ukdobby

This has been probally brought up before but can't seem to find it but maybe someone could help.
I'm moving to Rojales in May and have my house furnished except for the TV,I want all the uk channels and maybe skynews,whats the best and cheapest way to do this,have a neighbour with a large dish who struggles to get BBC and another with a box who pays a monthly subscription.

SueG

OK I lived in Quesada for a year and most of the Companies selling English TV programmes were doing it illegally, a couple of companies were closed down so be very very careful

ukdobby

Thanks for the advice,been to see one near the arches and also been told about one called Eurotel but would like to know current users and what they do to get it.

SueG

I think the house we rented had English TV from the one near the Arches. I have to say that we had no problems with that one but of course we were not paying for the service!

jdr

It is illegal to rebroadcast UK TV hence lots of companies have been shut down in Spain.
Suppliers, users and even presidents of the urbs for allowing it to be cabled in have been fined.

ukdobby

I know but you can get these channels throgh a box and there's companies do them,think one is called superbeam.

mikelincs

agreed, but as JDR says, they are illegally broadcasting, or rebroadcasting to be accurate, and you could take a contract out for supply, pay the charges and then find the company closed down a week later, with no comeback. Even receiving UK SKY in Spain is illegal, and you could have your card switched off with no comeback.

Fred James

Just a couple of points about the legality of receiving British TV.

It is not illegal to receive Sky subscription channels - it is against the terms of the contract you signed to get the card and if you use it outside the UK Sky have the right to terminate the contact and deactivate your card. They cannot sue you or charge you with any crime or fine you.

As for rebroadcasting, so long as the channels are Free to Air then it is not illegal in Spain to rebroadcast them so long as you are doing it through a proper legal company with any of the licences to rebroadcast that may be required. The BBC may not like it but there is nothing they can do about it as the Spanish authorities are happy to allow it.

Rebroadcasting subscription channels is not allowed and those companies that had trouble with the law were doing just that. As I understand it it wasn't so much the Sky channels that were the problem, it was the Spanish subscription channels like Canal+.

No doubt "The Guy" can correct me on this is necessary and add some more information.

HBG

Most expats in this area, which includes Rojales, use Torresat who are based at Playa Flamenca and charge 20 Euros a month.

The previous major supplier was Telmicro who were shut down but are also back again under a different name, Simulsat, I think. Telmicro were shut down for not paying their taxes, although rebroadcasting is a minefield.

There are many smaller suppliers and cowboys stealing signals from each other, so you need to be careful, but 20 Euros a month isn’t a fortune and you can cancel at any time through your bank.

I’ve got a neighbour with a giant dish and every time it rains or gets a bit windy, he loses his signal. I think the dish cost him £1,500, God knows what the call out fees are, they come about once a week.

The Guy

The main UK TV channels like BBC, ITV, C5 and Five are available for free without any subscription via satellite.

They are even available without a sky box, as most digital satellite receivers are able to receive "free to air" tv channels - although obviously some are better than others.

But you will need a "big dish" and reception of some channels (like BBC2) will not be available all day.

However, even the rebroadcaster with their 4m source satellite dish can be affected by the weather and lose pictures, and they frequency have failures of some sort from their rebroadcsat transmission towers...

You can increase youviewing of some channels like ITV1, C4, Five by using a £20 "one off payment" freesatvfromsky card and a sky receiver.

You can get SKy news on a small 80cm dish, again for free.

With the rebroadcasters, you pay a monthly subscription, yes you pay to receive the channels that are free directly by satellite. Bu it does save you having a BIG dish in your yard. Although many of the other channels available on the rebroadcasters packages can also be received on small satellite dishes for free. You will not get the quality of picture on the rebroadcasters sytstem in relation to direct from satellite transmissions, or nor wil you get HD, or some of the interactive features (BBC SPorts / teletext etc)

Rebroadcasting of free to air chanenls is fine - or so they say. (EU Law states that anyone rebroadcasting ANY tv and radio chanels must have permission from the channels....the rebroadcasters (and allegedly a Spanish judge but no eveidence of this can be found!) in Spain say this is not required...who is correct....?)

The removal of Sky PAY TV channels was all down to D+, Spains satellite Pay TV operator, and nothing to do with Sky. Shutdown of some of the rebroadcasters has been down to tax and other issues. Some Spansih internet streaming sites have also been closed down, as have some "mini rebroadcasting systems" used in some communities.

If you do use a Sky card outside the UK, and SKy find out, they can and will deactivate the card. They can only continue to take money from your account if you are still within the first 12 months of your skycontract. After that they cannot.

And thats about it in a (very arge) nutshell....

(its sunday and am awaiting Hull to thrash everton this afters..!)

ukdobby

Thanks for all the info so if I want a small dish to get me the channels I want ie all 5 uk channels plus sky news with no fee which is the best company on the Costa Blanca,south of Alicante.
Once again thanks for the help.

The Guy

You will not get the main UK TV channel like BBC and ITV for free via satellite on a small dish. You need a big dish for these..like a 1.8 or 2,4m dish.

You can get 200 plus other channels, including Sky news on a small dish. This link shows the channels you can get on a small (80cm to 1m) dish, with no sky card at all.

http://www.satandpcguy.com/Site/uk_t...anca_spain.php

However, if you have a sky card (freesatfromsky) you may be able to get ITV1 and Irish C4 and the Fives on a small (like 80 or 1m) dish.

You will only get BBC on a small dish (80cm) with a rebroadcaster.
I do not cover that area, but you could try lee-digital.com or a2sat.com who may well do so and have good recommendation on various other forums..

ukdobby

So the options for the channels I want are a 1.8m dish for free viewing or a set box and monthly fees,do you have any prices for both options?

The Guy

a freesatfromsky card cost £20 in the UK, and give access to Five, Fiver, Sky three, and some stronger ITV1 and C4 frequencies.
This card is a one off payment.
No monthly subscription required.

You can go for a monthly subscription, and get whatever Sky PAY tv channel you desired.....

Depending on your exact location you may need a 2.4m dish....

Dick Dasterdly

Fortunately my 1.9 Sky dish being in a sheltered spot has survived ok in my exposed location.
The terrestial Spanish antennas on the roof,one of them an ancient monstrosity, have not been so fortunate and are looking more than a bit sick.
At the risk of being a tad of topic,my neighbour has advised me to scrap them and settle for one of the new type, due to come into service here in the next few days,which receive about 55 channels free.
Wonder if you'd go along with this advice Guy?