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Upgrading satellite system


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I would appreciate some advice on upgrading our satellite TV system which was in place when we bought the house. We have no TV aerial but 2 satellite dishes pointing ( I think) to Astra 19.2 and Atlantic Bird. The feeds enter the house and connect into a DiSEqC switch then a single connection into a now defunct analogue box. We would like to receive French channels so will need to purchase a TNT digital receiver. If I realign the second dish to Astra 28.2 to receive English TV is it necessary to have a second receiver or can I get a TNT box that will also receive input from Astra 28.2? I have asked local suppliers but received opposing views as to whether this is possible. Thanks in advance.

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I can't answer all of this, but TNT is not a satellite transmission system; it is the digital service received via an aerial, like Freeview in UK. I think you're going to find that a standard satellite decoder is what you need, but I'm sure someone more knowledgable will be along shortly, particularly about the French channel aspect. [geek] 
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To receive French TV via sattelite you will need a TNT sat box plus card and dish pointing at Astra 1 .

To receive UK TV you will need either a Freesat box or a Sky box and dish pointing at Astra 2

I am not aware of any box which combines the two but that is not to say there is not..
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[quote user="Boiling a frog"]To receive French TV via sattelite you will need a TNT sat box plus card and dish pointing at Astra 1 . To receive UK TV you will need either a Freesat box or a Sky box and dish pointing at Astra 2 I am not aware of any box which combines the two but that is not to say there is not..[/quote]

Nearly right,  I 've got French TV via a satellite dish and I do not have a TNT card, just a French, free sat box.

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I think I am right in saying that if you want TNTSat channels (which include Eurosport in German, for example - I know this because they broadcast the race in June...), you need a TNT card, if not - do as Nick says.  Which channels come from which satelite is not my department!!
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TNT = télévision numérique terrestre  (via aerial)

TNTSAT = la TNT gratuite (par le satellite)

My mistake, apologies, but in either case you need a decoder (set top box) or for the aerial version a TV with an inbuilt tuner.

 

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[quote user="pmn"]

I would appreciate some advice on upgrading our satellite TV system which was in place when we bought the house. We have no TV aerial but 2 satellite dishes pointing ( I think) to Astra 19.2 and Atlantic Bird. The feeds enter the house and connect into a DiSEqC switch then a single connection into a now defunct analogue box. We would like to receive French channels so will need to purchase a TNT digital receiver. If I realign the second dish to Astra 28.2 to receive English TV is it necessary to have a second receiver or can I get a TNT box that will also receive input from Astra 28.2? I have asked local suppliers but received opposing views as to whether this is possible. Thanks in advance.

[/quote]

If you have a dish directed towards Atlantic Bird this would suggest that Terrestrial Numeric Television is of poor signal strength. There is TNT on satellite on both Astra 1 at 19.2 and on Atlantic Bird; however the dish on Astra 1 would probably be easier to redirect to Astra 2 rather than the dish directed to Atlantic Bird. In addition there are now two companies supplying SAT boxes on AB, the HD compatible boxes are more expensive but the choice would depend on if your TV is HD or not. An additional set top box will be required for the Astra 2 stuff. I would recommend that you check with your neighbours about the terrestrial possibilities as this would be a better and cheaper alternative. I used to receive analogue from AB with a dish but successfully changed to TNT with an aerial with spectacular reception.  

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Quite a collection of advice.....

I'm not sure what NickP is receiving,  but VERY few of the main French TV stations are free to air,  EXCEPT on Atlantic Bird 3 where France 2/3/5/O/LCP are FTA (and I think TMC...??).   Maybe that's what Nick is using...

So,  as ppp so wisely says,  if you want ALL the main TNT channels (including TF1 and M6) your best bet might be to buy a FRANSAT box and connect it up to your AB3 dish.    Assuming the LNB isn't from the ark it should just work.   You'll get the FTA stations I mention above,  PLUS all the other TNT channels, because Fransast is supplied with the necessary card.   

En passant,  a Humax box might well get the 2/3/5O/LCP combination off AB3,  but it won't get the other TNT channels as they are encrypted.

This then leaves your Astra 1 dish to be reorientated onto Astra 2.   ALL Fransat boxes can cope with other sats,   and I'm fairly sure they will all handle DISECQ too,    I successfully use one to move seamlessly from British (Astra 2) to French (AB3) TV,  and there's no reason why you can't get a Fransat box with your DISECQ switch to do the same for you,   although the set up in the menus is slightly tricky to start with.    Personally I like to have a separate receiver on each dish (so that I can record off one while watching another) but that's personal.    The main drawback to Fransat and TNTsat boxes as British receivers is that they won't update any channel frequency changes,   and you won't get the full EPG.    So it all depends how important those are to you.

The only other drawback to the above scenario is that you'll lose all the free to air stuff on Astra 1,  including many German channels and - as coops says - Eurosport Germany   (which is an FTA channel rather than a TNTsat channel) .    So if these are important to you you should choose the TNTSAT option,  leave the Astra 1 dish alone,   and realign (if it will swing round that far without hitting a wall!) the AB3 dish so that it's pointing at Astra 2.    Often - as ppp is implying - the mounting will need to be altered to swing a dish round as far as that.

Now originally NONE of the TNTSAT boxes would work on any satellite OTHER than Astra 1,   but this deliberate (contrary to EU regs) crippling of the boxes was relaxed a while back,   and even the existing crippled boxes in the field have mostly been uncrippled (for example our SAGEM TNTSAT boxes were thus "liberated" last year).    They now have Disecq too,   so again I can use these - as well as the Fransat boxes - to move seamlessly from French TV on Astra 1 to British TV on Astra 2.

If you go down this route you need to double check the specs of a TNTSAT box you might buy (just to confirm that they can do Disecq),  but this can be done fairly easily via the TNTSAT website which links to all the approved manufacturers.

I'm sorry to go over the odd bit of previously covered ground,   please come back again if you need more advice.  

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Martin, (from information on the screen Astra1c,1e,1f .)  I receive the following

TF1

France2

France3

Canal+  available with a subscription

France5

M6

ARTE

W9

TMC

NT1

NRJ12 (VRAI)

Direct

Einsplus

France 24

TV Polonia

CCTV

BBC World

Al Jazzeera news

More German channels that you can wave a stick at

Austrian TV

Spanish TV

Eurosport Germany

Sky news international

 

To be quite truthful the list is almost endless and all this without a subscription, just a sat dish, and a set top box (Strong 6240)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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NickP, I think you mean the Strong SRT6420...? is that right?

If so, this is a TNTSAT decoder with access card as Martin already suggested as a possibility to receive TNTSAT and other channels from ASTRA 1 satellite [Www]

Danny

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[quote user="Danny"]NickP, I think you mean the Strong SRT6420...? is that right?

If so, this is a TNTSAT decoder with access card as Martin already suggested as a possibility to receive TNTSAT and other channels from ASTRA 1 satellite [Www]

Danny
[/quote]

OK lets put it this way, I have never put a card into this box, as there isn't a card slot. So I imagine your suggesting that the card is already built in, Correct? If so, to my simple way of looking at things I don't/didn't need card. [:D]

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Sorry to but in.  On a similar subject.  If I buy a TNTSat box to replace my old Canal+ subscription one, I get all the channels Nick listed, right?  ie, can I assume that the dish is pointing at the right part of the sky, given that it used to give me all the subscription channels before I cancelled them?  Did I understand that correctly, Martin et al?

Oh, and no need for any satelite names, degrees north etc, as I'll need to go the galmi (get a little man in) route if the dish has to be moved so that will be up to him to figure out!

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Absolutely coops.   Same satellite (dare not speak its name) - in fact same feeds exactly,   just different scrambling for Canalsat and TNTsat.

As long as the dish hasn't drifted you can substitute TNTsat boxes for Canalsat boxes,  and vice versa.    TNTsat was - in part - dreamed up by Canalsat as a Trojan Horse way of getting boxes into people's homes,   and then saying "Pourqoui pas gouter aux plaisirs de notre offre?".

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[quote user="Martin963"] Same satellite (dare not speak its name) -[/quote][:D]  Thank you.

Why not try their "offre"?  Because it's so bl**din' expensive, that's why!

Digits cross firmly that the dish has not moved, I will invest in TNT Sat then.  It will be great to get the local telly back again.

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Thanks for all the helpful advice. Our neighbour does get TNT through an aerial but says reception is variable so I have decided on the TNTSAT route and have purchased a Sagemcom DS87 HD terminal which is installed and running. Installation was quick and simple and we now have all the TNT channels along with all the other free to air channels on Astra 1. I just need to realign the second dish to Astra 2 to get British TV. I checked with Sagem who have confirmed by email that the terminal is Diseqc compliant and will be able to receive channels from Astra 2 (providing that Astra I is fed through connection 1 on the Diseqc switch). Thanks again

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[quote user="cooperlola"]

[quote user="Martin963"] Same satellite (dare not speak its name) -[/quote][:D]  Thank you.

Why not try their "offre"?  Because it's so bl**din' expensive, that's why!

Digits cross firmly that the dish has not moved, I will invest in TNT Sat then.  It will be great to get the local telly back again.

[/quote]As an aside, I ordered my box - same one one as Nick's - just after posting the above and it arrived in the post this morning.  Amazon, Supersaver free delivery.  What service!
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My reputation is on the line if it doesn't work eh coops...??!!

To get the non-TNT stuff you may need to do a free to air scan;   often TNTsat boxes initially just put up the channels for TNTsat,   + a handful of others (eg TV Vosges,  TV Mont Blanc) and you have subsequently to order them specifically to find the German stuff with a general scan.  

Just to warn you that this might be needed.

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The ARD site gives a reasonable guide to reception of the new transponder frequencies.

http://www.ard-digital.de/

There are a useful series of Q & As for example;

http://www.ard-digital.de/ARD-Digital/FAQ/Transponderwechsel/Was-muss-ich-tun-um-Das-Erste-HD-und-ARTE-HD-wieder-zu-empfangen

The following sentence is particularly important:

 Bitte achten Sie darauf, dass beim Sendersuchlauf die Netzwerksuche (NIT-Suchlauf) aktiviert ist – diese Funktion muss in einigen Fällen gesondert ausgewählt werden.

 

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