Channel 4 abandons Freesat HD in TWO DAYS
With only two days’ notice, Channel 4 is abandoning Freesat.
Channel 4 HD has been on air for over a decade, but it seems that they no longer need to broadcast to the whole of the UK public.
Channel 4 is a public service broadcasting channel that pays for the programs it broadcasts using the in-show ad-breaks.
However, it seems that it can fork out £75 million to steal The Great British Bake Off from the BBC but can’t afford to show the channel in HD to Freesat users.
Which is a shame, as High Definition channel has always been part of the Freesat HD line up.
It’s interesting to note that the channel still will be shown to Sky viewers in HD, and will also continue Freeview HD.
Perhaps we have reached “peak television”? Perhaps Channel 4 is so undermined by Netflix and Amazon it can’t afford to broadcast itself properly anymore?
But surely If a public service channel can pay out £2.5m a year to four members of the management team each year, it is shocking that it can abandon Freesat HD viewers.
Whenever i watch moving sport especially football I experience much poorer pictu | 1 |
Imagine my anger at losing one of my two favourite channels as I now live in the south of France where i get 26 HD channels free to air from French broadcasters.
After watching little in SD for some time now, with a 4K tv why would I want to, Channel 4 expects the same loyalty from me in SD? Its always been bad enough seeing that Film4, More4, E4 are all available to Sky users in HD, channels that should be free to air, but no.
I can't get ITVHD where I am, which is not much of a loss and at times BBC4HD struggles but C4,HD BBC1HD&2HD and C5 HD were always guaranteed to give me wonderful picture unless the weather was really bad. Why is the UK so far behind in technical terms? Even the nonHD channels in France give better picture quality than SD channels in the UK.
link to this comment |
11:30 AM
Paul Bale: The removal of Channel 4 HD from Freesat is entirely for commercial reasons. It is still broadcast free to air on satellite and can be tuned in manually on most receivers. Film 4 HD, More 4 HD & E4 HD are pay channels which only exist because they receive subscription income from Sky, which is again a commercial decision by the broadcaster who presumably do not think they would make sufficient profits by broadcasting these channels free to air and loosing the subscription income from Sky. You are also only receiving an overspill signal as none of the UK broadcasters have ever intended to broadcast to the south of France.
link to this comment |
My terrestrial TV aerial has gone to the tip. No dish. No fibre.
BBC radio only from now on. The relief, not to mention release of quality time, is enormous.
link to this comment |
1:52 PM
Horsham
@Howard
You probably needed to post that under the radio section rather than the TV, of little bother or interest to anyone on a TV thread!
link to this comment |
Charles's: mapC's Freeview map terrainC's terrain plot wavesC's frequency data C's Freeview Detailed Coverage
2:24 PM
Channel 4 HD has merely been removed from the Freesat Programme guide.
It is still free to air on satellite.
Merely go to your other, or "non-Freesat" channels to watch it!
Unfortunately, some of the makers of Freesat receivers don't like you storing "other" channels, particularly adult ones, so make it difficult. A new Humax box I had was one case in point, so I went back to using my Foxsat HDR, to store and record channels not on the Freesat EPG.
link to this comment |
2:36 PM
Since Mendip channel overhaul frequencies near Bath we have been unable to receive Sky News and Dave. Led to install a wide band aerial but result is the same. Any advice please?
link to this comment |
6:37 PM
A G Hearn:
To make any sensible suggestions we need you to enter your full post code into this website. Include it in your next response.
link to this comment |
12:26 PM
Norwich
Tacolneston Transmitter - NR14 6LW. No signal on my TV. We were expecting to have to update today but the TV is dead
link to this comment |
Patricia's: mapP's Freeview map terrainP's terrain plot wavesP's frequency data P's Freeview Detailed Coverage
1:02 PM
Patricia Bell: Several multiplexes changed frequency overnight, have you retuned yet?
link to this comment |
5:11 PM
StevensOnIn called it An overspill signal in the south of France, and also I imagine in Spain, explains why the HD signals can sometimes find it hard to get through! Frustrating. Especially when I could get all British HD channels by PAYING Sky which is not something I want to do!
Glad to say that France broadcasts 26 HD channels free to air, and quite a few British and American programmes get shown in this civilised country with a choice of watching in the original language or dubbed into French.
link to this comment |