freeview in italy

cooloughboy

i live in italy and get me freeview using a satellite decoder and the astra 28.2 east satellite.
i am now looking to replace my TV and would like to buy a TV with decoder built in. the shop assistants i have spoken tell me that the inbuilt satellite decoders dont cover the content through this satellite channel.
can anyone suggest an up to date tv that can handle this type of requirement?
thank you

Capt'n Midnight

what box do you have working at the moment ?

By freeview do you mean a receiver branded as FreeSat which has a 7 day EPG and series link.

or a generic free to air receiver = A TV with a satellite tuner should get the Free To Air channels, but AFAIK won't have the 7 day EPG, just now and next. It won't get channels that are not Free To View. ( since Pick TV went FTA there isn't much difference anymore )


TBH if you aren't recording another option is to use a second hand SKY box and program the SKY remote to operate the telly , so it's a single remote.


Just to be quite clear SKY jealously guard their encryption, only 5 manufacturers have ever made SKY boxes, so you more or less need a SKY box to decode their pay channels.

montgolfiere

Be very careful in using the correct terminology.... FreeVIEW is only available in the UK via a TV Aerial. FreeSAT is the Trademark name for the system that receives all the UK FTA Channels via the Astra 2 satellite at 28.2e. Sky Digiboxes will also receive the FTA Channels as well as the Sky Channels with a subscription. 'Generic' Satellite Decoders will rceive the channels but do not carry a 7 day epg, no Red Button and require constant 'updating' as channels change Frequencies.

So when looking for a TV the only really suitable models are those that have a built in FREESAT Tuner. There are few models available and they are relatively expensive. A much better bet would be a good quality HD Freesat Receiver + HDTV.

One other consideration just now is that the Satellites at 28.2e are being replaced shortly and NO ONE knows how this will affect reception, especially in the fringe areas like Italy and Spain, and maybe even the S of France!!!
Maybe it might be prudent to see how these changes pan out for your reception before 'shelling out' on new equipment.... (you may just need to be saving up for a Bigger Dish!!!)

Capt'n Midnight

montgolfiere wrote: »

One other consideration just now is that the Satellites at 28.2e are being replaced shortly and NO ONE knows how this will affect reception, especially in the fringe areas like Italy and Spain, and maybe even the S of France!!!
Maybe it might be prudent to see how these changes pan out for your reception before 'shelling out' on new equipment.... (you may just need to be saving up for a Bigger Dish!!!)

forgot about that,

Astra 2F is at 43.5 E and being tested. Later on it will move to where it will be used.

http://www.ses.com/4628845/astra-2f

also there is a dispute over frequencies - if they resolve this by both using the same frequency on different spots it may kill off coverage in between the spots. And Eutelsat has two steerable beams
http://www.spacenews.com/satellite_telecom/121005-astra-launch-reignites-dispute.html

If they do the dirt then it may be impossible no matter the dish size. There is a spot beam for Ireland from Eurobird. ( different band , different satellite) You can pick up TV with a hand held dish in the very West of Wales. 10 miles East of that nothing because of frequency reuse.

Liameter

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

You can pick up TV with a hand held dish in the very West of Wales.

Does that mean that a dish bolted to a wall won't work or that I must move to Wales?

watty

It's likely there is no future to Italian UK TV reception even if Eutelsat get to keep the frequencies. ALL the SES on 28.2E was "pinched" from Eutelsat and they had to pay compensation and agree a split. SES greed. I guess if Eutelsat is paid enough. But really it was stupid from the start as 28E is poorer than 19E for UK (Analogue Sky) and was an allocation for Central Europe. Sky & SES should have been using a more western position for UK and Ireland, between 16E and 21W

watty

There is a spot beam for Ireland from Eurobird. ( different band , different satellite)

Ka-Sat. It's not a Eurobird
Actually it's officially got 82 spots. May have more. Certain to have some backup hardware. Uses four dishes, 2 frequency groups repeated on Left and Right polarisation, so ultimately about 41 spots of SAME frequency but half LHC and half RHC.

cooloughboy

my box is a Thomson Sky digibox which I bought about 6 years ago and yes, this would be FreeSat as opposed to Freeview. Bascially trying to find a TV which encorporates the the same decoder capabilities as the thomson Sky digibox I currently have.

Not aware of 7 day epg, but I gather from Montgolfiere's description that I have this technical feature built in as I dont have to constantly update and change frequencies.
I would be prepared to pay for a TV with Freesat tuner installed into the TV even is expensive but I had understood that this option wouldnt do the job of the Thomson SKy digibox I currently use. I should add that I dont have a sky card or anything like that.
Disconcerting that the Astra 28E satellite will be decomissioned shortly, bit of a bummer actually.

killalanerr

watty wrote: »

It's likely there is no future to Italian UK TV reception even if Eutelsat get to keep the frequencies. ALL the SES on 28.2E was "pinched" from Eutelsat and they had to pay compensation and agree a split. SES greed. I guess if Eutelsat is paid enough. But really it was stupid from the start as 28E is poorer than 19E for UK (Analogue Sky) and was an allocation for Central Europe. Sky & SES should have been using a more western position for UK and Ireland, between 16E and 21W

So in the future when i travel down south in my camper i wont be able to receive uk fta as i can now ?

watty

Down south where?

Waterford and Cork no problem.

my box is a Thomson Sky digibox which I bought about 6 years ago and yes, this would be FreeSat

No, that would be Sky, not Freesat. Though without a subscription and with a UK rather than ROI EPG, it's similar. But for Recording UK Free To Air, without a subscription, a Freesat HD PVR is best and sky without a sub doesn't record.

If you are needing the viewing card for any channel, then no TV will replace the Sky box.

montgolfiere

cooloughboy wrote: »

Not aware of 7 day epg, but I gather from Montgolfiere's description that I have this technical feature built in as I dont have to constantly update and change frequencies.

tly use. I should add that I dont have a sky card or anything like that.
Disconcerting that the Astra 28E satellite will be decomissioned shortly, bit of a bummer actually.

The Astra Satellites at 28 e are being replaced not 'decomissioned'; with the footprint likely to change for the likes of us Expats....

If we do lose the signal then programs via the Internet will be our only option. It is possible to receive the 'i-player' type services already and we will be looking at ways to receive the likes of 'Youview' outside the UK. I am sure all will not be lost as the pressure from the 100's of thousands of Expats will drive the hunt for a cost effective and (relatively) simple solution.
Whether the eventual solutions will be 'legal' or not will be the downside.

killalanerr

watty wrote: »

Down south where?

Waterford and Cork no problem.

Sorry Watty i was i bit vague their ok,by south i was thinking France and north Spain

Liameter

montgolfiere wrote: »

the pressure from the 100's of thousands of Expats will drive the hunt for a cost effective and (relatively) simple solution.

Such as FilmOn.com

cooloughboy

watty wrote: »

Down south where?

Waterford and Cork no problem.

No, that would be Sky, not Freesat. Though without a subscription and with a UK rather than ROI EPG, it's similar. But for Recording UK Free To Air, without a subscription, a Freesat HD PVR is best and sky without a sub doesn't record.
thanks for clearing this up, so Sky and not Freesat

If you are needing the viewing card for any channel, then no TV will replace the Sky box.

I dont use the viewing card at all. In your opinion does that mean, there are such TVs that will handle my type of requirement (ie Tv with inbuilt decoder that will allow me to view)

cooloughboy

montgolfiere wrote: »

The Astra Satellites at 28 e are being replaced not 'decomissioned'; with the footprint likely to change for the likes of us Expats....

do you know when they will be decomissioned?

If we do lose the signal then programs via the Internet will be our only option. It is possible to receive the 'i-player' type services already and we will be looking at ways to receive the likes of 'Youview' outside the UK. I am sure all will not be lost as the pressure from the 100's of thousands of Expats will drive the hunt for a cost effective and (relatively) simple solution.
Whether the eventual solutions will be 'legal' or not will be the downside.

this is very useful to know, especially if like me, you are shopping around for a new TV. will be looking for a TV that can handle decent amounts of traffic via internet, so ethernet or fibre optic connection.

watty

cooloughboy wrote: »

I dont use the viewing card at all. In your opinion does that mean, there are such TVs that will handle my type of requirement (ie Tv with inbuilt decoder that will allow me to view)

Any TV with DVB-S2 HD "tuner". CI+ an advantage for MHEG5

You can always use it for Italian/German etc by moving dish or adding more feeds and Diseqc (most will do Diseqc).

A Sky box is only needed for Sky encryption and card not for FTA. But you may not have UK TV reception in Italy much longer. Further south in Italy it's already difficult.

cooloughboy

great Watty, thanks for this. I will look into it further and se what I come across. I have seen some TVs with full technical description which include the DVB-S2 HD "tuner"feature you mention. i will take it a little more and see if there is CI+ business you mentioned.
thanks again

cooloughboy

a brief word to say thanks to everyone who provided input into my post 'freeview in italy'. I was looking to replace my TV with a new TV which included a satellite decoder able to deal with freesat.

Well, I followed all the good advice I received and am now thoroughly enjoying the new toy. I bought a Sony.

thanks everybody

Liameter

Astra-1F should be taking over from 1N in a few days so it will be interesting to see the effects. It's nearly at 28°E.
http://www.n2yo.com/?s=38778

montgolfiere

yes.....reception might become a problem as far east as Italy without a larger Dish.... even here in Southern France we are pretty nervous...

cooloughboy

sounds ominous, i really really hope not and by the sounds of things a simple shift in the satellite dish coordinates won't do the trick.
well, fingers crossed.

givecredit

The new BBC Txp that will carry BBC One HD Wales & Scotland has also gone live now on Astra 2F making them the first on 2F from what i can see!
(11024 H 23000 2/3 DVB-S2 8PSK)

Many parts of europe already reporting blank screens. If you cannot get these channels you will soon be loosing BBC, ITV CH5 AND CH4, RTE and more