vtepman

Hi, is it possible to watch British TV channels in France? Could you reccomend a provider? Thanks in advance

Martin Parker

Perfectly possible using a satellite dish and receiver. If you are a reasonably competent diy'er, you can install the dish and receiver yourself. You can buy dish and receiver packs from most Bricos. Don't buy a "numerique" box as that is for the free to air digital and will only receive French digital channels through your normal TV aerial.

The Freesat boxes from UK will give you a better TV guide and will come pre-tuned to the right channels etc.

Do some research online, there is loads of info.

Hope this helps

Welcome to the site by the way!

Martin

Ka Ora!

Tele Numerique just means Digital TV it is not media platform specific "DVB".

TNT is the digital terrestrial box to avoid if you want english here, But Numerique par Satellite would be one to buy.

It's come up many times and the Humax aimed at Freesat is without a doubt the best option but costs more as it's priced for the UK. The Brico store ones are ok though if you want a cheap option.

It's worth noting that you can buy Sat and TNT combined boxes one of which I have in another location so it gets English Freesat off Astra and the French TNT. It works but is basic.

south_bound

It seems that there is a choice of "Freesat" or more generic FTA receivers, both of which work when connected to a dish pointed at Astra 28.2. I think the Freesat offers more channels, is pre-programmed and has the 7 day electronic programme guide. I got the more basic FTA box ordered for 30 quid on the internet and it works great with the existing 45cm dish we had (I only found out about the differences between the systems afterwards, but am happy with what we have, for the amount of TV I actually have time to watch). I also got it working with my US formatted TV/DVD system which was a bonus.

le plumber

Got the Humax box in August - set up was a doddle and the picture is good quality. Loads of channels on Freesat but theres a lot of crap too. I appreciate the hard drive so we can pause / record a programme etc. I also put up a large sat dish about 95cm in the hope that the bad weather wont cause too many problems. I'm not sure if I did the right thing or not, have to wait and see this winter, which apparently isn't that far off....

Martin Parker

Will be interested to hear how you get on with the 95cm dish. I put up an 80cm and most of the time it is fine, only occasionally losing the signal during really serious storms.
Cheers

le plumber

Actually, we did have quite a storm not too long ago and it did lose the signal for a few seconds. I simply changed channel and it worked again and so I changed back.
But it was never really the rain that was the problem, it's really during winter when we have snow storms. Snow will settle on the LNB, which would then freeze and we wouldn't get a signal. This time I put up the dish on a more sheltered part of the roof so I'm hoping all should be well.

cjm

Also have 60cm dish and have 80% reception level (shown via Sky box). Have lost signal but quick switch gets it back. It is the physical interference, trees, buildings and yes, a snow storm would qualify that loses picture.

My box gets Freeview channels, but not stuff like Dave that is available in UK via Freeview system.

With Ka Ora, Humax box is the way to go, blow the expense. Often good films on late, but the hour difference means I start to yawn and crave me bed.

Le plumber says his Humax was a doddle, that's good news.

Next job is to re-coax the antennae to put French TV via box to get full channels thru one of the TV outlets we have. Though, when watching French TV before, not impressed with programming. News and current affairs okay, but dubbed US programmes are a nuisance especially when you have heard the original US actor, the dub is often someone's interpretation of how they think a French audience would like that character to sound.

le plumber

The Humax is a good piece of kit, but I must admit I'm a "bit" disappointed with whats actually on Freesat. As I said earlier there are a lot of channels out of the more than 400 that were available which were deleted immediately. Then the actual programes.....lots of repeats, loads of Coronation street - Eastenders and when its not on you can bet that the omnibus edition is on some other channel. Its crazy. LOADS of cooking and DIY programmes and if your looking to buy a new house there are loads of repeats of Location Location Location, Grand Designs etc - OK for a bit, but after a while its a pain, as every eposide seems to be the same. There are a few good films on and I was pleased that there were movie channels available, but there are a lot of old B&W films and as for war films......bloody hell, it's as though the british are still rubbing it in after ALL these years to any Germans who may be watching.

Something else you get a lot of that you don't seem to in France is the Charity adverts, where for just 50p a day some poor little girl wandering around on a bombsite looking for her parents but who can only find her rag doll with an eye missing, can have fresh water and go to school. Its something I don't need to be reminded of.

So OK, the French TV isn't great, and the dubbing is crap but more often than not, I find myself turning back to Canal+/Canal Sat.

cjm

I thought, possibly in error that Canal and Casnal+ were pay-for channels.

le plumber

They are, but sometimes you get what you pay for....

vtepman

thanks a lot for your advices!

Martin Parker

Yep, snow was my real problem as well, living in the Hautes-Pyrenees. I had to lean out of the bathroom window and "gently" tap the side of the dish to make the LNB vibrate and shake the snow off!! Other than that it is generally okay unless there is a big storm.