FilmFour coming to Freeview
30 May 2006
Wow, what great news. Admittedly that article comes from December of 2005, but I had only just noticed this when I tried to watch More4+1 the other day and seeing the “FilmFour Coming Soon” message on the screen.
This really is fantastic news, both for Digital Terrestrial television and for the digital viewers (like me). The UK government are really trying to drive the adoption of digital television and have already planned 2008-2010 as the switch off period for normal analogue terrestrial television signals. Moving FilmFour over to freeview is the perfect way to drive more viewers to the platform, when E4 made a similar move in May of last year it signalled a big shift over to digital and today it is the most watched Freeview channel. Channel 4 have really got their head screwed on when it comes to taking risks (FilmFour going free will loose them £2.2m per year from people who subscribed), and I really hope this helps them cement their position as, in my opinion, the best television network in England.
Feed me
June 21, 2006 at 11:45 PM I read it here first. But is it such good news? The quality of C4's output has declined markedly in the past 10 years. The days of bizarre art house (aka red triangle) films at 2am are gone. The afternoon film schedule consists of the same 100 or so British films being rescreened every year, inbetween bouts of horseracing and cricket. FilmFour picked up the same habit, but working from a small range of acceptable cult items. I went through my Halliwell's Film Guide not so long ago, noticing 1000's of films which appeared on C4 in its first ten years and not seen again, films which never made it onto video and haven't a chance of making it onto DVD. I remember they even screened Stanley Donen's obscure 1968 classic (classic for being obscure) 'Staircase' one night at 3am about 15 years ago - they wouldn't do it now, C4 or FilmFour. I cancelled my subscription to FilmFour after the first year - I can get Tarantino & Coppola & Scorcese and the rest on DVD. But I can't get, for example, Leslie Steven's. Will FilmFour put this right and dig up a few gems - not on your life. Prepare for the millionth screening of GoodFella's, and not a sign of Incubus or Hero's Island.
September 28, 2006 at 11:39 AM does anyone know of a person in galway who would put up a 'dish' or other so's i can get freeview? I bought a freeview tele in england and want to use it over here? pklfsh@tiscali.co.uk [u can write me direct]