TF1 HD FTA on 9 east

[Jako]

The HD version of TF1 has now started on eutelsat 9A 12034 v 3/4 27500 dvbs-2 as TF1 HD SUISSE (same transponder as the other "Suisse" versions)

[Martin963]

Thank you for that.   I had been keeping an eye on the situation (checked a couple of weeks back) but hadn't spotted this development,  had hoped it would happen.    At present my Devon 1 m 9 deg E dish has a Ka band LNB on it for testing Irish TV but as I'm demounting it in the next week to take it to France (for 28.2 deg E back up for 2F)  I will substitute an 80 cm in its place so I'll set it up on Ku band (and admire that which you have alluded to),  then see if 80 cms is enough to pull in Irish Ka.

[Jako]

So, you are preparing for 'the worst" when Astra2F takes over.[:D]

Someone else just reminded me that the Astra2 E-G satellites will also carry beams for North Africa and the Middle-east.

That means the frequencies used for the UK spotbeam might simply be re-used for those beams (cheap!) and that would effectively make it impossible to receive UK television in areas closer to those beams than to the UK beam, no matter what dish size is used. No problem for France, but it could create a big problem in southern Spain.

[Martin963]

Indeed.   If the "worst" does actually happen a lot of people will be ringing me up and requesting my (free) advice so I need to be au fait with what things are like as soon as possible.

I foresee problems for Spain too,  having said that I still think that the threat of frequency re-use is overdone in the current ecomonic climate,   you need operators to occupy the transponders and I can't see where that's going to come from,  with more and more people thinking that the internet is a worthy carrier of TV.....