Freesat question
 

hi there we have bought an apartment which has a Finnish digibox and satellite dish. Anyone know if this could be made to work for english Freesat? Alternatively does anyone have any recommendations for a TV/Satellite person in the Torremolinos area. We'd like to utilise what we've got if possible to try and save some money as we have various things we need to buy. thanks

Re: Freesat question
 

I cannot help with your Finnish question, but I would be very cautious about spending ANY money on Satellite TV until the coming change in Satellite.
While the current satellite is giving magnificant results it is not designated to remain. It was an interim measure.
The correct replacement satellite is in orbit being tested. It is currently expected to assume it's position in the Astra constellation on or around November 15th.
Soon after we will know how well or even if we can continue with Freesat or Sky.

Re: Freesat question
 

thanks for that I have read several threads here and elsewhere saying the same thing. My partner spoke to a TV/Satellite man when he was in Spain last time a few weeks ago and mentioned these concerns which I had told him about and was assured if we got a 1.3 metre dish we would be OK. i suppose the reason we're wanting to get going with this is so we and our friends can watch english TV as well as Spanish while we are there. Are we right in thinking that if we buy a spanish tv with freeview built in we will be able to get spanidh tv (ie football) as our apartment is in a block with nearly all spanish residents.

Re: Freesat question
 

From what I have seen so far 1.3m may be optimistic but we won't know until test transmissions start.
Freeview, called TDT in Spain should be OK assuming your apartment is wired to the communal block system.

Re: Freesat question
 

If you want Freesat then you will need a Freesat box. You cannot get Freesat on any other satellite receiver.

But you can get many of the main UK channels "free to air" satellite channels, that are on Freesat, on many other basic digital receivers...as long as you have a dish big enough to receive those channels.

If it is a Finnish Canal+ box, then I am not too sure if it can be used for UK TV or not. If it is a "basic" / generic receiver (ie not provider specific), then it will pick up any channels that your dish is aligned to and is big enough to receive.

But, as mentioned, with the coming change in satellites, at the moment no-one knows what sized dish you will need in many areas of Spain to enable reception of the main UK TV channels on the new satellites. In fact no-onecan confirm if a 2.4m dish will receive the main UK TV channels in many areas of Spain, let alone a 1.3m dish! So "shame" on the someone that was assuring a 1.3m dish when it is unknown if it will receive the main uk tv channels! As mentioned previously nothing can be confirmed until the satellite is in position and transmitting. Although, like today, most Sky pay channels, and a number of less popular channels, are expected to be available on smaller 80-100cm dishes!

Freeview is only available via a TV aerial in the UK.
The Spanish equivilent is TDT - where you get around 30-40 Spanish digfital channels via a TV aerial. Most TVs have a built in TDT tuner, and some now have builtin TDTHD tuners. As you are in a block, hopefully the internal cabling is there and all connected, so it is simply an question of buying the tv, connecting the tv to the aerial point, and scanning for channels.

Of course this depends what football you wany. Most La Liga matches are on Pay TV, one or two champions league matches are on TDT, but no english matches on TDT channels for free (GOL TV do a few UK matches a week last time i checked)

Re: Freesat question
 

Guy -

What is the cheapest freesat box that actually works?

We have a panasonic Sky box that's only a little over a year old (paid €120 IIRC), NOT HD, and it's rather worthless.

We have several €50 HD FTA boxes which reliably receive almost all freesat channels (including HD channels), but...

... with so many channels changing and moving around, I prefer the user interface, 8-day EPG, and automatic channel updating found on the "sanctioned" Freesat boxes, but most seem to be very expensive, physically quite large, don't offer technologically advanced features, and offer lesser reception performance than the cheap FTA boxes we currently use.

So, how much do you have to pay these days for a good HD freesat box that actually works well? Are there any that also connect to the internet (smart ty features)? What do you recommend?

Re: Freesat question
 

All freesat boxes work.
True, some better than others! (Really dislike the Goodmans + Grundigs!)

Panasonic have not made Sky boxes for many years. And one model was rather prone to "locking" if you channel hopped to a weak signal channel. I had a stackof 30 of these one time - all given to the man who tends / cleans / robs metal from the local ecopark!!

Two Freesat HD boxes I like are the Humax and Manhattan - both available sub £100 in the UK.

I thnk only the Freesat+ and Freesat+freetime boxes are internet compatiable - these have hard drives available for iplayer recording and storage - obviously you have to bypass the IP address blocking to access the UK Iplayers from Spain.

Freesat+freetime is the latest box - only one made by Humax IIRC - around £300 - relatively new, and offers a 7 day backwards TV guide and a few other nice features.

Re: Freesat question
 

thanks for all your help and for your PM Fredbargate. i think we will hold off for now then. Unfortunately we cannot check what we will receive with the existing dish/box etc as the remote control for the digibox (or whatever iti is called) is missing. Is there such a thing as a universal remote control for digi boxes like there is for TVs?

Re: Freesat question
 

There are universal remotes for satellite boxes.
But not all universal remotes are compatiable with all makes of receiver (or TVs)

Re: Freesat question
 

hi there we've just had another suggestion of using a sky-box purchaed either here or in Spain which we are told will avoid any possible problems with the new satellite. Does this sound viable? We're not bothered about the sky channels per so but understand we would be able to receive free to air UK channels

Re: Freesat question
 

The issue will be is the satellite dish big enough where you are located to receive the desired signal from the satellite.
Which box you use - sky, freesat, fta, "generic" - for the basic free to air main UK TV channels makes no difference if the dish cannot receive the signals in the first place!

Re: Freesat question
 

Years ago when we first came to Spain I bought a cheep satellite kit from lee roys

it only had a small 80 cm dish we could get loads of German channels, but not many English ( only sky news and bbc world news )

We now have a 1.9m and pace sky box set up, any way out of interest I tried the old free view box from my old set up on the 1.9 dish and was surprised to find I could get all the same channels ( free ones ) that I get on the pace sky box.

Also Spanish digital tv is good as many of the films can be changed back to English ( just a shame about the long advert breaks )

Cheers Tony

Re: Freesat question
 

agreed
especially the one that runs for 6-10mins 5mins before the programme ends.

must be something to do with the advertising contract that it will be put out at a specific time, irrespective of what is happening on-screen.

but its their country, all we can do is comment

Re: Freesat question
 

Yes it is their country and the ad breaks are a small price to pay for quite a good selection of films and other programs in English !

Just glad I dont have to pay for a Uk tv licence !

Re: Freesat question
 

The ad breaks on TV in Spain, are about the same amount of time for ads in the UK and most of Europe.
Under Eu rules TV companies are limited to the amount of adverts they show per hour. I think they can have around 12 mins per hour (not including self promotion - whoich can make them seem even longer!).
So where are many UK TV channels have 4 "short" ad breaks per hour, channels in other countries prefer 2 "longer" breaks per hour.

And many Spanish channels do not have ads inbetween changes of programmes, they simply go from programme to programme. Presumably no ads inbetween programmes mean you are more likely to watch the next programme rather than channel hop and find something else. But ads just before "whodunnit" will have more impact and more revenue! Like xfactor "the winner is...well see after the break!"

So they may be longer, but less frequent.

A Sky box with no viewing card is effectively a "free to air" receiver, so yes it will receive the same chanenls as a "free to air" receiver.

Re: Freesat question
 

Guy I think you are right on that, just when watching Spanish Digital Terrestial you start falling into the trap of getting heavily involved in the plot etc then WHAM - ads
It is a big heart stopping moment :ohmy:

Our biggest complaint is the volume(s) that vary from channel to channel but then go up 5db when the adds come on
Doesn't anyone know how to make a good AGC circuit anymore ? ?

Re: Freesat question
 

would have thought the increase in ad volume is for impact!
I do know that in the UK Channel Five got fined by Ofcom for increasing the audio of adverts up too much...which does kind of say that it can be turned up for ads to an extent. Now whether this is a UK "rule", an Eu "rule" or if it is covered by Spanish TV regulators I do not know.

Some TVs do have Auto levelling audio options...but I have never really heard any difference....

Re: Freesat question
 

I certainly hear the volume difference, especially when i nodded off, them b/stads always wake me up. :thumbdown:

Re: Freesat question
 

Out of interest, does anyone know if Spain are likely to adopt dvbt2 for hd broadcasts, or just standard dvb? I use a freeview card in my PC, want to upgrade to dvbt2 for use in the uk, but think it may be a waste of money if we move to Mallorca next year. I know the only way I'd get uk channels in Spain would be with an s2 card. One option is to go with a card that does both. Any thoughts. Does the Spanish system currently just use dvbt for hd transmission?

Re: Freesat question
 

unless I have this wrong, I get 48 channels on my TDT, some are Subscription only but others that I don't get a picture on are HD

Guy ? ?

Re: Freesat question
 

It's certainly legal in the UK and always happens, not sure about an EU rule, just read an article that seems to indicate it's different for each country, as France introduced new 'codes' which means it's not a legal thing yet, the UK has had rules in effect since 2008, and just recently ITV was in trouble when a number of adverts broke the rules during an episode of Sherlock Holmes.
Article from 'Which' here.

http://conversation.which.co.uk/tech...ts-commercial/

Re: Freesat question
 

That's because you don't have a TDT HD box (or TV).

We get all the HD channels OK.

Re: Freesat question
 

Currently, The UK uses dvb-t2 mpeg4 for hd, whereas Spain is dvb-t mpeg4.

Currently.

BUt reading this http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2011/...-in-barcelona/ says t2 is being tested.

But no idea is it will be adopted in Spain or not...

Perhaps we have to wait until after the next phases of TDT changes.....moving the channels on the higher end frequencies to lower end frequencies so they can sell of the empty high frequencies to phone companies...

Re: Freesat question
 

My old sat receiver can pick up a lot of foreign channels that my sky box cant get.

Not including the Indian ones of course but I guess they are British channels now ?

Cheers Tony

Re: Freesat question
 

yes Fred, I realised that, just that the TLA's are getting to me :confused:
and wanted someone to soothe the little teensy bit of doubt I had when typing

we started moving here just before the switchover and so all our kit is still bog standard + a normal TDT
once we find (if that is possible) the right place to settle permanantly then we may well go for a larger screen, HD etc

but to be honest, we don't have sat, we don't internet download, just use the Spanish TDT, find its enough for us, tele is only on from 5 - 12. The only concession is Radio 4 during the day.
did consider buying a DAB in the Uk but Spain is so far behind and has the technical difficulties of a large mountainous country to overcome.

Re: Freesat question
 

that doesnt sound like it is a good old fashioned AGC !!

whats more worrying is YOU can't hear the difference.
:eek:

Re: Freesat question
 

Any examples of channels that your FTA box gets but the Sky box does not?

Mainly because just about all FTA channels are on a sky box already...and there should be no difference between the channels you have on a FTA box vs a Sky box FTA channels...

Pardon? Can you speak up a bit dear......didnt quite catch that.... :-)

Re: Freesat question
 

Hi I cant recall but there is defiantly more channels available ( but foreign ) , it also has a menu to select different sats eg. hot bird, astra1, 2 , and loads of others ( but most wont find any thing )

When I first used it about 8 years ago I just remember there being loads of German channels and thinking it would be great for a German ex pat in Spain.

At the moment my friend has got the box because his sky box blew up`.

Tony

Re: Freesat question
 

Well of course the box will get more channels than a Sky box if it is being used on other satellites and not only the UK satellites (which a sky box can only use!).

The UK Sky box is designed for use for the UK TV satellites located at 28 east.
Other "free to air" boxes, like the one you have, can be used for free to air chanensl on all other satellites. Most german ones are on Astra 1 at 19 east - somehting which a sky box using the UK TV satellites cannot get.
So of course that box will get more channels than a SKy box, as it is compatiable with more satellites than a UK Sky box.

I took your initial statement to mean that your FTA box was getting more UK TV FTA channels than a Sky box on the UK TV satellites - given this thread was about UK TV. NO about other non UK TV satellites so its a bit irrelevant to this thread really!

Re: Freesat question
 

think dave is one channel you can get on FTA but not on a sky FTA only box with no card in

Re: Freesat question
 

No on satellite Dave is a Sky subscription channel.
Dave is NOT free to air on satellite.

On Freeview (UK digital TV via a TV aerial - available in the UK And not in Spain!) Dave is free to air!

Re: Freesat question
 

Talking of irrelevance, its been raining here in Alicante whats it like your end ?

Re: Freesat question
 

raining all day
:thumbdown:

Re: Freesat question
 

The suns back here now !!! a few clouds but nice and bright !

Only problem is the weeds are sprouting