Vintage TV is now live on Sky and Freesat. The channel, which launched on the 1st of September 2010,  is dedicated to the music, culture and fashions from 1940 to 1989.

Vintage TV promises an eclectic mix of music, classic and original programming and must-watch shows includes Me and Mrs Jones, a new take on the talk-show format fronted by veteran rock journalist Lesley-Ann Jones.  The channel also offers unique access to some incredible archive footage licensed from the BBC and Getty Images which will be incorporated into 500 brand-new music videos for songs which were recorded prior to the arrival of the video era.

An impressive line-up of famous faces will front the channel, led by legendary broadcaster and music expert Paul Gambaccini.  He is joined by David ‘Kid’ Jensen, YES keyboardist Rick Wakeman and Eighties pop singer Kim Wilde, as well as by Tony Blackburn and David Hamilton. See the Vintage TV website at www.vintage-tv.tv for details on their programming.

David Pick, former EMI executive and founder of Vintage TV said:  “Our content has been created using the latest tapeless technology.  There is consequently a wonderful back-to-the-future quality and feel to our programming which gives it a fresh, contemporary style.  The music we celebrate, from the fifty-year so-called ‘Golden Age’, was never intended to be here-today, gone-tomorrow entertainment.  Such music was crafted by some of the most legendary artists in history, and was made to last.  Their recordings have stood the test of time because people all over the world still want to listen to them.  They also set the impressively high standards for music being created today.  Thanks to Vintage TV, viewers will now be able to enjoy all the visual memories too.”

Vintage TV is available on Sky channel 369 and Freesat channel 515.

On the 3rd of September, free-to-view channel Virgin 1 gets a new name… Channel One.

The reason for the name change is that Sky recently acquired a number of Virgin Media-owned TV channels, including Living, Bravo and Virgin 1. Obviously, they have to lose their Virginity, and just as Virgin Radio became “Absolute Radio” when it was sold, Sky’s had to find a new name.

Channel One, under Sky’s ownership, will continue to run a similar mix of mostly US shows. One new addition to the programme lineup, is the recent re-make of the classic hamster-eating alien saga that was “V”. It’s already been shown on the subscription service SyFy, but will soon be free-to-air on Channel One too.

A TV channel aimed squarely at the over 50′s is set to launch on Sky and Freesat in September.

The new TV channel, Vintage TV, will launch on the 1st of September 2010 offering unique content focussing on music and popular culture from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. The station will be fronted my music man and former Radio 1 star Paul Gambaccini.

Vintage TV plans to offer content from a number of TV company archives, as well as some home-grown content. Vintage TV will also broadcast new music videos for number of classic tracks that were recorded before the days of the music video.

Expect Vintage TV from 1st of September.

We’ve just had reports that Sky is planning to pull Sky Sports News from the Freeview lineup. The sports channel will be replaced by a “+1″ timeshifted version of the Sky Three channel.

The removal of Sky Sports News from Freeview is expected to occur later in 2010 (exact date not confirmed)

NME’s music channel is now available on Freesat.

NME TV can be found on Freesat channel 503. The channel can also be found on Sky channel 382.

This news comes days after the decision to close the NME Radio service, which has been broadcasting on Sky, DAB, Virgin and on Freesat channel 727.

In order to allow Virgin Media to concentrate on its cable broadband operation, it has sold off its TV channels to Sky.

In a deal worth £160 million, Virgin has sold the following channels to satellite operator BSkyB:

• Virgin 1
• Bravo and Bravo 2
• LIVING and LIVINGit
• Challenge and Challenge Jackpot

Sky’s announced that Virgin 1 will change to a Sky brand in due course.

The deal also brings good news for Virgin Media customers, as Sky will be offering Sky Sports HD and Sky Movies HD, which have preiously only been available to satellite customers.

The Chief Exec of BSkyB, Jeremy Darroch,  said: “We are pleased that, through commercial negotiation, we have been able to ensure wide distribution of our channels to a growing pay TV universe.”

The deal is still subject to regulator approval.

The BBC has announced that it will start to broadcast BBC One in HD. This will be in addition to the existing BBC HD channel.

Expected to start from Autumn 2010, the new BBC One HD service will be a simulcast of the main BBC One output, bringing HD content including EastEnders, Holby City, The One Show, The Apprentice, The Weakest Link, QI, Strictly Come Dancing, Human Planet and Waterloo Road.

Head of the BBC’s HD services, Danielle Nagler, has this to say: “HD is the future of television. People who have HD have clearly told us that they want more of their licence fee-funded content in HD. I’m delighted that the HD simulcast of BBC One will become available on satellite, on cable, and now also on Freeview’s new HD service. This is a key moment for us on the journey to HD becoming the norm for all our programmes and channels.”

BBC One HD will be made available to Freeview, Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media platforms.

BBC One HD on Freeview has been made possible as a result of Five opting not to provide an HD service to Freeview, and Ofcom’s revokation of Five’s Freeview HD licence.

Fan of 3D? You can now get the 3D experience at home, as it’s now possible to buy a 3D LED TV set for the home.

Samsung’s been first across the line to release a 3D for the UK, to maximise on the current 3D hype – the Samsung UE40C700 40 inch 3D Ready TV has a built-in Freeview HD receiver, and will set you back £1,799. It’s available direct from

You’ll also need at least one pair of Active Shutter Glasses.

For more on Samsung’s 3D TV, take a look at the Samsung 3D TV launch advert:

Note that as well as the 3D glasses, you’ll also need a source for 3D content, such as a Blu-Ray player, or a Sky+ HD box.

Update: You might also want to check out the cheaper Samsung LE40C750 from Comet Online, which at the time of writing, is £1199.99

In the coming months, you’ll be able to get premium Sky content on Freeview HD boxes.

Sadly, this doesn’t mean that a bunch of Sky channels will actually be coming to Freeview (the Sky “Picnic” proposal), Sky content will be delivered to Freeview HD set-top boxes made by Humax in the form of Sky’s online service, Sky Player.

The Sky Player service is already available on the PC and Mac, and Sky’s keen to expand this service to games consoles and Internet-enabled TV hardware. Deals are already in place with Fetch TV and the 3View box, but the new deal between Sky and the leading Freeview HD box manufacturer Humax is a great step forward for getting Sky’s premium channels out there. It’s likely that the Humax Fox T2 Freeview HD box (pictured) will be getting a software update in the next couple of months to enable it to access Sky Player

Griff Parry from Sky says: “In providing both new and existing customers with more choice and control over how they access Sky content, we continue to harness secure and high-quality distribution platforms like Humax. We know that many Sky homes also have Freeview in other rooms, and this provides a great way for them to enjoy Sky away from their Sky box. And for new customers, particularly those in Freeview homes, it provides an innovative new access point to Sky’s high-quality pay TV content.”

Sky Player content is delivered via Broadband, and you’ll need to connect your Humax Freeview HD box to your Broadband router to get Sky’s content on your telly.

The service is set to become available “within months”, according to Sky.

Manly channel Men and Motors has closed today.

The channel which originally launched in 1996, has closed to make way for ITV1 HD on Sky and Virgin.

The station was on Freeview for a while, but was pulled in April 2006. At the time, this site, and our podcast FrequencyCast, were inundated with complaints about the station’s demise, and petitions were set up to keep Men and Motors station alive. No complaints as yet – maybe no-one’s noticed…

Miss the mix of cars, girls and lad content? Add a comment below…

Until today, Men & Motors, owned by ITV, was available on Sky Digital Channel 178, Virgin Media Channel 280 and Freesat channel 450.

Prices for Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 are set to fall following a ruling by UK TV regulator Ofcom.

Sky has enjoyed a virtual monopoly on sporting content for years, and have now been forced to reduce the wholesale price of their to premium sports channels, to allow other TV providers to offer the channels to their customers.

Sky customers currently pay around £35 a month for access to these Sky Sports packages (£17 for the basic service and an extra £18 a month for Sport).

One of Sky’s key rivals, BT Vision, has already announced plans to offer Sky Sports to its customers at a lower price than Sky, and we can expect Top Up TV to offer Sky Sports on their services. This could mean that UK customers will be able to get Sky Sports via a TV aerial before the 2010/11 football season starts.

BSkyB is not happy with the ruling, and will reportedly be appealing against the decision.

Expect upcoming announcements about cheaper Sky Sports packages in the near future.

Good news for Sky and Virgin HD customers – ITV appears to have bowed to pressure and agreed to let their HD service be shown on the pay platforms.

ITV 1 HD is currently available on Freesat (via the red button), and to the lucky few who can get Freeview HD, but from the 2nd of April, ITV 1 HD will be available as a dedicated channel on Sky and Virgin. It also looks likely that ITV 1 will be come its own channel on Freesat, and not hidden behind the red button.

The move means that ITV’s HD coverage of the World Cup will now be available to a greater HD audience.

Sky Digital has just upped the sign-up offer to new customers. As well as the free Sky offer, new customers can now get a £50 Marks and Spencer voucher by signing up online.

You’ll need to sign up by 25th March 2010 to get the voucher. The voucher will be sent within 45 days of activating your viewing. Only available for new customers. One voucher per household and only available for online subscriptions.

Details at www.sky.com/shop/tv

Sky is now offering a one Terabyte Sky+ HD box. This increases storage space for TV shows by four times.

The new Sky+ HD 1TB box offers all of the features of the normal  Sky+HD box (including Sky Anytime), but with much recording space – up to  240 hours of HD programming.

The 1 Terabtye Sky+ HD box is available now for £249. Full details at sky.com/1TB

Just a reminder that Sky is currently offering the standard Sky+ HD box for free, with a £25 M & S voucher for a limited time. A great time to get the HD box even if you don’t sign to the HD pack yet. Details on our Sky+ HD page or at Sky’s HD site.

Sky has today updated its offers, and there have been some odd changes.

For a start, the traditional Sky+ box seems to have vanished from the box lineup. Also, you can now only get the basic Sky box as a “multi-room” second box.

This means that the only box open to new customers, is Sky’s top-of-the-range Sky+ HD box (pictured).

You can get the Sky+ HD box for free, provided you sign to Sky’s £10-a-month HD service. Otherwise, take the Sky+ HD box without the HD channels for a one-off £49.

The intention here is clear – by withdrawing all but the HD box, it’s a push to get Sky HD boxes in as many homes as possible, hoping that as more of us get an HD-ready telly, we’ll want to get some HD programming on our tellies.

Still – while Sky’s doing this, it’s good news for new customers who get a top-end box that’s HD-enabled and with the new-style programme guide for nothing – making now a great time to sign up.

Details of Sky’s latest offer: Free Sky+ HD box. There’s also a £25 Marks and sparks voucher on offer too…

For a limited time, you can get a top-of-the-range Sky+ High Definition box for £75 (normally £150).

Offer open to existing and new Sky customers until 31st October 2008.

Order online to get a half price HD box and access to over 20 HD channels at packages.sky.com/see/EquipmentSkyHD.aspx.

Eurosport has joined the High Definition channel lineup on Sky, bringing the count to 19 HD channels as of July 2008. You can get Eurosport without having to sign to Sky’s premium sports package. Eurosport is on channel 412.

Sky’s also recently dropped the price of its HD service. More on Sky HD