Loading ...Nov 18
Just to confirm, Channel Five should now be available on your Freesat digital box, the update came through just after 11:30 this morning.
We’d like to welcome Five to the fold, we only wish you had brought your family, Fiver and Five US with you 
Now what shall we discuss…
November 18th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Did not seem to automatically be added to my Goodmans HD box. However did a rescan and its there now. Good quality picture.
November 18th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Yes confirm Five is now on Freesat. However I had to carry out a first time install to force it on my Bush HD Receiver.
November 18th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
I did’nt nead to anything to get Five, as i’ve already got Freesat built into my tv, (lucky me lol)
November 18th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Oh yes just forgotten one thing though i can’t get the EPG yet !!
November 18th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Yup just got it now great to see five on here. Fingers crossed for Five US and Fiver. I read on the Five website they are in the process of working to get the other five channels on freesat. Good news hope we won’t have to wait too long
November 18th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Hopefully now a couple of the UKTV channels will join. But these things take time. I can remember when ITV was not on Sky and it took a year or two before it came on. If a couple of the UKTV chanels were to join It will make Freesat worthwhile but we shouldn’t expect too much seeing it’s a free service. I stopped subscribing to Sky a few months back because the content is just repeated over and over on the pay channels . A waste of good money
November 18th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Francis - You must have a Panasonic?
Bought one last May without Freesat. Excellant.
November 18th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I have the same problem as other Alba (Bush/Goodmans etc) owners, the channel will only come up once I do a first time install. I’m am sure the freesat spec says
new channels should be added automatically. Maybe I should take it back and try the Humax PVR.
November 18th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
What shall we discuss- He’s a simple one, never Fiver or Five US where our Five HD or is there anything in the pipeline for a HD channel. Speaking of HD channels, when is Channel 4 HD contract with Sky due to run out?
November 18th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Denis great to hear its good quality.
I’m hopefully joining Freesat soon (as soon as I find the right piece of equipment) and I had real fears that it might come through like ITV. Great to hear its coming through well.
November 18th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I have found with my Goodmans HD box, I usually have to use the channel up/down controls to zap over the new channel from an adjacent one before it will appear on the EPG.
It then gives a brief message saying it has found a new channel or is tuning (can’t remember exactly) before displaying it. Once it has been displayed, it appears on the EPG.
However, sometimes new channels seem to have just appeared on their own - so it doesn’t always behave the same way.
November 18th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
GFor those of us in N Ireland any word on RTE 1,2 and TV3???
November 18th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Great to finally get 5 now at last I can unplug my sky box - picture quality is brilliant.
November 18th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
any news on any new HD channels coming to freesat??????
November 18th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
WHAT WE WILL DISCUSS???
FIVER & FIVE US AND MORE HD CHANNELS OFCOURSE!!!
November 18th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
What is so special about US & Fiver, they just repeat what is on Five, maybe a odd film and I wouldn’t say Five is a real great channel apart from CSI & Axe men or Austen Stephens. But then it all comes down to taste and it’s better than nothing, Good luck Five.
November 18th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Five had added itself to my Goodmans SD box by luchtime. Great picture - and subtitles. I then did a first-time-install just for the hell of it. I’ve not checked the EPG yet but I expect it to be there.
November 18th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Im surprised at some of the comments about the picture being brilliant - some of the ITV regions are running higher bitrates than freesat five!
freesat five - video averaging 2900 kbps
Border Scotland - video averaging 3400kbps
Some of the SD German channels on 19E are running over 6000kbps - now THATS a good picture
November 18th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
still no five on my goodmans hd rescanned to no avail
November 18th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
It wasn’t on my Humax FOXSAT-HD so I did a freesat tune. After saving the channels the unit froze and the controls stopped respond. I turned the power off and on and it came back ok including the extra channel 5.
November 18th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
wake up goodmans i had reinstall to get ch5 so whats the use of having update automaticaly if it does not ?
November 18th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Yes! It’s there . . Foxsat didn’t find it initially when first turned on, back to standby and back on, bingo..
So! What’s next? I get a feeling there isn’t going to be anything too exciting for some time now.. Maybe a shopping or a phone-in girly chat channel?
November 18th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
nothing here on a grundig box even after scan
November 18th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Nothing on my Humax HD (foxsat) by 6 pm, so i did a manual scan then it was on my EPG..
November 18th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
@ Ross,
I should have said ITV HD not ITV as thats the channel that seems to have the quality complaints.
The German channel you mention is certainly impressive on paper but it also depends on the compression they’re using. eg. On the PC 8,000kbs MPEG2 doen’t even compare to 4,000kbs MPEG4. If its a good codec such as MPEG4 then indeed it is impressive.
November 18th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
I just wish there was more HD content, the big Freesat sales pitch is free to air HD but with only BBC HD at only a few hours a night and ITV ( the special exclusive to freesat only) HD a few hours a week……I bought the humax foxsat HD to get HD….but I think it’s time we now had more HD content on Freesat.
November 19th, 2008 at 12:29 am
I agree with stewart… I bought a Humax and was very disappointed with the HD content, the other ‘new’ are really very poor as is the SD quality ( more blurry ) - Be warned!!!!….Now I wish I got a SKY HD box especially as they have Ch4 HD content….live and learn.
November 19th, 2008 at 12:30 am
..edit:(sorry) ..other ‘new’ Channels are really poor….
November 19th, 2008 at 6:28 am
@ ROSS @ AL (original)
ITV HD still has lip sync problem on my Humax (foxsat HD ) my misses watches Britannia High every week and it hasn’t been right yet, last sun was the worst..
BBC HD is fine no problems at all ..
November 19th, 2008 at 8:40 am
chris - Freesat aren’t responsible for HD content. They’ve simply given you other means to receive FTA broadcasts. Its all down to the broadcasters deciding to jump on board. The option is there for them…
November 19th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Can anyone tell me the frequency of Freesat Channel Five? (for my FTA box)
November 19th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Not that I’m too fussed about it, but what happened to BEN TV? I thought it was meant to be added a couple of weeks ago.
November 19th, 2008 at 10:37 am
eklektofonic - The frequency for Channel 5 is under the topic posted on 3 November (Channel 5 FTA).
November 19th, 2008 at 11:44 am
I FULLY AGREE WITH DEANO CHRIS AND STEWART; THERE HAS TO BE MORE HD CONTENT AND CHANNELS ADDED TO FREESAT. AFTER ALL WE ALL BOUGHT IN TO FREESAT BECAUSE IT WAS FREE TO AIR HD CONTENT. BUT WHEN YOU SEE OVER 25 HD CHANNELS FOR SKY YOU CAN’T HELP FEELING THAT MAY BE IT IS TIME TO SWITCH IN SPITE OF THE COST INVOLVED. MOST OF US HAVE SPENT OVER A GRAND FOR OUR HD READY/FULL HD TV’S AND IT IS SILLY TO WATCH PICTURES IN SD WITH A 40″ SCREEN AS IT IS NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD AS THE CRT PICTURES I WAS GETTING FROM MY 100HZ 29″ SONY TRINITRON. THE ONLY WAY TO THE SE LCD TV’S JUSTICE IS HD PICTURES AND BLU RAY FILMS.
November 19th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I for one am very pleased with Freesat .. I have a Humax foxsat HD box .. the quality of picture both in SD and HD is excellent! … new content on Freesat will just take time and I am more than happy to wait … if I wasn’t .. then I would be subscribing to ‘overpriced’ Sky .. and be paying through the nose for more channels than I could ever hope to (or want to) watch! ..so all you lot who ain’t happy .. you know what to do!
November 19th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
I Have been eagerley awaiting the arrival of chanel Five but because i live in southern Spain the signal strength must be so weak I can not get a signal at all??
We have the same problem with lots of different chanels but were hoping a stronger signal. Only thing to do is change the size of the dish
November 19th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
no matter how many times I have tried to get five on my goodmans freesat it`s no good it does not work. I will have to wait until my husband comes in for him to scan it in, if I do it and it goes wrong and mucks the box I will be in big trouble.
November 19th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Hopefully none of those “Not available on Freesat” screens!!
November 19th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
My Humax box picked it up as soon as I went to standby & back. I think that’s when it checks for updates - when brought on from standby.
Both my BUSH SD boxes failed to add 105 in the right place on the EPG - this was because I had manually added them as channel 3000 - so there was Five down 1 channel from 101 - listed as 105 but where 3000 had been. I had to manual install to get the right order back.
November 19th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Five working well here in south wales
November 19th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Has anyone got the manual frequency and settings to add 5 to ‘free to air’ boxes, please?
November 19th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
http://www.joinfreesat.co.uk/index.php/channel-five-fta
November 19th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Receiving five on sky box Add Channels 10.773 H 22.00 5/6
November 19th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
We all want/need more HD channels . otherwise we have these HD tv’s for nothing..
Ok sky have 27 or so HD chanels but they are paying about £27 every month, as we are paying a big 0..
how many of the 27 are Spam channels i ask ??
I would be happy if i can watch itv HD tonight and there are NO lip sync problems.
at least when the game is playing i wont notice lol lol..
November 19th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Technically Sky want £57 per month to receive all 27 HD channels. It all comes down to a matter of personal choice, what you are willing to pay, and what channels you want etc.
November 19th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
@phil
Prior to C5 coming on Freesat I used FTA settings on my Humax Freesat HD box - 10773H 22000 5/6 comes up with ID 6335 which I then renamed - worked fine for me
November 19th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
can any one help me with the lock code no:,as we never put a code in when we installed freesat thankyou.
November 19th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
@ Linda factory lock code is : 0000 .
November 19th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
It’s not just Freesat that has lipsync problems, SKY has it as well so stop complaining as Freesat is well…. free.
November 19th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Hope they ditch the totally unnecessary channel dog….(channel 5 please note), we know what channel we are watching…”we are not dumb”..!!!,get rid of the dog,its annoying and distracting.
November 19th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
when will Freesat get CH4 HD ? does anyone know the politics or contracts theyre under….. I suppose it will come… there is now some CH4 HD content ( sky)…whats the time frame?
November 20th, 2008 at 6:46 am
CH4 HD later rather than sooner ..
i contacted them and asked them about being on Freesat , this is the reply i got from them :: Dear Deano,
Thank you for contacting Channel 4 Viewer Enquiries regarding Channel 4 HD.
We apologise for the late response.
The new HD simulcast will initially be available to subscribers to Sky HD,
but will also be made available on other platforms such as Freesat in
future; although at present we have no further information as to when this
will be and on what platforms. In the meantime, to receive Channel 4 HD you
will need a Sky HD box and a HDTV.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact us here at Channel 4 and for
your interest in our programming.
Regards,
Sally Smith
Channel 4 Viewer Enquiries
November 20th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
hi people
i need some help, my 2 grundig sd boxes still haven’t picked up channel 5, do i have to do a first time install or is there another way ?
many thanks
November 20th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Yasar says (shouts?) : MOST OF US HAVE SPENT OVER A GRAND FOR OUR HD READY/FULL HD TV’S AND IT IS SILLY TO WATCH PICTURES IN SD WITH A 40″ SCREEN AS IT IS NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD AS THE CRT PICTURES I WAS GETTING FROM MY 100HZ 29″ SONY TRINITRON
Presumably the “US” he talks about are the vocal HD minority writing in to this forum. What was his logic in spending over a grand on a screen too big for most modern lounges to receive a service which didn’t exist? Most of the people I know who have gone for Freesat have done so to get a good range of SD channels and good, clear reception. There has been much discussion on how to find bandwidth for the likes of Fiver and FiveUS; HD really gobbles up bandwidth. Can we afford it to simulcast channels already available in SD?
Freesat is unscrambled, and so is being narrowly beamed into the UK. Surely people who spend serious money on screens and HD PVRs should consider subscribing to services offering enough HD content to justify the investment.
Tony Hewitt
P.S. I hope Linda didn’t get into too much trouble!
November 20th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
@james, @admin,
there doesn’t seem to be any now/next programme info on the given frequency for Five, (on my FTA box)
November 20th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Baron you can get channel five on grundig box as follows:
Unplug from mains for one minute.
Plug back in and tune to Bubble Hits - Leave on Bubble Hits for 15 minutes.
You will now have channel 5. (Unless you are suffering FTA history conflicts).
(key in 105 to check if there)
It may be complete rubbish but I believe box needs power down after last channel update to put it back in auto update mode. Also believe updates are only transmitted from one satellite so you must tune to that satellite.
However it works!
Most annoyed that we are not getting tips from Freesat or box manufacturers as to what really goes on re update transmissions etc.
This lack of technical help / user guidance until software updated is surprising.
Any technical people that can throw light on subject very welcome.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Hi all
Just discovered this site. Thanks for all the tips (being a newcomer).
Just received CH5 on my Bush HD receiver, but had to do a full install.
Was a bit scary as we are in Southern Spain, and the signal was showing
only 44%. I thought I was going to be in big trouble when the wife got home
to no channels! Picture great by the way, and the Prog Guide works.
I will try disconnecting from themains as suggested, to see if the Auto
Update works.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
p.s.
Does anybody know where you can get a list of the frequencies etc. of the non-freesat stations, as my Bush doesn’t search automatically after the full install.
I’m sure that I did it when I first set the box up. Thanks
November 20th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Duncan
many thanks for the tip, tried it twice and still not having it !
maybe it will update itself, but i won’t hold my breath
November 20th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Five came up on my Goodmans HD with no problems, but then if I flick through channels it tends to lose sound & I have to unplug & replug to get it back; I think these machines have a mind of their own!
November 20th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Pete Black wrote Does anybody know where you can get a list of the frequencies etc. of the non-freesat stations”
Try the monthly magazine “What Satellite”. Should be on sale within the next week or so from the better newsagents.
November 21st, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Hello! I Have A Humax HD Freesat Box, Everything Working Brill! Five Came Up With A Normal Update Without ANY problems what-so-ever! I Don’t Know What’s With Your Boxes, But Mine Seems To Be Better Than Yours ^_^’, Anyway, Luck To All You Who Can’t Find Five, And Enjoy Whoever Has!
P.S. Oh Fiver And Five US Are Probably Coming VERY Soon.
P.S.S Also About C4 HD, I Think That Will Come As Soon As The Sky Contract Ends.
P.S.S.S I Also See Programs Like UKTV and Dave, Virgin 1 (Maybe) Sky3 (Maybe) Coming To Freesat.
So Anyway, I’m Off!
November 24th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I am not to bothered about HD to be honest. People seem to forget Freesat is a FTA service and isn’t meant to try to lure people from Sky it is an alternative for people who do not yet have sat-tv. So nobody should be expecting so called premium channels to be joining Freesat , although it would be welcome. I wouldn’t waste my money anymore on Sky for their pay channels as the contents on thoses channels are repeated over and over and therefore a complete waste of money
December 13th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Hi again
Has anyone got a SAGEM 250gig HDD TV recorder? I bought it to go with my Bush Freesat, but I don’t think that you can record onto it via SCART. I’ve tried a SCART to RF converter, but it doesn’t send a signal strong enough for the Sagem to detect it on the channel search. Beware….. I’m just going out to buy an upscaling DVD Reccorder. Have a great Xmas.
Pete