Is ITV HD available or still testing?

[bonovox]

As the heading says. Is it available now on the official Freesat Foxsat receivers or is it still testing and there is no ITV HD service as yet with the freesat boxes? Reason for asking is whether this is how it will stay, meaning available only on a few select receivers but not available on the Kathrein for example. Getting close to the Euro's so I would like to get all the matches in HD.

[satwyn]

they do show some programmes but mainly testing on my fortec the bbc is also available I have no knowlege of the freesat receivers

[Keano]

Not got a freesat receiver yet but doing some searching and reading and ITV HD is still testing mode.

Did read reports on this forum that last weeks CL final that the sound was on and off during the game, which tells me its not ready yet.

I reckon it will be about August/September before we see it via the red button on the freesat receivers.

[peggle]

To get ITV HD on a Freesat box you have to press Red when prompted by an onscreen Dog.

Because they are still testing the box's wern't displaying this Dog, so ITV HD could not be selected.

Then a workaround was posted for Humax Foxsat box's. By going to ITV1 & pressing Red, Red, Green, Green, Blue the Dog appeared.

There were sound issues, which I suppose is why its still a test.

Only insiders know if this will work for Euro 2008.

[crabber]

A friend bought a HD freesat box from Argos, I think it was a Bush, he couldn't get ITV HD and rang the help line, the answer was they haven't got the software to make it work at the moment!!! so he got his money back.

[Keano]

That would be right, when ITV HD is ready then a software update would be sent OTA allowing the boxes to display the red button icon on ITV when the same program is also in HD.

Got to remember freesat is only a couple of weeks old and they are not expecting to be 100% until late in the year, if you look on their website it clearly states ITV HD and Five coming soon.

I was not expecting channel Five but great news for the consumer.

[Keano]

OK just picked up my copy of What Satellite for June, on page 7 there is more info about freesat.

The part that caught my eye was the Humax PVR here goes,

Expected to launch by July, Will be twin tuner 320GB hard disc recorder fro DVB-S/DVB-S2/MPEG-2/MPEG-4, with HDMI, two scarts, digital audio and LAN port.
Support for 576i,576p,720p and 1080i. There are no plans for a standard-def PVR, but at £150 will be hard to beat.

Looks good to me.

What Satellite editor reckons Freesat is going to flop, mainly because of confusion from customers.

[sparky_dog]

The part that caught my eye was the Humax PVR here goes...

at £150 will be hard to beat.

I'd be surprised if it 's as cheap as that initially, the non-PVR version is currently selling for £150.

[xanadu]

I'd be surprised if it 's as cheap as that initially, the non-PVR version is currently selling for £150.


Humax have already said it will cost £299 for the Freesat PVR, as quoted on the DS forum, and this WhatSat article is complete garbage.

[bonovox]

Yep agreed Freesat will fail. Anything backed by ITV has a decent chance to fail. I think free HD for the future lies in Freeview. Also sly have got the uk satellite base covered and that will be the main way to watch the HD FTA channels via satellite.