I see now via Sky you gan get HD versions of all the ITV channels plus of course CHN4 and 5.

Will any of these evere appear on Freesat or is is becoming a Sky customer the only way?

Automan.

Sky will buy up any HD channels they can, its their business model to develop a monopoly and then abuse it by making a loss on channels in order to deprive FTA viewers of watching them.

Unfortunately Freesat is crippled by been FTA, as well as been far less cost effective for a broadcaster - but further channels 'should' appear once extra narrow beam capacity is available (probably not for a few years though).

With the present economic situation it is highly unlikely that more than one or two HD channels will join freesat over the next couple of years. There is no incentive in the form of increased advertising revenue for HD over SD so the only way many will even consider launching is as subsidised encrypted FTV or subscription channels.

I believe we will get more BBC channels when they are available but I reckon that will be it. Channel 4 have shown no interest in Freesat and Five have not even tried to get Fiver and Five US on there so doubt they bring Five HD. I also reckon ITV 2, 3 and 4 HD will remain on Sky. Money talks, Freesat has none, Sky has plenty. I just wish Freesat were more open and honest with regards their HD output. Their customers live in hope of more HD but are told nothing when they ask Freesat about this. Freesat's communication with customers is terrible.

Its not Freesats fault - its up to the CHANNELS to bring their HD services to the Freesat platform. FS just supply the epg slots.

Even if Freesat were in discussion with a dozen channels about new HD services joining them the negotiations would be commercially sensitive and therefore secret until a joint announcement is agreed.

You HD-fans forget HD is still very much a minority way of viewing - it'll be many many years until HD receivers outnumber SD receivers and maybe then it will start to become viable for channels to drop the income they get from Sky and leave the paywall.

What you do have to take into consideration, is that apart from Channel 4 and Five, there are no other channels (I think) that have HD versions on Freesat. And there arent many channels that I can see that will plan on launching an HD channel in the near future. I can see more and more people moving over to subscription services (Me being one of them) due to HD channels

That Also depends how dumb the BBC want to continue to be.

They have a whole 2d transponder barley half used. they could easily launch another HD channel on it and up the bitrates of there current ones!

If the BBC convert it to DVB-S2 they can up the quality of both there existing channels and lease the bandwidth for 2 more, maybe to C4 or Five.

ITV arn't scott free on the bandwidth wasting too, They could convert there HD transponder to DVB-S2 to add another region or of there other channels.

It's all fair and well talking about alack of bandwidth, but the current bandwidth is being wasted!

freesat from sky gets you C4 and Five HD.

With the BBC looking at closing BBC3 and 4 do you really think we are going to see more HD channels from them? See here
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/t...re-threat.html

I doubt it, I bet 80% of receivers bough are HD and I think sky have stopped sending out SD boxes so SD boxes are already obsolete.

I said they could launch a new channels or lease it to others to launch there HD channels on Freesat!

They are losing money by not using or leasing the bandwidth. Typical of the Wasteful BBC.

Sky have quite sensibly dropped all boxes except HD PVR's, there's little reason to have anything else - particularly as the box is free to new subscribers.

However, paying for your box is a different matter, and a new Freesat SD box has recently been released from Manhattan - I had a play with one early this week, it's more functional than the Harvard ones as it has two SCART's, and hopefully will be more reliable?.

As shown in the Freesat forum where you've also posted this link, the "unbiased" journalist (from the Telegraph) is saying that the Review went into great detail about One and Two and "hardly any mention" was made of Three and Four. Does that really indicate that the BBC are looking at closing the channels, as you've explicitly said?

The merest whiff of something anti-BBC does tend to get the sky people all overexcited.

I'd imagine the spare BBC space will be used for regional BBC1 HD versions at some point

More reliable than my 100% reliable Foxsat? Would that be 110% reliable?

As the Foxsat is obviously an HD box it doesn't apply - it's only the Harvard SD boxes that have been unreliable, the Humax boxes have been great.

In the next twelve months freesat will atleast double it's hd channel count.

Sky doesnt offer all the ITV1 HD regions either. (only 4 out of the 6 licensed on sat)

That's an impressive claim, do you have anything to back it with - or is it just what you hope?.

How could they offer more when only 4 are broadcasting on sat?

You should contact the broadcasters and ask them , no one on this forum can answer this question

I havea few sources but they arent public. i dont feel like wasting them as last time one got into trouble.

Ok, keep your sources private, but which channels are looking to launch on Freesat this year?

No one is going to launch on Freesat this year.

C4 might launch next year.

Considering that neither the BBC, or ITV, or Sky have done it yet, what makes you so sure that it's even possible to transmit DVB-S2 on Astra 2D? There is a reason why even the SD services on that bird have to use a much lower symbol rate and different FEC, after all...