Wednesday 29 June 2011

Freeview vs. Freesat vs. Freesat from Sky - Channel Smackdown


Comparison: Freeview vs. Freesat v.s Freesat from Sky
I recently made 'the switch', not the switch from analogue to digital TV, but from Sky to Freesat. I thought saving £30 a month for just TV (just TV!, not including phone and broadband) would be a snap.


I already had a dish, I thought that there were more/better channels on Freesat than FreeviewSo 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.