Freesat!

Alas, the trip to Ikea was not to be.  It was simply too far away, and we had an important appointment to meet the landlord / owner.  Although we had some communication issues on the appointment, the kids enjoyed running around and exploring their new home.

What was less enjoyable was the afternoon trip to see the new school (for the older daughter).  She acted like it was the march of death, annoying both parents until we realized that the jet lag and lack of nap were to blame at least partially.

However, by far the best discovery of the day was made on-line: Freesat!  Freesat is a joint venture between the BBC and ITV to provide free digital (including HD) satellite TV service with over 140 channels.  Although one needs a satellite to access it, there are no monthly fees.  Conveniently, Ireland offers its own free service as well, called Saorview.  As an economist, it’s good to see that the market has responded – several companies offer receivers that combine the two signals.  I’m very excited about the possibility of getting over 150 channels with only the up-front costs of satellite, antenna (called an aerial in Ireland), receiver, cords, and installation.  It’s a bit expensive to start ($500+), but the prospect of no monthly fees (and the ability to record, pause, etc. live television as in DVR / TiVo in the U.S.) outweighs these upfront costs.