TV via the livebox

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Got a letter from orange this morning saying we can receive tv through the livebox and apparently it's no extra cost.

Unfortunately, the said letter has disappeared and I cannot find it anywhere.

Id like to see if I can rig it up. Can anyone give me brief instructions on how this is done please? I take it it's done through the computer? This isn't a problem for me as my computer is permanently connected to my tv as I use it to watch movies and record tv on it anyway.

R

[Maricopa]

You need an additional box from Orange which is then connected between the livebox and the TV.

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Ah, thanks. Thanks for the speedy reply too.

Do you have it? Is it worth having?

[Maricopa]

No I don't have it, mainly because of the location of my box being in a different room to my TV, but I have seen it, and you do get a lot of channels, more than with TNT. 

[Danny]

[quote user="LyndaandRichard"]Ah, thanks. Thanks for the speedy reply too.

Do you have it? Is it worth having?
[/quote]

Richard, details are on the Orange site.

No doubt they are suggesting a nice offer to tie you in for another year...

The TV by Satellite channels are all the ones on this page outside the blue rectangles... So about the same as all the channels by TNT...

Danny

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Thanks for that Danny. I find their site a minefield at times.

Got through to the final stage of upgrading and found they will be dropping my internet speed down to 1mb, so have scrapped it. Next time I'm in Chateauroux, I'll pop into FT and sort it with a human. I didn't know our monthly bill had gone down either. Thought we were paying €40, but it's only €29, so am happy about that.

[Quillan]

I have just bought this package and am in the process of setting it up.

You get the standard TNT channels plus some more, you also get TV on demand including films. There is no extra cost for high definition, its included. You also have to pay 49 Euros deposit on the box and card (a card like you have for Sky). The box is nothing more really that a satellite receiver, you must supply the dish and get it aligned before installation. You also need to have the decoder attached to the yellow socket of your Livebox.

What you are really getting is HD Sky+ but with programs on demand. The films seem to cost about 10 Euros each and are available for 48 hours. The Live box simply replaces the phone link that a Sky box uses to order, activate and pay for the film or service. Of course there is no need to buy anything from them but you must keep the Livebox connected. One slight advantage, like Canal+, you can set the box to Original Language so any English speaking programs and films can be watched in English.

To get around your Livebox and Decoder being in two different places you can order, for 69 Euros, two small box's that look like mains adapters, you plug one in to a power socket near the Livebox and the other in to a power socket near the Decoder. There are cables supplied that connect to these 'mains adapter' things to both the Livebox and the Decoder so the data is sent between the two via the electrical wiring in your house. I am waiting for mine to be delivered so I can complete the installation as the Decoder will not work without the Livebox.

TV reception is bad in our area and I can only get two channels on normal TV, I tried a TNT box but because the signal is so bad it just does not work so Satellite is the only option for French TV. This costs me 10 Euros a month so now I pay 39.99 + 3 for the Livebox and get free phone calls, Internet access and TV with no FT bill.

Hope that helps.

[Maricopa]

[quote user="Jane and Danny"]The TV by Satellite channels...........[/quote]

[quote user="Quillan"]The box is nothing more really that a satellite receiver, you must supply the dish and get it aligned before installation. [/quote]

Just to clarify, not all installations require a satellite dish, but I don't know what criteria dictates whether you do or not[8-)]  Perhaps it depends on what broadband speed is available?

[Quillan]

I was under the impression that unless you were on fibre then you need a dish and box, certainly the people I know all have dish's and decoders. WE are in an area that suffers from low speed internet so you may be right. You can always ask next time you go past an Orange/FT shop.

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Thanks for this. We have 2 dishes up anyway, and the second dish could be used for this setup if we go for it. Fortunately, the livebox is in the next room to the tv, and I already have a hole drilled through where I have connected the livebox to my pc, and other satellite cables come through anyway.

In fact, thinking about it, if this installation needs an extra box and probably a dish, I might just as well buy a TNT box and just replace the existing analogue box I have sitting here (that box only picks up TV5 Monde or something, plus a ton of Arabic channels and the like), and re-align the dish as required. All the relevant cables and connections are all here.

Thanks everyone, your answers have made me see the wood for the trees.

[Quillan]

I decided to go this way because of my normal TV problems. I also thought it a good idea to put all my eggs in one basket so I only have one point of call (FT and Orange being one and the same). I also elected to rent rather than buy. Living in the mountains we get quite good storms and the thought of the lot going bang and then finding out everything was a day out of warranty worried me. This way its their problem.

I saw a TNT satellite box in Leroy Merlin and it was 239 Euros I have no idea what the difference is between that box and a standard Digital box, I just paid a 49 Euros deposit on mine and if it breaks I get a replacement if you see the direction I am coming from. On Orange they also have a Rugby channel for 6 Euros a month which I intend to subscribe to but that's about it.

[Danny]

[quote user="LyndaandRichard"]
In fact, thinking about it, if this installation needs an extra box and probably a dish, I might just as well buy a TNT box and just replace the existing analogue box I have sitting here (that box only picks up TV5 Monde or something, plus a ton of Arabic channels and the like), and re-align the dish as required. All the relevant cables and connections are all here.

[/quote]

If you buy a TNT box (that is tnt by sat and not through the ordinary aerial) you will only have two choices Bis TV or TNTSAT from Canal+ . Both have their disadvantages... Note these are not the same as the ordinary and cheap TNT decodeurs you can pick up everywhere.

Not out of the woods yet...

Danny

[Quillan]

Danny, could you expand on this a bit in laymans terms. I want to make sure I have done/got the right thing. What is exactly the difference between the TNT box and a cheap decoder?

Thanks

[Danny]

[quote user="Quillan"]

You get the standard TNT channels plus some more, you also get TV on demand including films. There is no extra cost for high definition, its included.

[/quote]

Quillan, I don't think that is the case. The HD channels are not included on the Orange TV by satellite. Only on Orange TV by ADSL. It is only these channels which are included. That means all the THT plus Orange sports info and AB Moteurs. 20 in total.

Anything else must be paid extra for

Danny

[Danny]

[quote user="Quillan"]Danny, could you expand on this a bit in laymans terms. I want to make sure I have done/got the right thing. What is exactly the difference between the TNT box and a cheap decoder?

Thanks
[/quote]

Most TNT reception is through the traditional rooftop aeriel. This is now available in a lot of France (not here yet) but only if your TV reception can 'see' the transmitter. Basic decodeurs for this are now very cheap.

If you can't get TNT like that, like yourself in the hills and us in the niddle of nowhere, then you can also go for TNT by satellite. This means getting a specific decodeur for TNT by satellite - as opposed to a cheap digital satellite decodeur - and either using TNTSAT system or BIStv. At the moment, TNTSAT offers a choice of 2 decoders 1 at about 120 euros and the other (HD capable) at 240 euros. This comes with a card which lasts for 4 years. There is no rental or subsciption at all but no one knows what happens after 4 years.

BiS tv has a 4.90 euro a month subscription and that is it. You have to buy your own decoder etc.

Basically the TNT by satellite route is more complicated and expensive.

With your Orange service, you are getting the same thing included in your package so it is not bad. This is Orange's version - by Satellite for those who are unable to get Orange TV by ADSL. It is a bit limited in terms of equipment but pretty cheap.What it does do is get your custom for a year at least. So if you fancy paying more to watch a film or upgrade your packs, you will do it with Orange.

Happy viewing

Danny

 

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Arrghh. This is getting too complicated. I just want to receive the basic main French channels via satellite. Not bothered about movies or sport. I don't have an aerial (as I took this down a few months back as it was ugly and didn't work anyway).

What's the best and cheapest option from those who know?

Edit: Just saw Danny's post above. Please ignore this. Thanks Danny.

[Quillan]

Thanks Danny, much appreciated.

[Danny]

[quote user="LyndaandRichard"]Arrghh. This is getting too complicated. I just want to receive the basic main French channels via satellite. Not bothered about movies or sport. I don't have an aerial (as I took this down a few months back as it was ugly and didn't work anyway).

What's the best and cheapest option from those who know?
[/quote]

Richard,

It is stupidly complicated. I am not getting in to HD either...

If I understood your set up properly, you have an analog sat decodeur - like me - on which you receive the 6 main channels. At the moment there is no way of getting all the channels digitally by Sat except by TNTSAT or BIStv and now Orange. If your analog decoder is still ok I would hang on to it until the signal is switched off in a few (maybe 3?) years. By then, I think there will be other offers and ways to access digital TV.

If you plan to continue with Orange as an ISP then it might  be good idea to sign up for another year and get the tv Too. Orange will be hoping that you will continue with them after a year or even add more channels/packs etc..

Danny

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

We can't even get the 6 main channels on ours. We get TV5 monde plus a heap of other channels that we don't want (like Arabic, porn, god channels etc). It is an analogue box, and if I remember correctly, it only has astra something or hotbird (or firebird) it can pick up. Not sure, but there was some reason why we couldn't gt the main channels. And really, it's only the main channels we want.

[Martin963]

Quillan - you and I were talking about this Orange/Bis/TNTparSat/Canal + stuff on a recent thread.   I think Danny has supplied the answer to which I was groping,  namely that the system needs to use use the satellite feed in areas where ADSL is a bit slow,  but ONLY for the basic channels that are in fact already part of the BIS package,   for which Orange has now done a tie-up with Bis and "borrow" these selected basic channels for their subscribers,  either from Bis on Hotbird or Bis on AB3,  along with the few channels that Orange themselves supply via satellite which are also carried on Bis's transponders.

My hunch is still that Canal + via Orange is not in fact coming from the satellite at all,  but that the system would flip to ADSL if you chose to view Canal +  or the view-on-demand film channels.

I still can't be sure of course,   but I think this reconciles your "facts-on-the-ground" with my theoretical findings based on my interest in satellite (and accompanying dis-interest in ADSL,  but then when one only gets 350 kbps most of the time it's hard to be that interested!!)

[Martin963]

L&R - I'm still not sure if you have an analogue or digital sat box.   I guess digital free to air because it sounds like you're watching Hotbird digital (at 13 deg E);  there's precious little left on Hotbird analogue now. 

If that's the case you could turn your dish round to 5 deg W because there - digitally and FTA - you will get France 2/3/5/Arte/LCP.    These channel were "under threat" from the moment of their arrival on AB3 digital,   but as of Oct 31st the threat seems to have passed - at least for the moment;  (as an alternative distribution method has been found for TNT R5 which is irrelevant to this discussion!).   You won't get TF1 or M6 this way as the only digital versions of these are encrypted on AB3,  but your only cost would be turning the dish,  or DIY

Assuming you don't have trees or something else in the way (the sat is only just west of due south) you could give it a try.    The channels are on 11591 MHz vertical,  with a non standard symbol rate of 20000 kbps,  which a Sky box can't handle but most others can.

If in fact your box is analogue you can still turn your dish round to AB3 and enjoy the six basic channels in SECAM analogue (fine if you have a French sourced TV,  might be in black and white if you brought a TV over from Britain).   This analogue version will almost certainly carry on to end 2011 as it is the feed to the terrestrial TV network now,  and if they turn it off the analogue TV network goes off too!    This version gives you TF1/2/3/5/6/Canal + when in the clear/TMC (although you may find the sound on TMC very poor as it's transmitted to a format that most boxes have a lot of trouble reproducing correctly (a question of de-emphasis curves and deviation limits).

Danny has already mentioned this latter route,   I'm just trying to tie things up a bit for you.

[mrsdumpy]

We have Orange telephone and broadband and have just installed our new french  tv set with the decoder box given to us by Orange using the long ethernet cable and so far so good.  We have the basic French programmes and the satellite which was already on the roof seems to be working fine. We were given three "free" channels called Bouquet and I think they will come on line on the 25th.  What we really want is Free to Air.  I understand we have to change the direction of the satellite but I just need clarification that our Orange box will act as decoder for this and that we don't have to buy anything else.  Any help would be most welome.  We are 18kms northeast of Montpellier.

[Martin963]

I'm impressed that the satellite on the roof is working fine.    I'd give a lot for a satellite on my roof,  actually perhaps not as I think the roof would give way.   Sorry,  just my sense of humour.

Anyway,  to answer your question.    I haven't seen one of these set ups but my guess is that the sat box supplied would be fairly confused if you used it on a satellite that it wasn't designed for.   Most of these "supplied" boxes are pretty carefully "doctored" so that they can only easily be used for what the supplier wants them used for.

You don't say what FTA you are after,  I'm assuming British channels.   As I say,  I don't have first hand experience of this Orange set up but if it's British you're after you're going to need a second dish anyway,   so for €70 you might as well buy the dish-and-box FTA package from a Bricowhatever and keep the sat reception separate.

I think Quillan has the same set up,  perhaps he'd advise further....?

[pachapapa]

As things stand at moment the OrangeTV decoder will only receive orange services on Hotbird or Atlantic Bird. Assuming your dish is pointed at HotBird there are a FTA channels available; rock all on AtlanticBird.

An additional FTA Digital tuner would be necessary; however there is talk that the OrangeTV Sat box will be enabled for DiSecq in the new year which would simplify things, so may be better to wait for developments.