Information about Freesat, the subscription-free satellite TV service in the UK. Details of what Freesat offers, how to get it, and help to existing users.
What is Freesat?
Freesat is a digital TV service that’s backed by both the BBC and ITV. As the name suggests, it offers a number of TV channels using a satellite dish, and there’s no subscription (unlike Sky’s satellite offering).
Freesat launched on the 6th May 2008, and currently offers over 130 channels.
To get Freesat, you will need a Freesat receiver, and to have a satellite dish pointing in the general direction of the Astra satellite. Some High Definition content is available on Freesat, including the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 HD channels.
Freesat EPG on a Humax FoxSat
What’s on Freesat
Around 130 channels of TV and 30 radio stations.
The Freesat Channels are all subscription-free. Mainstream channels include BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4, Channel 5, E4, More 4, ITV2, ITV3, BBC Three, BBC Four, the BBC News channel, CBBC and CBeebies for the kids.
Other channels on offer include Film 4, True Movies, Movies4Men, Euronews, Men & Motors, Wedding TV, Chart Show TV and Al-Jazeera News. See our full Freesat channel list
HD: Freesat is currently offering five HD channels, BBC One HD, BBC Two HD, ITV 1 HD, Channel 4 HD and HNK World HD
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How to get Freesat
To be able to watch Freesat, you need the following:
A satellite dish: You need a dish pointing in the right direction (towards the Astra satellites). If you have an old Sky dish, this will do fine. You can install a dish yourself with a DIY kit, or go for a professional installation by contacting a local satellite TV installation firm.- A Freesat Receiver: Freesat boxes are available for a one-off payment of £50 or more. We have a list of boxes here: UK Freesat Boxes. Some TV sets also have Freesat receivers built-in.
Freesat Set-top boxes
We have a page listing the available Freesat satellite receiver boxes – See our Freesat boxes section.
Here are the Freesat boxes we recommend:
Bush BFSAT02SD  |
Basic Freesat receiver. Doesn’t support High Definition – No built-in recorderConnectors: 1 x SCART, LNB in/Out, Ethernet£30 – from Argos (Cat no: 532/1557) |
Humax Foxsat HD  |
Supports High Definition Freesat channels. No built-in recorderConnectors: 2 x SCART, HDMI, Component, USB, EthernetReview: Humax Foxsat Review
|
Humax Foxsat HDR   |
Supports High Definition Freesat and can record 200 hours of Freesat
Connectors: 2 x SCART, HDMI More on our Humax Foxsat HDR page Available for £249.99 from Play.com |
Got a question on Freesat? First, try our Freesat FAQ.If the answer’s not on our FAQ, ask in our Freesat Forum |
Useful Links
- More on Freesat? See our Freesat Review
- Answers to common questions in our Freesat FAQ
- Freesat channel listings: Freesat channels
- Information on free satellite – See our Free Satellite TV Advice section
- If your question isn’t answered, please leave a message in our Freesat
forum
hi there,
why do i sometimes get a breakup of hi-def channels yet its fine on standard def, this problem has existed for the last 2-3 months, i have installed a decent sony bravia a humax foxsat-hdr box and a selfsat-h21d flat antenna this combination has been working well since hi-def started.
regards
richard
Try using your microwave when watching HD. This can cause signal loss to the tv. I have looked in the instruction bookfor my microwave and it says that it could interfere with tv reception
I plunged my freest on and it is taking so long to connect to the satellite dish, please help.
Hello there,
We have a Panasonic free sat tv and a Panasonic dvd rec/player never tried recording on Free sat but have freeview and thats fine,could you tell me how to go about recording a program on free sat.
tech numpty here by the way
Thanks in advance
Andy
I subscribe to Sky and have a SKY+ box which allows me to record two programmes at the same time but not watch a third. My tv is also connected to a terrestrial aerial on the roof so if I am recording two programmes on the SKY+ box I can watch a third (Freeview) from the terrestrial aerial. However, if I want to watch a football match LIVE which is being broadcast on SKY tv and it coincides with two other programmes I want to record, I can only record one other programme on the SKY+ box. Is there an additional recording box on the market which I can plug into my tv to record one or two freeview programmes from my roof aerial?
We are not able to receive any 4 channels ,have freesat ,had, grinding box ,and Samsung had ,help
Just had a Freesat dish installed but am still getting some pixaltion, I was under the impression that the dish would stop this.
I have a Technomate box and a motorised aerial was getting Bloomberg excellent on Astra 28
Now lost all communication
Get CNN andCNBC perfect
Can you help tell me what channel I can get Bloomberg on
Could anyone please tell me how to remove the parental controls? We have to enter the code every time we change the channel even after watershed and irrespective of the programme rating. TIA
No, Channel 4 is NOT in HD on Freesat.
The signals are there in Astra 28.2E but apparently Freesat want so much money just to add them to their channel line up that Channel 4 won’t pay.
I+live+in+g63+and+BBC+2+vanished+from+position+2+and+is+only+to+be+seen+at+position+968.+How+do+I+get+it+back+to+position+2+on+listings?
Hi,
This page needs to get updated!
I use a VU+ box and it provides the majority of all the free to air (FTA) channels, however there are several that are available in HD eg E4 HD, ITV4 HD, More4 HD etc, but these channels are all encrypted and locked to only to the Sky Digital subscribers only.
Is there a free decryption method available or am I restricted to only viewing in SD only?
I am using my old sky hd box to watch free channels but the news still showing from my old county norfolk rather than where i live now hampshire. How do i realign? I tried on tv settings to automatically set.
I have 2 Sansung TVs with freesat. Recently the ITV hd channel on both is very red while standard ITV is fine as are all other TV channels.