On Thu, 3 Jul 2003 11:19:11 +0100, "Lawrence Rust"
wrote:



If you want a FTV card phone the Beeb now! (0870 243 8000 and be prepared to
wait).


I have just phoned that number and they confirm they did send cards
out up to and on the 1st July but they were the last ones, they will
not send anymore.

I have just been told the following on the phone, I obviously can not
confirm if it is true

"ALL FTV CARDS (assume both Series 1 and Series 2) CURRENTLY RECEIVING
ITV1, CHANNEL 4 and FIVE WILL BE SWITCHED OFF ON JULY 10TH, TO CARRY
ON RECEIVING ITV1, CHANNEL 4 and FIVE YOU WILL NEED TO SUBSCRIBE TO
SKY"

This stinks, I have bought and installed four Sky boxes just for
reception of FTV channels, especially five.

Chris

The goverment should tell itv, ch 4 and 5 to pull of this platform these are
supposed to be free to air not subscription channels.
"Chris Vowles" wrote in
message ...
On Thu, 3 Jul 2003 11:19:11 +0100, "Lawrence Rust"
wrote:



If you want a FTV card phone the Beeb now! (0870 243 8000 and be prepared
to
wait).


I have just phoned that number and they confirm they did send cards
out up to and on the 1st July but they were the last ones, they will
not send anymore.

I have just been told the following on the phone, I obviously can not
confirm if it is true

"ALL FTV CARDS (assume both Series 1 and Series 2) CURRENTLY RECEIVING
ITV1, CHANNEL 4 and FIVE WILL BE SWITCHED OFF ON JULY 10TH, TO CARRY
ON RECEIVING ITV1, CHANNEL 4 and FIVE YOU WILL NEED TO SUBSCRIBE TO
SKY"

This stinks, I have bought and installed four Sky boxes just for
reception of FTV channels, especially five.

Chris

Chris Vowles wrote:
On Thu, 3 Jul 2003 11:19:11 +0100, "Lawrence Rust"
wrote:



If you want a FTV card phone the Beeb now! (0870 243 8000 and be prepared to
wait).



I have just phoned that number and they confirm they did send cards
out up to and on the 1st July but they were the last ones, they will
not send anymore.

I have just been told the following on the phone, I obviously can not
confirm if it is true

"ALL FTV CARDS (assume both Series 1 and Series 2) CURRENTLY RECEIVING
ITV1, CHANNEL 4 and FIVE WILL BE SWITCHED OFF ON JULY 10TH, TO CARRY
ON RECEIVING ITV1, CHANNEL 4 and FIVE YOU WILL NEED TO SUBSCRIBE TO
SKY"

This stinks, I have bought and installed four Sky boxes just for
reception of FTV channels, especially five.

Chris

I wrote to Tessa Jowell about this issue, but so far, unsurprisingly,
haven't had a response. There are many people who can't get 5 on
analogue, let alone DTT. Having to subscribe to $ky just to get existing
FTV stuff is an outrage. But hey, that's our Government for us. Fine on
spending time, effort and money on things like a Gulf War that nobody
really wanted, but when it comes to looking after people at home, bugger
off.


Clem

Chris Vowles wrote:

I have just been told the following on the phone, I obviously can not
confirm if it is true

"ALL FTV CARDS (assume both Series 1 and Series 2) CURRENTLY RECEIVING
ITV1, CHANNEL 4 and FIVE WILL BE SWITCHED OFF ON JULY 10TH, TO CARRY
ON RECEIVING ITV1, CHANNEL 4 and FIVE YOU WILL NEED TO SUBSCRIBE TO
SKY"

I think that this is most unlikely. However, if it did happen, the
resulting barrage of complaints would be most entertaining.

--
Digibox problem? : A reboot solves 90% of these.
The Sky Digital FAQ: http://tinyurl.com/4f9c
How to get UK TV overseas: http://tinyurl.com/6p73
Fed up with logos / red buttons? : http://www.logofreetv.org.uk/
BBC gone? : http://www.astra2d.cjb.net/
----
Only the truth as I see it.
No monies return'd. ;-)

Walt Davidson wrote:
On Thu, 3 Jul 2003 17:30:58 +0100, "Anthony Thomas"
wrote:

The goverment should tell itv, ch 4 and 5 to pull of this platform
these are supposed to be free to air not subscription channels.

They are free to air - on terrestrial transmitters. You would not get
them "free" via cable ... only as part of a subscription. What's the
difference?

A big one. For the last four and half years they have been free on D-Sat.
Many people have paid 100 quid for their box, and several hundred more
on a widecreen TV to enjoy the programmes in 16:9. One of my relations
has done just that. They live well out of DTT range, so how are they to restore
w/s viewing of ITV/4/5 ?

"Jomtien" wrote in message
...
Chris Vowles wrote:

I have just been told the following on the phone, I obviously can not
confirm if it is true

"ALL FTV CARDS (assume both Series 1 and Series 2) CURRENTLY RECEIVING
ITV1, CHANNEL 4 and FIVE WILL BE SWITCHED OFF ON JULY 10TH, TO CARRY
ON RECEIVING ITV1, CHANNEL 4 and FIVE YOU WILL NEED TO SUBSCRIBE TO
SKY"

I think that this is most unlikely. However, if it did happen, the
resulting barrage of complaints would be most entertaining.

--
Digibox problem? : A reboot solves 90% of these.
The Sky Digital FAQ: http://tinyurl.com/4f9c
How to get UK TV overseas: http://tinyurl.com/6p73
Fed up with logos / red buttons? : http://www.logofreetv.org.uk/
BBC gone? : http://www.astra2d.cjb.net/
----
Only the truth as I see it.
No monies return'd. ;-)

Why don't they just wave two fingers at Sky and join BBC on a FTA
platform?.. that would mean that we could then purchase a 'decent' receiver
for around a hundred quid, I've got a FTA 'Technomate' and it makes rings
around my Sky STB.

Walt Davidson wrote:
On Fri, 4 Jul 2003 07:53:50 +0100, "Mark Carver"
wrote:

They live well out of DTT range, so how are they
to restore w/s viewing of ITV/4/5 ?

By campaigning to have DTT extended to all areas.

I hope it is, but I bet it won't be. It'll be seen as uneconomic to do so.
Some people still have inadequate analogue signals, never mind DTT.

Satellite TV will always be a "pay" service ..

Well be Beeb will be Free to Air on D-Sat this time next week, though of
course you could argue that they a 'subscription service' anyway.

. just like cable. I notice you are not advocating that
people should be entitled to a free cable TV service.

No, because no precedent has been set with an 'FTV cable' scheme.

Orange wrote:

Why don't they just wave two fingers at Sky and join BBC on a FTA
platform?..

That would require re-negotiation of all of their film and programming rights.
That takes time (maybe the Beeb were working on it years in advance
of this moment ?) C4 and C5 do not have the same big legal department as the
Beeb to deal with these complex issues. ITV have indicated that maybe
next year they may go FTA. C4 already have a deal with Sky for E4 and F4 encryption,
and C5 have just signed a new 5 year deal for encryption and transmission on
Sky. C4 and C5 would need to find space on Astra 2D, though ITV are already
on it.

A better short term solution would be either ITV/4/5 to continue broadcasting
with the P1 card encryption keys. (Sky may charge extra for this)

Or everyone with a P1 card, or who needs a new FTV (P2) card pays a one off
charge (about a Tenner) for it.

"Mark Carver" wrote in message
...
Orange wrote:

Why don't they just wave two fingers at Sky and join BBC on a FTA
platform?..

That would require re-negotiation of all of their film and programming
rights.
That takes time (maybe the Beeb were working on it years in advance
of this moment ?) C4 and C5 do not have the same big legal department as
the
Beeb to deal with these complex issues. ITV have indicated that maybe
next year they may go FTA. C4 already have a deal with Sky for E4 and F4
encryption,
and C5 have just signed a new 5 year deal for encryption and transmission
on
Sky. C4 and C5 would need to find space on Astra 2D, though ITV are
already
on it.

A better short term solution would be either ITV/4/5 to continue
broadcasting
with the P1 card encryption keys. (Sky may charge extra for this)

Or everyone with a P1 card, or who needs a new FTV (P2) card pays a one
off
charge (about a Tenner) for it.

I was under the impression that the tighter footprint was going to make
copyright much less of a issue? also don't forget the dozens of FTA German
channels which appear to carry an equal range of programming to our own, and
they don't appear to have problems.

Chris Vowles wrote:

It may seem unlikely but ....

- I have been told it by the free to view people (okay not always most
reliable)
- I have it in writing from five duty desk that they will subscription
only
- the same information about five being subscription only has been
published by CAI

You and the CAI might have interpreted Five's information as meaning
that that they will be subs only. My interpretation is that Five (and 4/ITV-1)
will remain FTV on present cards [1]. Five are saying (I think) that from now,
if you buy a Sky box, you'll have to take out a sub to view C5. (As you cannot
obtain an FTV card)

[1] The side issue is how long will P1 FTV cards continue to work. Also *Sky*
and not ITV/4/5, may choose to disable FTV viewing on FTV P2 cards. This
would bring things in the UK into line with Eire, where RTÉ/TV3/TnG are not
available on lapsed Sky cards. What is needed is for the ITC to step in and make
sure that this does not happen, because there is no need for it to (IMHO)
Again if Sky maintain the P1 encryption keys on ITV-1/4/5 there is no need
for the P1 FTV cards to die either. Where are you ITC ?