[gamejester]

So it looks like they are just transmitting these Freesat channels on Astra 2D without encryption now, they where always on this satellite but encrypted (some anyway) with skys encryption.

I have an old sky box, no sub or card and never bought the old one off payment Freesat card for it, so it could only pick up BBC and a few other channels. Just tired it now and it can get all the Freesat channels, E4, more4, etc... List has also been updated to show BBC HD, and others, put obviously cannot see these with a regular box.

When people say 'channel 4 has moved over.....' I do not belive there is an actual satellite for freesat, it is just an agreement (or service) that has been set up with Astra by BBC and ITV; Astra have no new satellite, they are still being beemed from Astra2D.

See attached spreadsheet to know what channel is broadcast on which Astra satellite.

metropolis - you should now be able to view E4, more 4 and stuff, where as before you would need a decoder, is that correct? Does your card to S2 streams, can you view BCC HD (duno if that uses it)

So I guess for the future proof question it is what transport are the newer HD channels going to use and which is the best card to get for these?


**UPDATE**
Found this info

Technical Information
Freesat broadcasts from the same fleet of satellites as Sky Digital, Astra 2A, Astra 2B, Asytra 2C, Astra 2D and Eurobird 1. Channels are broadcast using DVB-S. The Freesat programme guide will be broadcast from the Eurobird 1 satellite situated at 28.5° east.
All the channels broadcasting to date are broadcasting using DVB-S. Standard definition channels are broadcast using MPEG-2 for compatibility with Sky Digital receivers.
BBC HD is broadcast using MPEG-4 since it does not need to be compatible with Sky's non-HD boxes. Currently, BBC HD uses DVB-S since the channel shares a transponder with several Standard Definition channels. It is unknown whether or not this will switch to the newer DVB-S2 used for Sky HD when more HD channels are made available.