Freesat is a digital satellite television and radio service which is available as free-to-air, meaning that there is no need to pay a monthly subscription fee in order to receive Freesat channels.

Unlike Freeview which is a terrestrial service which uses local transmitters, Freesat is broadcast from satellites and therefore has better coverage around the UK than Freeview.

All that is required to receive Freesat services is a Freesat set-top box receiver or a television with integrated Freesat tuner and a compatible satellite dish. Most newer satellite dishes, such as those used to receive Sky Digital, should be able to receive Freesat broadcasts.

Channels: As well as existing BBC and Commercial television channels, Freesat also delivers many new services from the BBC and other broadcasters, including radio programmes, documentaries, news, children’s programming, entertainment and interactive services. In addition, several High Definition (HD) channels are available such as BBC HD and ITV HD. To be able to view these HD channels, an HD compatible Freesat receiver is required. For a list of standard definition and high definition channels, check here.

Cost: Apart from the initial purchase cost of the set-top box Freesat receiver or TV with integrated Freesat tuner and the cost of installing a dish (if one is not already installed) there is nothing further to pay: no subscription fee is required.

Dish/Satellite Dish: To receive Freesat services, you will require a satellite dish to be installed on the outside of your home. To ensure compatibility, check that the dish is suitable for Freesat and look for the digital tick symbol. Any dish that has previously been used to receive Sky Digital broadcasts will be able to receive Freesat without repositioning.

EPG: Electronic Programme Guide. A system which delivers detailed programme listings, now and next and other schedule information. Also used by some devices as a handy means of timer/programme reminder setting, enabling simple programme "highlight and select" to define start/end/channel information for a timer setting.

HDMI: High Definition Multimedia Interface. Although most Freesat set-top box receivers offer several way of connecting to a TV (Scart for example), HDMI provide the best picture quality and can carry HD (High Definition) video. It is highly recommended that you use a HDMI cable to connect your Freesat box to your HD Ready television or projector

HD: High Definition. Can refer to two aspects of Freesat.

1) Some Freesat channels are broadcast in HD allowing for greater picture detail and clarity. If you want to receive HD channels, make sure you buy a Freesat receiver which can receive HD channels as some standard definition systems cannot. At the time of writing, the only HD channels available through Freesat are BBC HD and ITV HD, although the number of channels is expected to rise in the future.

2) Many Freesat set-top box receivers can output an HD picture to an HD Ready TV or projector via HDMI or component video connections. These receivers usually also upscale standard definition Freesat pictures to HD resolutions, thereby improving picture quality. Most systems support a video output resolution of at least 720p or 1080i.

For more information visit the Freesat website.