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UK terrestrial tv in Spain.

Jul 10, 2011 · Finchley01 · 14 replies · 4767 views
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Apologies if this has been asked before, but am new to the forum...

Am moving to Alicante later this year and want to know how I can get UK terrestrial tv stations over there. To be precise, not really bothered about Sky channels, but am interested in picking up BBC channels, ITV channels, and the others you can normally get here in the UK on Freeview. Will I be able to pick these up using FreeSat?

Thanks in advance for any advice!
Jul 10, 2011 · SpainExpat member
Hi, You can receive bbc and itv channels in the alicante area but you will need a 1.45m to a 2.4m dish depending in what part of the alicante area you are in. In moraira javea denia oliva areas a 2.4m dish is preferred. torrevieja area a 1.45m dish works well. Gran alicante most people use a 1.9m with no problem. ITV1 C4 C5 and bbc sport channels can all be received on a 85cm to 1m dish in all areas but you need a sky ftv card to receive ITV1 and the channel 5s. Hope this is of help to you.
Larry
Jul 10, 2011 · Finchley01
Thanks for the info, Larry. Would you suggest buying FreeSat equipment in the UK, or can I get it all out in Spain?

Thanks.
Jul 10, 2011 · jurdyr
you can buy in spain of any tv , sat shop are one off many installer only think is you dish side is going to be on the big size , not same dish as uk we on 2.2 meters out here
Jul 10, 2011 · SpainExpat member
You can buy all in span but to be honest it would cost you more i would buy a freesat humax pvr hd receiver because the hd signals are a lot stroger here. The dish i would buy here for installation.DONT Buy a petal dish in the uk they do not work here.
Let me know where you are moving to in the alicante region and i can advise you on dish size.
Cheers. Larry
Jul 11, 2011 · Finchley01
Thanks once again for the help guys! So to sum up...I should get the FreeSat digital receiver in UK, but the dish in Spain. Cheers for the info!
Jul 13, 2011 · jurdyr
for the free sat yes (try to get hd Recored ) , but we do have TDT here wich run on dual audio here both in Spanish and English on most channels
all the movies on TVE channals TVE1 and La2 wich are from usa have there usa sound tracks ,

TDT NACIONAL
La 1
La 2
24h
Clan
Teledeporte
Veo 7
Intereconom?a TV en emisi?n temporal
Canal Club Disponible AITANA
La Sexta
Gol TV PTV CHANNEL
La Sexta 3.
Cuatro.
Divinity
Telecinco
FDF
La 7
Intereconom?a TV
Disney Channel
Antena 3 Disponible AITANA
Neox
Nova
Veo 7
AXN
Teledeporte
TVE HD
La Sexta 2
La Sexta 3
La Sexta HD
Canal + Dos
Cuatro
Telecinco HD
MTV
La 10
Marca TV
13 TV
Nitro
Antena 3 HD

there some of the Channels
Jul 13, 2011 · Finchley01
I have bought a Humax pvr FreeSat receiver and will contact you when I get to Alicante about the dish. Thanks once again!
Jul 16, 2011 · susanspain
Our trusted method of taping programmes for viewing later via our Phillips VCR/DVD combi have just come to and end. (The tape machine is playing up and we think the cost of repair will be better put towards a new Freesat box - like the HUmax that Larry suggests).
We are just looking into it and have found the following info:
A twin LNB is needed on the dish (seems it needs two cables going into the box?)
Not sure what other info is on the horizon.

We currently have a 1.2 dish (not that old and works AOK with sky Freeview - white card)
Hoping this dish is also suitable for the Humax Freesat box.

Not sure what channels we might loose, but hoping Larry will send me a reply!
(Will happily update all once we know what the answers are).

PS we are not HD TV users yet - and happy on old system as we do not watch Spanish TV/reception is good on the Freesat with the 1.2M dish 24x7.
Jul 16, 2011 · jurdyr
the free sat box sould work on the dish , think you south spain where foot print is better then east side of spain
why Duel lnd , one two watch and out dose the recoreding . if you dish has one lnb , you need to change it
The only winstron quads I have seen are designed for oval sky dishes, and while they are pretty good, arent going to help with fringe reception. I would choose a good quality lnb and go from there. You can check dishsizes for your location on dishpointer.com. If you can post a photo or to of your dish we might be able to get a better idea of what you mean about the dish not being and go for a quad lnb better in the long run as camn add more boxes in time

get in touch with this guy , here his web site http://satandpcguy.com/
Jul 17, 2011 · satandpcguy
In the Alicante area you will ideally need a 2.4m dish, the larger the dish is alays better, especially in winter months when heavy cloud and rain can reduce signals being received (I am not saying you will always the signal but it will help!). I certianly would not use anything less than a 1.8m dish for Alicante, using a 1.45m is pretty pointless as is will be operating on the very very limit of its reception there...

Even then, on Freesat you will not get channel 5, or most other Astra 2D horizontal frequencies like BBC2 England, or BBC3 or BBC4, or C4.

YOu will have to use BBC2 Wales or BBC2 Northern Ireland or BBC HD channels. And ideally C4HD. As these are all on more easily available satellite signals.

As mentioned, if you have a sky HD box and a freesatfromsky card (?25 in the UK, a lot more in Spain!) which is a non subscription card, you can get Five, Five HD, Five* Five USA, and at the moemnt ITV1 on a smaller 85cm-100cm dish...if you want to forgo BBC channels.

For PVRs like the Humax Freesat HD+, it can work with one or two cables. Ideally twoi cables, as this allow you to watch one channel and record another at the same time. YOu can use one cable, and watch one channel and record another at the same time, as long as those channels are on the same frequency group and polarisation...there are four groups of frequency.

If you want to see what channels you will get with your existing dish using a Freesat box, then simply remove your sky card, as a Sky box with no sky card gets the same channels as a Freesat box. If you use a Freesat HD box, you gain recording, you gain C4HD, but lose ITV1, and the Fives.

> Not sure what channels we might loose, but hoping Larry will send me a reply!

Your white sky card unlocks ITV1, Irish C4s, the Fives, Pick TV, Sony TV, Motors Tv LFCTV, Viva TV. So you would lose all of those if you moved from Sky with a freesatfromsky card, to a Freesat box.
Jul 17, 2011 · susanspain
Hi SatandPCguy....
Thanks for all of above.
Luckily the 1.25M dish works on CDSS fine in all weathers (we didtched the old 1.1M as it was damaged, plus lost ITV3 etc in eves)

I understand regarding removing the white (sky) card to see what we would get as FreeSat.
Could I just confirm that we would loose ITV1 completely? (I will test on the box, but this seems a bit of a disappointment to me as I didn't think the white card was all that important?)

We are happy to change to a quad LNB so we get the two cables into the Humax box, so we can watch one channel and record (up to 2 others?) at same time, or 1 other channel at least. (I now get the logic! The box has two receivers inside right? - Sort of like 2 boxes in 1?)

Next Q - However - We would like to keep our sky freeview box/set up in the bedroom (upstairs), My Q is - Can we do this without re-aligning the dish/is this possible to run the two systems from one dish? Freesat and Freeview (sky).
Might as well keep the old equipment/system running until it is really necessary to change.

Thanks again for replies....
Jul 17, 2011 · satandpcguy

> Could I just confirm that we would loose ITV1 completely? (I will test on the box, but this seems a bit of a disappointment to me as I didn't think the white card was all that important?)

All depends which ITV1s you are using and regard as the strongest.
There are about 8 ITV1 regions that require a Sky card, and these are on a different satellite with a "stronger" beam than those ITV1s that do not require a Sky card.
If you can get ITV2 or 3 or 4 all dat then there will be some ITVs that you can still get - like ITV1 Granda, London, Channel Islands.


>
We are happy to change to a quad LNB so we get the two cables into the Humax box, so we can watch one channel and record (up to 2 others?) at same time, or 1 other channel at least. (I now get the logic! The box has two receivers inside right? - Sort of like 2 boxes in 1?)

Put simply yes, correct, two receiver / tuners in one.


>
Next Q - However - We would like to keep our sky freeview box/set up in the bedroom (upstairs), My Q is - Can we do this without re-aligning the dish/is this possible to run the two systems from one dish? Freesat and Freeview (sky).
Might as well keep the old equipment/system running until it is really necessary to change.


Firstly, Freeview is not available in Spain. It is a UK ONLY TV service received by a TV aerial...you cannot get Freeview via a satellite dish...they are two competely seperate systems....Freeview = terrestrial, satellite = extraterrestrial.

Channels on Sky boxes and Freesat boxes use the same frequencies and same satellite. YOu do not have to realign or move the dish at all. There are no seperate "Sky" satellites or "Freesat" satellites. (Sky do not own any satellites, they, and all the other broadcaster rent transponders / frequencies from the satellite operator - Astra & Eutelsat)
So all you will need is to make sure you ge a 4 output (Quad) LNB, where 2 cables for your Freesat PVR, and 1 for your SKy box, leaving one spare...
Jul 17, 2011 · jurdyr
he a link to the list of chanals that are on the free sat , http://www.freesat.co.uk/what-you-get/tv-guide