Sky alternative

[AnOther]

Something worth keeping an eye on.

http://www.astra2d.com/freesat.htm

[cooperlola]

And about bl**dy time too!  My conscience does not sit happily with giving Mr M money.[:@]

[AnOther]

Here here, although given the confusion with the word "Freesat" in the market already you'd have thought they could have come up with something a tad more original and imaginative [blink]

[cooperlola]

Yes, and this will give the technical types who already have a problem drumming the difference between Freesat, Freeview et al, into our heads, an even bigger headache![:-))]

[briwy]

   

Im not sure what this is going to give us that we cant already get.

We have both a Freesat box system bought from Maplins that receives BBC and ITV channels but not CH 4 & 5.

Also have Pace box with a £20 Sky card (one off payment) in that will receive BBC, ITV, Ch4 and 5.

According to what I have heard on the radio today here in the UK there will be a one off charge for this which I bet will be more than £20 so what is the advantage if it uses the same Astra 2D satellite.

My wish list is for the UK channels to be available from whatever satellite the French use then I could probably get a signal in the Pyrenees.

Brian

[Tim]

Well Brian, probably not too much difference for you as you already have the equipment, but for those who want to 'go digital' in the UK but are not within the range of a terrestrial transmitter should now be able to get the full range of services (apart from 5 at the moment) when the platform is put into place. It will mean, of course, that your Maplins box will get Channel 4 - eventually.

 

Tim

[BJSLIV]

It will mean, of course, that your Maplins box will get Channel 4 - eventually.

Not necessarily. It is possible that there will be some sort of encryption and hence card reader required.  Not all the cheaper free to air boxes have will have the appropriate technology built in.

[Tim]

That's true, but at the moment there's no talk on an encription on the signals - things change, of course. We'll see in time.

[Martin963]

The only difference that will be tangible is that it is likely that a proper 7 day EPG will become available to non Sky boxes.   Additionally the idea (at least in the BBC's mind) is to further entrench the concept  of true free-to-air transmission,  thus making it harder for any government to abolish the licence fee or introduce pay per view .  

If channel 4 decide to abandon encryption when their contract with Sky to use Videoguard comes up for renewal then they will be welcomed onto the BBC/ITV's freesat platform.   Channel 5 is lesss likely to go free to air as they are apparently partly owned by Murdoch,  but then you never know.

But in practical terms for the moment there is no change to the range of channels you can already see on a Brico-whatever free to air receiver.

Incidentally having just looked at the link:

"Freesat will allow the BBC and ITV to supply their services directly to

consumers without the broadcasters having to pay Sky to encrypt their

programmes"

This is of course complete out of date nonsense - the BBC and ITV already do this.  

[Kingdingaling]

You lot watch too much telly.

That said, your also on here most of the time competing for who can appear the most knowledgable.

tut tut

[briwy]

      

Hm, still wont be able to watch Corry in the Pyrenees then.

[AnOther]

[quote user="briwy"]Hm, still wont be able to watch Corry in the Pyrenees then.[/quote]What's your problem ?

Assuming a clear view and an adequate size dish you should have no problem getting Astra 2d in the Pyrenees [:D]

http://www.astra2d.com/astra2d-france.htm

There is some very useful info here also, including a section on southern France.

http://www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk/

[Martin963]

@ borat

Oh dear,  is that how I (we) come across?

That's very sad if it's how you see me/us......   as I thought that the technical section of the forum was a pleasant exception to the truly ghastly (and pointless) bickering/flaming etc that I've seen at times in - say - the Post Bag.

Personally I find expert advice a great help;   I know very little about computers but people here who do know have been very helpful.

Tant pis

On a happier (and self correcting!) note,  the other tangible addition that will be allowed is the free-to-air transmission of HD TV,  and I know one or two people here want to get their eyes on that without the need for Mr Murdoch to intervene.

[briwy]

   

Ernie y

Thanks for the links.

My Corry comment was a bit tongue in cheek actually but the reason I mentioned about getting UK channels from another satellite is that as yet we have been unable to get a signal from Astra 2D.

The problem is exactly what you mentioned, a clear view.

Our place is on a West facing mountainside and I think it unlikely that we will ever get an Astra 2D signal.  It seems a bit odd really because our French neighbours  get a signal OK from whatever satellite they use which appears to be very similar position to ours.

I am taking a bigger dish back in the summer to try again.

Incidentally, we have exactly the same problem here in the UK in the Peak District.  We live on a West facing hillside and in winter get a good signal but as soon as the leaves come out on the trees (now) we completely lose the signal.

Brian

[cooperlola]

Martin, I have found your expertise and help of real assistance and am grateful for your contributions.  Always easy to follow too.  You are so right, this is the true spirit of this forum and I always think of you in the way I do Sunday Driver - as a top bloke who's willing to take the time and trouble to help others and who keeps out of all the silly stuff.  Good for you and please keep it up.[:)][B]

[Martin963]

depending on what they're watching of course,  but if it's analogue French TV via satellite then it's coming from just a shade west of due south and they must be able to  "see" the satellite concerned (AB3).   When you look at dishes around the place they all seem to be pointing in much the same direction,  but install two correctly (one on Astra 2 and the other on AB3) and then stand behind them and squint along the direction they're pointing and it's a big difference.

But can you get Astra 2A & 2B?  Can you get ANY UK originated signals?  

Your sat reception in Derbyshire must already be very marginal if the leaves take it out in summer (they would,  what I'm trying to say is that you're lucky it's working in winter coming as it does via a tree).

You've probably investigated,  but ground mounting in the garden can allow you to manoeuvre round an obstruction (such as a mountain?) in some cases.    Astra 2 cluster is in the sky at about where the sun is at about 11.15 am in mid October if I remember correctly.   If it's any help I'll try and be a bit more specific - there's a web site that predicts the sun's position through the satellite arc,  but it only applies in March and October for a few days.   But it allows you to use the sun to judge where a satellite would be in the sky,  which can be really useful in the absence of sophisticated insrumentation.

[Martin963]

Thanks cooperbola,  indeed very kind.   I know sometimes that one appears much more smart-alec than one intends in the milieu of a forum.   It's all a team effort on this section,  a team in which you have found a worthy place.

And that is NOT supposed to sound patronising,  you've helped a lot of people before I've got off the starting blocks (although now I've got ADSL in France.....!)

[AnOther]

[quote user="briwy"]Our place is on a West facing mountainside .... in the UK in the Peak District.  We live on a West facing hillside [/quote]

Bummer.

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde: "To live on one west facing hillside is unfortunate but to live on two could be considered careless" [Www]

 

[Brilec]

The chance of Channels 4 & % being encrypted when launched on the "new" freesat service is very unlikely. BBC changed over to Astra 2D in order to avoid paying Sky the vast sum they were demanding for the encryption service. 2D having the smaller footprint, got round the rights issue just about enough.

For the south of France, you would need a 90cm dish to stand a chance of reliable signal.

[Martin963]

but that's the rub;  there is no guarantee that channel four or % (I assume you mean 5 or FIVE!) will be tempted onto freesat.   It does seem more likely that channel four will run howling from Sky the minute their encryption contract expires,  'cos like the BBC in the past they are paying for a service that turned out to be unnecessary,  but five?   Isn't it part of Murdoch's kingdom (partly at any rate).   It may not have the option and may simply become a channel that you can only view by satellite IF you take out a Sky sub.

At least that's what the general feeling elsewhere is.

[Tim]

In addition to that Martin, the people at 5, at the moment anyway, appear to be under the impression that they are already transmitting free to air. They seem to be having problems understanding the difference between FTA & FTV.

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Timco"]In addition to that Martin, the people at 5, at the moment anyway, appear to be under the impression that they are already transmitting free to air. They seem to be having problems understanding the difference between FTA & FTV.[/quote]They are not alone!  Personally, I'd actually miss 5.  Need my weekly dose of "Shark".!

[Martin963]

can quite believe it Timco.   When Ch 5 started on analogue satellite I rang them up and they promised they would be FTA, as were the test tx's running at the time.   Of course they weren't - you needed a Videocrypt decoder (though not the card) to watch them once they launched.   Subsequently realised I wasn't missing much....

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Martinwatkins"] Subsequently realised I wasn't missing much....
[/quote]Obviously James Woods isn't your type then, Martin?[;-)]

[briwy]

      

Martin.

The problem is that we are (in Derbyshire) half way up the hill actually on the hillside and the satellite is literally just over the top of the hill.

Thus when the leaves come out on trees behind us the signal goes.

Neighbors over the road, about 150ft away can get it OK as they are further away and have a better sightline.

I think we have much the same problem in the Pyrenees but I will take a big 80cm dish and have a good play in the summer when we are goisng for a few weeks.

Brian