Freeview claims 350,000 Sky HD subscribers might switch to free HD TV
We're in the middle of testing our first Freeview HD set-top box, the £179 Humax HD-Fox T2, and already the battle lines are being drawn up between established HD TV champion Sky and newcomer Freeview HD.
Research commissioned by Freeview HD claims that more than 350,000 Sky+ HD customers may switch to the free-to-air digital terrestrial HD service in the next six months.
The YouGov survey of 2063 adults said 17 per cent of Sky subscribers with Sky+ HD indicated they were "likely" to switch their main TV viewing to Freeview HD, a total of about 360,000 homes.
And 18 per cent of the remaining UK analogue TV homes were also likely to switch to Freeview HD, the survey found.
The first Freeview HD set-top boxes are due to go on sale next month from around £170-£299.
And the BBC has already begun Freeview HD transmissions in certain parts of the country. The initial plan is to offer three HD channels: BBC HD, ITV HD and C4 HD. A fourth, likely to be Channel Five, is due to be added at the end of the year.
"If people want sport or big-budget premium movies, then clearly Sky has a very strong offer," says Ilse Howling, Freeview's managing director. "If people want a public service version of HD – BBC, ITV and C4 – then Freeview has a very strong offer."
Freeview plans to launch a big marketing push for its new HD channels, with the strapline "Buy now, watch today, free forever".
You'll be able to read a full review of the Humax HD-Fox T2 set-top box in the April issue of What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision, on sale March 10th.
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Comments
Why isn't CH4 HD on Freesat?
I was reporting on what Emma Scott, managing director of Freesat, said at the launch in May 2008. Those were her words, not mine.
And a year later, in the News story I referred to, we made it abundantly clear that we didn't think Freesat had lived up to its earlier promises.
FREESAT LAUNCH LIVE UPDATE: 200 channels by year's end; receivers from �120 dominic dawes 06 May 2008 15:13
Excuse me Andy WHAT HI-FI Blog I think ......!
bulloy
We never said there would be "hundreds of channels" on Freesat. In fact, here's a quote from a News story we ran in March 2009:
"Let's be honest, Freesat hasn't exactly got off to a flying start here, a weak advertising campaign and limited channel line-up hampering its efforts to take on the likes of Sky HD and Virgin Media."
So please don't 'report' things we never said.
I seem to remember that this site had great reviews for freesat when it was launched, quoting hundreds of channels to be launched and HD galore......!
Another damp squib I say....! Freesat has been a wash out with poor picture quality, very average content and a practicaly non-existant HD take up.
Goes to show, dont believe everything you read HERE!
Yes but the picture quality and integrity of signal is better, plus you can now get iplayer with Freesat and although there are some channels, due to bbc copyright, not available on freeview - most of which are no great loss - there are a lot more channels available including movie channels with Freesat (addmitedly some are rubbish!)
Will freeview HD spell the death of freesat HD?
I suppose it depends on picture quality/bitrate and the channels available.
Dont have HD at the moment(but have basic cable and an HD telly), so i'm waiting to see what happens before i decide whats best for me.
this seems better than freesat HD, you only get BBCHD & ITV1HD with that & no mention of other channels coming anytime soon.