Free Satellite Channels

walsheliz

I called a number of satellite installers in Dublin recently enquiring about BBC free to air digital channels.
Basically I can get a dish that gives me all the bbc channels as well as over 100 additional channels. I saw a satellite working and there were literally loads of channels. these were on the astra satellite at 28.2. I can get it for between 440 and 480 euro installed.
WHere can I get a full list of the channels available?
Is there another way of getting any more channels.

I will not buy Sky on principle so I am keen to get the free channels with no subscriptions.
IS there any other things I should consider before buying this disk which seems like great vbalue as I dont have NTL, chorus or sky - I just have an aerial that givs me rte,bbc,itv,c4,cr,tv3,tg4.

Any advise on what seems a great deal would be much appreciated.

Tony

Originally posted by walsheliz
I called a number of satellite installers in Dublin recently enquiring about BBC free to air digital channels.
Any advise on what seems a great deal would be much appreciated.

You are paying way too much for this service at €440.

Tony

Webmonkey

I'll install it for 100 euro

http://www.astra.lu/tv-radio/guide/lineup/markets/UK_all.htm

Might help

Mossy Monk

there is a lot more available on other satellites

Webmonkey

The hotbird at 18 degrees would be the right job - lots of english channels on that, astra is jsut full of german ones mainly

sceptre

Originally posted by Tony
You are paying way too much for this service at €440.

Tony

Good lord, yes. At that price it would be cheaper to just get Sky in and have the subscription channels for a year (all coming in well cheaper than 440 (family pack as an example)). At €440 you're really getting ripped off.

Tony's never pimped his own service here and I see he's not even hinting now. So, as an ordinary user here, I'll do it.

walsheliz, have a look here. Take note of the charge of €299 including installation. Hell of a lot cheaper than €440. Does exactly what it says on the tin, er, webpage

Tony

Originally posted by sceptre

Tony's never pimped his own service here and I see he's not even hinting now. So, as an ordinary user here, I'll do it.

walsheliz, have a look here. Take note of the charge of €299 including installation. Hell of a lot cheaper than €440. Does exactly what it says on the tin, er, webpage

Thanks for the plug

maisflocke

Originally posted by Webmonkey
The hotbird at 18 degrees would be the right job - lots of english channels on that, astra is jsut full of german ones mainly

18°???

Webmonkey

duh! ment 13 degrees sorry

swoofer

Doh!

watty

Originally posted by maisflocke
<snip>

Maisflocke?

D'y know why
Yorin, Nick/Veronica, SBS, Ned1, Ned2, Nd3, RTL4 , RTL5 and NET5 are FTA this weekend?

Are these the Dutch FTV card channels
Are they changing Iredeto1 to something else or going FTA?

(After a while you don't notice the Dutch subtitles too much)

maisflocke

Webmonkey,

Hotbird @13°; is not all that hot when it comes to English language telly, sometimes I wish I never bothered buying a multifeed.
Hotbird does however live up to its name late at night - in particular some of the Italian channels I , em, uh, "stumbled" across..... plenty of hotbirds there, I can tell you!


Watty,

I am totally in the dark about the dutch scene - some rumours on the DS Forum suggest change of encryption, other speculation suggest a drop in encryption altogether.

I suppose its a bit like the FTV P1 card story, all we can do is sit and wait (and watch) until D-day comes along.
Is it me, or are the dutch mad into cleansing / conditioning agents??!!??

seano

As of Dutch channels becoming FTA,forget it.

walsheliz

maisflocke

`You posted the following....

"Hotbird @13°; is not all that hot when it comes to English language telly, sometimes I wish I never bothered buying a multifeed ."

Does this mean u have a fixed satellite that picks up astra and hotbird with two lnbs? This seemed to me a good option rather than a full motorised system.

Also, do you know if you can tune your sky decoder/box ehatever it is called to pick up all the free channels on astra that you can get with a "free satellite system"

Thanks

maisflocke

Originally posted by walsheliz
maisflocke


Does this mean u have a fixed satellite that picks up astra and hotbird with two lnbs? This seemed to me a good option rather than a full motorised system.

Yes, exactly. I have an 80cm dish with a double LNB Multifeed for Astra/Hotbird. I have a third twin LNB on a second 60cm dish aimed at 28°. Its cheaper & faster than a motorised system, but -on the downside- it does limit your choice of satellite.

Also, do you know if you can tune your sky decoder/box ehatever it is called to pick up all the free channels on astra that you can get with a "free satellite system"
Thanks

You could do this, but a sky dodgybox is not really user-friendly when it comes to other satellites.
First, the Sky dodgybox does not have diseq, so there is no automatic switching between satellites.
Then, you have to manually tune each and every frequency, and store these on "other channels".
Then, there is the occasional problem of SR rates- the Sky box is limited to 2 set rates (22000 & 27500).
And last, but not least, a Sky dodgybox is only capable of storing about 50 "other channels", it is indeed a very limited receiver.

All in all, a non Sky DVB receiver is without doubt the better choice for satellite hopping.

watty

Fixed multifeed on an 80 or 90cm is the European thing...

main LNB on 19E
beside on east is Hotbird LNB 13E
About 3 or 4" away and a bit hiher on west is 28.2Sky LNB

Gives about 600 FTA TV and 500 FTA radio. About 10% are worth it!


I did use a Digibox with a home made 3 way switch. www.satcure.co.uk sells suitable manual switch. You can even (awkwardly) use the service menu and the Digibox scart to select LNB.

I have a PC card and disqc switch now.

Dutch TV gone again... Still now I know what mutant X is.