| Comparison: Freeview vs. Freesat v.s Freesat from Sky |
I already had a dish, I thought that there were more/better channels on Freesat than Freeview. So I bought the Humax Foxsat 500G (£250), thought I'd get a good box, as I didn't want to feel like I was in the dark ages after using a Sky HD box.
However, I was totally taken by surprise by the rubbish selection of channels on Freesat. I can't believe that after searching around the net and talking to friends and shop assistants, that no one had pointed out that there are major channels missing from the line-up.
The kicker is that I then found out that Freesat from sky with an HD box (although I'm not sure it records) is only £175! Or I can buy the viewing card for a one-off £25 quid and I could use it in my current Sky HD box, although again I'm not sure I can use the PVR features.
So here is a comparison table of the channels. For Freesat and Freeview I've included channel number, but as I didn't have a list with number for Sky it is just a 'y' for Yes the channel is available
Comparison Table
Note: I'm not including radio channels as I think using a television + PVR to listen to radio is in sanely inefficient.
| Name | Category | Freesat | Freeview | Freesat from Sky |
| BBC One | Entertainment | 101 | 1 | y |
| S4C Digidol | Entertainment | 120 | ||
| BBC Two | Entertainment | 102 | 2 | y |
| C4+1 | Entertainment | 121 | 13 | y |
| ITV1 | Entertainment | 103 | 3 | y |
| E4 | Entertainment | 122 | 28 | y |
| C4/S4C in Wales | Entertainment | 104 | 4 | y |
| E4+1 | Entertainment | 123 | 29 | y |
| Channel 5 | Entertainment | 105 | 5 | y |
| More4 | Entertainment | 124 | 14 | y |
| BBC Three | Entertainment | 106 | 7 | y |
| More4+1 | Entertainment | 125 | y | |
| BBC Four | Entertainment | 107 | 9 | y |
| C4 HD | Entertainment | 126 | 52 | y |
| BBC ONE HD | Entertainment | 108 | 50 | y |
| CBS Drama | Entertainment | 134 | y | |
| BBC HD | Entertainment | 109 | 54 | y |
| CBS Reality | Entertainment | 135 | y | |
| BBC Alba | Entertainment | 110 | ||
| CBS Reality+ 1 | Entertainment | 136 | y | |
| ITV 1+1 | Entertainment | 112 | ||
| CBS Action | Entertainment | 137 | y | |
| ITV2 | Entertainment | 113 | 6 | y |
| horror channel | Entertainment | 138 | y | |
| ITV2+1 | Entertainment | 114 | 33 | y |
| horror channel +1 | Entertainment | 139 | y | |
| ITV3 | Entertainment | 115 | 10 | y |
| BET | Entertainment | 140 | y | |
| ITV3+1 | Entertainment | 116 | y | |
| BET+1 | Entertainment | 141 | y | |
| ITV4 | Entertainment | 117 | 24 | y |
| True Entertainment | Entertainment | 142 | y | |
| ITV4 +1 | Entertainment | 118 | y | |
| Men & Movies | Entertainment | 143 | y | |
| ITV1 HD | Entertainment | 119 | 51 | y |
| Dave | Entertainment | 19 | ||
| Dave ja vu | Entertainment | 25 | ||
| FIVE* | Entertainment | 30 | y | |
| Sky Three | Entertainment | 11 | ||
| 5 USA | Entertainment | 31 | y | |
| Yesterday | Entertainment | 12 | ||
| The Big Deal | Entertainment | 32 | ||
| Challenge | Entertainment | 46 | ||
| Sky Three +1 | Entertainment | 44 | ||
| Channel 5 HD | Entertainment | y | ||
| BEN | Entertainment | y | ||
| Liverpool FC TV | Entertainment | y | ||
| Propeller | Entertainment | y | ||
| HiTv | Entertainment | y | ||
| SONY TV | Entertainment | y | ||
| 5 USA +1 | Entertainment | y | ||
| My Channel | Entertainment | y | ||
| FIVE* +1 | Entertainment | y | ||
| SONY TV +1 | Entertainment | y | ||
| Pick TV | Entertainment | y | ||
| Total | 55 | 35 | 28 | 45 |
| BBC News | News & Sport | 200 | y | |
| CNN | News & Sport | 207 | y | |
| BBC Parliament | News & Sport | 201 | 81 | y |
| Bloomberg TV | News & Sport | 208 | y | |
| Al-Jazeera English | News & Sport | 203 | 89 | y |
| NHK World | News & Sport | 209 | y | |
| Euronews | News & Sport | 204 | y | |
| NHK World HD | News & Sport | 209 | ||
| France 24 | News & Sport | 205 | y | |
| CNBC | News & Sport | 210 | ||
| Russia Today | News & Sport | 206 | 85 | y |
| Sky News | News & Sport | 82 | ||
| CCTV News | News & Sport | y | ||
| Press TV | News & Sport | y | ||
| Total | 14 | 11 | 4 | 11 |
| FilmFour | Movies | 300 | 15 | y |
| Movies4Men | Movies | 304 | y | |
| FilmFour+1 | Movies | 301 | y | |
| Movies4Men+1 | Movies | 305 | y | |
| True Movies | Movies | 302 | y | |
| Movies4Men2 | Movies | 306 | y | |
| True Movies2 | Movies | 303 | y | |
| Movies4Men2+1 | Movies | 307 | y | |
| World Movies | Movies | y | ||
| Total | 9 | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| Wedding TV | Lifestyle | 400 | y | |
| Food Network | Lifestyle | 405 | y | |
| Information TV | Lifestyle | 402 | y | |
| Food Network +1 | Lifestyle | 406 | y | |
| Showcase | Lifestyle | 403 | y | |
| Create and Craft | Lifestyle | 36 | ||
| Quest | Lifestyle | 38 | ||
| Showcase 2 | Lifestyle | y | ||
| OHTV | Lifestyle | 199 | ||
| NTAI | Lifestyle | y | ||
| Sumo TV | Lifestyle | y | ||
| Information TV +1 | Lifestyle | y | ||
| Body in Balance | Lifestyle | y | ||
| Horse&Country | Lifestyle | y | ||
| Fitness TV | Lifestyle | y | ||
| The Active Ch | Lifestyle | y | ||
| Wedding TV Asia | Lifestyle | y | ||
| Travel Channel | Lifestyle | y | ||
| Travel Ch +1 | Lifestyle | y | ||
| Total | 19 | 5 | 2 | 17 |
| Chartshow TV | Music | 500 | y | |
| Zing | Music | 509 | ||
| The Vault | Music | 501 | y | |
| Clubland TV | Music | 514 | y | |
| Flava | Music | 502 | y | |
| Vintage TV | Music | 515 | y | |
| Scuzz | Music | 503 | y | |
| NME TV | Music | 516 | y | |
| B4U Music | Music | 504 | y | |
| Bliss | Music | 517 | y | |
| Viva | Music | 21 | ||
| 4Music | Music | 18 | ||
| Channel AKA | Music | y | ||
| DanceNationTV | Music | y | ||
| Channel Starz | Music | y | ||
| Greatest Hits TV | Music | y | ||
| Total | 16 | 10 | 2 | 13 |
| CBBC | Children | 600 | 70 | y |
| PopGirl | Children | 604 | y | |
| CBeebies | Children | 601 | 71 | y |
| Tiny POP | Children | 605 | y | |
| CITV | Children | 602 | 72 (Not in Wales) | y |
| Kix! | Children | 606 | y | |
| POP | Children | 603 | y | |
| PopGirl +1 | Children | y | ||
| Tiny POP +1 | Children | y | ||
| Total | 9 | 7 | 3 | 9 |
| Ocean TV | Special Interest | 650 | y | |
| Daystar | Special Interest | 691 | y | |
| Renault TV | Special Interest | 651 | ||
| Revelation | Special Interest | 692 | ||
| Psychic TV | Special Interest | 652 | y | |
| Islam Channel | Special Interest | 693 | y | |
| Inspiration | Special Interest | 690 | y | |
| GOD Channel | Special Interest | 694 | y | |
| TBN Europe | Special Interest | y | ||
| Gospel Channel | Special Interest | y | ||
| UCB TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| EWTN | Special Interest | y | ||
| Wonderful | Special Interest | y | ||
| Faith World TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| Praise TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| KICC TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| Word Network | Special Interest | y | ||
| Genesis | Special Interest | y | ||
| LOVEWORLD TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| Sonlife | Special Interest | y | ||
| Open Access | Special Interest | y | ||
| CommunityChnl | Special Interest | 87 | y | |
| Islam Channel | Special Interest | y | ||
| Noor TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| Sikh Channel | Special Interest | y | ||
| ARY Oneworld | Special Interest | y | ||
| Bangla TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| Brit Asia TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| KBC | Special Interest | y | ||
| Peace TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| SupremeMastr | Special Interest | y | ||
| Abu Dhabi TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| Channel 'S' | Special Interest | y | ||
| mta-muslim tv | Special Interest | y | ||
| PCNE Chinese | Special Interest | y | ||
| UMMAH CHNNL | Special Interest | y | ||
| DM Digital | Special Interest | y | ||
| MATV National | Special Interest | y | ||
| PTV Global | Special Interest | y | ||
| Venus TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| ATN Bangla UK | Special Interest | y | ||
| Hidayat TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| Music India | Special Interest | y | ||
| PTV Prime | Special Interest | y | ||
| Zing | Special Interest | y | ||
| IQRA TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| NTV | Special Interest | y | ||
| Record TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| Sikh TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| Aastha | Special Interest | y | ||
| Desh TV | Special Interest | y | ||
| Directgov | Special Interest | 106 | ||
| Total | 52 | 8 | 2 | 49 |
| QVC | Shoppng | 800 | 16 | y |
| JML Cookshop | Shoppng | 809 | y | |
| Price Drop TV | Shoppng | 801 | 37 | y |
| Ideal Extra | Shoppng | 810 | y | |
| Bid TV | Shoppng | 802 | 23 | y |
| Ideal World | Shoppng | 812 | 22 | y |
| Pitch TV | Shoppng | 803 | y | |
| Create & Craft | Shoppng | 813 | ||
| Pitch World | Shoppng | 804 | ||
| Speed Auction | Shoppng | 814 | y | |
| Gems TV | Shoppng | 805 | 43 | y |
| The Jewellery Channel | Shoppng | 815 | y | |
| TV Shop | Shoppng | 806 | ||
| QVC Beauty | Shoppng | 816 | ||
| JewelleryMaker | Shoppng | 807 | ||
| Rocks & Co1 | Shoppng | 817 | ||
| JML Direct | Shoppng | 808 | y | |
| Gems TV Extra | Shoppng | 818 | ||
| Teletext Hols | Shoppng | 101 | ||
| Sky Text | Shoppng | 108 | ||
| Rabbit | Shoppng | 102 | ||
| Ideal World 3 | Shoppng | y | ||
| Best Direct | Shoppng | y | ||
| GemCollector | Shoppng | y | ||
| JML Home & DIY | Shoppng | y | ||
| CelebrityShop | Shoppng | y | ||
| High Street TV | Shoppng | y | ||
| Pitch World | Shoppng | y | ||
| Retail TV | Shoppng | y | ||
| Rocks & Co 1 | Shoppng | y | ||
| Entrepreneur | Shoppng | y | ||
| Blueberry TV | Shoppng | y | ||
| Argos TV | Shoppng | y | ||
| Thane Direct | Shoppng | y | ||
| Jewelry Maker | Shoppng | y | ||
| Paversshoes.tv | Shoppng | y | ||
| Shopping TV | Shoppng | y | ||
| Tron Direct 2 | Shoppng | y | ||
| TV SHOP | Shoppng | y | ||
| Total | 39 | 18 | 8 | 29 |
| Chat Box | Gaming & Dating | y | ||
| Chat Back | Gaming & Dating | y | ||
| Dating Channel | Gaming & Dating | y | ||
| Monte Carlo TV | Gaming & Dating | y | ||
| Gay Date TV | Gaming & Dating | y | ||
| Gay Network | Gaming & Dating | y | ||
| Smartlive | Gaming & Dating | y | ||
| Lottery Xtra | Gaming & Dating | 45 | ||
| 1-2-1 Dating | Gaming & Dating | 104 | ||
| Total | 9 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Babestation | Adult | 870 | y | |
| Get Lucky TV | Adult | y | ||
| Blue Kiss TV | Adult | y | ||
| Babeworld.tv | Adult | y | ||
| Lucky Star | Adult | y | ||
| Dirty Talk | Adult | y | ||
| Elite TV | Adult | y | ||
| House Of Fun | Adult | y | ||
| Northern Birds | Adult | y | ||
| Red Light 1 | Adult | y | ||
| Red Light 2 | Adult | y | ||
| Red Light 3 | Adult | y | ||
| Club Paradiso | Adult | y | ||
| Filth | Adult | 874 | y | |
| LiveXX | Adult | y | ||
| Elite TV 2 | Adult | y | ||
| The Other Side | Adult | y | ||
| SportxxxGirls | Adult | y | ||
| Essex Babes | Adult | y | ||
| The Other Side | Adult | y | ||
| Total | 20 | 2 | 0 | 20 |
| Overall Total | 242 | 104 | 52 | 209 |
Key Points
Freesat is missing:
- Dave
- Dave ja vu
- 5*
- 5 USA
- Channel 5 HD
Freesat has 14 +1 channels 11 of which are the entertainment channels. That's 11 out of 35 are a plus one! which may not sound bad, but if you have a PVR, they fairly useless.
I've sent a complaint to Freesat already, now to make a phone call to Sky, and to figure out if the Sky card will work in my Humax box.
