Freesat admits supply problem with set-top boxes
Freesat has admitted the launch of its new subscription-free satellite TV service has been hampered by supply problems with the first batch of set-top boxes.
Speaking at the annual BADA (British Audio-Visual Dealers Association) Conference, Richard Lindsey-Davis, Freesat's commercial development director, said: "We have not been able to get enough set-top boxes and Freesat TVs to meet demand."
He also admitted that he delayed the launch of the first high-definition set-top boxes from the Alba Group – the Bush BFSAT01HD, Goodmans GFSAT200HD, Grundig GUFSAT01HD – "because the standard-definition picture was so awful".
"The standard-definition output on the Alba boxes wasn't as good as it should be or as good as that on the Humax Foxsat-HD box," admits Lindsay-Davis."Alba is trying to improve it. It wasn't something they'd thought about – they assumed people wouldn't use it."
Lindsey-Davis says another three Freesat-equipped TVs are due from Panasonic later this year, and he's in discussions with other manufacturers including Sony, Samsung and Toshiba about launching Freesat models to improve the supply situation.
"We're on course to have 200 channels by the end of this year, and while there is limited free-to-air high-definition content at the moment, it's beginning to grow," he says. "I can see a time when BBC1 and ITV1 will be full HD channels."
Although a new version of Freeview is expected to launch in 2012-2013 with two or three high-def channels, limited capacity on the digital terrestrial TV network means "Freeview will never have the depth of HD content Freesat has," says Lindsey-Davis.
Freesat hopes to offer the BBC iPlayer on its platform from 2009, and there's potential for streaming audio and video, and on-demand services as well.
The company is also in discussion with Apple and Microsoft about the possibility of delivering Freesat services via a Media Centre computer.
Comments
Hold on? A Bush product isn't very good? A Goodmans product isn't very good? And this is news?
Not to mention the lipsync issues on BBC HD with the humax and long boot up times. Oh ITV doesnt have HD anymore, they showed the footie but now theres nothing.
At least the sound is good with Dolby Digital!
Yeah. Always seem to moaning don't I?
Then again if there was nothing to moan about with Freesat, I could praise it as I did pre-launch.
Does that feel better now, Alsone?
"Freesat hopes to offer the BBC iPlayer on its platform from 2009, and there's potential for streaming audio and video, and on-demand services as well."
Companies thinking the next best thing in TV is the internet always make me laugh. He's obviously sat on the end of a big fat corporate pipe.
In the real world, the internets an unreliable nightmare. I've been trying to get my connection fixed now for 7 years with 2 different providers and its still cr*p.
Here's a recent log:
7/5/2008 14:43:49> ADSL Line:Trainning
7/5/2008 14:43:53> ADSL Line:Down
7/5/2008 14:43:57> ADSL Line:Trainning
7/5/2008 14:44:12> Last errorlog repeat 1 Times
7/5/2008 14:44:12> ADSL Line:Show time
7/5/2008 14:44:13> MPOA Link Up
7/5/2008 14:44:14> ppp:CHAP Opening
7/5/2008 14:44:14> ppp_ready: ch:80566794, iface:804db1e0
7/5/2008 14:44:14> ppp:ch<0> Up
7/5/2008 14:44:14> SNMP TRAP 3: link up
7/5/2008 14:44:14> Accept() fail
7/5/2008 14:44:14> Accept() fail
7/5/2008 14:57:49> Call drop because echo reply not received in time
7/5/2008 14:57:49> SNMP TRAP 2: link down
7/5/2008 14:57:49> ppp:ch<0> Down
7/5/2008 14:57:59> MPOA Link Down
7/5/2008 14:57:59> ppp:ch<0> Down
7/5/2008 14:58:2> MPOA Link Up
7/5/2008 14:58:14> ADSL Line:Down
7/5/2008 14:58:15> MPOA Link Down
7/5/2008 14:58:15> ppp:ch<0> Down
7/5/2008 14:58:17> ADSL Line:Down
7/5/2008 14:58:20> ADSL Line:Trainning
7/5/2008 14:58:24> ADSL Line:Down
7/5/2008 14:58:28> ADSL Line:Trainning
7/5/2008 14:58:43> Last errorlog repeat 1 Times
7/5/2008 14:58:43> ADSL Line:Show time
7/5/2008 14:58:44> MPOA Link Up
7/5/2008 14:58:45> ppp:CHAP Opening
7/5/2008 14:58:45> ppp_ready: ch:80566794, iface:804db1e0
7/5/2008 14:58:45> ppp:ch<0> Up
7/5/2008 14:58:45> SNMP TRAP 3: link up
7/5/2008 14:58:45> Accept() fail
7/5/2008 14:58:45> Accept() fail
7/5/2008 15:5:42> ADSL Line:Down
7/5/2008 15:5:43> MPOA Link Down
7/5/2008 15:5:43> SNMP TRAP 2: link down
7/5/2008 15:5:43> ppp:ch<0> Down
7/5/2008 15:5:45> ADSL Line:Down
7/5/2008 15:5:48> ADSL Line:Trainning
7/5/2008 15:5:52> ADSL Line:Down
7/5/2008 15:5:56> ADSL Line:Trainning
7/5/2008 15:6:11> Last errorlog repeat 1 Times
7/5/2008 15:6:11> ADSL Line:Show time
7/5/2008 15:6:12> MPOA Link Up
7/5/2008 15:6:13> ppp:CHAP Opening
7/5/2008 15:6:13> ppp_ready: ch:80566794, iface:804db1e0
7/5/2008 15:6:13> ppp:ch<0> Up
7/5/2008 15:6:13> SNMP TRAP 3: link up
7/5/2008 15:6:13> Accept() fail
7/5/2008 15:6:13> Accept() fail
7/5/2008 15:43:33> WEB user <admin> login
Imagine trying to watch tv with that connection!!!
Also, uk bandwidths are slow and far behind the much of Europe now because no one wants to invest in optical cabling.
'"Freeview will never have the depth of HD content Freesat has," says Lindsey-Davis.'
That'll be the four or five hours a night of BBC HD and all that stuff we're enjoying on ITV HD then, will it?