The cost of purchasing a satellite receiver for the BBC-ITV venture Freesat has been revealed by the retailer Argos. A supplement from the catalogue store that appeared in the weekend papers shows four models by Bush and Goodmans.
The entry level Bush standard definition receiver is priced at £129.99, while the high definition version costs £199. Sister company Goodmans is offering SD and HD units at £199.99 and £229.99 respectively. The prices include the £80 cost of installation for the accompanying dish and accompanying cable. By contrast the rival Freesat from Sky is priced at £150 for a standard definition service including installation.
Freesat is promising over 80 TV channels, though none outside the BBC and ITV are mentioned in the advertisement, and there remains concern that Channel 4 HD and Five may not be a part of the initial launch line-up.
Although it has not committed to a public launch date, it is understood Freesat’s planned mid-April debut has slipped to mid-May.