ITV HD on Freesat from this weekend

[REDLAND]

another nail in the Virgin Media coffin I feel


The BBC and ITV will be showing Euro 2008 footie matches in HD over the Freesat network, the two broadcasters have announced.

When Freesat launched last month, it promised ITV's HD channel would be coming exclusively to its set-top boxes "soon". Today, it said the first broadcast will take place on Saturday evening at 7.45pm. It'll be the Portugal vs Turkey match.

BBC HD will broadcast the opening game of the tournament, Switzerland vs Czech Republic, at 5pm. However, the BBC content is also available through Sky and Virgin Media HD services.

Freesat requires a satellite dish and a suitably-branded set-top-box from the likes of Humax, Goodmans, Bush and Grundig. Only the Humax box, the Foxsat-HD, is currently capable of picking up the HD content, according to Freesat.

Purchasing the set-top guarantees subscription-free access, but satellite dish installation comes extra. And yes, you still need a TV licence.

You'll need an HD TV, of course. If you don't have one, Panasonic is offering a line of LCD TVs with integrated Freesat tuners

[charliestumpy]

I agree that apparent profusion elsewhere other than on Cable of 'HD' seems a bummer, but despite liking some true (within modern specs.) HD via e.g. Blu-ray/V+, our main reason for forking out for V+ box is that (although we have other PVRs) V+ is the best video PVR (apart from not recording radio...).

A lot of widescreen HD footie matches are dreadful, and a lot of 4:3 SD footie is brilliant.

[dev]

itv hd isn't anything new, the CL final was on itv hd.

i assume this is a nail in the sky coffin too as it isn't on sky?

[nialli]

I think it's potentially a bigger nail in Sky's coffin than VM.

Folk with VM don't have a dish on the side of their house and are unlikely to have HD as top of their priorities (otherwise they'd go Sky). Sky customers though who want HD but baulk at the subscription costs already have a dish, so Freesat (especially a Freesat PVR alternative to Sky+) will appeal big time. Also, check out some of the Sky HD forums - there are a lot of unhappy customers there with unreliable boxes and dissatisfaction with the Sky service. "Other man's grass" and all that...

Originally Posted by nialli

I think it's potentially a bigger nail in Sky's coffin than VM.

Folk with VM don't have a dish on the side of their house and are unlikely to have HD as top of their priorities (otherwise they'd go Sky). Sky customers though who want HD but baulk at the subscription costs already have a dish, so Freesat (especially a Freesat PVR alternative to Sky+) will appeal big time. Also, check out some of the Sky HD forums - there are a lot of unhappy customers there with unreliable boxes and dissatisfaction with the Sky service. "Other man's grass" and all that...

I'd go the other way. ITV, struggling for advertisig revenue, are depriving themselves of 200,000 viewers.

Digitalspy have a thread on un reliable HD freesat boxes.

---------- Post added at 21:09 ---------- Previous post was at 21:07 ----------

Originally Posted by dev

itv hd isn't anything new, the CL final was on itv hd.

i assume this is a nail in the sky coffin too as it isn't on sky?

It was on ITV HD, but wasn't available to Freesat HD boxes, the red button linking wasn't enabled. I watched it on a PC based receiver.

[SB_07]

The BBC has the final this year and ITV don't so ehh.

[wwe]

there no hd on itv on mine is it only on some shows

Originally Posted by wwe

there no hd on itv on mine is it only on some shows

ITV have no HD archive - see the second half of this post. http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/34570180-post628.html

Thats why they can't do a full time HD channel.

[NO ONE]

Originally Posted by dev

itv hd isn't anything new, the CL final was on itv hd.

i assume this is a nail in the sky coffin too as it isn't on sky?

no ithink it it will itv who is the Coffin niver Sky or Vm hava anthing to worrey rember itv Digital anyone they Toke on Sky Digiaitl and Ntl/Tellwest

[gadge]

Originally Posted by NO ONE

no ithink it it will itv who is the Coffin niver Sky or Vm hava anthing to worrey rember itv Digital anyone they Toke on Sky Digiaitl and Ntl/Tellwest

[cimt]

Originally Posted by gadge

I'm confused, too. Is he trying to say ITV can't beat $ky and VM? Getting one game beats VM...

Originally Posted by cimt

I'm confused, too. Is he trying to say ITV can't beat $ky and VM? Getting one game beats VM...

I think he's trying to say he's had too much to drink.

[sherer]

the bloke who had my flat before me had a sky dish installed so i'm looking at getting a freesat box to go with my HD TV. Waiting for the PVR to come out though as I want to be able to record some of the HD stuff when i'm not there.

Don't think this will affect VM as people don't see that as a HD platform anyway and I plan on keeping my V+ and BB service even if I get a freesat PVR

[Kellargh]

I get lovely pictures on Sky Sports HD by the way.

And Sky Movies HD.

These two are enough for me.

[Thought I'd dig-in-the-side as I can't get vm broadband, unlike all you lucky gits!]

---------- Post added at 16:00 ---------- Previous post was at 15:57 ----------

Originally Posted by nialli

I think it's potentially a bigger nail in Sky's coffin than VM.

Folk with VM don't have a dish on the side of their house and are unlikely to have HD as top of their priorities (otherwise they'd go Sky). Sky customers though who want HD but baulk at the subscription costs already have a dish, so Freesat (especially a Freesat PVR alternative to Sky+) will appeal big time. Also, check out some of the Sky HD forums - there are a lot of unhappy customers there with unreliable boxes and dissatisfaction with the Sky service. "Other man's grass" and all that...

*cough* yeah, check out these forums and the issues vm has! Forums attract negative comments. I dont believe it will be a nail on either - VM has Setanta, Sky have Sports HD.

[NO ONE]

Originally Posted by Kellargh

I get lovely pictures on Sky Sports HD by the way.

And Sky Movies HD.

These two are enough for me.

[Thought I'd dig-in-the-side as I can't get vm broadband, unlike all you lucky gits!]

---------- Post added at 16:00 ---------- Previous post was at 15:57 ----------



*cough* yeah, check out these forums and the issues vm has! Forums attract negative comments. I dont believe it will be a nail on either - VM has Setanta, Sky have Sports HD.

Right you hit the nell on the hade bitter then i did