Is it likely that these channels will re-encrypt just as quickly and unexpectedly as they went FTA, or do we think that they are permanent FTA now?

Fingers crossed they are permanent.

I don't own a Freesat box, but I'm intending to completely downgrade to Freesat from Sky as Challenge is the only channel I watch regularly on the EPG. Feeling very gratified it's now officially FTA until further notification, although they really should launch on Freesat as it would acquire more viewers. Currently I hardly ever watch any recent film releases ever since upgrading to one of the Movies packs since April 2010.

Challenge TV and Pick Tv now quoted as one of the Free to Air channels on Sky's own website. See end of free to air list.

http://www.sky.com/shop/tv/entertainment/

The Dept Store
DAYSTAR
UCB TV
Wonderful
KICC TV
Genesis
GOD Channel
TBN Europe
EWTN
Faith World TV
World Network
Dating Channel
Gay Date TV
Gay Network
Red Light 3
Essex Babes
Yorkshire R
UCB Gospel
Challenge

LOVEWORLD TV
Sonlife
Gospel Channel
Inspiration
Praise TV
CommunityChnl
OceanFinance
Open Access
Psychic TV
CBBC Channel
CBeebies
CITV
Kix!
POP
PopGirl
PopGirl+1
Tiny Pop
Tiny Pop+1
Islam Channel
Brit Asia TV
Channel 'S'
DM Digital
Hidayat TV
CH NINE UK
Elite TV 3
LiveXX
Get Lucky TV
Dirty Talk
Cheeky Chat
Red Light 1
Red Light 4
Red Light Rio
Sunrise
Challenge+1

Noor TV
KBC
mta-muslim tv
MATV National
Music India
Record TV
Sikh Channel
Peace TV
PCNE Chinese
PTV Global
PTV Prime
Sikh TV
B4U Music
SupremeMastr

UMMAH CHNNL
Venus TV
Zing
Aastha
ARY Oneworld
Abu Dhabi TV
ATN Bangla UK
IQRA TV
Live XXXBabes
Northern Birds
SportxxxGirls
Club Paradiso
Red Light 2
Elite TV
Babe Guide
Playboy TV Chat
UCB UK
UCB Insp
PICK TV

Absolute
Absolute CR
Amar Radio
Amrit Bani
ArrwRock
Abs Rad 90s
BBC Asian
BBC1 R1X
BBC R1
BBC R2
BBC R3
BBC R4 FM
BBC R5 Sports Extra
BBC London
BBC R Cymru
BBC R n Geal
BBC R Scot
BBC R Wales
BBC R5 Live
BBC R4 Ex
BBC WS
BFBS Radio
Capital
BBC R4 LW
BBC 6 Music
Chill
Choice FM
Classic FM
Desi Radio
BBC R Ulster
VOT Radio
PICK TV+1

CC Radio
Heart
LBC 97.3
Family Radio
LBC News
Radio Caroline
EWTN
Kiss
Panjab Radio
Liberty
Insight Radio
Gaydarradio
Gold
BBC R1X
Recordbrazil
Planet Rock
Magic
Jazz FM
Kismat
Real Radio
Smooth
RTE Europe
Premier
Newstalk
Shop Radio
RTE 2FM
TWR
Solar Radio
RTE Radio 1
Punjabi Radio
XFM
SAB TV

This is very good news indeed. Freesat here I come.

A friend of mines used to have Sky at his house but his perents got rid of it and got Freesat instead.

He liked watching Motors TV for the Motorcross.

He would be made up if he could get Motors TV on Freesat.

How do you tune in Motors TV on Freesat?

Also I think Extreme Sports show some Motorcross and Red Bull X Games programmes which my friend also likes.

I am not sure if Extreme Sports is available on Freesat as I have Sky HD mainly for Sky Sports F1 HD because I am a huge fan.

How do you turn in Extreme Sports on Freesat?

Also how do you tune in the following channels on and what frequencies are they on?

Challenge
Challenge+1
Pick TV
Pick TV+1
Sky News
Travel Channel
Travel Channel+1
Community Channel
ESPN Classic (if possible)

And are there any other channels that need tuning in because they are not on the Freesat EPG?

Motors TV isn't on Freesat, since it's FTV rather than FTA. You can get it on Freesat From Sky though.

My friend might still have is perants Sky+ HD PVR at his house. So all he would need to do is get someone to add the 2 extra LNBs to his dish as his perents use 2 of them for the Freesat and then run the cables from the dish to his bedroom.

How much would this cost him?

And can he get a Sky installer to do it for him or does it need to be someone else?

Other than that will there be any other cost such as viewing card and cost to recored on his Sky+ HD PVR?

Also is there a list of FTV channels that you can get on Freesat From Sky?

He would only want the FTV channels so Freesat From Sky would be great for him?

This would help my friend out a lot.

Thanks for that, nice to have some official confirmation at last

Cheers too, at least I can now add them to my non-freesat channel lists confident that they won't go encrypted again! Now we'll just have to wait and see if they finally join the platform!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freesat...Extra_channels

5 unique channels, 2 timeshifts and 1 HD simulcast of a FTA channel.

www.flysat.com

I guess once C5HD goes FTA it will weaken FSFS's appeal further. Viva may also one day decide to go FTA and also join Freesat too.

Hope the Sony channels go free to air too

The Sony Movie Channel and +1 were FTA (under their previous name) so I doubt they'll now return to FTA after going FTV. More likely that they're in the "trial period" for becoming subscription channels.

That's my thought too. Sony Entertainment TV has been FTV for over a year now. It's odd that PBS went straight in to subscription rather than a FTV period, wonder if they have rights issues with European overspill?

I wonder now that they are confirmed FTA channels if they will ever join the EPG officially? Probably not, seeing as Sky won't even put Sky News on the EPG. If you haven't hacked the box's software to get them at the end of the EPG yourself, it'll be rather annoying that you will have to switch modes just to watch 4/5 channels. But at least they are now free.

Maybe Sky waited for Freesat's penetration to get to a level whereby they it's viable for them to include the channels as they are there for one reason - to promote Sky's channels!

I can't imagine Sky wanting to put them on the Freesat EPG - just be happy that they are FTA and can be viewed on a Freesat box

Making them FTA without putting them on the Freesat EPG accomplishes nothing. The increase in viewers will be negligible and thus the increase in advertising revenue will be nothing. Since they're on Sky's FTA channel list we can assume they're staying FTA for the foreseeable future. If they really have no intention of putting them on Freesat at some point, then I can only think of two explanations:

1) They're only FTA because they feel the encryption fees aren't worth it for these channels.
2) There's some weird contractual agreement to make a certain number of their channels FTA somewhere and they're chosen these four.
3) They feel that they can use these channels as "shop windows" for their other channels, in order to persuade Freesat From Sky viewers (who are the only ones right now that can view these channels without manually adding them) to renew their Sky subscription.

I can't see that happening unless they can perhaps get the BBC to host like they did with the old Freesat version of CH5.

They have no room on their transponder for their SD channels as it is, and I can't see them leasing another transponder just for 5HD.

Sky know that Freesat box owners are smart enough to figure out how to add Sky News, Pick TV & Challenge if they are interested in viewing them. So why bother paying out for EPG slots on Freesat?

Exactly! These channels are only recently FTA, Sky News has always been FTA and Sky have yet to put it on the Freesat EPG.

Number 1 could be the answer although a drop in the ocean compared to what Sky pay Cisco (now NDS is effectively there's), three could also be the answer but then again those FSFS viewers who've churned or have a specific FSFS viewing card would still be able to see these channels.

Sky news has always been FTA which is probably why it's still FTA, I bet given half the chance they'd love to put it FTV but know as BBC News is FTA those Sky STB owners without a valid FTV/FSFS card would watch BBC News. I guess with more FTV services all now FTA and with FSFS's offering dwindling those who've not swapped cards at the last major card swap in 2010 would no longer bother.

I can see, at the next major Sky card swap event, Sky pulling FSFS completely as the number of FTV channels isn't exactly now worth the £25 cost in terms of their content, maybe this is what Sky's plan is and why they've now chosen to put these channels FTA?



I agree, C5 won't rent a second Txp unless they can make it pay with regionalising C5+1 in to five regions for extra ad revenue. They may choose to rent bandwidth from the BBC after the Olympics in the short term although I guess the Beeb want to cram the other three BBC1HD regions in to 10847V at some point? One would hope they'd get a second Transponder but with the BBC cash strapped can't see it. Maybe if C4 want to regionalise C4HD they could rent capacity to C5 longer term? Other than that C5 could do what C4 did and go on to Eutelsat 28A for a holding period.

something very strange is find is Sky News is FTA but Sky News HD is pay i can't understand that at all