BBC, ITV to launch free satellite HDTV in UK by 2008
by Nilay Patel 
posted Apr 28th 2007 at 12:24PM
Although there's a lot of grumbling in the UK about that £135 ($270) yearly television license fee (only $87 for a black and white set!), it's hard to complain that the BBC doesn't try to use all that money in cool ways. Adding to their already-ambitious plans to distribute HDTV through torrent, datacasting, and IPTV, the Beeb announced today that, after years of delays, they've been approved to pair up with ITV and launch a free 200-channel HD-capable satellite service called Freesat in the spring of 2008. The move is designed to provide digital service to the estimated 25% of the British public that can't get the successful Freeview DVB-T service, but it'll also be free to any license payer who ponys up for one of the several available interactive receivers. Hmm, that's an interesting version of "free," must be the British spelling.[Via TechDigest]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Pete @ Apr 29th 2007 5:23AM
"Hmm, that's an interesting version of "free," must be the British spelling."
NOTHING in this world is free. Difference is in Britain we are up front about it.
bob @ Apr 29th 2007 2:17PM
The BBC is great, but ITV sucks. There isn't actually many hd programmes, most stuff is in 16:9 SD/576i.
Jeff @ Apr 30th 2007 4:21AM
as long as i'm forced to fund the BBC, it is anything but great, as for free, nothing the BBC does is free, it just forces me to pay more to fund it's free stuff
Greg @ Jul 16th 2007 6:55PM
You guys take the BBC for granted. Some of us on this side of the pond would love to be able to watch the real BBC (not BBC America) everyday.