HDTV Reviews

Yorkshire-based Pace Micro Technology has launched a free-to-air high definition television (HDTV) satellite set-top box – giving viewers in the UK the ability to watch the latest HDTV content, such as the forthcoming FIFA World Cup matches being broadcast by the BBC.

It’s the second such made-for-the-UK receiver to be launched, following the release of a Humax free-to-air model earlier this year.

To enjoy the free-to-air BBC HDTV content, viewers will need a satellite dish pointed at the 28.2 degrees East position, plus an HD-Ready television set to watch the content in its full resolution level.

Customers can buy the new box directly from Pace at www.PaceShop.com or via their local independent retailer. It will retail for around £299. Pace say review models will be available around mid-June, so expect availability at retail a few weeks after that.

Although the receiver comes with a common interface slot for pay-TV smartcards, BSkyB’s lack of support for the common interface standard means it will not be able to be used to receive BSkyB’s HDTV service. The receiver could be used to receive pay-TV HDTV signals from elsewhere in Europe on other satellites, using non-BSkyB scrambling systems such as Irdeto, Nagravision, Conax, Viaccess and CryptoWorks.