Sky digital ( ITV1 CHANNELS ).

Hi !

Does any members know if on Sky digital if ( ITV1 CHANNELS ) are no longer free - to - air ?, the reason I ask this is because I have just upgraded my Sky digital box to a newer version & for some reason now on " 103 ITV1 Yorks E " it says:

" FOR YOUR INFORMATION ": Yorkshire Television is part of ITV1, providing high - quality regional programming including Calendar News, as well as many of the network's most successfull programmes "

" call the broadcaster to upgrade your subscription to receive this channel "

Also now for some reason when I go into my " OTHER CHANNELS " on " ITV1 Central E " it says:

" No satellite signal is being received "

Yet I get a signal on " ITV1 Central W "

Have some regions been taken off Sky digital or something or is it just myself experiencing this situation ?

The satellite signal when I do a box signal test is very good so I can't understand why I now can't recieve Central E or Yorks E which has always been on channel 103 on my box as my local ITV

Or have the frequencies for these channels changed since I purchased & installed my older original digital box ?

If so can any members please supply me with the most up to date frequencies list for ITV channels in the regions, It would be most appreciated

Thank you for your help & I look forward to your replies

ITV1 Yorks E on 103 is fine here. Not sure what could be wrong.

Some of the regions have moved to Astra 2B which *is* encrypted (FTV). You may need to do an add channels and add the Emley version of Yorkshire which I believe is still on 2D and in the clear (FTA).

So what happens to viewers with Freesat in the affected regions?

You get a neighbouring FTA region or sub region. Here in Hannington-land we are in the Thames Valley-South sub-region. Sky 103 maps to the correct FTV version on 2B, but Freesat maps to the FTA Thames Valley-North (ex Central South) stream. That means (in our case) we still get the correct news, but the wrong ads, and the wrong non news regional programming (Central not Meridian).

Confused ?

Yep - ITV can only be FTA unencrypted on Astra 2D transponders, which have a narrow beam aimed at the UK and Ireland (though easily also received in Northern European regions close to the UK). They can't squeeze all of their ITV1 regions and their +1 variants of ITV2 etc. or ITV HD onto their 2D transponders.

Therefore there is a transponder on Astra 2B which is a on a wider European beam which can only be broadcast FTV encrypted (but not requiring subscription) to restrict viewing to the UK and Ireland. ITV HD is carried on a transponder on Eurobird (also on a wider European beam) but broadcast in a slightly unorthodox manner (though one that many non-Sky, non-Freesat HD receivers can now cope with...)

The reason ITV have to encrypt or "hide" their stuff on 2B and Eurobird is that ITV only buy the UK rights to movies, imported TV shows, sporting events - and only pay actors, musicians, record companies, archive suppliers, artists, stills libraries etc. for UK rights to stuff they use in their own productions... If they broadcast unencrypted on 2A/2B or Eurobird they would be broadcasting free-to-air to a large chunk of Europe - which would be in breach of their rights agreements.