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Freesat from Sky is a British free-to-view satellite service from BSkyB which gives viewers access to 4 encrypted video channels, over 200 Free To Air video and audio channels, an EPG and interactive data services.^[1]. It is an alternative to the state-sponsored Freesat as well as BSkyB's own pay-TV satellite service Sky Digital which are available on the same satellite. Freesat is a BBC-owned trademark for free to air digital satellite television services targeting the UK. It is used as a tradename by two, differing systems, one of which is not purely free-to-air. ... Image File history File links Sky_Logo_2004_Transparent. ... Image File history File links Sky_Logo_2004_Transparent. ... Free-to-view (FTV) is a term used in the United Kingdom for certain television channels on the Sky Digital satellite platform which require a working VideoGuard receiver and viewing card to decrypt the signals, but do not require any form of continual subscription. ... British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB — formerly two companies, Sky Television and BSB) is a company that operates Sky Digital, a subscription television service in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. ... Free-to-air (FTA) television (TV) and radio broadcasts are sent unencrypted and may be received via any suitable receiver. ... Freesat is a BBC-owned trademark for free to air digital satellite television services targeting the UK. It is used as a tradename by two, differing systems, one of which is not purely free-to-air. ... Sky Digital is the brand name for British Sky Broadcastings digital satellite television service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28. ...

This service uses proprietary Sky Digibox decoders and the Sky+ PVR can also be used (for a £10 monthly fee). The Digibox uses sky's proprietary OpenTV language for interactive television services. The box is limited in some regards, such as digital audio, video outputs and the ability to use a motor to move the dish to point at other satellites and its scanning abilities for non-Sky compliant services. An Amstrad Digibox with Viewing Card Inserted A Sky Digital Viewing Card The Digibox is a device marketed by British Sky Broadcasting in the UK and Republic of Ireland to enable home users to receive digital satellite television broadcasts (satellite receiver). ... Foxtel IQ, a digital video recorder and a satellite cable set-top box. ... The current version of the article or section reads like an advertisement. ...

Freesat from Sky is promoted by BSkyB as an alternative to the Freeview terrestrial digital service which 25 per cent of the UK's population are unable to receive.^{[citation needed]} Sky coverage is publicised as 98 per cent.^{[citation needed]} Freesat from Sky offers access to a larger number of channels than Freeview, but some channels broadcast on Freeview are subscription-only on Sky, most notably Channel 4 offshoots E4 and More4 due to a contract which does not expire until October 2008.[1]. Free to air channels (which do not require either a viewing card or a Sky receiver to watch) not available on Freeview include CNN International, EuroNews, Al Jazeera English, Travel Channel (UK), Men & Motors, all the regional services of the BBC and ITV and S4C Digidol outside of Wales. To watch these Free to air channels ^[1] the viewer simply requires a digital satellite receiver (which can be bought for under £60^{[2] [3]}, though PVR versions are more expensive) and a suitable size dish pointing at the correct location. This article is about the United Kingdom digital terrestrial television service. ... E4 is a British digital television channel launched as a pay-tv companion to Channel 4 on 18 January 2001. ... More4 is a digital television channel, produced by United Kingdom broadcaster Channel 4, that launched on 10 October 2005. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Free-to-air (FTA) television (TV) and radio broadcasts are sent unencrypted and may be received via any suitable receiver. ... CNN International (CNNI) is an English language television network that carries news, current affairs and business programming world-wide. ... EuroNews is a multilingual and pan-European television news channel launched on January 1, 1993. ... Al Jazeera English is a 24-hour English-language news and current affairs TV channel headquartered in Doha, Qatar. ... Travel Channel (UK) is operated from London and serves both the United Kingdom and other countries in Europe and Africa with travel related programs, ranging from travelogues to teleshopping for package holidays. ... Men & Motors is a mens lifestyle television channel in the UK. It is the last remaining station operated by Granada Sky Broadcasting, a joint venture set up by Granada Television (now part of ITV plc) and British Sky Broadcasting in 1996. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ... S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru, which is Welsh for Channel Four Wales) is a television channel in Wales. ... Free-to-air (FTA) television (TV) and radio broadcasts are sent unencrypted and may be received via any suitable receiver. ...

As of March 2008, the amount of Freesat/Sky customers is approximately 1,055,000.^[4]

List of FTV channels

• Channel 4+1
• Channel 5
• Fiver
• Fiver+1
• Five US
• Five US+1
• Sky Three

References

1. ^ ^{a b} List of Free To Air channels broadcast from the UK
2. ^ Maplins satellite range
3. ^ CPC satellite range
4. ^ Digital Television Update - 2007 Q4 | Ofcom

External links

• Freesat from Sky home page
• BBC News: BBC and ITV to start Sky TV rival
• BBC News: Free satellite service war begins
• Free Satellite FAQ from Digital Spy
• Freesat Blog