What are the pay-per-view (PPV) channels and how do they work?
Pay-per-view is a recent innovation on Freeview. There are currently (28-Apr-05) two pay-per-view channels, namely XtraView (channel 53) and Redhot (channel 61). XtraView shows a selection from Top-Up TV’s channels. Redhot is a porn channel. With both of these channels viewers have to make a premium rate voice phone call in order to obtain a key. When the key is entered on the viewer’s Freeview set-top box, the channel can be viewed for certain length of time (the remainder of the current day, I think, or maybe 24 hours). There may be difficulties if the viewer shifts channel or switches their Freeview box off and on. Each viewer is given a different key which can only be used once. Technically, the channels work by displaying a text mask in front of the picture so as to hide it. When the correct key is entered the masking text is removed. This technique is called MHEG protection, MHEG being the name of the digital text system used on Freeview. Unlike the Top-Up TV encrypted subscripti
