New TV, three channels........

[Ford Anglia]

We bought a cheap TV for the house in France, but can only receive three channels.

Our neighbours say it's the aeriel and we need a dish.

Does that mean a digibox too?

We are fairly high up, at 450m, I would have thouight we'd get more than we do.

[Pierre ZFP]

What sort of aerial do you have?  If it's a decent UHF one you should get TF1 TF2 Arte TV5 and a few others.  If it's a loop or bunnys ears on the set then well done for getting 3 channels!  Height is only part of the equation, distance from a transmitter is at least as important.  I'd get a dish and a FTA digital receiver from your loacl Brico if I were you.

[Martin963]

The three "original" channels were all allocated frequencies and powers under the 1961 European agreements under the auspices of the ITU.   For various reasons the UK were able to accommodate four channels.

So anything else subsequently added is a technical compromise.   Arte/F5 and M6 commenced in the mid 80's,  and in order not to cause interference to existing reception the powers are nearly always lower than the main three,  and many tx sites do not transmit them.   For example,  round us the main TV site for Limoges at Les Cars only transmits the main three, (along with the scrambled Canal + on VHF), the other two come from a town relay at much lower power.

So it could be that you simply have no reception of these channels,  or it is possible they come from a different site,  in which case no amount of quality on the receive aerial will bring them in,  you might need a second aerial pointing in another direction...

To be honest the satellite (even analogue with only three years to go) solution is the cheapest and most reliable.   When analogue UHF (and VHF) are closed then TNT will go onto high power and your problems will probably be solved.

You don't say where you are, if you give me a rough idea I will look up the tx details.

[Ford Anglia]

Sorry for not replying sooner, been busy and forgot wife's requests, d'oh!

We are near to St Mathieu, 87, about 30 miles SW of Limoges.

[Pierre ZFP]

Well, it looks like a trip to the brico for a digital sat. dish kit.  Should get change out of 100 euros.  point it at 28.2 deg east of south for Astra 2d and you'll get more channels than you can shake a stick at.

[Martin963]

my interpretation was that the OP was after French TV but I may be wrong.

In which case it's an ANALOGUE sat receiver set up on 5 deg west (Atlantic Bird 3).

At present you can use a digital FTA box on this same satellite for digital versions of France Televisions (but NOT TF1 or M6) but the future of this service in the clear is uncertain.

As a final alternative you can wait for the official TNT-via-satellite systems to get off the ground;  one via Canalsatellite is due in mid-June,  the other via AB3 is less certain.

Both will it seems need a free-to-view card.

Analogue sat will be switched off probably in 2010 but that's three years away.  You need a SECAM compatible TV to view it in colour but if you got the TV in France then it will be suitable.

I assume you're getting the present three channels from Les Cars;  pure accident I mentioned that one in my example earlier.   Very powerful transmitter.