What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision News Home cinema More channels added to Freesat

More channels added to Freesat

19 Mar 2009

Freesat TV
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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.

The latest additions to its channel line-up are hardly likely to set the world alight, either. International news service CNN, Rural TV and JML Home & DIY will join the Freesat service on March 24th.

Freesat managing director Emma Scott says: "The launch of CNN International with its world-class reputation for global news and feature programming is an incredibly exciting addition to our line-up."

Exciting or not, all channels will automatically be added via viewers' Freesat digital boxes or integrated TVs.

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Comments

d4v3pum4 Mon, Mar 23 2009, 2:28AM

Once you have the new EPG, you can manually add ITV-HD as a channel (it defaults to Granada), check digitalspy etc. for the frequency etc. details to add it.

Bips Fri, Mar 20 2009, 9:21PM

had freesat but got rid of it...i rather pay sky and get 31 hd channels then wait forever for freesat to give more hd channels as for cnn and Rural TV and JML Home & DIY its nothing but rubbish added to freesat.

They dont call it FREE sat for nothing get what you pay for. Until freesat buck up there ideas it will always be a failure in my opinion. I rather pay sky and be happy then have freesat after all whats the point of have a HD tv when you can only watch sd channels all the time.

As for The launch of CNN International with its world-class reputation for global news and feature programming is an incredibly exciting addition to our line-up." is a joke sky news is the top news channel at the moment.

By the way where is the itv-hd channel on sky as mentioned by d4v3pum4

d4v3pum4 Fri, Mar 20 2009, 3:13AM

This is a joke, no?  Surely the 'launch' of Rural TV and JML isn't a story.  Freesat has been woeful from the start, poor channel lineup, ITV constantly mucking up HD transmissions, poor SD on boxes (Humax).  If it wasn't for the BBC and the summer 2008 lineup, I would have binned it.  As it is, I stuck with Freesat as well as Sky HD but now that ITV-HD is available on Sky, I don't see much of a future for Freesat.  Total waste of time in my opinion.  We need content and preferably HD!!!

4biddenplanet Thu, Mar 19 2009, 9:54PM

Will there EVER be anymore HD freesat channels? Since I purchased my Humax box last summer (which incedentley is exellent,great EPG,upscaler and good sound)there has been talk of imennent arival of more channels,but its never really happened.What about channel 4 HD?Opinons anyone?  

capitol Thu, Mar 19 2009, 7:49PM

 FREESAT,  

A Big let down, very little HD that we were led to belive whould be shown. I don,t bother to look anymore.

28marcus Thu, Mar 19 2009, 7:41PM

smithdom

I've got Freesat. Installed it and cancelled my Sky subscription.

Good points. No monthly fee. Great quality, better than sky sound and pretty good EPG. The menus overlaying the TV picture is a nice touch though a tad slow.

Bad points. Still waiting for the promised 200 channels. Most of the ones we have are regional variations so don't really count. If you can get Freeview, stay with it, More variety. The FreesatSky  offering has more channels though no HD.

Not sure what Virgin has. I live in France so freeview and Virgin are not options.

Overall. I'm a bit disappointed with the commercial take up of Freesat. However the quality is great.

smithdom Thu, Mar 19 2009, 3:29PM

I'm tempted to install Freesat but there isn't enough HD content yet to make it worthwhile. My Freeview SD quality is very good so it will only be compelling HD content that persuades me. Movies I hire from LoveFilm (no extra charge for BluRay), so it is the main channels I want in HD.