Sky looks like it could be facing a serious rival at last with the launch of Freesat, the new digital satellite TV service from BBC and ITV.
Available from 6 May, Freesat delivers 80 digital TV and radio stations to 98 per cent of UK homes with a satellite dish, including a strong selection of HD content, with 200 channels to be available by the end of 2008.
A one-off payment for the set-top box is all you need to pay, with no monthly subscription after that. If you already have a satellite dish, you'll be able to use it to receive Freesat, otherwise installation of a new dish is available for £80.
Excellently, the Freesat service will also deliver Hi-Def programmes into your tellybox alongside all the standard def channels, making it the first free HD service in the UK to cater to the current ten million HDTV owners.
Touts as the exclusive ITV HD content broadcaster have been tarnished a little as it appears there won't be a dedicated channel but instead an interactive 'hit the red button' esque prompt whenever something recorded in HD happens to pop up on ITV. Hardly 21st Century tech, but better than nothing we guess.
Boxes are available from the usual high street retailers, who will organise installation once you've bought the kit, with the standard def box costing around £49 and the Hi-Def around £120, plus installation if necessary.
Set-top boxes are available from Bush, Humax, Goodmans, Grundig and Panasonic, while Panny also has a series of Freesat-enabled LCD screens in 42in, 46in and 52in sizes, with more to follow over the summer. Freesat-enabled PVRs are also promised before autumn.
www.freesat.co.uk
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