Simply a query not a criticism. Is FreeSat a good alternative to someone who is not really benefiting from the Sky package and thinking of leaving, I mean that question to be as opposed to Freeview? I have noticed that there seems to be a number of channels on Freeview that are missing from the FreeSat lineup and wondered why? Is FreeSat not getting the support required from the broadcasters, if not why not and does all bode well for the future.

One further thing - the channels that don't start on Freeview until 6 or 7 pm each day, is that the case on FreeSat or are they showing 24/7?

This seems a strange question from someone with so many posts?, as it's been 'done to death' endlessly here.

Channels aren't on Freesat for a couple of reasons:

1) There's no available space on 2D, where most FTA channels need to go.

2) There's no financial advantage for them to do so.

Freesat is doing EXACTLY as it's supposed to do, it's giving another option for areas where they get no Freeview, or only Freeview Lite - it was never intended as an alternative to Freeview.

If you want a recorder, and you don't want Sky subscription channels, then Freesat is the way to go. If you don't need a recorder (and really EVERYONE does), then an ex-Sky box and FTV card will give you a number of extra channels not on Freesat.

Whether it's a good alternative? I would say work out which channels on Sky that you are currently watching that you absolutely must continue to watch on the alternative platform.

There is a long thread in the Freesat forum discussing this, so take a look. Also note what Nigel Goodwin, one of the most knowledgeable people here, has just said.

Which channels only start at 6 on Freeview? IIRC, Russia Today is part-time but what are the others?

Freesat and Freeview have widely different channel line-ups (besides the PSBs and their siblings) and are likely to be so for quite a while. This is down to on Freeview the cost of launching new channels and the transmission chain together with the lack of bandwidth and on freesat this is down to the lack of suitable bandwidth on UK spot beam transponders for the FTA channels that are very likely to have "rights issues" broadcasting on pan European beams and is not likely to be eased until new satellites come on line in 2 or 3 years. For best coverage of free UK TV then a combination of both freesat (or FreesatFromSky in your case with your existing Sky HD box) and Freeview is recommended. From your other posts you do not seem enamoured of HD and are looking for a PVR so an SD Freeview+ PVR would seem the best choice for you at a cost of around £90 upwards. Freeview+ gives similar series link facilities to Sky+. There are no SD freesat PVRs at present and twin tuner PVRs are around £200 upwards.

I may have a lot of postings Nigel but to be honest this is only about the second time I have visited the FreeSat forum. Thanks for the info though.

There appear to be a number of part time channels - Virgin etc.

Between the Wife and I we only currently have two progs from Sky in our Planner. Nearly everything we watch is from the terrestrial channels our two planners are testament to that.

At a guess, he's probably surprised that someone as active as you've been hadn't thought to perform a search before posting this question (especially as similar threads to this one are easy to find).

Ah well there you go! You see I did try to do a search but for some reason I kept getting the swirling circle followed by a timed out message so assumed there was a fault with the site hence my post.

AFAIK, freesat is a EPG to unencrypted channels on the same sats used by sky. Sky do a card for one-off £20 allowing you access to a large number of channels using your sky box.

Channel lists here,

http://www.ukfree.tv/allchannels.php

One channel currently available on Freeview and not Freesat (for today only now!) is Sky Sports News which as we know leaves today or tomorrow. Sky News, Sky 3, Channel One (to be) and Fiver + Five USA are the channels that are also not available on Freesat. For me it's no great loss as all of the above show dross anyway. Sky News is easily substituted by the excellent BBC News which does a better more unbiased job and with iPlayer, soon to be ITV Player Freesat+ beats an SD Sky box hands down, even more so that the greedy lot at $ky disable your Sky+ functionality after subscription lapses thus effectively rendering the box useless for recording... great!!

But what is the point of freesat HD when one of its main founders is only showing their HD programs on sky, a bit of a slap in the face for the freesat fans?

Who would this supposed 'main founder' be?), there are only two, and both have HD channels on Freesat.

Freesat is crippled by it's FTA nature, which is why other free HD channels can't launch on it.

Specifically, James Murdoch is "waging war" with the BBC ........ (and uk public service broadcasting, more generally).

Once the cost of HD transmission is more affordable and/or advertising markets improve together with Freesat penetration more channels won't need the support of the greedy mits who are $ky.

It was always obvious from the very inception of this product that true freesat was going to fail, copyrights will simply not allow it to broadcast openly to everybody in Europe. If it had gone down the free to view road it would have been a whole different ball game.

And has no bearing whatsoever on the requirements for FTA transmissions on Freesat - and Freesat will only ever be a minority service anyway, which is what it's there for.

Well who knows what the future holds but it's doing fantastic work at the moment

BBC news is far from excellent and unbiased.

It still seems to hold torches for Tony Bliar and Mr Browns looney left government.

The BBC local news programs are just a joke.

Do you blame them when the Conservatives seem hell-bent on breaking up the BBC and handing it on a plate to the Pro-Murdoch Satellite monopoly. If you think Sky News is unbiased then your very much mistaken!

I know some people on here try to convince themselves that freesat is a success, to others it is obvious that it is not expanding its channel line as it promised, due to its own stubborn self imposed limitations, and company's like Sky are exploiting the situation.

No real convincing to be done.

It does exactly what it set out to do and does it extremely well.

It's only people who thought it was going to be some sort of 'Free Sky' who are disappointed.

Well done, Freesat. Just keep doing what you're currently doing and plenty of people will be very happy with you.

It promised more channels and they have not arrived, and the HD bit of freesat is a joke when ITV take their share to SKY what hope of any others have we. And I do not think anyone expected it to compete with Sky, just the channels that are free on Sky and Freeview!

Well, if people bought it on the basis of a vague 'cake tomorrow' promise it's not surprising they are going to be disappointed.

If Freesat had said that x, y, and z channels were coming in 3 months that would have been a different matter.

Having said that, they have pretty much doubled the number of hours of HD from startup and that will go up by another 50% quite soon so it's not exactly as if there has been no movement there.

Overall, an extremely good service for those who are not total TV addicts.

I agree with you Jepson I love Freesat, I have 2 Freesat TV's and a PVR to prove the point, however my feeling before buying into it was that it would provide what was generally available on Freeview for those without a good Freeview signal. Now I'm not saying that was how the promotion was worded but that was the impression gained. So I would hope that they will retain all the main channels that Freeview do.

Likewise they don't know if channels are going to leave. They're at the mercy of the broadcasters.

It's a gamble you take when choosing a platform.

People have bought Freeview and have lost Sky Sports News, it's not Freeview's fault.

If ITV2/3/4, E4 and More4 go pay, it won't be Freesat's fault