Re: BBC/ITV Freesat, another tiny drop of info...

On 28 Jan, 12:34, Brian McIlwrath <b...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Mizter T <mizte...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

: I'm somewhat out of date on this, but what's the latest talk/rumours
: with regards to Channel 4 and Channel 5 and their various offshoot
: channels going Free To Air?

Channel 4's contract with Sky for encryption runs until Autumn 2008 sometime.
However they will need a transponder on Astra 2D to move to. Confusingly,
while all other C4 channels are uplinked by Arquiva, C4-HD is uplinked
by Sky itself on a BSkyB leased transponder.

Channel 5 "suppports Freesat" but "needs to be encrypted due to programmme
rights issues"....make of that what you can!

: a rumour about this. Is there space on Astra 2D for more channels, or
: could another satellite provide the required tighter footprint?

Yes they will need to move to Astra 2D. No!! There is not space on that
satellite without some encrypted channels using it to agree to move
elsewhere (which would be Sky helping Freesat!)


A somewhat belated thank you for providing that info. If SES was to
price Astra 2D transponders at a premium (maybe they already do), then
I suppose this could mean that if C4 (and C5) were willing to pay the
extra for the tighter footprint then other channels might get moved
off Astra 2D to other Astra satellites.

Then again, maybe BSkyB would be willing to pay a premium to retain
the Astra 2D transponders for their channels as a way to block C4/C5
coming to FreeSat. However if that was to happen I'd think that the EU
Commission's competition people would surely take an interest in it,
with a view to stopping any such anti-competitive behaviour.

I take it that Astra 2D is the only satellite that can provide the
tighter footprint focusing on the British Isles. Are there any future
(Astra or other) satellites planned with this facility - even if for
only some of their transponders?


A possible stupid question - C4 HD is evidently an encrypted service,
but is it available Free To View (i.e. with a FTV Sky card but without
a Sky subscription), or is it currently part of the Sky subscription
package? Obviously the number of people who have a Sky HD digibox yet
who don't have a Sky subscription must be minuscule - but would they
be able to receive C4 HD?

Additionally, I note the somewhat bizarre comment from C5 saying they
support FreeSat but they need to use encryption! Will the FreeSat
specification require FreeSat boxes to support CAMs, or will this
merely be down to the individual box manufacturer? I can't see why the
FreeSat specification would make any such requirement, given the
emphasis of FreeSat is on Free rather than Pay (i.e. subscription)!

Also, I note from a past discussion here that a single transmitted
channel can apparently be encrypted using two entirely different
encryption systems - but would this work with Videoguard (BSkyB's
encryption system from NDS) - i.e. could Channel 5 be encrypted with
both Videoguard and another encryption system, or would C5 have to
transmit the channel twice for each system?

The somewhat absurd scenario I have in my head is that of C5 being
transmitted for FreeSat with (non-Videoguard) encryption, with viewers
required to purchase an appropriate CAM for their FreeSat box.

Then again, perhaps EU competition law eventually mean NDS is forced
to provide Videoguard CAMs for other satellite decoders, meaning
Videoguard encrypted C5 (and other channels) could be viewed on a
FreeSat box with a Sky FTV card and appropriate CAM. Though of course
NDS and BSkyB would put up a massive fight to prevent that from
happening!
.

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