Formed in 2007 by the BBC and ITV Freesat is a subscription free satellite TV service available via a satellite dish aligned at 28 east and an official Freesat set top box (STB).

Freesat offers a 7 day electronic program guide (EPG) and some STB’s offer recording facilities and series link.

Official Freesat STB’s require little or no maintenance, any channel changes or updates are automatically performed by the STB.

Free to air (FTA) satellite are TV and Radio services broadcast in the clear , requiring no subscription or ongoing payments, and can be received using generic STB’s,

Most generic STB’s can receive and display all clear unencrypted broadcasts from satellite, but will not put the channels in order and only display a “now and next” EPG , any channel changes or updates will require a retune of the STB.

Specialist FTA STB’s are available but require additional software and an internet connection to function fully.

FTA STB’s can be used with motorised or DISEqc satellite dish setups to receive FTA broadcasts from multiple satellites offering a wide range of UK and international broadcasts,

A list of FTA frequencies for 28 east can be found here,