Radio and Telly UK Digital TV News

Freeview boxes in Scotland go dark

2008-07-05T08:18:00.004+01:00

Thousands of Freeview set-top boxes in Scotland have suddenly become obsolete, after a transmitter upgrade. The same thing happened in the Birmingham area a couple of months back.

Affected boxes include: Daewoo DS608P , Daewoo SV900 , Labgear DTT100 , Portland DP100 and the Triax DVB2000T, which apparently lack enough internal memory to hold the full list of Freeview channels.

The story broke in the Daily Record 5 July 2008, and includes a quite from this site.

There are believed to be between 200,000 and 350,000 affected boxes in the UK, and as the transmitter networks get upgraded ready for the Digital Switchover, more and more boxes are set to beome landfill fodder

SKy+ HD Big price drop

2008-07-01T07:45:00.000+01:00

Sky Digital has today announced a drop in price for their HD set-top box (combined HD receiver and Sky+ box).

The box, formerly priced �249, is now available for �150. The 18 HD services will cost you �10 a month

Details of Sky's HD service can be found on our Sky+ HD page.

Virgin Radio sold

2008-06-08T19:00:00.003+01:00

Virgin Radio's been sold to TIML Golden Square, a media firm owned by the Times of India Group. Sale price was �53 million, and as part of the deal, the station has 90 days to lose "Virgin" from the name.

The new owners apparently have great plans for the station, comparing the upcoming relaunch to the launch of "Dave" on digital TV.

Virgin broadcasts on DAB and AM nationally, as well as on FM in London.

BBC On Demand no longer free on BT Vision

2008-06-06T23:02:00.002+01:00

For a number of months, it's been possible to access BBC shows from the last seven days for free on a BT Vision set-top box. Now, the service will no longer be free - instead it will be part of TV Replay, which also includes Channel 4 shows from the last seven days. TV Replay costs �3 a month.

BBC TV shows are free on the BBC iPlayer, which allows shows to be viewed on PC, Mac, Virgin Media, iPhone and the Wii.

More on BT Vision at www.radioandtelly.co.uk/btvision.html

Planet Rock survives

2008-06-05T21:42:00.001+01:00

Planet Rock, originally set to close a few months ago, has been saved, and is set to continue broadcasting on DAB digital radio.

ITV High Definition starts June 2008

2008-06-05T21:06:00.003+01:00

High-definition from ITV launches on Satuday June 7th 2008, in time for ITV's coverage of Euro 2008 (Portugal vs Turkey). ITV HD will be available via the Red button, exclusively on the new Freesat satellite TV service.

Huge Virgin Media savings - 5 days only

2008-05-16T18:12:00.004+01:00

For the next five days, Virgin Media is running a special offer: Virgin TV, phone with free evening and weekend calls and superfast broadband - all for �20 for the first 6 months.

Sorry - This offer ended on Friday 23rd May. Go to www.virginmedia.com to see if there are any newer offers.

Freesat installation loophole

2008-05-13T07:27:00.004+01:00

If you're thinking of getting Freesat, and haven't got a satellite dish, here's an interesting loophole.

With Freesat, if you don't have a dish, it'll cost you �130 to get Freesat working (�50 for a basic box, and �80 for installation).

Sky Digital is offering something called "Pay Once, Watch Forever", which offers over 200 channels, for just �75 including installation and a Sky Digibox. You also get four months of Sky's pay-TV channels as a trial.

So, here's what you do:

Get "Sky's Pay Once, Watch Forever" - dish and box for �75 (versus �130). Watch the 200+ free channels plus the Sky subscription channels for 3 months, then tell Sky that you don't want to subscribe after the trial.

You can still use the Sky box for the free-to-air channels. If you fancy moving to Freesat (for their HD service), then you've already got a dish installed suitable for Freesat, and a spare satellite receiver. You can only apply if you've not had a Sky contract before.

Freesat launches today

2008-05-06T13:00:00.004+01:00

Freesat, the joint satellite TV service from the BBC and ITV, officially launched today at 11am.

The service offers 80 channels of free-to-view TV channels, using a standard satellite dish and a special freesat receiver.

Many of the channels you can get on Freeview are present, including Channel 4, E4, ITV2, ITV3, BBC3, BBC News, CBBC and CiTV. Channel 5 is missing from the lineup, but is expected soon. Other channels include Film 4, True Movies, Movies4Men, Euronews, Men and Motors and Al-Jazeera. See our Freesat channels page for the full list.

To get Freesat, you need a dish pointing in the direction of the Sky Digital satellite (Astra / Eutelsat). If you have an existing Sky dish, chances are this is good enough, otherwise you'll need to get a dish installed. Freesat's price for this is �80 (or �120 for two rooms). You'll get a 45cm to 80 cm mesh-type dish. You'll also need a special Freesat set-top box to receive Freesat's channels and Electronic Programme Guide.

As for boxes, there are two types at present - a Standard Definition box (from �49), and a High Definition box (from �120). A receiver with a built-in recorder (to rival Sky+) is reportedly due in July this year.

Freesat Launch day has been an interesting one. None of the four main Freesat retailers appears to actually have stock. Here's what we've discovered so far:

Currys: No stock. Nothing on the Currys website. We checked in with a Central London store, and were told 4-6 weeks

Comet: No stock. Calling Comet's customer service line (08705 425425), we were told 7 days

John Lewis: Nothing on their website. Rumours that the Humax receiver may be due "later today" in Oxford Street

Argos: Five boxes listed on their website, but all out of stock. Some branches appear to have stock, espcecially the Bush receivers, but they're under instructions not to sell them. A call to Argos Customer Services (0870 600 3030) revealed that the Goodmans and Bush models weren't being sold for "Quality Control reasons", with one online forum reporting an issue with channel reception on the Bush model. Argos are only able to sell the Humax FoxSat - but no stock in London or the South East.

Apart from the "subscription-free element, a key seller for freesat is "HD", and they're offering BBC's HD channel at launch. They have an exclusive on ITV's HD Service (soon), which won't be available on Sky. Sky however, have an exclusive on Channel 4 HD. Commenting on ITV's decision to go with freesat, Sky said "It would be a strange decision and disappointing for viewers if ITV chooses not to make its service available to 450,000 HD-enabled households."

What of Sky? Sky's been offering a free-to-view satellite service for some years - confusingly enough called Freesat from Sky, which offers 200 channels for a one-off �150. They also offer Sky Pay Once, Watch Forever, which for �75 gets you a dish and �200 free-to-view channels.

We'll be watching this one closely, and featuring this in our next podcast.

More on Freesat on our Freesat page.

BBC iPlayer now on Virgin Media

2008-05-03T17:36:00.001+01:00

The BBC iPlayer is now available on the Virgin Media platform, and is accessible via the red button.

We've recently added a page of information on the BBC iPlayer, including - what's on offer, how to use it, and what platforms it's available for. More on the BBC iPlayer at www.radioandtelly.co.uk/bbciplayer.html.

Podcast: iPlayer, Virgin Media and Eee PC

2008-05-01T08:45:00.002+01:00

Show 26 of FrequencyCast, our online radio show, has just been released.

In this show, we cover the BBC iPlayer, Virgin Media, new Freeview channels and news of FreeSat. We also take a look at the Eee PC, try a new Wii game, and talk surge protectors, iPhones and much, much more.

Download Show 26 direct to your MP3 player, or listen online at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html

Got iTunes? Play, download or subscribe: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=142899029

Share and Enjoy!

DAB Radio discounts

2008-04-30T21:54:00.000+01:00

15% off all DAB digital radio - Use code 15DABRAD at Comet.co.uk - Valid till 16th May 2008.

Digital Radios with 10% off

2008-04-22T06:18:00.001+01:00

Get 10% off Revo DAB and Internet radio, including the Uno, Pico, Pico+, Mondo and the high-spec Revo Radiostation Blik, which combines DAB, DAB+ and Internet radio.

For the discount, go to www.advancedmp3players.co.uk and use the special code affrevo at the checkout. Only available while stocks last.

Picturebox to launch on BT Vision

2008-04-20T22:15:00.000+01:00

Picturebox, the Movies on Demand service from Universal Studios is coming to BT Vision from 5th May. The service, also available on Top Up TV Anytime and Tiscali TV will offer 28 movies a month for a �5 a month subscription. radioandtelly.co.uk/btvision.html

Setanta Sports Half Price for 3 months

2008-04-14T19:16:00.004+01:00

If you're a boxing fan, you'll know that there's a big fight this weekend - Joe Calzaghe will be fighting Bernard Hopkins on Saturday night. This is one of the biggest fights of the year, and it's being broadcast exclusively on Setanta.

We've uncovered a half-price Setanta deal relating to the Calzaghe/Hopkins match that runs until Friday the 18th April. You can subscribe to Setanta for three months half price (�5 per month for the next three months), if you quote offer code 1904 when you order online. Offer ends at midnight on Friday 18th April 2008. More on Setanta

Rush HD Appears on Sky HD

2008-04-09T21:15:00.001+01:00

Rush HD appears on Sky's High Definition service - extreme sports in HD. It's on channel 452.

More on Sky HD

Freeview HD by 2009

2008-04-04T06:01:00.001+01:00

Finally, High Definition looks set to come to Freeview. UK Regulator Ofcom has announced that we can expect up to four high-definition digital TV channels to be delivered via a TV on Freeview as soon as 2009. One of these four channels will be offered to the BBC, with the other three reportedly up for tender.

The space for these channels will be freed up by getting the existing Freeview services to shift to a new transmission standard called DVB-T2, make of MPEG-4 compression technology, combined with some channel reshuffling. These changes are expected to happen side-by-side with each TV region's digital switchover programme, so it won't be until 2012 that all 4 Freeview HD channels are available across the whole UK

It's expected that viewers will need to get a new Freeview box to get HD, but existing boxes will continue to work for non-HD Freeview channels.

More on UK HD

Podcast: Buying a Digital TV

2008-04-03T23:49:00.002+01:00

Show 25 of this site's online radio show, FrequencyCast, is now online.

In this show, we discuss what to look for when buying a new tv, explore Audio Description, and run through a roundup of the latest Freeview, Sky, TV, Radio and Gadget news. Listen online or download the show from www.frequencycast.co.uk/cast25.html

Radio landscape changes

2008-04-02T22:30:00.001+01:00

The landscape of the UK industry, just changed.

GCap Media, owners of a whole bunch of the UK's commercial radio stations has just been acquired by Global Radio for �375 million.

GCap owned a number of big-name stations including Classic FM, Capital Radio and Xfm. GCap was in the news in February for its decision to shut a number of national DAB radio stations, as we reported in show 24 of our podcast. Global owns stations including London's Heart and LBC, as well as Galaxy. The new group of stations will now dominate over 40% of the UK's commercial radio listening

Three digital stations depart

2008-04-01T08:10:00.003+01:00

Three National DAB digital radio services fell silent today, April 1st 2008.

The stations to go are theJazz, adult contemporary Capital Life, and the three months trial of forces station BFBS.

Planet Rock was also meant to go off-air today, but has a month's extension, while the station continues to find a buyer.

The departure of these national DAB stations comes as radio group GCap Media branded DAB radio as 'economically unviable' in February.

No news on what stations will fill the gaps left, although RadioToday's Birdsong +1 catchup service April Fools jape made us smile!

A stack of national radio stations from Channel 4 are due later this year, although with this year's departures, Channel 4 must be having some reservations...

If you haven't listened already, download episode 24 of our podcast, where we discuss the closures, and future of digital radio. www.frequencycast.co.uk/cast24.html

New Sky HD channels coming soon

2008-03-06T22:16:00.003Z

News of three new Sky High Definition channels coming soon:

Sky Sports HD 3 - With live high definition coverage of European Golf Tour

Sky Movies Premiere HD - Upcoming HD premiers include: Titanic, Blood Diamond, Mr Bean's Holiday, Flags Of Our Fathers, Fracture, Babel and Ghost Rider.

FX HD - series of critically acclaimed dramas to the UK for the first time

These three channels increase the number of HD channels on Sky to 17. More at http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/skyhd.html

Digital Radio's future discussed in podcast

2008-03-02T21:10:00.001Z

Show 24 of FrequencyCast has just been released to the world. Yes - 24 shows... we've reached our second birthday. Here's what we cover in today's show:

News Updates: An end to the High Def DVD format wars, BBC on the iPhone, the US strike's over, we discover more about podcast listening, and we say hello to the 21st Century KITT.

Focus - Digital Radio: After DAB has had a really rough couple of months, Carl and Pete pick up the pieces, look at some DAB technology, ask whether the future is Net radio, and read through listener's texts and mails on digital radio.

Neuros OSD: A new piece of kit - a gadget that converts your video, streams your content and acts as a PVR.

Your Questions: Listeners questions on wireless V+ box connections, Freeview Series Link, video on a whiteboard, TV in other rooms, HDMI cables and Freeview in hilly areas.

You can download Show 24 direct to your MP3 player, listen online, or view the show notes at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/cast24.html

Enjoy the show? Add a quick iTunes review: Review us.

More DAB stations to go

2008-02-11T10:32:00.000Z

In another blow to digital radio in the UK, two more national DAB stations are set to disappear soon.

gCap Media are planning to close stations theJazz and Planet Rock. They've already disposed of one of their other national stations - Core. gCap has also today announced that as well as closing two national stations, they'll be selling their shares in Digital One, the providers of the national commercial radio DAB multiplex.

This is billed a cost-cutting excercise, as well as being due to the slow uptake of DAB in the UK.

Lost Series 4 1 day early on Sky+

2008-02-02T17:21:00.000Z

Series 4 of "Lost" starts on Sunday 3rd Feb. If you have a Sky HD box, or a newer Sky+ box, you may find that Lost is available 1 day earlier, via Sky Anytime. If you have Anytime on your Sky+/Sky HD box, the first two episodes should be available nice and early, courtesy of the Dharma Initiative and Sky. Sky+

Show 23 of our Digital TV podcast now online

2008-02-01T09:04:00.000Z

FrequencyCast Show 23 is now online.

If you're new to FrequencyCast, it's an online radio show that discusses digital TV and technology in the UK. We're free, so give us a try! Show 23 covers:

News Updates: An update on the HD DVD format wars, some BT Vision news, two national radio stations departing DAB, the iPhone software update, plus ITV4 and Top Up TV News.

Focus - Classic Technology: Again, we listened to the online votes for show topics, and this time around, as requested, Carl and Pete go back in time to see what TV, Computers, Phones and the 'Net looked like twenty years ago.

HD in the UK: A quick summary of what's on offer HD-wise, from the big guys - Sky and Virgin.

Squirrels: It's our own fault - 12% of you wanted us to discuss... squirrels. You only have yourselves to blame!

Your Questions: Listeners questions on Wireless headphones, the Skypephone, FreeSat, mobile podcasting and the digital switch.

You can download Show 23 direct to your MP3 player, listen online, or view the show notes at www.frequencycast.co.uk/cast23.html