Fred James

Hey - keep this up guys. It's more informative than the Digital Spy forums!

Mitzyboy

You're finding this exciting?

Fred James

Yes indeed - I'm carried away with excitement with the experience of someone posting useful information rather that the constant bickering and slanging matches!

lynnxa

now now boys

play nicely

Tele Addict

No, not all, but 12402, 12422, and 12480 which correspond to the encrypted ITV, Channel 4 and Five channels are sub-leased.
Who knows what will happen. ITV were recently in talks with BskyB to send ITV2/+1, ITV3/+1 & ITV4/+1 back to the subscription service. BskyB's current carriage rules about payment also mean that the channels may also disappear from FreeView. It's been rumoured Channel 4 have been having similar talks, which would be a major setback for Freesat.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2...v-bskyb-pay-tv
http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/91...return-pay-TV/
http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2009/...annels-to-pay/

I don't really understand this. For a start BBC don't have European rights to Formula one. And what does it matter if the user has to press the red button if using a Freesat or Digibox? The fact still remains that anyone in Europe with a 60cm dish and an FTA receiver (or Freesat receiver or Digibox) can receive those streams.

derek500

But can they? If you haven't got the main channel with the red button, you can't access the BBC streams.

They can't be added in non-Freesat mode or 'add channels' on Sky. Only way I know is to get them in via a generic FTA box.

Mitzyboy

Can you pm me with your SKY box make / model.
(Thanks for the beer the other day)

Dick Dasterdly

I have a dish set for Astra 2,Sky, and also a dish set for Astra 1,selection from europe and med area.

My question,...... Is it worth fixing another dish and box for another sat., and if so,which one has the best alternative selection of channels?

The Guy

arabsat on 26 east or nilesat 7 west
they both have the MBCs chanenls, which show many USA series and movies, as well as fox moves and fox series. some of the other arabian channel on there also do motorsports, horse racing, and a few others...

they need a dish of at least 80cms...

maybe worth getting a motor for your astra dish...???

Dick Dasterdly

Thanks for that Sat-guy,
Will 80 cm be ok for Valencia?
Also can you recommend or pm me a value for money sat-box obtainable locally to do the job if I dont use a motor?
Many Thanks.

The Guy

80 cms should be fine...they are fine on my 80cm dish...but really depends on your local and line of sights...with most of the receivers i have tried....

most receivers come with disec motor capabilities these days...
illusions and mvisions and manhatten plazas are fantistic especially the latter...around 100 euros ish...you may get them cheaper if you shop around..

depending where abouts you are exactly i may be able to help you out with the last two receivers...i dont often go into valencia itself that much...hence why i ask.

i have links to the mbc / nilesat / arabsat programme guides on my site...so you can see what programmes / movies are available...
http://www.satandpcguy.com/Site/mbc_...at_nilesat.htm
many are in english, the only downside is that they have hardcoded arabic subtitles on them...but you get used to them....

Tele Addict

The red button is available on BBC News which is on Astra 2A south and only requires a 60cm dish.

For 26ºE you can get away with a smaller dish than that (a 70cm works fine here) but I digress. If you already have a 1.9m Famaval dish or bigger for 28ºE reception you can add an additional LNB to that dish to receive from 26ºE negating the need for an additional dish. If you follow Sat-man's advice re: Manhattan Plaza that receiver can be used in place of a Sky Digibox (it has an auto updating card slot that works with a Sky card) and both LNBs would supply that box via a diseqc switch so only one co-ax line and receiver would be required.

Another downside is there is no EPG and many channels don't even have a "now and next" meaning you don't know what is on next or when it will starts, which is a shame because most stuff on there is pretty good, unlike the b-movie nonsense available for free on 28ºE.

The Guy

geo to bbc news , sky box channel 503
press red button
wait for the menu screen to load up
type in the "page number" 3001 and press select
you go to the bbc sports interative service.

it will not allow you to access other nonsports interactive things - like glastonbury replays or the proms...for these you need access to the main bbc1 or 2 channels - or access to the STREAMS via a nonsky or nonfreesatbox.

hence why i gave links to the tv guides...!

with a blue sky card you could even watch sky sports and sky movies on the manhatten....these are normally blocked if you try to use your sky sports / movies enabled card in another receiver other than the one that was paired by sky....
the new white sky cards work in the manhatten ok for the 6 mixes but not the sport or movie channels...yet...

Dick Dasterdly

""with a blue sky card you could even watch sky sports and sky movies on the manhatten....these are normally blocked if you try to use your sky sports / movies enabled card in another receiver other than the one that was paired by sky....
the new white sky cards work in the manhatten ok for the 6 mixes but not the sport or movie channels...yet...""
__________________
The Sat and PC Guy
-------------------

Many thanks for all the info,.....very useful.

I have a sky sub from my UK address which is the basic subscription plus sky sports.
I bought a spare S/H sky box which is not much use as it isnt paired with the card.
However you say the manhatten gets around that problem?
Also is my spare sky box any good for free channels from other satellites?

Back in the UK I have an old 1000 ch.sat box,and motor control box,American I think,was quite expensive,maybe 20yr old and not used for maybe 14 yr or so but should still be in good condition.
Is that of any use now?

jdr

Do you like the flintstones ?