English TV

[Michelle28]

Hi

Would it be possible to get some English tv Programmes via a normal TV aerial when living in Bayeux or would one need a satellite dish/special aerial.

thanks

Michelle

[Idealfrance]

It's got to be at least 100 miles to the nearest UK transmitter from Bayeux. I suspect that the aerial that you would need - if it's even possible - would cost much, much more than a simple satellite dish / box / freeTV card. You could probably get all the later for £100 or so.

Have a look on www.satcure.com to get an idea of what's involved and how much it costs.

Ben Symons
http://www.idealfrance.com

[Nick Trollope]

Theoretically you should, if you have a clear view over the sea. But, as Idealfrance says, it probably isn't worth the effort because;

a) You would need a UK TV (or UK compatible French TV - not guaranteed)

b) The "path loss" over the distance would vary greatly with conditions/rain/snow etc etc. Meaning that an aerial set up today may not work tomorrow.

c) For licencing reasons, national transmitters (those run by NTL, eg.) are designed NOT to broadcast to forgeign territories (for the same reason that you can't receive sky legit in France).

d) Big aerials are expensive and tend to fall down unless you spend an awful lot of money on mountings for them.

e) Even if you get analogue (ordinary?) pictures, you will not get DTT (Freeview) signals because they are transmitted at considerably less power than analogue.

[Michelle28]

Hi

Thanks for taking the time to reply.  That is a great help

Michelle

[Boxertrix]

Michelle,

 

Just picked a complete sat system up on E Bay for around £75, here is the link to the online shop

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/DCM-Direct-Digital-Viewing-Supplies

If you e-mail them I'm sure they'll do a food deal for you. Delivery was very quick and everything I asked for was delivered, they even gave me advice on the dish sizes for receiving free to air in France.

Good luck

 

Andy

 

 

 

[Liz]

It is probably possible if you are not shielded from the direction of the transmitter by hills, We are about 130 miles from the nearest UK transmitter and on a good day we get a perfect picture, on a bad day (which is most of them) we get little or nothing. To do this we have a very large arial. So, I agree with others who have suggested a satellite system is your best bet. A french digital satellite system at modest cost will give you all the BBC programmes, but not ITV or Ch 4. A digibox will give you all the usual UK channels.

Liz (29)

[Diana]

We are in Sainte Mere Eglise and can pick up excellent quality UK programs, BBC1, BB2, ITV1 and Chn4 but not Ch5. We needed to have a booster box installed with the ariel (sorry not at all techie so don't know the right words).  We pick up our transmission from the broadcast to the Channel Islands.  This is normal terrestrial TV not satellite.

Diana