News - Freesat still going strong: 200,000 units sold

[HEXUS]

Sky is cutting the cost of its HD service, but Freesat reminds us that its subscription-free alternative remains a popular choice.

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[dangel]

Twiddles thumbs and awaits Windows 7 freesat support..

[shaithis]

Subscription free or not, if it doesn't have the content I want, there is no reason to buy it.

They should just give up and stop the stupid transmission method for ITVHD. Of all the channels to use to try and leverage sales, ITV is not going to sell expensive hardware lol

[simonf7]

Twiddles thumbs and awaits Windows 7 freesat support..

As far as I was aware the recent beta supports freesat? Not sure about ITVHD due to the way they broadcast it though.

[dangel]

As far as I was aware the recent beta supports freesat? Not sure about ITVHD due to the way they broadcast it though.

It might well do, but there is NO WAY ON GODS GREEN EARTH that i'm sticking it on my media center and incurring the wrath of Mrs DAngel when it doesn't record strictly.

[menthel]

it shouldn't be recording strictly cos its finished. Thank god!

[dangel]

it shouldn't be recording strictly cos its finished. Thank god!

Amen, brother, A-men.

[Barrichello]

Freesat states that its HD boxes are now available below the £99 mark, however, the sole PVR box - HUMAX' Foxsat-HDR - still carries a lofty price-tag of around £299. In comparison, BSkyB's recent price cut allows consumers to subscribe to Sky+HD for an annual cost of around £355 - with £50 of Marks and Spencers vouchers thrown in. The pair are pretty even in pricing

hmmm not sure how that works out?

Sky is £355 for the first year and then its free for ever? no more monthly subscriptions? i doubt it. All though if so please confirm as i would be interested

With sky you also have to add on £10 a month for a compulsory phone line so thats another £120 a year on top. Not looking so even in pricing now.

I got a £99 Freesat HD and does me fine. Euro's / FA Cup in hd etc. I might check out Virgins HD but doubt it will be much cheaper than sky's (apart from no phone line required etc)

[GheeTsar]

I think Freesat HD is superb and I will certainly be looking for it to be built in to my next telly purchase. Sky is pretty good value for money if take the basic SD channels, phoneline and internet too IMHO, but I'm quite happy not paying any money to Mr Murdoch.

[Funkstar]

And for many, the filler reason for Freesat is the fact it is unencripted.

Without breaking the terms of service and bypassing encription, there is not way to get a DVB-S signal into a media PC using the Sky service. And if you are still willing to do that, the hardware becomes incredubly expensive and may stop working at any time if Sky update their codes. It is also a lot of hastle with the cards being linked to your Sky digibox.

This is why I will never be a Sky subscriber. Loosen the restrictions and I'll take a medium package with 3 further multiroom subscriptions (giving me 4 cards and four recording/viewing feeds).

[3dcandy]

SKy's prices are hugely off putting, but we currently have Sky+ as there is a very poor signal in our area. We took Sky+ simply because we would get a 4 output LNB fitted, and 2 cables into house so we could in theory get Freesat HD at a later date. The Humax VR seems better than Sky's offering too, prompts you if you're recording an SD broadcast with a HD version available to switch to the HD one for example, and seems to be better thought out...

As said, you need a phone line for Sky+ and above, and with decent viewing packages at least £35 a month you will recoup your costs on Freesat fairly quickly, in less than 16 months or so by my reckoning...so take your pick guys!