Sat TV & Cable

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A lot of expats with satellite TV in Switzerland and France still don't realise that they can receive most of the main British statioins, such as BBC, ITV, Channel Four and select movie and music channels, for free. You don't need Sky, Canal Plus or other fee-paying services. Satellite TV specialist John Sidwell of Bigdishsat.com has been writing about this on the Essential Edge, so it is worth checking his older pieces in the archives for further information. Here some of his latest suggestions.

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Once again, Essential Edge contributor John Sidwell highlights some new satellite products and broadcast pointers, such as how to receive onstream sports events such as the just finished Olympics for free. There are also some new features dealing with security cameras for your home.

Mouriol Milhaguet, France -- The first product is a new Freesat Plus satellite receiver called the Sagem DTR94 and it comes complete with a built in hard disc drive of 500Gb which will allow you to record up to 250 hours of programmes. It has two tuners so that you can watch one channel while you record another and it will also record two programmes at the same time. This new box is being launched at 299 euros and it has a twelve months manufacturer's guarantee.

Milhaguet, France -- The American news and business channel CNBC started permanently transmitting free to air a couple of days ago. Previous to this, it was necessary to have a Sky subscription in order to watch it but non Sky subscribers can receive it on channel 505. It can be received on free to air satellite receivers but you will have to add in the Transponder information and do a manual search. The information you need is: Frequency = 11261 Polarity = Horizontal Symbol Rate = 27500 CNBC will probably appear on the Freesat EPG at a future date but, for the moment, you can add it to your list of channels in 'non-freesat' mode. You will need to know the figures above and your instruction manual will tell you how to do it. Our website also tells you how to add channels in non-freesat mode and that's in the freesat factsheets.

John Sidwell runs his own company, Bigdishsat.com in southwestern France and contributes this column to The Essential Edge.

[Editors Note: Want to know about free satellite hook ups in France? John Sidwell of Big Dish Satellite is your man.  Here  is an abridged installment of his latest Big Dish newsletter]
News from NordNet: NordNet, a subsidiary of France Telecom, has recently introduced Telephone via Satellite as an optional extra to their very competitive packages.  Nowadays, the kit is issued free as long as you undertake to have the service for 24 months and all for 34,90 euros per month. Internet via satellite is perfect if you can’t get broadband via France Telecom’s copper wires or Wimax.  
Even though we have France Telecom broadband here at Big Dish Towers , we also have the NordNet system so that we can demonstrate the system and, more importantly, back up the France Telecom system when it fails, which it does whenever there is a light shower over Limoges. Now, we have added the Telephone by Satellite option so our business can continue whenever Nature intervenes. So, as well as being able to demonstrate the NordNet system to visitors, we can also call you from a satellite phone so you can hear the quality for yourself.

MOURIOL, France -- As usual, Essential Edge contributor and SatTV specialist John Sidwell of Bigdishsat explores new possibilities and equipment but also problems for those wishing to receive satellite television, particularly free-to-view BBCi Sports Multiscreen. Sidwell also reminds us that free-to-view English language satellite programming, such as all the BBC and ITV channels, including Film 4 and FIVE, can be viewed both in France and Switzerland and do not require Sky Boxes.

Now that satellite, cable, digital and internet television have firmly established themselves in much of Europe, including Switzerland and France, traditional analogue broadcasts (the so-called “terrestrial” programmes you have been receiving using rooftop antennae) are being phased out. According to satellite TV specialist John Sidwell, whose pieces have been appearing regularly in The Essential Edge, the Great Switch Off has now started in the UK and France. And as usual, Sidwell offers vital information on sujects such as Sky digiboxes, Broadband via Satellite, and the new French-languare film channel, Cinemoi, with English subtitles. For those who have not been following Sidwell's advice, you can find his previous articles  on receiving BBC, ITV and other British channels on The Essential Edge.

All UK main channels are now free: Of the five UK terrestrial channels, all are now transmitting free-to-air (FTA) on the Astra 2 satellite. ‘Five’ finally went ‘free’ on the 18th November, so it’s now possible to receive all these main BBC and ITV stations on the sort of digital FTA satellite receivers that you may see in the French ‘brico’ shops. Times have changed since the days when you could only receive mainstream British TV through a Sky Digibox and all the associated subterfuge that was necessary to get hold of, including payment for such a viewing card. As John Sidwell of Bigdishsat writes, there are a lot of folk out there who don’t realise just how much British television they can receive without the need of a Sky Digibox and card. What is even more worrying is the number of people who still believe that they have to pay Sky in order to receive the BBC and ITV channels.

Viewers in Switzerland and France already have access to a considerable selection of BBC, ITV and other channels on a free-to-air basis. Channel Five, or Five as we must call it these days, started transmitting in the clear on Monday, November 3, 2008. At the moment, we have to assume that it’s only a test because it’s nestled into one of the transponders used by the BBC. But at least it's now finally up and running with a whole new array of programming ranging from House to Rupert Bear accessible.

Free-to-air satellite reception of major British channels has gone through some changes over the past weeks. John Sidwell, our correspondent from www.bigdishsat.com, gives us some useful insight into how to get back on track with your viewing. During the month of August, he writes, there was a good deal of shuffling around by Channel Four and its sibling channels, FilmFour, More 4 and E4. It looks like the changes have now been finalised and that the channels have found new homes on the Astra 2 satellite.

Last month, Britain’s Channel Four, announced that it was testing free-to-air (FTA) broadcasting. This prompted numerous excited viewers to re-jig their receivers for the new service. Shortly afterwards, however, the London-based independent television channel started messing about with the audio and many of you had your new toy snatched away.

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The BBC News 24 satellite channel changed frequency in mid-March 2008, so those of us who use free-to-air satellite receivers will have to do a bit of programming to get that particular channel back again. You can do a re-scan of all the channels, but your receiver will only find BBC News 24 if that particular frequency already existed in the receiver's database. Also see below on Sky digibox restrictions. The Essential Edge will be providing a regular column on satellite and cable reception in the Lake Geneva Region. However, please comment on your experiences, so that we can respond more appropriately.

Now with satellite and cable television, and increasingly, broadband, you can have access to virtually whatever language radio or television you want. And you don't necessarily have to pay for it.