Channel Five. Now Free to air on satellite. No Sky card required.

Channel 5, Channel 5 +1, 5 USA, 5 USA +1, 5* , 5* +1, Channel 5 +1 are now available free to air.

Earlier today these channel had their encryption turned off.

So these channels are now available to watch for free, with no Sky card required.

This will be in preparation for these channels to be made available on Freesat boxes on the 6th / 8th December 20110.

Channel Five, Channel 5 +1, 5 USA and 5* to join freesat, and be free to air

Channel 5 have announced that Channel 5 +1, 5 USA and 5* (plus their +1 timeshift channels) will all be joining the Freesat platform in December.

Channel 5+1 will launch on Freesat on EPG channel number 128 on Tuesday 6th December.
Presumably it will alos launch on the Sky EPG.

5* and 5 USA, as well as their relative +1 services, will also launch on Freesat on Thursday 8th December. The relevent Freesat EPG channel numbers wil be as follows:

129: 5 USA
130: 5 USA +1
131: 5*
132: 5* +1

So, it looks like with 1N available, the fives will be available free to air, with no sky card on a small dish for the foreseeable future.

No mention of Five HD joining Freesat soon.