Rambling Rose

Ok so I've struggled through the thread about illegal rebroadcasters of UK TV getting shut down but can't see any suggestions about what people might do instead.
We currently have Canal+ We've had it over 5 years and its been excellent but it now costs around 70 euros per month and they have started shutting done some of the channels we like (Discovery for example)
We haven't missed UK TV at all, most of the best programmes seem to get picked up by Canal + anyway and we can watch them in english. We enjoy some programmes in spanish but wouldn't want all spanish TV.
So my question is - Are there any cheaper (legal) options out there? Could we keep using our Canal+ dish if we bought some kind of box or would we need a new ariel?

lynnxa

with an aerial I get 40+ Spanish channels...free

and of course with TDT you can change the language to English for a lot of programmes

amideislas

That's about the best advice I've heard on this topic.

snikpoh

Or you could get 'free sat' from SKY which is NOT illegal, just against their rules and conditions.

amideislas

You don't even need freesat to receive it. You may legally receive 99% of the "freesat" channels (Beebs, ITV, 4,5 True, Film4, etc) by erecting a (big) dish and connecting any €30 satellite receiver.

It's legal simply because by law, if the signal passes on your property, you have every right to receive it, as long as you are not subverting any encryption designed to prevent you from receiving it. Almost all "FreeSat" channels aren't encrypted.

Fred James

It is not even against their rules as you aren't using a card.

Many people have a Sky box and have no contract with Sky.

EMR

Wait until the new sats are up and we all know what can or cannot be received before spending any money on a dish or UK Box.
It wont be long now end may/june.

EMR

Plus I am sure I will be corrected on this if wrong.
A SKy box without a card ( SKY subscription ) is in effect a FREESAT BOX and it is this signal that will be lost to many of us when the new Sat is launched.
NO card NO BBC/ITV ETC.
Right or wrong ???
We have a box without a card and it has already lost some UK channels

snikpoh

Depends entirely on where you are and how big your dish is.

amideislas

As discussed here and on many forums, the new satellite currently in operation gives a pretty good idea of what to expect. You need a monster dish and a good LNB. We still receive the 4's and 5's and the others that went to the new satellite. But we have a 1.6M dish and some sort of posh LNB.

The lights won't be going out, just getting a lot dimmer, and so you need kit that will receive it. But even if you can afford that kit, many won't just have the space for a monster dish.

The point was only to clarify that you don't need to register with Freesat UK and buy an expensive freesat box in order to legally receive the channels it offers without any subscription.

Anyway, all that aside, Lynnxa's recommendation is by far the simplest, cheapest and best one (until of course, the Spanish government in their infinite quest for cash decides to implement a very expensive TV licence fee, in which case, the FreeSat solution becomes more attractive).

pwwm

This is exactly what we have, more than enough to watch. we use the airiel that was left here when we moved in.... 10 years ago, excellent picture

Pocaloca

Yep, the good old antenna still gives you good pictures when the satellite signal drops, at night or in bad weather.

A lot of programmes previously aired in the UK turn up on Spanish channels eventually, e.g. series like Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Law & Order, House, The Mentalist, CSI etc etc. plus lots of movies. The Explora channel often shows stuff from the Discovery channel and is currently wall-to-wall Embarrassing Bodies. There is another one airing old episodes of Top Gear (which I refuse to watch ) Just turn off the Spanish dubbing to get the original soundtrack.

notacontrathinker

70 euros a month sounds extortionate. You must love your football and cinema.

I've been on the Canal+ site for Spain, and a lot of the channels advertised there are free over an ariel, as well as many more.

I would recommend an ariel anyway, depending on your location. Try a cheap indoor one on a covered window sill, see what you can get.

For English channels, we will all have to wait for the satellite shuffle later this year to see what happens.

It's due to 'clear the tower' on June 13th, then there's testing and putting it in position.

It's unmanned so I'm hoping for a misfire.

Rambling Rose

Yes it is too much and doesn't even include football or the new cinema channels (both of these are extra). It was only around 40 euros 5 years ago but just keeps getting more expensive.

Rambling Rose

Ok so our Canal + dish would be useless as it is quite small. So as we don't particularly want UK tv a normal ariel + some kind of spanish freeview box should give us some TV in english.