[FreeSat TV service goes live across the UK]

[Engadget]

Filed under: HDTV (http://www.engadget.com/category/hdtv/), Home Entertainment (http://www.engadget.com/category/homeentertainment/)
http://www.engadgethd.com/media/2008/05/4-23-08-freesat-logo.jpg (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7384928.stm)We knew it was coming (http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/04/23/freesat-launch-details-emerge-service-begins-april-25th/), and after waiting for quite some time for FreeSat (http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/04/28/bbc-itv-to-launch-free-satellite-hdtv-in-uk-by-2008/) to go from concept to reality, television viewers across the UK can finally indulge. If you'll recall, a recent survey found that just 5-percent (http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/03/05/just-5-of-europes-hdtv-owners-watch-hd-programming/) of Europe's HDTV owners actually bothered to tune into HD programming, but now that number is likely to change. Effective today, 98-percent of the UK can fork out a one-time fee of £49 ($96) to £120 ($234) in order to acquire a FreeSat set-top-box, and after an £80 ($156) installation, users will have subscription-free access to BBC HD, ITV HD (coming soon), Channel 4's digital service and around 70 other TV / radio channels. Better still, that number is slated to rise to 200 before the year's end, and unsurprisingly, the launch is expected to boost available high-def offerings in the region. Anyone across the pond have their equipment set up already? How's the service?

[Thanks, Ivan]

Read | Permalink (http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/06/freesat-tv-service-goes-live-across-the-uk/) | Email this (http://www.engadget.com/forward/1187674/) | Comments (http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/06/freesat-tv-service-goes-live-across-the-uk/#comments) http://feeds.engadget.com/~a/weblogsinc/engadget?i=CEb9Qo</img> (http://feeds.engadget.com/~a/weblogsinc/engadget?a=CEb9Qo)
http://feeds.engadget.com/~f/weblogsinc/engadget?i=dC1GNh</img> (http://feeds.engadget.com/~f/weblogsinc/engadget?a=dC1GNh) http://feeds.engadget.com/~f/weblogsinc/engadget?i=RWSDjh</img> (http://feeds.engadget.com/~f/weblogsinc/engadget?a=RWSDjh)
http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~4/284663639

More... (http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/284663639/)

[vicious1988]

I'd love to be able to get this in the US.