English TV set in France - help needed

[andykAndy k]

Hi, I have brought over a Sony TV.

I have read that the French operate a different broadcasting system but is there an adapter or something I can buy in order to get a signal?

Also, there is already a sat dish on the roof and I will also want to get Sat channels (coz my wife wants corrie)!!!

Can anyone advise me on what the best way forward is.

Regards

Andy

[Quillan]

Check your TV and see if it supports SECAM if it doesn't then when you get here buy a cheap video recorder in France and use that to get the French stations. You plug it in to the SCART socket on the back of your TV. If you have more than one SCART socket ou can plug your sat box in as well if not you can buy a small auto switch SCART box (this has one cable for the TV and severl sockets for you DVD, Sat Box and Video and autosences which one is switched on and lets the signal through) from most supermarkets, DIY stores or electrical stores. You may need a new LMB for your dish and may also have to re-align it. I paid for this service, it cost be 100€ for a new dish, LMB and alignment. You can try to do it yourself but I neveer had much luck although others here will say it's simple.

[Will]

Just to add to what Quillan says, if you want to see Coronation Street etc you will have to have a Sky box with a viewing card. If you can make do with just BBC channels you can use a French digital satellite receiver or a Sky box without card.

Whether the TV etc works on French boadcasts will depend on the specifications of TV and video. I have tried a French VCR and Sony UK TV in France connected as Quillan says via the SCART sockets and it has worked, but only in monochrome. I have heard of others who get nothing, or don't get sound, and in some cases it works perfectly. It's all down to luck, really.

[Martin963]

I know you Corrie fans are pretty liable to withdrawal symptoms (we are the same with the Archers), but if you can bear to wait a few weeks (perhaps someone can record it for you) I wouldn't rush out and get a Sky box and card just yet.  

There are still negotiations going on between Sky and ITV over carriage and if these fail (which many think ITV want them to do) then ITV may go Free to air like the BBC.   The last I heard was that the decision has to be taken in the next month or so.  Of course this will leave C4 and C5 encrypted,  and it is all a bit speculative,  but it would be a shame to add to Murdoch's numbers (even with an FTV card) if you don't have to.

But nothing (as they say) is certain

[Gyn_Paul]

Martin - Any idea when the C4/C5 carriage contract with Sky is up ?

Who knows they too might go down the free-to-air road.

p

[Martin963]

Sadly I don't know.   The problem with C5 is that (I believe) Sky (or one of Murdoch's Co's) has a shareholding in it and so they don't want C5 outside a card operated encryption.   C4 of course would probably have to find space on Astra 2D to limit (officially) their coverage and if they don't do it soon Astra 2D may become full.

The last I heard was that Ofcom were hearing the case between ITV and Sky and their carriage/encryption charges,  and that a decision will be made within weeks.   But I am only regurgitating what Digital Spy Forums are saying - though there are a number of experts amongst the guessers there.

We shall see....