TNT by satellite

[Hereford]

We have had TNT for several years but for the past few weeks a message has come up every day (!) that from April TNT will be broadcast in HD and that our tv, which is not HD, will not be able to get it.

As complete non-tv tech people we are not sure whether this means:

1. We will continue to get TNT but it will look as it does now  OR

2. We won't get anything.

Our local "Expert" shop is having open days about this soon but we don't want to go unless item 2 above is what will happen. We are not bothered about HD as we don't watch much tv at all.  We suspect that the shop will want to sell us a new tv.

Or, quite possible, is it the TNT box which needs to be changed? We still would not have an HD tv of course.

Any help from the tv watchers on here most appreciated.

[andyh4]

It is the box that needs changing, but when you get a new box, make sure that the connections to your TV are supported by the new box. HD boxes use HDMI cables to connect to HD TVs and I am fairly certain your old TV will not have an HDMI socket. Most boxes should also have a standard SCART connection as well - but it is as well to check.

[Hereford]

Thank you Andy.  We will go to one of the "open" days with details of the tv as well as the old TNT box which was bought from Expert.

I imagine we will be expected to pay for the new box but presumably keep the existing card which has more than two years left before needing renewal.

[woolybanana]

You don't need a card.

Under the new system you can either get a box for the Astra satellites or for Atlantic Bird. The former requires you to renew a card every four years which will cost you 15 euros whilst the latter remains free, though there is a card in mine.

As far as I can discover, the only advantage to the Astra satellites for TNT is that you can get Canal Plus which you would still have to pay for as an extra, a service not offered by Atlantic Bird.

When I was looking for a box last week, I noticed the shops were distinctly pushing Astra boxes, for no apparent reason.

I should think you would pay around 100 euros for a box.

[Hereford]

Thanks to all including Idun on the other thread.   We have had the TNT box (well two as one died) for some years and renewed the card at least once.  We will certainly question the shop but don't want the hassle of changing the dish orientation so will probably stick where we are.  We do not want Canal Plus and don't pay for it.

[marmite]

For us poor souls who watch the F1 Grand Prix, the TNT Astra sat boxes are the ones to go for as they also get the German channels. Last year I was able to watch the ones that the Beeb didn't show, they were on the German RTL channel in the clear, I'm hoping this year  will be the same.

One other thing to consider is the line of sight to the satellites, Astra is in a slightly different part of the sky to Atlantic Bird, Astra is 19.2 deg. east,  and Atlantic bird is I believe 5 deg. west. So check you can see either or both.

[Department71]

I am using  a manky old 14" portable in the uk as a spare in the office that is not a digital one, only received the old PAL signal, I hooked it up to a freeview box that can show HD and normal definition tv, like the problem you are facing, it is connected by a scart lead into the tv. No problems with receiving tv, it sometimes asks if I want to watch in HD but I just say no.

The shop may try and sell you an new HD TV, that's your decision if you go for it.

EDIT.

Forgot to say the box I use is freeview not freesat.

[Martin963]

Well you DO need a card for TNTsat (which is what you have) but I'm afraid that a new one will be foisted on you when you buy the TNTsat HD box, they come as a pairing.

Worth watching out for, our French neighbours bought a TNTsat HD box in the autumn and the local dealer said "oh you won't need the new card, I'll hang on to it", but as I explained to him if he doesn't get the new card his current one will expire at the end of its four years (already two years gone) and he'll therefore have to pay for a new one a couple of years earlier than needs be. As he's quite volatile and ready with his fists (he's a pussy cat with us!) I waited with bated breath to hear how the rendezvous with the dealer went, but we had to come back to England before it happened...

[Hereford]

Thanks for flagging that up Martin.  We suspect they will try to foist a new TV on us too as ours (a flat screen)  is about 7 or 8 years old, but (I think - must check) and is not HD!

[marmite]

Hereford, Does your TV have a HDMI socket on the back of the TV. If so it should be "HD ready"

Might be an idea to put the make and model number on here, then we can look at the specs.

Our TV in the UK is not an HD set (it doesn't have a HD tuner in it) but its HD ready, I have a HD freesat box connected (same as a TNT box) and that works ok in HD mode.

My TV is about 7 years old

[Hereford]

Hi Marmite (Yes I adore marmite!)

Our TV is a Sony KDL-26P30xx,  invoice is dated 27/08/2008.

Thanks

H.

[Judith]

We got a leaflet in the pub the other day - from la republique française, so this is the way they ere telling people around here.  It does say :

1) If you receive TV by cable or satellite speak to your "operateur"

2) if you receive TV by ADSL (box) or by fibre, your TV will be able to receive TNT HD.

What they are saying to test you current set up is to look at channel 7 or 57.  This is Arte - if Arte HD  is shown, your TV is compatible.  If it does not show, it isn't.  But you do not have to change the TV.  All you need is an adapteur TNT HD (from 25€).

Quick translation for the leaflet - hope that helps.

[EDIT] just found this on service publique - in my inbox.

https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/actualites/A10221?xtor=EPR-100

Says basically what I said above.

Could someone make it live pl??

[woolybanana]

Thus far, I have an HD compatible TV, a Sony Bravia that is about 7 years old, with a new HD box for reception by satellite that cost a fraction under 100euros which gives me about 24 channels. (TNT by satellite boxes are much more expensive than their terrestrial counterparts but the price I paid was the cheapest around.)

The advantage is that some do have the original sound track in English for films etc.

The box is for the Earlybird satellite; with it came a card for which I did not have to pay nor will I have to do so in 4 years when the boxes for Astra satellites will do so, about 15 euros I think.

The downside is that I cannot get Canal plus but as I didnt want it anyway.... . There are however a small number of pay channels, or seem to be, on Earlybird though I have not explored them yet nor seem likely to as I will install UK TV as soon a practical, as well as keeping the French.

No new cable was needed for the connection to the new box though it could have taken it, I think. If I stumble across one I will try it to see if there are any advantages to using one.

[marmite]

[quote user="Hereford"]Hi Marmite (Yes I adore marmite!)

Our TV is a Sony KDL-26P30xx,  invoice is dated 27/08/2008.

[/quote]

Hereford,  re your Sony TV, going by the manual link below, it seems yours is "hd ready" if you have 2 hdmi ports on the back of the tv, as per page 17 of the manual all you need to do is get a hdmi cable with your new TNT hd box. don't waste your money on a supa dupa gold plated one, just a normal one from the supermarket will do.

 http://www.manualslib.com/products/Sony-Kdl-26p30-366490.html

[Hereford]

Thank you so much Marmite - will look at the manual and check Tv.  We are dunces at such things as this - we tend to just hope they work.  Silly really when we are quite "with it" on computers...

[Martin963]

Yes, as has been said a new TNTsat HD box and an HD cable should get you - or rather keep you - up and running.

And with a bit of luck you'll be reasonably impressed with the improved picture quality, you might be satisifed with what you've got already but in reality the standard def picture quality on some channels is lamentable; I in particular am enjoying France 3 in HD, it's a really worthwhile improvement.

As wooly says, there is the Eutelsat alternative (Fransat) which is pretty equivalent to TNTsat but you need to stay with TNTsat because of the direction your dish is already pointing. There are minor plus points to both systems but no point in your changing.... As he says, the cards are "free" but only up to a point, they've always said that in the case of piratage they'll change them, and it's clear it won't be them who pay for the swap out! In addition, Fransat began (from memory) in 2009 with their standard def offering, which terminates in April. So the cards have only lasted seven years! Fifteen euros every four years for TNTsat is probably about what it costs them to produce and administer the card system anyway.

[Martin963]

I've just noticed that this idiotic forum has stopped me using the word p*ssy cat, (describing our volatile neighbour above). Honestly, the world has gone mad.

[woolybanana]

pussycat?

[Martin963]

Ah, but that's your seniority Wooly....!

[Hereford]

Thank you Martin (and others).  We now have a nice new HD TNT box and an HDMI cable so are all ready for off on 5th April.

Bit of a pain to get all the channels back as the basic installation only gets the 14 French channels. Did a "manual" search and got all the others.  Luckily we remembered having to do this with the original box as there is nothing in the instruction book and the staff in E****t do not seem trained to tell "foreign" cutomers that they can get German/English/Spanish/Italian etc channels if they do the correct installation.

We actually got 30 euros off the new box because we took the old one back...wow!! No problem about the TNT card either they took out and gave us our existing one and a new one was in the box.

Luckily, because of the advice on this forum, we knew we needed an HDMI cable - no questions were asked about our TV in the shop so I just requested (a basic) one.

Thanks a million anyway

H.

[Martin963]

Glad things went well,   although you should in fact have 26 free French HD channels (ie TF1 on position 1 through to LCI on 26);   are some missing?

As to the other richesse of channels available via the box from Astra 1,  well come on Hereford this is France!!!    What possible relevance could all those channels - many of them of high (but foreign!) culture - have for those blessed by living within L'Hexagone....!!

[Hereford]

Just so Martin! But: our "gendre" is German and the grand-kids are really happy they can watch German kids programs when they come.  One German channel too is brilliant on New Year's eve (when French tv is rubbish) as they show the fireworks from Berlin.

Have hardly had time to see what we are geeting that is new but will check that we get all 26 French channels.

Thanks again.

H.

[Martin963]

Although I don't speak any German for me it's the classical radio stations that are the big attraction.   Sadly they increasingly favour "blah blah" over actual music but even so they are hugely preferable to oh-so-matey Radio 3 which I cannot stand in its dumbed-down state.  

And "Dinner for One" alone justifies the TV channels!

[Yonner]

Hi all, these tv threads are always informative.

We have recently noticed our box has displayed "Err" and thought the box had gone snafu. Our card must be 4 years old by now, and I'd never thought this could be the case. Can I get a replacement from any tv store or the original supplier? ( its the Fransat card, with the rainbow colours on the front) Any ideas how much? Thanks in advance.

[Danny]

Unlike the TNTSAT cards, Fransat cards have never needed to be replaced.

You don't say what the make and model of the box is but I would hazard a guess that may be where the problem lies rather than the card.

Danny