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the 4 4's to go free to-air from july?
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according to ukfreetv web site it is likley that all of channel 4's channels(4,more 4,e4 and film four )could possibly go free to air on satellite when the exsisting contract with sky ends in july this year. 
does anyone know any more to this?
does anyone know any more to this? 0
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The information we have is that the contract expires in 2008. July this year will be when FilmFour joins Freeview. Its exact status on satellite is unclear. It will be "free" but will it be "free" or "bastardised free".
Channel4, more4, film4 & e4 will be ftv not fta.
Do you not read the threads on here? Channel4 have a contract with Sky that doesnt run out till 2008 altho ch4 probabley want out of this but sky are sticking to their guns hence more4 being a subscription channel. Ch4 could offer to buy themselves out of the contract but theres no way sky would allow that its against their interests to do so.
No need for the attitude.
Have you read the contract?
Then you cannot say with certainty that FilmFour is included in the detail of carriage and encryption for E4, More4 and Channel 4.
http://www.channel4sales.com/news/news-article.aspx?year=2006&id=21
Channel 4 clearly say freesat, so it isn't going to follow More4 into subscription tv. After the last time I'd think C4 want to get their facts right prior to a press release, but it wouldn't surprise me if they hadn't.
You are only guessing that the C4 channels will go FTV after the current contract expires.
For Film4, if this line is accurate
Then yes. If they are using Freesat (registered trademark of the BBC) to mean FreesatfromSky then you will need a £20 card. I'd suggest ebay for one.
If Freesat means proper freesat then you won't need anything other than a box and a dish, which I assume you have.
see here
http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=341260
for a full but inconclusive analysis.
The Film Four website make it clear that it will be available to 'Freesat' viewers. I did send an email to Film Four asking if 'Freesat' meant FTA like the BBC and ITV, but I received no reply.
http://www.channel4.com/film/ffchannel/features/C/changes_at_filmfour.html
I repeat my analysis from the previous thread
It's not simple nor cheap and even ITV admitted it took a long time to negotiate the move to FTA in terms of rights. However the BBC did it and their main commercial rival have done it so it's only a matter of time before CH4 and Five follow suit.
A genuine Dsat version of Freeview would makes things easier and be a stick to beat SKY over the head with in an attempt to get EPG carriage costs lower.
However I think CH4 and Five will both go FTA at the end of the current contracts simply because it makes more sense in the current market.
Once OFCOM is done here perhaps they should look into the regulations which allow cable to charge a subscription to get legal access to a digital STB and watch what are considered "free" digital channels on both DTT and Dsat from the 4 major broadcasters:)
I don't see why. There are a number of factors that can affect a cable network that over-the-air transmissions are unaffected by.
For example leakage back onto the network. Even if the cable network installed the cable and develop compatible hardware it would be far more expensive than digital satellite (98% coverage) and digital terrestrial (70%, increasing to 90+).
Then there would be technical support and call out charges where the end-user develops a fault. It isn't really in the consumers best interests to make them reliant upon a cable operator for digital television reception.
The satellite and terrestrial hardware markets are already developed enough to give consumers choice, compatibility and affordability. They are also now pan-European moving towards MPEG 4 and HD.
We have the situation where in the UK where "cable" hardware wouldn't even have assured compatibility over the 3 networks we have. The market would also be controlled by the dubious decisions made by the networks that suit their own needs but perhaps don't serve consumers well. Knowsley using MPEG2 HD, with Langley and Bromley using MPEG4 HD (assuming it doesn't get dropped) complicates matters further. If they all go MPEG2 HD that leaves 'free' cable users behind in terms of technology on the back of a financial decision by NTL.
Surely you agree at least in principle?
Now I fully understand why the situation is what it is but that doesn't mean I think it's right or that the whole system would collapse if over 40% of the UK population could rent/buy an authorised STB and watch the channels they pay for via the license fee with the option of taking out PAY services.
The failure to embrace cable and the way it was franchised has been a disaster.
The failure to use and promote free-to-air digital satellite (and therefore limit the reliance on terrestrial), failure of councils to fully promote satellite distribution systems in blocks of flats.
The failure in bringing forward the analogue switch-off date when freeview became so affordable, failure to switch off BBC2 and set up a powerful "mux 0" with 1-5.
The list is seemingly endless...
Cable should have been used as an FTA platform, as with grants to extend their franchise areas it woud promote digital tv and fast broadband uptake in the UK.
It is just unfortunate all the people with good ideas seem to be posting on forums and do not form a part of any of the Government decision making bodies.
I hope you are correct, along with Channel 5, I hope...then I can bin the Sky Receiver ( not fussed about Sky3 it is junk anyway. ).
http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=368562
Is it not more likely they are making space for their HD stream?
And if they are using DVB-S then what is the chances they will use MPEG2?
And if they do that how cheap is the PC hardware
I see a lot of empty space on that transponder