Mikey T

Hello,

Please forgive my ignorance, but could someone please give me an idea of how television providers work down here?

We’ve lived here for two years and managed up until now with the 4 Portuguese channels, which come in to the TV via an outside aerial. We understand that we could buy a satellite dish and receive a lot more channels, without any monthly subscription (unless we want sky sports etc), however we just don’t need hundreds of channels.

I know that this is a long shot, but a mixture of English, German and French channels would be ideal, but failing that possibility, BBC1 and BBC2, would be fine for us.

Lastly, I’m enquiring in another thread about changing our phone/internet provider, as we’re not happy with PT and I think that it might be possible to take on a combined service ie Phone/Internet/TV, but I’m not at all sure of the costs involved or which companies provide this?

Thanks very much

steppitoe

Most of them are tied to PT including MEO, but this may be an option for you.

masterbaits

If mem serves just about everyone in europe uses a different sattelite from the uk and importanlty each other...one sat dish just wont cut it.

Your best option then is free sat for uk , but your looking at 500 quid plus for a dish pointing at murdochs sat , this has a couple of french and german chanells but mostly they are defunct.I dont think theres any pt channels on it.

But your looking at 500 quid for a dish these days , yes it is that dear if you want sky because they are changing the strenght soon and reducing the footprint for pt signal strength is the bi product.

Im running a 1.4m prime focus just installed this year , and looks like I might need a 1.8 , in the recent rains I was losing it and thats with the best of gear.

If I need to go bigger then I am going the motorised ground based route.

There is always the option of internet tv , but it isnt all that great if your connection is poor or your being throttled for speed.

Mikey T

Hi Masterbaits,

Thanks very much for the information and sorry for the delay in thanking you!! Very useful as I'll be cautious if going for the Satellite dish and make sure that I ask all of the right questions.

Cheers,

Michael

fergus

After we had best dish and equipment installed we had problems when it rained. After lots of research the consensus, based on everyone’s advice, was that when it rains you may lose signal. Also, that you may lose signal even when it is not raining where you are, because the signal can be interrupted by rain that is falling in the path of the signal even if it is not falling on you.
So, just when you most want to be able to watch telly you are also most likely to be unable to watch it. Of course this does not apply if you have cable.

EsuriJohn

We are just over the river in Spain and when we see really bad weather coming in from the west, heavy black clouds and water falling like Niagra we get pixalations as the early sign and even if we only get a light shower we will loose signal till it has cleared.