Is Channel Five HD coming to Freesat soon…?

Currently Channel Five HD is available on frequency 12266 H SR 29500 FEC 3/4 on transponder 29 on Astra 1Ns European beam, whose reception is very good in many areas of Spain. It currently requires a Sky viewing card, but is available no subscription, to watch this channel.

However, since the main channels, Five, Five USA and Five* all became “free to air” (ie do not require a viewing card) a year or so ago, there has been speculation when Channel Five HD would also go “free to air”.

Well, the answer could well be “soon”.

Why?

Well, recently a Channel Five HD channel has appeared on a BBC transponder on Astra 2F.
The frequency is 11023 H SR 23000 FEC 2/3 and is on transponder 61 on Astra 2F.

This could be for a future launch of Channel Five HD on Freesat, or simply some form of test – so nothing is as yet confirmed, and this is simply speculation.

This could mean that the BBC are “loaning” their frequency to Channel Five to assist with the launch on Channel Five HD onto Freesat. The BBC did this previously, putting a Channel 5 region onto one of their transponders to allow Channel Five onto Freesat.

The downside of this is that the frequency of 11023 H SR 23000 FEC 2/3 and on transponder 61 on Astra 2F is on a UK beam, and this may mean that the reception for Channel Five HD may soon change in “fringe reception areas” like southern Spain. So it may be that if you live in an areas that lost reception of Channel Five back in December 2012, when they moved from their previous satellite Astra 1N to Astra 2F, then this move of Channel Five HD to Freesat may also result in the loss of Channel Five HD. If you can currently receive Channel Five , Five USA and Five*, then hopefully your reception of Channel Five HD should not be affected.