Maybe the arrival of the remote recording smart phone App?
Was promised by the end of 2013 but recent postings on the freesat community forum are saying early 2014.....
With Astra 2E expected soon, Astra 2G expected to launch in June and Astra 1N expected to depart, there will be big changes to the fleet at 28.2E this year. This may be the time for more channels to go free to air and join the Freesat EPG. We may find out this month what the BBC plans are for BBC1 HD English Regions and BBC2 HD Nations. BBC HD EPG swaps should be implemented where the service corresponds to the current SD service later this year. BBC1+1 could arrive this year. Channel 4 may make some additional HD services available (I'm not banking on it though as they have been happy to do pay TV deals for HD). Some local TV channels may join Freesat. Emma Scott, Freesat MD said last year "We will soon be delivering more features to our next generation Freetime service including a remote app and in the future, additional movie and music channels."
As they rely on subscription money to survive that's not likely to happen.
Six of their channels are subscription on all pay platforms, I believe their contract was recently renegotiated to include access to their programmes via Sky Go and on-demand. It could be that this allows their FTA DTT services to continue pay on DSAT but under no multi-year deal, pending 2E's arrival, alternatively they could just remain encrypted we'll not know until or if anything happens.
It just seems strange now that UKTV's two shareholders both have all their UK services on Freesat, one of which half owns the platform too!
With Astra 2E expected soon, Astra 2G expected to launch in June and Astra 1N expected to depart, there will be big changes to the fleet at 28.2E this year. This may be the time for more channels to go free to air and join the Freesat EPG. We may find out this month what the BBC plans are for BBC1 HD English Regions and BBC2 HD Nations. BBC HD EPG swaps should be implemented where the service corresponds to the current SD service later this year. BBC1+1 could arrive this year. Channel 4 may make some additional HD services available (I'm not banking on it though as they have been happy to do pay TV deals for HD). Some local TV channels may join Freesat. Emma Scott, Freesat MD said last year "We will soon be delivering more features to our next generation Freetime service including a remote app and in the future, additional movie and music channels."
We might possibly (emphasis on that word) get C4+1 HD, 4Seven HD & Al Jazeera HD and the increasing availability of more UK spot beam capability in 2014 will hopefully mean a few more free to air and free to view SD channels joining Freesat including 4music.
im hoping that the UKTV channels decide to join, mainly dave, drama and yesterday.
I'm afraid that varies between highly optimistic and unrealistic. At the current stage in Freesat's development, I just do not see any of those things happening. In the meantime, Freesat can be supplemented with the following online options:
I run Freesat along side a Youview box with BT Player so my bases are covered. The Tv upstairs is solely freesat hence the requirement for those extra channels.
I run Freesat along side a Youview box with BT Player so my bases are covered. The Tv upstairs is solely freesat hence the requirement for those extra channels.
I'll stay optimistic but not hopeful.
I really do have a great deal of sympathy for anyone who wants to see more choice on Freesat. I think, in the long term, that things will get better but two criteria will probably have to be satisfied first:
1. That general economic growth and advert revenue growth continues going up over the next few years;
2. That Freesat's strong customer growth will have to continue at the same level (see http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/freesat-to-outpace-sky-in-21st-consecutive-quarter-of-growth/).
Factors such as those above will encourage media groups to put some more of their channels on Freesat. Actually, Freesat hasn't done at all badly this past year. There were a number of useful additions of channels of different genres and very recently we got some new HD channels from the BBC (we might possibly see more HD channels like C4+1 HD, 4seven HD & Al Jazeera HD at some stage too).
I really do have a great deal of sympathy for anyone who wants to see more choice on Freesat. I think, in the long term, that things will get better but two criteria will probably have to be satisfied first:
1. That general economic growth and advert revenue growth continues going up over the next few years;
2. That Freesat's strong customer growth will have to continue at the same level (see http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/freesat-to-outpace-sky-in-21st-consecutive-quarter-of-growth/).
Factors such as those above will encourage media groups to put some more of their channels on Freesat. Actually, Freesat hasn't done at all badly this past year. There were a number of useful additions of channels of different genres and very recently we got some new HD channels from the BBC (we might possibly see more HD channels like C4+1 HD, 4seven HD & Al Jazeera HD at some stage too).
I agree. Ad revenue this year is up about 3.5% with a strong 2014 predicted, helped by the 2014 World Cup too.
I think with more and more people being aware of the platform now it will help to drive take-up too. According to Freesat's own sales research, 140k homes were added between July '12 June '13, more than Sky and VM. Not sure how they calculate this but will be interesting to see this Summer's results.
In the same press release that FREESAT claimed that 140k they admitted that represnted an increase of 15% in FREESAT homes which means there were just over 1 million homes mid 2013.
In the same press release that FREESAT claimed that 140k they admitted that represnted an increase of 15% in FREESAT homes which means there were just over 1 million homes mid 2013.
That is your own erroneous figure. Here's what Freesat boss Emma Scott says:
Emma Scott, Managing Director of Freesat: "The announcement today that BBC One will launch a +1 channel on Freesat is fantastic news for our 4 million viewers... http://www.freesat.co.uk/about-freesat/whats-new
In the same press release that FREESAT claimed that 140k they admitted that represnted an increase of 15% in FREESAT homes which means there were just over 1 million homes mid 2013.
It's about 2m in total or just under. How many extra homes has Sky and Virgin added in this financial year? I think you'll find it's much less, if not in minor decline.
That is your own erroneous figure. Here's what Freesat boss Emma Scott says:
Emma Scott, Managing Director of Freesat: "The announcement today that BBC One will launch a +1 channel on Freesat is fantastic news for our 4 million viewers... http://www.freesat.co.uk/about-freesat/whats-new
To be fair, she's quoting the number of viewers rather than homes. If Freesat was in a million homes and each had 4 people that would make the 4million viewers.
Yes, we all know that, for reasons best known to yourself, you have a bizarre anti-Freesat agenda that could just as easily have come from Osterley. It won't wash and you can persist in this Khedronite behaviour and worship Eris and Dysnomia as much as you like but you will still not get taken seriously here (or anywhere else for that matter).
I'm a fan of Freesat, but the reality is that because Freesat has no subscription element, Freesat doesn't really know how many viewers it has. It can make estimates from the number of TV sets with built-in Freesat and the number of set-top boxes sold, but aside from BARB extrapolations and actual surveys (with of course the usual extrapolation), numbers still remain a guess.
Freesat is currently running quite a clever promo to broadcasters (in effect, up a year's free EPG listing), which has helped its growth.
And just to complicate things further, many consumers don't even know what they are watching, and will often (particularly in Ireland) claim to be watching "freesat", when they mean that the have a FTA satellite receiver which receives free channels.
Nevertheless, it certainly is growing, and as Freesat set-top boxes continue to get better and smarter, numbers will likely continue to grow.
Comments
The addition of potentially more HD services from C4 + 4music will also join.
I think more niche channels will also get on board as the economy continues to improve.
Was promised by the end of 2013 but recent postings on the freesat community forum are saying early 2014.....
As they rely on subscription money to survive that's not likely to happen.
does the money they get from sky help to fund their existance on freeview im guessing then?
Six of their channels are subscription on all pay platforms, I believe their contract was recently renegotiated to include access to their programmes via Sky Go and on-demand. It could be that this allows their FTA DTT services to continue pay on DSAT but under no multi-year deal, pending 2E's arrival, alternatively they could just remain encrypted we'll not know until or if anything happens.
It just seems strange now that UKTV's two shareholders both have all their UK services on Freesat, one of which half owns the platform too!
That's what's always been assumed - broadcasting on Freeview (even on only the main stations) is VERY expensive.
Dont know
We might possibly (emphasis on that word) get C4+1 HD, 4Seven HD & Al Jazeera HD and the increasing availability of more UK spot beam capability in 2014 will hopefully mean a few more free to air and free to view SD channels joining Freesat including 4music.
I'm afraid that varies between highly optimistic and unrealistic. At the current stage in Freesat's development, I just do not see any of those things happening. In the meantime, Freesat can be supplemented with the following online options:
http://dave.uktv.co.uk/on-demand/ Dave
http://yesterday.uktv.co.uk/on-demand/ Yesterday
http://really.uktv.co.uk/on-demand/ Really
http://www.tvcatchup.com/watch.html?c=73#73 Quest
http://www.tvcatchup.com/watch.html?c=141#141 Docubox
http://www.skysports.com/radio Sky Sports News Radio
I run Freesat along side a Youview box with BT Player so my bases are covered. The Tv upstairs is solely freesat hence the requirement for those extra channels.
I'll stay optimistic but not hopeful.
I really do have a great deal of sympathy for anyone who wants to see more choice on Freesat. I think, in the long term, that things will get better but two criteria will probably have to be satisfied first:
1. That general economic growth and advert revenue growth continues going up over the next few years;
2. That Freesat's strong customer growth will have to continue at the same level (see http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/freesat-to-outpace-sky-in-21st-consecutive-quarter-of-growth/).
Factors such as those above will encourage media groups to put some more of their channels on Freesat. Actually, Freesat hasn't done at all badly this past year. There were a number of useful additions of channels of different genres and very recently we got some new HD channels from the BBC (we might possibly see more HD channels like C4+1 HD, 4seven HD & Al Jazeera HD at some stage too).
I agree. Ad revenue this year is up about 3.5% with a strong 2014 predicted, helped by the 2014 World Cup too.
I think with more and more people being aware of the platform now it will help to drive take-up too. According to Freesat's own sales research, 140k homes were added between July '12 June '13, more than Sky and VM. Not sure how they calculate this but will be interesting to see this Summer's results.
That is your own erroneous figure. Here's what Freesat boss Emma Scott says:
Emma Scott, Managing Director of Freesat: "The announcement today that BBC One will launch a +1 channel on Freesat is fantastic news for our 4 million viewers...
http://www.freesat.co.uk/about-freesat/whats-new
It's about 2m in total or just under. How many extra homes has Sky and Virgin added in this financial year? I think you'll find it's much less, if not in minor decline.
To be fair, she's quoting the number of viewers rather than homes. If Freesat was in a million homes and each had 4 people that would make the 4million viewers.
TUT tut TUT ... don't you read your own links?
http://cdn.freesat.co.uk/freesat/freesat_website/content/downloadables/freesat_q2_24.07.13__final.pdf
A lesson in simple arithmetic...
0.15x = 145,000
x = 966,667
Yes, we all know that, for reasons best known to yourself, you have a bizarre anti-Freesat agenda that could just as easily have come from Osterley. It won't wash and you can persist in this Khedronite behaviour and worship Eris and Dysnomia as much as you like but you will still not get taken seriously here (or anywhere else for that matter).
Freesat is currently running quite a clever promo to broadcasters (in effect, up a year's free EPG listing), which has helped its growth.
And just to complicate things further, many consumers don't even know what they are watching, and will often (particularly in Ireland) claim to be watching "freesat", when they mean that the have a FTA satellite receiver which receives free channels.
Nevertheless, it certainly is growing, and as Freesat set-top boxes continue to get better and smarter, numbers will likely continue to grow.