CYaBro: Forget the 75% who will be able to get FreeviewHD. What about the rest of us who live outside the "nine main centres"? When will we get free-to-air HD TV?
Their is planned expansion from 75% - 87% in the future. This is pretty close to the estimated ~90% of the population who have access to the existing analogue broadcasts.
If Freeview do eventually deploy DVB-S2 via satellite they could broadcast in HD but there are no definate plans to do this so the simple answer to your question maybe never.
hairy1: So wouldn't that effectively dilute Sky's market share? If they are unable to provide HD services on a par with freeview then would we see a market shift back towards freeview? Kind of like what has happened in the past 10 years with sky offering a superior picture quality (in most cases) with digital DVB-S compared with terrestial analog VHF/UHF? Surely Sky are going to have to try and match the market with freeview and HD.
Maybe goodbye Sky at my place.
It all depends on what sky charges for HD and weather the UHF signal any good at my place, get wavely lines through Prime UHF but Maori station and CTV come out clear as anything.
Sounds a bit crazy to me that I'd be able to get a way superior picture with out using the pay tv system then what the Pay TV box can show, and then if they want extra subscription on top of normal subscription, just to get a couple of channels in HD it gets crazier.
Also if sky don't broadcast in HD free to air channels then would be unable to record those channels on HD with sky PVR, so to get best of both worlds, need two PVR's - Skys and a Freeview one. So even with having SKY still need freeview PVR for HD.
I don't think it's till near end of year freeview PVR will appear, so it won't be till then that it's goodbye sky.
Starting to think I'd be better buying DVD's then paying sky, as I see Battlestar Galactica season 3 is out on DVD now and hasn't aired on any TV station, plus be add free.
Any major US TV drama - $5 per season from the local public library or Amalgamated. Who wouldn't? No ads, superb quality, widescreen, extras, watch 4 eps in a row. Ditto the movies you get on Sky Box Office. Why bother with subscription TV? (Except the water cooler argument.)
Just finished BSG S1 on DVD. Would never watch it on TV.
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