tv in france?

[Judith Hardy]

Hi,
We have now been living in Pau South West France for the last two months and decided we would like to install a tv package combining French and British. This has turned out to be far more complicated than expected.

Can anyone come up with a solution. Is there a free sat package available, if so how do you install?

Looking forward to your suggestions.

Judith

[Bevdeforges]

As you've already found out, no doubt, there is no free French satellite tv. (German satellite tv was always the gold standard in that domain - all you needed was the satellite dish!)

And getting British tv in France usually involves some circumlocutions with a Sky box and subscription through some friendly address back in the UK. I've heard of some Internet driven access to British television, but those all seem to require a proxy to disguise the fact you're coming in from outside the UK.

We've had Canalsat now for years, and while the English language channels available are pretty much limited to the news channels (CNN, BBC World, CNBC, Sky News, Al Jazeera English, and France 24 English), the mainstream broadcast French channels (TF1, France 2 and 3 and M6) seem to be broadcasting more US and British programs in VM, where you can elect to get the original soundtrack. A few of the French satellite channels also make frequent use of VM - Canal Jimmy and Sci Fi especially.
Cheers,
Bev

[Judith Hardy]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

As you've already found out, no doubt, there is no free French satellite tv. (German satellite tv was always the gold standard in that domain - all you needed was the satellite dish!)

And getting British tv in France usually involves some circumlocutions with a Sky box and subscription through some friendly address back in the UK. I've heard of some Internet driven access to British television, but those all seem to require a proxy to disguise the fact you're coming in from outside the UK.

We've had Canalsat now for years, and while the English language channels available are pretty much limited to the news channels (CNN, BBC World, CNBC, Sky News, Al Jazeera English, and France 24 English), the mainstream broadcast French channels (TF1, France 2 and 3 and M6) seem to be broadcasting more US and British programs in VM, where you can elect to get the original soundtrack. A few of the French satellite channels also make frequent use of VM - Canal Jimmy and Sci Fi especially.
Cheers,
Bev

Hi Bev,

Thank you for this information. Will look into Canalsat. Have you heard of free sat? or had any experience of it?

Many thanks
Judith

[parsnips]

Originally Posted by Judith Hardy

Hi Bev,

Thank you for this information. Will look into Canalsat. Have you heard of free sat? or had any experience of it?

Many thanks
Judith

Hi,
For UK TV look at "Freesat from BBC:ITV" site, you can get a standard box from about £50 (available in France also via UK sat installers (but install it yourself) more advanced boxes ,up to Sky+ standard available . There is NO subscription, NO card, NO need to activate by phone , just buy the box and plug in (it will ask you to enter your postcode-just put in your last UK code ,to get your regional channels).Sat. @ 28.5° E.
For french TV , no need to subscribe to Canalsat, you can now get a "Fransat" box + card for 99€ , NO further payments , to receive the main french channels + about 30 other free channels. See the website, or ask your local installer.
If you have to instal the dishes go for minimum 80cm, and have a go at setting them up yourself, installers charge a lot for what is a simple job. (Don't put the dishes on the chimney or roof, but within a short step ladder reach on a pole or a wall- installers always put them up high so that if the dish needs fine adjustment, you have to call them back-more excessive fees).

[Judith Hardy]

Originally Posted by parsnips

Hi,
For UK TV look at "Freesat from BBC:ITV" site, you can get a standard box from about £50 (available in France also via UK sat installers (but install it yourself) more advanced boxes ,up to Sky+ standard available . There is NO subscription, NO card, NO need to activate by phone , just buy the box and plug in (it will ask you to enter your postcode-just put in your last UK code ,to get your regional channels).Sat. @ 28.5° E.
For french TV , no need to subscribe to Canalsat, you can now get a "Fransat" box + card for 99€ , NO further payments , to receive the main french channels + about 30 other free channels. See the website, or ask your local installer.
If you have to instal the dishes go for minimum 80cm, and have a go at setting them up yourself, installers charge a lot for what is a simple job. (Don't put the dishes on the chimney or roof, but within a short step ladder reach on a pole or a wall- installers always put them up high so that if the dish needs fine adjustment, you have to call them back-more excessive fees).

Fantastic,

My husband is searching now. They are saying we need a dish of 1.5m in diam? does this sound about right? Also there are 2 sats in the sky here does it matter which one you point at?

All just so technical!!!!! I just like the plug into the back of the telly.

Many thanks

Judith

[Judith Hardy]

Originally Posted by parsnips

Hi,
For UK TV look at "Freesat from BBC:ITV" site, you can get a standard box from about £50 (available in France also via UK sat installers (but install it yourself) more advanced boxes ,up to Sky+ standard available . There is NO subscription, NO card, NO need to activate by phone , just buy the box and plug in (it will ask you to enter your postcode-just put in your last UK code ,to get your regional channels).Sat. @ 28.5° E.
For french TV , no need to subscribe to Canalsat, you can now get a "Fransat" box + card for 99€ , NO further payments , to receive the main french channels + about 30 other free channels. See the website, or ask your local installer.
If you have to instal the dishes go for minimum 80cm, and have a go at setting them up yourself, installers charge a lot for what is a simple job. (Don't put the dishes on the chimney or roof, but within a short step ladder reach on a pole or a wall- installers always put them up high so that if the dish needs fine adjustment, you have to call them back-more excessive fees).

Where do you buy the freesat box Sky+ box from here in France?

[minesthechevy]

80cm and 90cm dishes are common.

You might want to check if a 1.5metre dish ( ex Jodrell Bank I think?) needs local planning permission.

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by Judith Hardy

Also there are 2 sats in the sky here does it matter which one you point at?

Parsnips will no doubt have more info, but as I understand it there is a sort of dual-head thingee (obviously, I'm not a technical person either) you install on the dish that allows you to receive signals from two different satellites. We had to get one for our dish back when we first installed it because we were making use of two satellites.
Cheers,
Bev

[Judith Hardy]

Ok,

will check with planning and await any more helpful information.

many thanks for all your advise.

Judith

[parsnips]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Parsnips will no doubt have more info, but as I understand it there is a sort of dual-head thingee (obviously, I'm not a technical person either) you install on the dish that allows you to receive signals from two different satellites. We had to get one for our dish back when we first installed it because we were making use of two satellites.
Cheers,
Bev

Hi,
I'm afraid that to get BBC etc.via Freesat + French TV via Fransat you will need 2 dishes as the UK sat is at 28.5° E and Fransat is (I think) at 5° or 8° W, too far apart for a combined dish.
1.5m seems a bit big to me , who suggested it? Have a word with neighbours who have Sky and see what they use --the Freesat box receives the same signals as Sky. I would think 80cm + a HIGH PERFORMANCE LNB would be sufficient, but do check.