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Channel 4 HD is no longer available on Freesat in the UK after they fell out over money. It’s still a FTA (free to air) channel though and it’s not encrypted, so it’s quick and easy to tune your Freesat box to receive Channel 4 HD in STB / Set Top Box mode as a non-Freesat channel.
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Why is Channel 4 HD Not on Freesat?
Back in February of 2018, it was announced – with just 2 days’ notice – that Channel 4 HD would no longer be available on Freesat, due to a disagreement between Channel 4 and Freesat over carriage fees, which are the fees paid by channels to be featured as a Freesat channel and for a spot in the Programme Guide. This just means that Channel 4 HD no longer appears as a channel in the guide, but with just a tiny bit of tinkering in the settings it’s still possible to receive Channel 4 HD for free on your Freesat box.
The channels which make up the Freesat lineup are all broadcast by the group of Astra satellites up in space at 28.2ºE, exactly the same satellites which broadcast TV services to Sky customers. A selection of the “Free to Air” channels which are broadcast by the Astra satellites are made available with no subscription via the Freesat service, which is partly funded by carriage fees paid by broadcasters to have their channels included in the service.
So, when Channel 4 and Freesat fell out over money, all that happened is that the HD version of the Channel 4 channel was removed from the on-screen Freesat EPG – it’s still being broadcast in exactly the same way and it’s still a free channel which isn’t encrypted, so it’s perfectly legal to put your Freesat box into “Set Top Box” or “non-Freesat” mode, scan the airwaves to find the channel and watch it.
How to Tune in Channel 4 HD Manually on your Freesat Box:
To tune in Channel 4 HD manually, just follow these instructions:
- Press Settings on your Freesat remote, whilst you’re watching a TV channel
- Select System Settings
- Scroll down to STB mode and then across and select Change to non-Freesat mode
- You’ll see a message which says no channels are available. Press OK to search channels.
This will take you to the non-Freesat channel search screen, and here we just need to dial in the correct settings in order to tune in to Channel 4 HD. By default, the Transponder option will be set to All, but if you leave that highlighted and press OK on your remote, you can select User Define instead. Here, we can enter the specific settings for Channel 4 HD:
- Under Frequency, type in 11126.
- For Polarization, select Vertical.
- For Symbol rate, select 22000.
- Leave Transmission as DVB.
- For FEC select 5/6.
Press Save, and then back on the non-Freesat channel search screen, press Next. Leave the other channel search options as they are, and then select Start channel search. Almost straight away you should find the two channels which exist at that frequency – one of which is the one we’re after, Channel 4 HD! Press Save channels, and BOOM – you’re now watching Channel 4 in lovely, glorious High Definition again!
On newer Freesat boxes, you can’t record non-Freesat channels unfortunately, although on some older ones you can so if you’ve been a Freesat viewer for longer then this will work even better for you. Whilst in non-Freesat mode you can’t see any other channels unless you’ve tuned them in as well, and you can’t access the TV guide, so to switch back to watch other channels simply press Home, and then select Freesat Mode, and your box will change back into normal mode again and let you view the TV guide and all the other channels. Bear in mind, also, that scheduled recordings won’t record whilst you’re in this mode, so switch back when you’re finished watching to avoid disappointment.
How to Switch to Non-Freesat Mode to watch Channel 4 HD
So, now you’ve got Channel 4 HD saved all you need to do next time you want to watch it is press Settings, scroll down to System Settings, scroll down to STB mode and press change to non-Freesat mode. That will take you straight to Channel 4 HD, and then to switch back just press Home, then Freesat mode. Once you get the hang of it it’s very quick to switch between the two and whilst it’s not the same as having it appear in the guide alongside the other channels, hopefully this will help you in the meantime until Channel 4 and Freesat hopefully kiss and make up… one day.
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Thank you for this. Never even knew about non freesat channels. Exciting
You’re welcome! Yes, there are quite a few others (not just C4HD!) if you just scan the whole lot.
Using a freesat box – this just resets all the normal channels and makes me rescan everything and log in from scratch. Not worth the effort.
It absolutely shouldn’t do that at all, it’s a fairly standard procedure. Which model Freesat box are you using? Were you definitely in NON-FREESAT mode? What were the exact steps you took?