A recent post (Channel 5, Channel 5 +1, 5 USA, 5 USA +1, 5* , 5* +1, Channel 5 +1 are now available free to air. mentioned that the Channel Five group of channels recently changed their frequencies and became “free to air”.

This was true apart for all but one regional version of “Channel Five”. This lone version of Channel Five used ot be located on a satellite frequency “loaned” to Five by the BBC. This was to help facilitate Channel Fives appearance onto Freesat.

However in the last week, this “Freesat” version has joined the other Channel Five regions on their new frequency on 10965 H 22 5/6.

Most Sky and Freesat box users should not have noticed any difference as the changes should have been done automatically.

However, in some cases it has required the rebooting of a Sky box, to a new “Freesat” channel scan, as some boxes have not automatically updated to be using the new frequency.

For those using the above ITv1 regions in the Spanish Canary Islands and in Greece, you will that you may have lost reception of these channels. When trying to access these channels, usually via the “Other Channels” option in the Sky box’s Services menu, you will find you get either a “technical fault” or “no satellite signal” message.

The loss of these channels is due to the fact that in the last week or so these ITV1 Central regions changed frequencies. They also moved to the Astra 1N satellite. They also went free to air, meaning they are now available without the use of a Sky card.

Whereas, on their previous frequency, reception was good, even on smaller satellite dishes, now they have moved onto their new frequency, many people with these smaller satellite dishes are now finding that they have lost their reception of ITV1.

It is a similar reason why some people in those areas have also lost access to their “Channel Five” and Five USA channels.

It is simply because their satellite dish is too small to receive these channels on their new frequency and new satellite.

This change for the various channels has also affected some caravanners and motorhomers, who have now found that their small satellite dishes are incapable of receiving some of these channels like they used to.

Note that this is nothing to so with Sky. Sky do not own the satellites. Many people misunderstand and just “blame Sky” for loss of channels.

Channel 5, Channel 5 +1, 5 USA, 5 USA +1, 5* , 5* +1, Channel 5 +1 are now available free to air.

On the 8th December 2011, they will offically joing Freesat, and be available via the Freesat channel guide, on the following Freesat channal numbers:

129: 5 USA
130: 5 USA +1
131: 5*
132: 5* +1

If you cannot wait, then you can put your Freesat receiver into “non Freesat Mode” and performa scan of the new Channel Five frequency on the Astra 1N satellite:
Frequency 10964
Polarization H
Symbol Rate 22000
FEC 5/6

Sky box users will not notice any difference, nor will they have to do anything to accommodate these changes.

It does mean that the “freesat from sky” free to view viewing cards now have sligtly less importance with this removal of these 5 channels. They are still require,for the time being for Five HD.

Channel 5 have announced today that all Channel Five regional variations, Channel 5 +1 ( a new channel which will be a timeshift of the main Channel Five), 5 USA and 5* (plus their +1 timeshift channels) will all be joining the Freesat platform in December.

Channel 5+1 will launch on Freesat on EPG channel number 128 on Tuesday 6th December.

5* and 5 USA, as well as their relative +1 timeshift services, will launch on Freesat on Thursday 8th December. The relevent Freesat EPG channel numbers wil be as follows:

129: 5 USA
130: 5 USA +1
131: 5*
132: 5* +1

Presumably these channels will also be made available free to air on Sky digiboxes also, where as now they are “free to view” and require a sky card to watch them.

Freesat box users may have to perform a freesat scan to be able to receive these channels free to air.
Sky box users hsould not have to do anything.
Users of other digital satellite receivers will have to perform a channels scan for these channels when they go live, on their new frequency of:
Frequency: 10965
horizontal
symbol rate 22000
fec 5/6

There has been no mention of Five HD becoming free to air and joining Freesat. Presumably this is becuase of its contract with Sky HD, and willhave to wait until that contract expires.

Astra 1N is a satellite on a temporary deployment providing “additional capacity” for UK TV. It joins the existing 4 satellites, Astra 2a, Astra 2b, Astra 2d and Eurobird 1, in providing more frequencies for more channels. With more and more HD channels coming on line, and the amount of bandwidth these channels use, and with less capacity on the existing satellite, a solution was required, and so Astra 1N has been deployed for the next few years, and will move to its proper location, 19 east, when no longer needed at 28 east.

You should not have to realign your dish. Astra 1N will be in the same “box” in space used by the 4 UK TV satellites. It will be close enough to those existing satellites so your dish should be able to receive it without any realignment.

Any new frequencies and channels that move or appear on Astra 1n, then Sky boxes and Freesat boxes will / should automatically update themselves to those new frequencies. Non Sky and Non freesat boxes will, as usual, have to be manually updated for any new frequencies.

And, on those Non Sky and Non freesat boxes Astra 1N will probably not be on the satellite list. This is not an issue. Just scan the existing satellites, using your “network search” option and when channels start to appear on that new satellite, then your receiver should automatically update and include any new channels.

This new satellite will not provide any issues with UK TV reception in the UK, however, reception of UK TV channels in some “fringe” areas, like south east Europe may experience some loss of channels, as it appears that Astra 1Ns signal reception in those areas is not as good.

Channel Five has said that they will soon be launching a “+1″ timeshift version of their main channel. It is expected the channel will launch in the first week in December 2011, but no date has actually been confirmed as yet. They join other main UK TV channels ITV1 and C4 by having a “+1″ service.

This leaves the BBC the only main UK TV channel not having a “+1″ service. But it is really necessary. These days many people have access to personal video recorders, like Sky+ or Freesat+ or Freeview+, making recording any shows you may miss easier. Also, many people in the UK can access missed programmes via internet and internet connected set top boxes via the BBC IPlayer.

And then , if the BBC do decide to have a “+1″ service for their channels, then you can probably expect the “anti BBC” brigade, led by the Daily Mail, in complaining about there being too many repeats on BBC channels and not getting the idea of a “+1″ catchup channel!

First Humax had an issue with their Freesat Programem guide (http://www.uksatellitehelp.co.uk/2011/08/25/epg-please-wait%e2%80%9d-issue-on-freesat-humax-foxsat-hdr/ ) and now Technisat have an issue with their Electronic Programme Guide.

A fault on the TechniSat HDFS Freesat receivers meant that users could not view programme information more than 12 hours ahead. Normally you should be able to view programme information for the next 7 or 8 days ahead.

Technisat have confirmed that there is an issue with their HDFS receivers, and that a fix for this problem will be released, which should hopefully be available soon.

As part of its cost saving / cost cutting review, the BBC will be closing down the BBC HD channel, and replacing it with BBC2 HD, a simulcast of BBC2.

In addition, BBC2s output during the day will change – dramatically.

According to reports most of the daily BBC 2 output will be repeats, with new programming commencing from 6pm, with some coming from BBC3 and BBC4.

Many popular BBC2 programme will move to BBC1, or just no longer be made.

And to make way for these BBC2 programmes on BBC!, it has been suggested that the “kids strand” on BBC1 will be no more, and will just move to the two BBC Childrens channels – CbbC and Cbeebies. Common sense, as in a few years time everyone will have access to the BBC digital channels, so if every once can receive Cbbc and Cbeebies, why have a kids strand on BBC1.

And there are also budget cuts for BBC News. Which I am not surprised about – when you see press conferences, there are always about 5 BBC journalists from various departments (BBC News TV, BBC Radio 4, BBC Webteam, Newsround!) ,asking question, when surely just one needs to be there to ask questions and to report the answers.

As part of the recent BBC satellite frequency changes (as mentioned here : http://www.uksatellitehelp.co.uk/2011/10/01/lost-bbc-news-bbc-alba-and-bbc-parliament-help-and-advice-here/ ) there have also been changes to the BBC Red Button Sports service.

Sky box and Freesat box users should not be affected, but if you are using any other type of satellite receiver, then you will have lost access to these channels. You may have them listed in your channel guide as “Stream”.

These channels have now been removed from their previous frequency (12441 v) to the old BBC News frequency of 11954 h.

So if you are using a non Sky or non Freesat box, then you need perform a scan (see your user manual for how to perform this) on frequency 11954 H. The “stream” channels are now (currently) listed as and look for the channel marked 6711 6712 6713 6714 6715.

Currently no channels are being shown on the OLD BBC Sports streams frequency of 12441 v. This will be an issue for some motor home users, especially if they have an automatic self seeking satellite dish system. Many of these systems have been programmed to use this frequency to “lock” onto the UK TV satellites. As this frequency is no longer carrying any channels, then these systems will not be able to lock onto the satellites.

In the past week or so the BBC have been moving some of their channels around their frequencies as part of a cost cutting / expediture saving programme, as mentioned in a previous blog http://www.uksatellitehelp.co.uk/2011/08/27/bbc-to-reduced-satellite-transponders-from-seven-to-six/

As part of these changes BBC News, BBC Alba and BBC Parliament have moved to other BBC frequencies.

This should not have affected Sky box or Freesat box users, as the channel information on their Electronic programme guide (EPG) should have automatically updated to the new frequencies.

However, if you are using another type of digital satellite receiver, then you wil have to manually add the channels to your channel list. If you do not do this then the receivers will still be looking at the old frequency and will be unable to receive those three BBC channels.

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