The UK TV channels are carried by the Astra 2 cluster, which is located at 28.2 degrees East. Because the satellites are around 33,000 kilometers away, precise location is critical.
Is it possible to watch UK Sky TV in France?
Sky UK TV is now available in France, but with our hosting service, you don’t need a UK address. Sky France is now accessible through Skycards.eu, and we also offer the greatest subscription package, which includes a Sky+ HD drx890 and a range of HD channels.
What satellite does French television use?
You have a few options here, and whatever one you choose will be based on your individual circumstances. If you’re looking for FTA or free FrenchTV, I recommend using a satellite dish aligned to the Astra 1 satellites at 19.2E of south or a satellite dish oriented to Eutelsat 5 at 5W. Many more satellites, such as the Hotbirdsatellites at 13E, broadcast French television. Both Astra 1 and Eutelsat provide significantly more possibilities and are the most popular among French satellite TV subscribers.
As you will see and learn more about in this blog, unlike in the UK, the vast bulk of French satellite TV is encrypted, requiring specialized set top boxes and receivers to get it. I recommend purchasing the official packaging for the delivery you are expecting. TNTSat box for TNTSat, Fransat box for Fransat, and so on.
What satellite do I need to see UK television?
At 28.2-28.5 degrees East, the Astra 2 satellite fleet is used by all major UK broadcasters. Some of their transmissions are limited to a small area around the British Isles (known as the UK spotbeam), while others span the entire continent.
Will a Freeview box from the United Kingdom function in France?
In France, there is no charge for watching television. Many UK televisions include a built-in “free to watch” box; however, these do not work in France with simply an aerial since the signal required to make them effective is too weak. A competent non-Sky digital receiver can provide you access to the Free View channels (see below).
In France, what satellite is Freesat?
Many people believe that installing a satellite dish is a difficult process that should be left to the specialists, but this is not the case. If you’re handy with a screwdriver, you can buy a receiver and a dish and install them yourself, giving you access to Freesat’s wide range of channels and if you have a Panasonic TV set with Freesat built in, you’ll also get access to the BBC iPlayer, which may be enough for some to justify hooking up a dish.
It’s worth noting that if you have a Sky dish, you can use it for Freesat as well the satellites are the same, and most of the transmissions are the same for both systems. The satellite’s ‘orbital position’ is 28.2 degrees east, which is equivalent to 28.2 degrees east of straight south.
On the Eurobird satellite, positioned 28.5 east, Freesat has certain channels and critical network information. Because they’re so close together, you’ll get a signal from both with a regular dish. If, however, a Freesat box claims it can’t find the signal when you try to tune in the receiver, you may need to nudge the dish a fraction, as the likely cause is that it’s not receiving information from Eurobird that’s crucial for setup, such as the channel list and postcode data that ensures you see the correct regions.
You only need a single cable from the satellite dish to the receiver if you’re installing a basic set-top box. If you’re installing a recorder, most of them offer twin tuners, allowing you to record two channels at once or record one while watching another. In addition, unlike a Freeview system, satellite requires only one cable per tuner (for the technical reasons, see this article).
If you’re starting from the ground up, I’d recommend getting a multi-output LNB (each output feeds a separate tuner) so you can add another receiver or upgrade to a recorder later without having to re-align the dish. On the end of the satellite dish arm, the LNB is the actual receiving bit; the dish simply focuses the satellite signal on the LNB, which does the actual job.
To begin, select a satellite receiver or recorder the Humax Foxsat HDR is a good Freesat recorder that requires two connections to the dish. Suppliers such as Maplin or Turbosat can provide you with a dish, LNB, and cable.
Unless you already have a Sky minidish, you’ll need to run a new cable from the satellite receiver to your dish. Satellite-grade cable is required, and the plugs on both ends are known as F connections. Trim around 1cm from the interior white insulation and 1.5cm off the outside insulation. Fold the copper braid back over the outer insulation, and then secure the connector by simply putting it over the cable’s end and screwing it in place. Put a connection on the end closest to the receiver for now; you’ll have to bring the other end outdoors before you can plug it in.
Before connecting the cable, make sure the satellite receiver is turned off. Push the connection into the LNB in socket (LNB 1 and LNB 2 on a recorder; some boxes include a ‘LNB out’ for a second receiver, which you can disregard) and swivel the end clockwise to lock it in place.
Now, construct the satellite dish according to the directions; you’ll need to attach the LNB to the arm. In most cases, the connectors will be facing down. We went with an 80cm dish and a universal LNB so that we may set up the system to receive other satellites as well. A 60cm dish will suffice for the Astra 2 satellite if you live in the south of England; for more satellites or if you live farther north, a larger dish may be required. Local satellite stores may be able to assist you.
Now you must place the fixing bracket on your wall; the satellite is 28.2 degrees east of due south, therefore you must choose a wall on which you can fix the dish and move it adequately from side to side. If you need extra space to spin the dish, choose a bracket that extends further out from the wall, or use a garden or patio stand a dish doesn’t need to be high up on the wall to see the appropriate part of the sky; it simply needs to be able to see the right part of the sky. Make sure the bracket is vertically aligned; otherwise, it would be difficult to locate the satellite. Remember to check whether you can install a dish if you reside in a conservation area or if you rent your house.
Make a note of your latitude and longitude; in our case, 51.5 North and 0 East are the coordinates. There’s a calculator at Satellite Signals that will tell you where to position your dish. In the ‘Satellite orbit’ box, type 28.2, then your latitude and longitude in the following two boxes, then click the button to calculate the results. The ‘Dish azimuth relative to magnetic north,’ which tells you how much to rotate the dish left and right, and the ‘Dish elevation,’ which tells you how high in the air to point the dish, are the most crucial pieces of information.
Install the dish on the pole and tighten the bolts to the point where it won’t move on its own but can be moved from side to side with a little pressure. The elevation must now be set; the dish is constructed such that you can read the value from a scale when it’s mounted vertically on our dish, the scale is marked in latitude rather than elevation, so we set it to roughly 51; other dishes have the elevation marked on the scale. Later, we’ll make the final modifications.
Now you’ll need a compass, which can be found in outdoor stores for around 7. Rotate the numbered dial so that the black marker points to the azimuth value you discovered earlier. After that, rotate the compass such that the arrow heading north is between the two bright dots, making sure you’re not near any major metal items that could alter the reading.
When it is, the light line at the end of the compass and the mark on the dial will indicate the direction in which you must point your dish. Holding the compass beneath the dish’s arm may assist you in aligning it.
We can now attach the dish to the receiver because it is roughly aligned. To get the cable outside to the dish, you’ll have to drill through a wall or window frame. Always remember to drill through a house’s wall at an angle so that the outside is lower than the interior; this prevents water from flowing into the hole. You can also acquire a cover for the outlet to protect it. From the inside, feed the cable through the hole. Fit a connector to each end of a short section about two meters long and then a connector to the piece that leads back to the receiver.
This is a satellite finder, and it costs around 15; when it receives a signal from the LNB, it makes a high-pitched whistle. Connect the receiver to the designated socket, and connect the LNB to the other one with the short connection you prepared. Turn on the receiver, then adjust the satellite finder’s knob to around 5. Slowly move the dish until the strongest signal is found.
After you’ve done that, everything should be in order. You can now go into the receiver’s setup panels and try to tune it in. If all goes properly, the Freesat box will announce that it has found the satellite and will then begin to set up.
A Freesat receiver, on the other hand, can be fiddly if it doesn’t; if you have a friend with a dish, you could plug your receiver into their dish first and set it up. Then connect it to your TV and choose a channel like BBC1, and you’ll see the picture display on the screen as well as the meter’s indication.
If no channels are identified, the dish is not properly aligned, so go back and double-check everything. Budget satellite finders like the one we used can find any satellite, not just Astra 2, so if you’re a long way away, you might be pointing at the wrong one – there’s a satellite at 23.5, for example. More expensive meters will validate the name of the satellite displayed on the screen, but since you’ll probably only be doing this once, I don’t believe it’s worth it.
This may appear to be a difficult task, but if you’re cautious, aligning the dish is actually quite simple.
After you’ve completed, double-check that all of the bolts are securely fastened without jostling the dish so that the dish won’t be blown out of alignment by the wind.
What is the best way for me to watch BBC in France?
In the United Kingdom, the BBC iPlayer is free, although it is not available in France. A VPN is required to access BBC iPlayer in France. In order to watch BBC iPlayer programmes in France, you’ll need PureVPN.
Why am I unable to view Sky in France?
You won’t be able to stream Sky outside of the UK using your Sky Go, Sky Kids, Sky Sports, or Sky Sports Box Office apps after January 1, 2021. Some Sky apps allow you to download your favorite episodes and movies through WiFi before leaving home so you can enjoy them offline while traveling.
According to certain rules, EU citizens can stream content from any EU country. Because the UK will no longer be a member of the EU on January 1, 2021, we will no longer be able to provide this service in the same way.
Not only Sky, but many other online video, music, and entertainment services are affected by this shift.
In France, how can I obtain Sky channels?
Sky Sports is available in France through the Skycards.eu subscription bundle. By using a VPN router, you may access your favorite UK channels (ITV Player, 4 On Demand, 5 Player, BBC iPlayer, and more). The VPN (virtual private network) is featured in a few of Sky TV’s bundles.
Is it possible to see French television on Freesat?
You can receive free-to-air TV, including all BBC channels, by using a satellite system without a subscription. Other French channels may be available in addition to TV5. Packages start at about 150, with a one-time installation fee. Please ask your local satellite installer for more information and specify that you want to receive the French channels.
With the purchase of a TNTsat card, the French version of BBC/ITV Freesat is now available in France.