On Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:40:06 +0100 someone who may be "Dave Plowman
(News)" wrote this:-
Other than the Humax HD one, which has a "non-Freesat" mode to get
other channels. Whether there are many of these worth watching is
debatable.
There are one or two that might appeal. Other country's news services in
English for example. A rather fine German one - 'Bahn' - all about
railways. Another about ship building. A few fashion ones. Haven't found
any decent porn though. ;-) Quite a few film channels in English.
Many of those are not on the Astra 2 satellites. As I understand it
none of the Freesat boxes have the ability to access multiple
satellites within the box. One would either need to use external
switches or an external dish positioning system. Better to spend a
little less money on a standard box which has switching/positioning
built into the box.
DB have just announced that BahnTV is to go Internet only in a month
or two, according to a posting in another group. The French have
announced that they are dropping their English language news service
(and may have done so already).
There is plenty of porn. However, the "best" channels are supposedly
not on Astra 2, but on Hotbird. With the exception of the Humax HD
Freesat boxes would not be able to even search for these channels,
even with the dish pointing at Hotbird. The Humax would not be able
to decode them as it does not have a slot for a card and interface.
For a DIYer standard equipment may be better, it allows access to
other satellites for example, but for someone who just wants to
watch UK channels there is merit in the Freesat approach. When they
get Internet based services going that will be interesting. I assume
current boxes will be upgraded to work with this.
I don't use my ordinary one much - but are all the 'Freesat' channels
viewable on that except for the specialist EPG? There are so many variants
of the main channels out there - all the regions, etc - that I haven't had
the time to look yet.
Yes. They are all broadcast in the clear [1], with now and next
electronic programme guide. Thus one can watch all the variations of
BBC1, BBC2, ITV and Channel 4. What a Freesat box does is add a
seven day electronic programme guide and patronisingly decide what
of the variations one may watch, as it demands a post code before it
will do anything. It displays the same data stream as a standard box
does.
I gather the Humax HD box is the only one which allows one to decide
to add variations (in the non-Freesat menu). One may for example
wish to keep up to date with news from Yorkshire having lived there
or intending to go back. Even as stupid restrictions go this one is
particularly stupid.
[1] ITV HD is broadcast in a non-standard format, supposedly to stop
Sky boxes picking it up. It is broadcast as a stream rather than a
channel and the idea is that on a Freesat box one can press the red
button to get ITV HD. Some of the standard box manufacturers
released new software very rapidly to make it easier to pick up this
channel, good for them. Fortec Star for instance released new
software in a day or two for their Passion box.
What would be really good is if manufacturers issued software able
to take the non-standard Freesat EPG and display it on standard
boxes. Then they would only be missing the return path of the
Ethernet connection (not working yet on Freesat boxes).
--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54