French TV Channels on Sat

[Chrisdubna]

I receive TF1, France 2, France 3 M6 etc from Telecom 2B but this is in analogue.  A friend has just gone digital but are these channels available in unencrypted format in digital?

Can you give me the Sat name and position and if possible a web site where I can find the frequencies etc.

CHRIS

[BJSLIV]

France 2,3,4,5 are currently available unencrypted on the same satellite (Atlantic Bird 3)  that transmits the analogue that you currently receive. It is unclear whether this will continue long term.

TF1 and M6 are only available on paid digital TPS or Canalsat.

See

http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/France.html

 

PS Atlantic Bird is the current name of Telecom 2B

[Martin963]

As bjsliv says, the future of these channels as non-encrypted is not clear. However, this month's French satellite magazine suggests that it is increasingly likely that they will be left in the clear as encrypting them six months after they first appeared might cause something of an uproar amongst people who pay la redevance but do not have access to DTT (TNT) transmissions.

It should be noted that a Sky box is NOT suitable to watch the Atlantic Bird 3 transmissions, as the symbol rates for these boxes has been (deliberately) crippled to discourage their use on transmissions other than Murdoch's (although some other transmissions can in fact be received on Sky boxes, it just isn't very convenient).

Perhaps also worth pointing out that TF1 and M6 are NOT available on Canalsatellite, as they take blatant commercial advantage of the lack of "must carry" legislation in France. The only way of watching these national non-subscription channels digitally (outside the current TNT service areas) is via a subscription to TPS, a truly unfair situation from the point of view of the viewer. (TF1 and M6 are the major shareholders in TPS, although M6 apparently "want out").

Bottom line: don't buy a digital receiver just for the Atlantic Bird 3 transmissions, but if you have one already then it's a useful service, at least for the moment.