Bell proposes new "freesat" service

[Inno]

BTW, you Canadians have Mike Holmes, “Holmes on Homes” it’s a great show.

:up:up:up:up:up:up:up:up:up

 

[Tron]

Being able to watch the different levels of filtering and spin was quite the eye opener. Multiple sources telling the same story except on a few key facts and glossing over others.

One thing I notice about news here in the States is that our news outlets are becoming more tabloid-esque. That is not a good thing. The sensationalization is nearing the point of becoming ridiculous.

Another observation is that sex and violence are censored quite a bit here, where overseas it is common to see both, especially violence and even gore, routinely on the news. It is strange to see video of bloody riots as though it is just another event that went on downtown today...

 

[Inno]

One thing I notice about news here in the States is that our news outlets are becoming more tabloid-esque. That is not a good thing. The sensationalization is nearing the point of becoming ridiculous.

Another observation is that sex and violence are censored quite a bit here, where overseas it is common to see both, especially violence and even gore, routinely on the news. It is strange to see video of bloody riots as though it is just another event that went on downtown today...

I agree, it is not as though the news is there as information any more, it is there to shock, horrify and anger you. Not to mention the little teasers the give you to make you watch it, things like "your toothpaste could kill you, find out which brand at 11".
Cripes!!!

 

[zamar23]

I agree, it is not as though the news is there as information any more, it is there to shock, horrify and anger you.

And that's only in times when politicians are out of spotlight. In elections campaign time the news stations are their to aggressively 24/7 BS you to vote for a candidate or party's choice, who pays most bills of the station owner. I stopped watching CNN after the last US elections campaign regardless of a particular candidate I supported - and that's the best news station out there, what one can say about the rest? Everything seems to be for sale, and respect to the viewer rule never crosses their mind.

 

[funkypc]

It looks like freesat may get competition!
Cartt.ca

If you cant read it:

DAVE LEWIS HAS BEEN at this satellite thing for a long time. Thirty-one years, to be exact.

He’s worked for Telesat, Alphastar, Cancom/Star Choice, Lincsat and Ciel – just about every satellite company in the country. And he says there’s no way existing Canadian BDUs can offer up all channels in high definition without multi-billion-dollar upgrades which would include a massive consumer set top box swap-out program.


He believes the best way to deliver local-into-local TV signals – and his new company would deliver every OTA broadcaster in Canada – in high definition (including 1080p), is to start over with a brand new company offering spot beam technology and MPEG 4 compression, for example.

For over six months, Lewis has been working on his latest satellite project, FreeHD Canada, and last month he filed applications with the CRTC for a new, national, direct-to-home satellite BDU license and a wholesale SRDU license.

After answering a few deficiency questions for CRTC staff this week, he’s hopeful the application will be gazetted soon by the Commission. But Lewis is going public now because he wants to be part of the digital transition and new OTA rules discussions, and he says with licensing sometime in the first quarter of 2010 (as he’s hopeful can happen), FreeHD can be ready to go in time for when conventional Canadian TV broadcasters are to shut off their analog transmitters for digital: August 31, 2011.

FreeHD can be a big part of the digital transition solution, a process which is seriously stalled in Canada.

FreeHD will do a couple of things, says Lewis. Since the Commission has now said broadcasters in markets of less than 300,000 don’t have to upgrade their transmission networks to digital and the analog signals still have to be shut down in a little over two years from now, FreeHD will distribute a local signal package, providing a TV lifeline for consumers in such regions, at no charge (they will have to purchase the equipment, however).

It will offer much needed additional bandwidth to alleviate the distribution bottlenecks thanks to the increased needs of HD as compared to standard definition. HD signals consume six to eight times the amount of bandwidth as SD.

Existing cable and satellite companies are stuck with their (still very lucrative and well-functioning) MPEG 2 systems, a far less efficient digital TV delivery system than MPEG 4, and are currently attempting to reclaim as much bandwidth as possible by dropping some channels and deploying other technologies such as switched digital video.

“They are deeply embedded in a technology that isn’t as efficient as the new stuff and just to swap out their set top boxes, the cost is huge for any (large) BDU, probably over a billion dollars,” added Lewis in an exclusive interview with Cartt.ca on Monday.

“They are scrambling to get HD now and harvest bandwidth however they can – and it’s quite difficult for them.

“Our concept is a brand new platform: Start from scratch, use all the latest technologies, and try and come up with an offer that is going to be compelling for consumers,” he said.

“(Existing BDUs) are entrenched in their old technology and I don’t think they’ve got the capacity to start a dual feed. They are limited to what they have today – 60 to 70 channels of real bandwidth and however many virtual channels they have created,” added Lewis. “Unless they do a massive and expensive bandwidth harvesting campaign somehow, they’re stuck.”

Research FreeHD has undertaken shows a potential market of six million households, who are a combination of those mid-to-small market Canadians who receive OTA signals that will disappear, the 700,000 or so Canadians served by independent cable companies which may want to take advantage of FreeHD’s SRDU component, and the sizable gap of consumers who own an HD set, but who do not subscribe to a BDU to get as many HD channels as possible.

“And the free local package (which thanks to spot beams, technology DirecTV and Echo Star use Stateside) will solve the problems of the over the air programmers,” said Lewis (eliminating out of market, or distant signal distribution issue), and do it in high definition. Bell’s clunky-by-comparison Freesat model only offers five channels, all in standard def.

And at retail, FreeHD’s proposed 250 channels of all-HD service is about four times what the largest BDUs’ offer in HD now - and FreeHD will compress the signal far less than existing BDUs. “They have significantly compressed it so that if you compare it to an off-air ATSC signal from the CN Tower today, it’s visibly inferior.”

“We will not compress the HD signals anywhere near to that level,” affirmed Lewis.

While Lewis says he’s leaning towards Motorola’s gear (including an Ethernet-enabled box with a hard drive that would be a PVR and be able to receive VOD movies “trickle-streamed” into the set top), he has not yet decided on a vendor.

And, since the other big and small BDUs generally offer bundles of services like phone, wireless and Internet, Lewis is also on the prowl for bundling partners and says the new wireless companies launching soon (Wind, Dave and Public Mobile) might be perfect for that. “They’re on the same footing we are. They need a video play.”

Now, even if the Commission doesn’t issue a blanket call for more applications and approves the license quickly, there is no way for FreeHD to have its own satellite made and launched by the end of August 2011. Building a satellite is a 36-month process.

However, Lewis says he already has an existing bird his company will “borrow” and move into a slot over Canada to provide service (he declined to say who owns it beyond noting it is neither Telesat’s nor Ciel’s, the two Canadian operators.).

Actually, an RFI from the company is due this week seeking interest in providing the new company with a new transponder payload.

Right now, FreeHD is funded privately and headed by Lewis but once the license is approved, Lewis will be looking for Canadian backers. “I’ve been offered lots of foreign money but (thanks to our telecom ownership laws) I’m more interested in Canadian money because it’s an easier structure.”

FreeHD Canada

This is great news! BRING ON THE COMPETITION!

 

[Sadie]

Agreed great news! Just what Bell needs a bit of competition.

Notice he talks about using spot beams so may be the signals will be true FTA and will spot beams be enough to satisfy all the various industry groups? I can't see how he can cover all of Canada up to the border and keep his signal in Canada only. It also raises the question if these signals are true FTA would any groups in the USA object to them.


This guy seems to have the experience I'm just not sure what his business model is going to be

The "including an Ethernet-enabled box with a hard drive that would be a PVR and be able to receive VOD movies “trickle-streamed” into the set top" might be part of it and might also take care of the who gets to watch what issue.

Interesting times!

 

[Davage]

At first I was excited about the idea of a FREESAT type service in Canada, but more and more I am not liking the idea of having the entire Canadian Broadcasting industry relying on 1 or 2 satellites to bring local news to the entire country.

I am open to the idea of having a Free satellite service to serve the underserved areas of the country, as long as my local tv station CONTINUES TO BROADCAST over the air and I can pick it up with a set of rabbit ears (and an ATSC tuner of some sort). I don't want to have to buy a proprietary set top box to pick up my local TV station from a satellite out in space that has it's signal washed out by a heavy rain either at the uplink or downlink.

The next 2 years during the digital broadcast transition will sure be interesting...

 

[funkypc]

Yes for those in southern Ontario, the GTA etc that get multiple HD channels OTA right now, "freesat" or "FreeHD Canada" may not be as appealing, obviously. It does sound like those areas will keep the digital transmission equipment that is already there. However, for the rest of the country that does not yet have HD OTA, and generally has only a few OTA channels, this is an excellent proposal that will revolutionize the industry, so long as the CRTC doesn't get in the way.

 

[Stargazer]

I'd like to see this happen so that there might be a chance that the U.S. might try the same thing. Also, if it becomes FTA, that means that people in the U.S. could have additional channels to watch that would have different content than what we have in the U.S.

 

[Sadie]

A few more details as to the business model


August 17, 2009 -- Toronto, Ontario – FreeHD Canada Inc., a new Canadian satellite television venture, announced it has filed applications with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to provide a Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite television service and a wholesale programming distribution service for Canadian programmers (SRDU). With licencing, FreeHD Canada expects to commence operations early in 2011, in time to assist in the August 2011 digital transition date.

The FreeHD Canada satellite television solution provides much-needed satellite capacity to alleviate the distribution bottlenecks arising from the increased bandwidth requirements of High-Definition TV – and provides a programming lifeline to consumers that might have suffered a service disruption from the loss of ‘over-the-air’ TV signals arising from the shut down of small and medium-sized market TV transmitters. FreeHD Canada plans to carry all of the approximately 100 local television stations in Canada that originate local programming, by providing a free Local Program Package into their local markets – and also distributing more than 150 Canadian and foreign Pay & Specialty channels – all in HD as available.
“FreeHD Canada provides a comprehensive solution to the many and varied problems facing Canadian consumers, broadcasters, distributors and programmers arising from the upcoming migration to digital and HD.” said David Lewis, Chairman & CEO of FreeHD Canada.

I always like to see what the business model is, he is playing in a tough game I wish him well.
This is the kind of competition Bell and Starchoice are going to hate! The free HD is a big drawing card in many parts of Canada where only one or two snowy channels are available add in the occasional pay per view and the existing providers have something to worry about.

 

[Stargazer]

I do not understand why companies like Dish Network have not made available more free FTA channels using their receivers. This would cause people to purchase their own equipment and help generate more revenue as people are more likely to buy channels if they already have equipment in place to purchase that programming.

 

[cracklincrotch]

But that would be giving something away that they're charging for now. How could more receivers out there in potential subscribers homes make anyone money?

 

[tvropro]

Why don't the networks launch something like this in the US? With the problems associated with the digital transition with people not being able to get channels they got before in analog this could be a good thing for those. It could be supported by CBS - NBC - ABC and anyone else that wanted there channels on there. All you would need would be a STB a small dish and you would be good to go.

 

[avg1joe]

Why don't the networks launch something like this in the US?

That would be great. Too bad the stb manufacturers couldn't band together and get something like this going. It would fuel sales for their boxes with a legitimate use for them and also spit in the pay satellite companies eyes. It would be a lot tougher to claim that the only reason to own a coolsat is to hack if a coolsat was one approved way you could receive your networks from the national free tv satellite.

 

[funkypc]

FreeHD Canada presented their proposal to the CRTC on Thursday.
You can watch it here CRTC Hearings, December 10, 2009 part 3
Some interesting points:

They say they will be officially applying for a license on Dec 14 - monday
more than 250 channels in HD (5:00)
possible spectrum auction coupon (9:10)
mpeg 4(12:40)
a new band on a new satellite at higher power - this is interesting (13:30)
dvb-s2+8psk(13:40)
Less compressed HD than other companies!(13:50)
Cost - Dish+STB=$300. Additional STB $100-$150 (18:00)
LNB will be bandstacked (23:10)
You can install any HDD (via USB) to turn the STB into a PVR (24:20)

It sounds good to me. An all HD carrier is needed and they can fill that void, as well as having free HD to everyone in Canada(+equipment cost)
hopefully the hearing on Monday goes well!

 

[toucan-man]

...It sounds good to me. An all HD carrier is needed and they can fill that void, as well as having free HD to everyone in Canada(+equipment cost) hopefully the hearing on Monday goes well!

Here's their site:

FreeHD Canada

"...For consumers who want better TV (more HD channels – and with better picture quality) at a better price, FreeHD Canada will offer up to 150 of the Canadian Pay and Specialty channels..."

It sounds like if you upgrade you get the "better than the competition" picture quality. Wonder how good the free channels will look? Possibly the same, but the website is worded in a way that throws a potential curve ball.

Wonder what encryption standard will be used for their pay channels?

Wonder if they'd like to expand into the US one day, haha.

 

[Sadie]

The price for the equipment sounds about right, what I would really like to hear is that the signal will be transmitted unscrambled on the "Free" channels using spotbeams to take care of out of market signals and that some fairly standard modulation method will be used.

That way we should be able to receive the signal on our hobbyist equipments and manage some really cheap installs, and some of our friends close to the border should also be able to enjoy the signal.

Probably too much to expect.

 

[Larry1]

The price for the equipment sounds about right, what I would really like to hear is that the signal will be transmitted unscrambled on the "Free" channels.......
Probably too much to expect.

I did not see any pricing for the equipement? Most likely the signals will be encrypted to keep those out of area people from receiving their programming. Also, that way they can sell their equipement at what price they want to sell it.

I think the "at a better price" refers to the programming price and not the equipement price.... but I don't have anything to base this speculation on. It's only my guess......

 

[Tron]

An all-encompassing North America footprint would be nice... But this is probably also too much to expect.

 

[Sadie]

I did not see any pricing for the equipement?

Its in funkypc summary of the CRTC hearings at minutes 18 also some interesting details of the equipment. Unfortunately I only have dial up so haven't had a chance to listen to it myself.