV channels, 3 of its 11 network radio services and the BBCi service are not accessible (unless they subscribe to Freesat from Sky).” (consultation document page 9, emphasis added)
Freesat from Sky is not a subscription service.
“We have good grounds for the view that many such people would take up a non-subscription offer if it was available.” (consultation document page 18)
A non-subscription (satellite) offer is available.
3.10. In other words, in so far as the BBC services are concerned, there will be no practical difference between customers of Freesat from Sky and those purchasing the BBC Freesat proposition. Any channel which is available through BBC Freesat will also be available through Freesat from Sky. No viewing card will be required in either case and both will be ‘guaranteed free of subscription in perpetuity’ (consultation document page 7) – inasmuch as the phrase ‘in perpetuity’ has any meaning in real life.
1 For completeness, we have set out the position in relation to viewing cards in Annex 1.
16
3.11. In Sky’s view the fact that one of the two key objectives of the proposition is based on a false premise seriously calls into question its rationale. We would be grateful if the Trust could acknowledge this error for the record in its response and give thought to whether it should reconsider its conclusions as a result.
Provision by a non-commercial entity
3.12. There is also an implicit proposition running throughout the consultation document that a justification for the BBC setting up its own digital satellite platform is that Sky’s Freesat service is provided by a commercial entity. For example:
“we have concluded that it is not acceptable for a significant proportion of licence fee payers to be exposed to the risk of being deprived of a subscription-free non-commercial access route to BBC services until as late as 2012” (emphasis added; and note that this applies only to BBC digital services as BBC1 and 2 are available via analogue)
and
“As part of considering the public value of the proposition, our view is that it would not be in the public interest for licence fee payers to be reliant only on commercial provider routes as a means of access to BBC subscription-free services.” (emphasis added)
3.13. This is mystifying and appears to be based on a misconception. Followed to its logical conclusion, it would involve the BBC having to own every part of the production chain involved in making and distributing its services – from programme making to the manufacture of set top boxes. Clearly, the BBC relies on “commercial providers” for a wide variety of services – including, in relation to digital terrestrial television, the “means of access to BBC subscription-free services”.
4. Issues of process
4.1. Sky finds the following aspects of the process which the Trust has decided on unsatisfactory:
4.1.1. in addition to our argument in section 2 above as to why the Trust should conduct a full PVT in respect of the proposals, Sky urges the Trust not to rely in any case on the narrow distinction between new services and new distribution methods in deciding not to proceed with a full public consultation. It is the Trust’s role ”to represent the interests of licence fee payers, assess their views carefully and appropriately, and…have regard to the competitive impact of the BBC’s activities on the wider market” (consultation document page 3). That implies a high degree of independent regulation of the BBC Executive which reassures commercial organisations that they are not at a disadvantage when faced with a state-funded competitor. The default option should thus be to consult as fully as possible;
4.1.2. the Trust states (consultation document page 6) that it took into account the problems caused to the BBC by delay. Minimising the delay in the interests of the BBC Executive is surely not a material factor for the Trust to take into account, and in any case, the proposal for a BBC Freesat
17
service has been discussed for at least two years if not longer. If it were genuinely a matter of such urgency, surely more progress would have been made in the intervening period;
4.1.3. in a full PVT, neither the ‘research’ contained in the consultation document – which as the Trust says is anecdotal – nor the market implications paper published at the same time would have passed muster, and more robust information would have been necessary to allow BBC Freesat plans to proceed;
4.1.4. it is also notable that the proposal was initially examined by consultants (Fathom Partners and Indepen) appointed by DCMS who took a sceptical view of its viability. The response of the Trust was to commission a fresh study (by Frontier Economics) which took a different view. We believe that licence fee-payers’ interests would surely have been better served by starting with the presumption that a high burden of proof was required before authorising the development of the platform, rather than casting around for a consultant to give the ‘right answer’;
4.1.5. it is also difficult to understand the reasoning of the Trust in to refusing to consider at this stage the impact of an HD service or services being provided through BBC Freesat. Again, it is technically correct that at this time this is only a possibility. But it is abundantly clear from the Trust consultation papers that one of the principal drivers of the new BBC Freesat – indeed essential to its viability – is HD capability which will be built in to the set-top boxes from the outset. It is again Sky’s view that the Trust should have taken a broader view of its remit and taken this opportunity for a proper PVT in which the impact of HD services could have been considered;
4.1.6. finally, Sky considers that a 28-day consultation period is inadequate to allow a proper analysis and response to the BBC proposal, particularly as we note below that the information provided in the consultation documents makes a full response difficult.
5. Public value assessment
5.1. The Trust states that it has:
“considered the proposition against the following key measures of public value: reach; quality and distinctiveness; impact; and value for money.”
5.2. The assessment of the Proposition against these criteria is, however, cursory. More importantly, the Trust’s analysis of the proposition in relation to each of these criteria does not bear scrutiny. We assess the Trust’s conclusions on these matters on the basis of the information available to us in the sections below. We have also considered aspects of the proposed BBC Freesat as they relate to technical issues and market impact.
Reach
5.3. The Trust states that:
18
“we consider reach to mean the extent to which the proposals will facilitate or increase [subscription-free access to the BBC’s Services]”
5.4. The reach of the BBC Freesat service would have an identical footprint (in relation to the UK) to Sky’s satellite platform (including in relation to Freesat from Sky). as we note in section 3 above, subscription-free access to BBC services is already available via Freesat from Sky.
Impact
5.5. It is difficult to ascertain what the Trust means by “impact” (unlike “reach”, the Trust does not provide a definition). In the first instance the Trust states:
“Based on our consideration of how the proposition would be in the best interests of licence fee payers and create public value, our view is that the proposition would be valued by licence fee payers.”
This is surely a circular argument.
5.6. The Trust goes on to state:
“We consider the impact of an additional means of access to 6 of the BBC’s 8 TV channels, 3 of its 11 network radio services and the BBCi service which [sic], along with a substantial range of other digital services from other broadcasters carry [sic] will have a significant positive impact on them – particularly for those who are unable to receive the Freeview service and within that number those who do not wish to use Sky Freesat or who do not want, or cannot afford to use, subscription based services now or in future.” (emphasis in the original)
This is subjective.
Quality and distinctiveness
5.7. Again, the Trust provides no definition of what it means by either “high quality” or “distinctiveness”.
5.8. In relation to quality, the key measures that the Trust appears to have applied are:
5.8.1. that consumers using the platform will “face no adverse [sic] pressure from having a choice either to use a free commercial provider or upgrade their service”; and
5.8.2. that it is guaranteed to remain subscription free.
5.9. Neither of these are criteria that would commonly be recognised as key indicators of the “quality” of platform services (and both criteria are based on a misconception about Sky’s Freesat proposition). Such criteria would normally include assessment of things such as:
• ease of installation;
• customer support;
• reliability of service; and
• functionality of the service.
19
5.10. We find it disappointing that the Trust has not sought to assess the “quality” of the service in relation to any of these elements.
5.11. In relation to the “distinctiveness” of the service, the Trust appears to have made no assessment at all. While it is difficult for us to make a judgement on this matter on the basis of the detail about the service that has been provided, it would appear that it is intended to be almost identical to Sky’s Freesat service, in which case an argument that it is “distinctive” would be very hard to sustain, unless simply being supplied by the BBC makes something distinctive.
5.12. To the extent that it is different because the set top boxes intended to be sold in relation to this platform would be unable to receive subscription services (as Sky’s set top boxes are) it would seem that this “distinctiveness” in fact amounts to offering consumers a service that restricts the choices available to them. That is not presumably a public value criterion.
Value for money
5.13. It is virtually impossible for Sky to comment adequately on this aspect of the Trust’s assessment, as the details that have been provided on cost, or the benefits said to stem from the proposition, are scant.
5.14. In particular, any understanding of the likely customer take-up of a BBC Freesat platform offering depends on the retail price of the box and installation. These figures have been omitted in the market implications document (page 4, paragraph 10). No sensible response can be attempted without them.
5.15. We note, however, that:
5.15.1. it appears from the Trust description of the proposition that any set top box marketed under the proposition would be “future-proofed (for example by designing in high definition (HD) and personal video recorder compatibility)” (page 4 of the consultation). It is not clear from the proposition whether all boxes will be HD enabled or not, but for the proposition to support other broadcasters’ HD services as proposed, it must be assumed that this would be the case;
5.15.2. the Fathom Partners and Indepen report notes that the BBC’s cost model “assumes a price-difference of just £25” between the price of an SD box and an HD box.
In which case, it appears to us that the BBC has either over-estimated the cost of an SD box or substantially under-estimated the cost of an HD enabled box (as the report notes, “the price-difference could be much greater”). Without a detailed breakdown of the BBC’s model, it is not possible to establish where the fault lies. In either case, there will be a significant impact on take up of the proposition that must be factored in to any approval.
Technical impact
5.16. In relation to its assessment of the costs of the proposals, we note also that the consultation document has also omitted an important element. The Trust needs to be aware that the BBC Freesat proposition described in its consultation may have significant implications for the technical operation of Sky’s own platform. These
20
implications arise from the fact that, although not expressly stated in the consultation, it is our understanding that the BBC is proposing that a single broadcast stream of its services will be used to provide services to both Sky’s set top boxes, of which there are in excess of ten million, and the new BBC Freesat set top boxes, and that such broadcast stream will carry additional data components intended for the BBC’s Freesat platform.
5.17. Proceeding in this way poses technical risks to both platforms. As the two different box populations employ different technology for services such as the EPG, channel numbering and interactive services, there would need to be significant and continuing technical co-ordination between Sky and the joint venture operator of the BBC Freesat platform to ensure that the signals intended for one platform do not have any negative impact on the other. Such negative impacts could, for example, result in third party channels not playing out correctly on both platforms, or, in the worst case, result in set top box failures across one or both platforms.
5.18. The BBC has already requested that Sky undertake certain testing in connection with the signal types it intends to broadcast for the new platform. Sky has indicated to the BBC that it is prepared to do so in parallel with this consultation as a gesture of goodwill, but that this will require a full evaluation of the technical implications of the launch of the new platform. In addition, Sky would expect that the testing it carries out to enable the launch of the platform will be documented in a contract, presumably with the joint venture entity undertaking the technical co-ordination of the new platform. These are matters that should be agreed as a matter of urgency.
6. Platform neutrality
6.1. Sky has been concerned by the BBC’s unwillingness to promote digital services on a platform-neutral basis despite the good example set by Ofcom’s Cross-promotion Code. The BBC has taken advantage of the fact that it does not have to comply with that code to indulge in cross-promotions which favour digital terrestrial services over competing platforms, in particular by using the brand name ‘Freeview’ whilst referring to other platforms using the generic platform technologies, such as “satellite” and “cable”. This is clearly discriminatory and runs contrary to the BBC’s agreed purpose of promoting digital switchover. Sky is disappointed that the Trust appears to have endorsed this discrimination in the draft Code on cross and digital TV promotion published last month.
6.2. The Trust should require that, if permitted, any BBC Freesat service should only be promoted in a strictly platform-neutral manner. This means that on-air and other promotional activity, and customer advice via call centres etc should make it clear that there is more than one Freesat offering, and should set out the different features and benefits of each. At present the BBC refers to ‘free satellite’ meaning Freesat from Sky. If the BBC wishes to refer to its proposed new platform by any eventual brand name, then equal treatment should be afforded to Freesat from Sky. In addition, any promotion of the new BBC Freesat should be separated from the BBC’s general promotional activity, and from that for the Freeview service.
21
7. Conclusion
7.1 In view of our concerns about the rationale behind this service; our observations on the process through which it has been considered by the Trust; the apparent inaccuracies about our services; and the omission of a discussion of the extent to which BBC Freesat relies on our technical co-operation, we suggest that the best way forward is for Sky and the Trust to meet at an early stage to discuss this proposal.
Annex 1
It is not necessary to have a viewing card to view via Sky’s set top boxes channels that are broadcast “in the clear” (i.e. unencrypted). Currently all but five free to air channels broadcast via digital satellite are broadcast in the clear – including the BBC’s and ITV’s channels.
Currently, a viewing card is required to view Channel 4 and five (as well as five Life and five US) via Sky’s set top boxes because these channels are encrypted (at the broadcasters’ behest) in order to prevent “overspill” into territories outside the UK where these broadcasters do not hold rights for some of the programming carried on their channels. Should these broadcasters continue to encrypt their channels for broadcast via satellite they would not be able to be received by the BBC Freesat service (as the BBC set top boxes would not be able to decrypt those channels). This would suggest that, if they have any intention of being part of the BBC Freesat service, these broadcasters intend to cease encrypting their channels on digital satellite – in which case no viewing card would be required to receive those channels via Sky’s set top boxes.
For completeness, we would note that, in any event, the need to have a viewing card to view an encrypted free to air channel in no way constitutes a barrier to receiving those channels. All Freesat from Sky customers, Sky subscribers, Sky churners, and subscribers to other services offered on the digital satellite platform have valid viewing cards.

AVANTI COMMUNICATIONS ON FREESAT.

FREESAT COMMENTS FROM AVANTI COMMUNICATIONS.

Avanti Communications
Q1: Access to the BBC's digital SDTV services on a free to air basis is reasonable by virtue of the service using capacity on the Sky platform which fills in Freeview gaps.
Q2: Universal access for licence fee payers to subscription-free means of access to digital services should be available: This inevitably means that some fee payers will have one option, others will have more depending upon their geography or the nature of their abode.
Q3: If the BBC is to continue to draw public money to fund itself, it is our belief that its services should be made as attractive as possible to fee payers. A small selection of channels and an inadequate availability of HDTV content will become a major barrier to the success of Freeview in the future, consigning fee payers to a markedly second class service. It should also be possible for consumers to chose free to air services whilst having the option to upgrade to paid for content in order to make the service competitive and attractive to the widest group of customers.
If this can be achieved by continuing to make BBC services (with advances in HDTV and premium content) available through the Sky electronic programme guide, he consumer will be well served. However, we believe it is possible that there may be insufficient satellite capacity to enable the BBC to fully compete with a full range of innovative HDTV and interactive services at the 28.2°E position used by Sky. Furthermore, it is in the best interests of the consumer that all free to air programming is provided with the latest available technological enhancements (HDTV is the new “colour” TV and all consumers should have access to it).
Q4: Yes, furthermore the technology is now available to the BBC to deliver Freesat in IPTV format with a satellite return path, facilitating a far wider range of interactive services than are currently available in other European satellite TV offerings. Future proofing also means, at a minimum the capability to grow a large HDTV offering. HDTV will be ubiquitous on competing platforms in the medium term. If the BBC chooses a Freesat technical solution that does not have sufficient capacity (as is the case with Freeview) to offer a full HDV suite, it will have failed in its objective. The BBC has a proud heritage of technical innovation and should remain at the forefront.
The BBC’s Public Service Remit. The BBC has a number of public service duties. These include the Public Purposes form the BBC of “helping to deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services and, in addition, taking a leading role in switchover to digital television”, and a requirement that the “BBC must do all that is reasonably practicable to ensure that viewers, listeners and other users (as the case may be) are able to access the UK Public Services that are intended for them”.
Q5: Improving access to digital services is not the only stipulation that is made by this paragraph, but yes, Freesat will do that. The Public Service Remit also compels the BBC “to deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies”. If Freesat does not include at minimum, a large range of HDTV services and an expanded suite of free to air content, and preferably IPTV and interactivity, it will fail in this key objective. 12
Competitive impact. The Trust has taken into account the market impact of the proposition. In particular, we should welcome your views on the following issues and will take them into account when our final decision is made.
Q6: No. The markets not mentioned are the distribution mechanisms. The choice of which satellite operator’s capacity Freesat may use will have a dramatic impact on the future proofing of the Freesat service (because of capacity constraints at existing orbital positions). Choosing a new, innovative supply of satellite capacity will grow competition in a market which is less competitive than many.
Q7: It depends on the scope of Freesat, and whether a full service multi channel offering with high HDTV content and interactive services are offered. If this is the case, the answer is YES. Also, if Freesat is offered at 28.2°E, it does not offer any additional choice at all, and is a pointless exercise since BBC content is already free to air at that position. The concept of choice should include the BBC leading in quality of innovation and breadth of free to air and premium content availability.
Q8: No to the second part. If the BBC simply elects to maintain a small suite of channels from the orbital position 28.2° East, it is possible that there will be insufficient satellite capacity available to enable the BBC to innovate well a full range of “emerging communications technologies”. In the USA it is reported that some 1500 HDTV channels are being launched this year, in Europe there are apparently fewer than 100. If the BBC fails to innovate, it is likely that the rest of the market will follow, creating a barrier to innovation.
Q9: In part. However, see answers to questions 6,7 and 8 above.
Q10: No. The BBC uses licence fee payers’ money to benefit the producers of independent content, and to benefit the supplier of Digital Terrestrial Transmission facilities, so why should Freesat Joint Venture Partners not benefit accordingly if essential costs need to be covered to facilitate success?
Q11: Other comments. In addition to seeking views on the specific questions detailed above, we are interested in your views on other aspects of the proposals.
Q12: Genuine choice requires that the BBC collaborates with the other providers of free to air content to produce the largest bouquet of content available using the most advanced technology. Anything less will consign large sections of the population to using second class services.

FREESAT DECISION BY WELSH AUDIENCE COUNCIL.

WELSH DECISION ON THE FREESAT VENTURE.

Audience Council Wales 9
Public Value
Q1: No, access to the BBC's digital services in Wales is currently not acceptable, and the BBC should be taking action to improve access to its digital services in the lead up to digital switchover. It is estimated that about 56% of the people of Wales can receive the full Freeview service line-up (all 6 multiplexes). This compares with an average of 73% of the UK population.
From switchover, which starts in Wales 2009, the coverage of DTT will increase in Wales, as the analogue television signals are switched off and the digital signals are switched on in their place. However, not all of the 6 Freeview multiplexes will be available across the whole of Wales. It is estimated that whilst coverage of the 3 PSB multiplexes (2 from the BBC and one from ITV/C4) will provide near universal coverage in Wales (same coverage as analogue today), the 3 commercial multiplexes (1 operated by ITV and 2 by National Grid Wireless) will probably only reach about 80% of the Welsh population. This figure compares with about 90% of the UK population. Therefore, whilst nearly everyone will receive the digital terrestrial service not everyone in Wales will be able to receive the full Freeview service line-up as currently promoted.
For this reason it is essential that the BBC improve access to its digital services in the lead up to digital switchover.
Q2: Yes, it is essential if the principle of universal access to the BBC’s services for all licence fee payers is to be upheld.
Q3: Yes, Freesat will have near universal coverage of Wales and will therefore provide an alternative choice for consumers to access a range of free-to-air digital television services, digital radio services and interactive services. This will appeal to consumers who will be unable to receive the full Freeview line-up and to others.
Q4: Yes.
The BBC's public service remit
Q5: Do you agree with the Trust's conclusion that the BBC's "Freesat" proposals are consistent with the BBC's Public Purposes because they will improve access to its digital services?
In the light of digital deprivation described above it is essential the proposals are implemented if the Public Purposes are to be meaningful to audiences in Wales.
Competitive impact
Q6: [no response] 10
Q7: Yes.
Q8: [No response]
Q9: [No response]
Conditions
Q10: Yes.
Q11: [No response]
Q12: Freesat will play an essential role in helping to make free-to-air digital television services available to licence fee payers in Wales. There is already a high penetration of satellite in Wales, which reflects the difficulties that the people of Wales have in receiving terrestrial television services, principally because of the challenges of the topography. This is an issue for both analogue and digital terrestrial signals. Council is very aware that licence fee payers in Wales object to having to resort to the services of a commercial competitor of the BBC in order to be able to receive the BBC’s services.
Audience Council Wales is acutely aware that Freesat will not resolve another key issue related to digital deprivation in Wales which is a constant theme to Council’s public engagement, that is the lack of universal provision of the BBC Wales’ national radio stations, Radio Cymru and Radio Wales, on DAB. This is an issue of even greater importance to the audience in Wales due to the lack of availability of Radio Wales on FM in many parts of Wales.

SCOTLANDS AUDIENCE COUNCIL GIVES DECISION ON FREESAT.

FREESAT DECISION FROM SCOTLANDS AUDIENCE COUNCIL.

Audience Council Scotland
The Audience Council for Scotland has asked me to write to you to express its strong support for the Trust's provisional conclusions on the proposals for a national satellite-based free-to-view digital service ("Freesat").
The Council believes that the introduction of such a service should be an urgent priority for the BBC and in particular welcomes the fact that access via "Freesat" would be on the basis of a one-off initial payment, with a guarantee of no ongoing subscription charges.
Reception difficulties from analogue transmitters, and concern about the quality of reception after the switch to digital, have been recurring topics at the Council's public engagements in recent years.
Members believe that the proposed "Freesat" service would provide a valuable alternative means of access to BBC services for households currently experiencing difficulties with terrestrial reception, analogue or digital, including potential viewers of the planned Gaelic Digital Service.
The proposal will also provide a means of access to Freeview for households otherwise unable to do so until digital switchover, and for any households which continue to experience reception difficulties after switchover.
There would be particular benefits, in the short term, for households in the Dumfries area served by the Sandale transmitter, for some of whom BBC Scotland opt-out services are currently available only on analogue. In the longer term, the proposal will maximise the number of licence payers in Scotland to whom the benefits of the BBC’s digital services will be available.

NORTHERN IRELAND AUDIENCE COUNCILS DECISION ON FREESAT.

NORTHERN IRELANDS FREESAT DECISION.

Audience Council Northern Ireland
The Audience Council for Northern Ireland welcomes the consultation on Freesat and notes the provisional approval of a Freesat service by the Trust.
Council particularly welcomes the benefits that Freesat will bring to many homes in the UK, and specifically Northern Ireland, which have difficulty in receiving a Freeview signal. It notes that the proportion of homes in Northern Ireland that cannot receive Freeview is higher than the UK average.
The demand for an alternative free-to-view digital service has been evidenced at Audience Council’s accountability events in different parts of Northern Ireland. Sections of the audience have expressed a sense of disadvantage in not receiving BBC digital services, paid for by the licence fee. There is also evidence of relatively low levels of understanding of the options for receiving BBC services by satellite without the need for a monthly subscription to the service provider.
Council notes the particular topography of Northern Ireland and welcomes the fact that many homes in coastal and rural locations would benefit from digital television on an affordable basis.
Council endorses the proposal that Freesat should be future proofed to take account of the consumer demand for, and expectation of, High Definition TV (HDTV).
Council therefore believes that the proposed Freesat service is in the interests of licence fee payers in Northern Ireland.

ENGLANDS AUDIENCE COUNCILS FREESAT DECISION.

FREESAT DECISION FROM ENGLANDS AUDIENCE COUNCIL.

Audience Council England 5
The Audience Council England welcomed the provisional conclusions and felt the proposals
would help address widespread concerns about accessibility to digital services and provide a future-proof system that would be HD (high definition) capable. 1. Public Value i. Current access to BBC digital services is unacceptable in view of the large percentage of viewers who cannot receive these except via an extra payment for a subscription service. A universal licence fee implies universal access and the BBC should take steps to increase this access. ii. There should be a choice of subscription-free digital access for licence-fee payers and as the Freeview footprint will not widen until after the digital switchover is complete, it is preferable that this should be available before then. iii. These proposals have value for all licence fee payers. There is a clear advantage to those unable to receive Freeview but for existing digital viewers, the proposed wider choice of channels would offer a more comparable choice of digital platforms than currently exists between Freeview and subscription services. They also offer a guaranteed HD capability. iv. The ‘future-proofing’ proposition is important because it is essential that the Freesat service should take account of potential technological advances. Otherwise it will be less attractive to viewers as a longer term solution to digital access and a disincentive to manufacturers and retailers to become involved. 2. The BBC’s Public Service Remit i. The aim must be for 100% digital access; this is entirely consistent with the BBC’s Public Purposes. 3. Competitive Impact
i. The markets that may be affected have been correctly identified. It is unlikely that many Sky customers who subscribe to the sports or film packages will be motivated to switch to Freesat.

ii. The launch of Freesat would have a beneficial effect for consumers because of the restricted Freeview access and the limited options in the market for digital viewers who do not want specialist sports and/or film packages.

iii. The launch is unlikely to lead to the exit from the market of existing participants.

iv. The limits to the proposal are accepted. The BBC is not in the manufacturing business but there was a question around what is meant by ‘marketing co-
6
ordination’; could this be truly separate from manufacture, retailing and installation in the minds of consumers?

4. Conditions
i. A majority agreed it was appropriate for the Trust to impose conditions to prevent licence fee money benefiting other participants.

ii. The only other conditions might be around future-proofing as far as possible and not accepting compromises that will necessitate more investment from either the BBC or the viewing public.

5. Other Comments
An expectation that all BBC regions will be available through Freesat to enable viewers to opt for an alternative to the default channel if they wish, and a query about Sky Plus and future on-demand services being compatible through Freesat. Overall an excellent proposal, and the sooner the better.

FREESAT CONSULTATION RESPONSES.

FREESAT CONSULTATION REQUESTS ASKED 12 QUESTIONS, LISTED FOLLOWING ARE THE ANSWERS;

An existing satellite broadcaster (name withheld) 3
We are a broadcaster already operating, “Free to Air” on the digital
satellite platform (and on the BSkyB EPG).
We support the intention of the BBC to embark on a “FreeSat” proposition…with some caveats. Our comments relate less to the consumer (viewer) aspects of access to BBC services, but focus on the wider implications of competition on the provision of digital TV, via in particular, digital satellite (DSat). Other broadcasters, and their viewers, are also licence-fee payers!
Even above all the viewer considerations, a fundamental (and positive) implication of the BBC proposition is that for the first time there will be an alternative to BSkyB in the supply of satellite TV services. In the UK (uniquely), there is a perception that satellite TV is only available via BSkyB, and that a subscription is involved.
It is somewhat surprising that the studies which the BBC has received make no mention of the implications of what would be the first competitor to BSkyB in the provision of satellite-delivered digital TV. Licence payers are not just “BBC fans” – they include all who receive any television, including those who may feel no particular loyalty to the BBC. As licence payers, their requirements should be considered in any review of the provision of BBC services. All TV viewers have to pay the licence fee, even if their preferred viewing is non-BBC.
We would make the following points (we talk about the “BBC Offering”, but assume it would be the one mentioned in the documentation, being operated by a consortium of broadcasters or another service intermediary):
However it is portrayed, the BBC satellite offering will be perceived as one competitive with BSkyB. Given that there is no current competitor in satellite delivery of digital TV, this is to be welcomed.
By virtue of being on satellite, the BBC DSat proposition presents the opportunity of offering a much more efficient means of distribution of BBC HD broadcasts, for which DTT/Freeview is clearly not suitable (unless the BBC alone is given a privileged position re Freeview, which will not be acceptable).
The Technology utilised will presumably be such that the BBC “FreeSat” will include provision of EPG services, capable of providing access to any digital FTA channels on the Astra 2D/Eurobird platform. As such, the BBC service will be subject to the same FRND regime as is BSkyB. Any FTA channels will be able to seek (on appropriate terms) to be listed in the BBC “FreeSat” platform.
Ofcom is about to undertake a review of the wholesale platform markets for digital television. This should embrace in full the BBC’s proposals. The BBC proposal clearly could have significant impact on competition on the wider market for ALL digital TV services
It would be unfortunate if the “free” element of BBC FreeSat was emphasised to the exclusion of possible subscription extensions. Indeed, the fact that the BBC services might 4
not remain forever “free” has to be taken into account. The debate over the charter and licence fee has widely discussed the possibility that some (or ultimately all) services from the BBC might become subject to a direct subscription – whether or not as a replacement for the licence fee.
As a competitor to BSkyB, the BBC service should surely provide the potential for paid-for services, whether from the BBC or third parties. The market would be severely distorted if consumers had to (artificially) choose between a “free” satellite platform and one which permitted paid-for services. The precedent already exists – Freeview sits alongside “Top-Up TV”.
There are many potential subscription or conditional access services which BSkyB does not permit. It would be a significant stimulus to innovation if the BBC service were to provide mechanisms (which are technically easy to provide) to allow such services to develop. These could be free or paid-for services
The set top boxes to be used as part of the BBC services must be of “open” architecture. Only this would allow proper development of competitive DSat offerings – and at the same time would allow the BBC to continue to offer a truly “free” version, while permitting variants with (encrypted) paid-for conditional access services.
In summary, we support the BBC proposition, with the caveat that it should NOT be restricted to only satellite TV channels which are entirely Free to Air.

BBC HD PROGRAMMING EXCEL YET AGAIN!!!

BBC HD TREAT IT'S VIEWERS TO ANOTHER FEAST OF EXCELLENT PROGRAMMES.

Sunday night is quickly becoming my stay at home night for BBC HD, once again we are being eased into the HD world of stunning pictures with three excellent programmes starting with the Lifestyle programme on gardening with Monti Don visiting two of the oldest cultures with respect to gardening by visiting China and Japan, yet another unmissable viewer slot with those lucky enough to have an HD TV and an existing HD receiver.
Next there is an Entertainment drama story called Fairytale which promises to be screened on the correct day in U.K. it being Mothers Day.
But for me the "piece de resistance", has to be the Factual documentaries, this time being "Everest", where we view the blind athlete Erik Weihenmayer taking on the monster task of climbing Everest.
We can tell you they are all to be heard in Stereo, of which BBC HD have been testing with great success, the resulting sound is brilliant.
I tested and listened today the new sound feeding from my HD receiver and the sound is very impressive, and the clarity excellent with not a single sibilant that you can sometimes get on standard satellite receivers. The BBC HD sound is mighty impressive and fixed to your personal multimedia centre will knock the socks off most stereo sound.
Domain-Holdings.