English T.V and Radio in southern Italy. - Techwatch Support Forums: Digital & Satellite TV, FTA, Cable, Computers, Mobile Phones, Apple and General Tech Forums

Tony C · 07-08-07, 08:52 PM

Hi, I have been directed here by Analoguesat who has given some good advice already. I have just bought a house in southern Italy and would like to get english speaking t.v and radio through my italian tv set. I am a complete beginner in this field so don't feel that you will be teaching granny to suck eggs. I just about recognise an egg! I understand from AS that I will need a digital receiver; could anyone recommend a receiver that would work for this application, and what other stuff would I need, like sat dish (size), holding brackets, satellite pickup heads etc. How much could I get for free and how much would need a pay account for, i.e sky. I have looked at the Astra satellite which gives a number of what looks like suitable channels. Should I be looking at other satellites that cover southern Italy. Thanks for any advice.Tony.

nanochickin · 07-08-07, 09:26 PM

Sky Italia has loads of English speaking stuff on it (Hotbird @ 13e) Being in Italy getting a sub shouldn't be a problem either

Its a fantastic package which is comparable with BskyB for quality, i personnaly think its better than BskyB but thats just my opinion

I think it will just be a case of getting a sub and let the lackies from Sky Italia do all the work

For the side of not paying a sub i would go for one of the Technomate receivers either a 1000 or 1500. I cant say what dish to get as i don't live in Italy but i should imagine a 1m would be fine for most apps although i wouldn't hold any hopes of getting much British TV on it.

If you go for 19.2e you should get most things that are broadcast however though anything off Astra 1e or 1f could be a bit hit and miss as your on the fringe of some of 1E-1Fs broadcast beams

You should be able to get a TM1000D, a 90cm-1m dish, wall bracket or patio stand and a good quality lnb for around the £150 mark in the UK. Your also looking at about £20 for a roll of CT100. Make sure you check if there are any stupid rules regarding wiring in Italy, as i know CT100 is banned in France due to the outer sheath material so it may be the same in Italy

Nano

[img width=400 height=286]http://www.lyngsat-maps.com/maps/images/astra1e_hnf.gif[/img]

Analoguesat · 07-08-07, 09:38 PM

Ho Tony, welcome to the forum. As I mentioned in my email to you, although you would be able to get a reasonable proportion of the UK channels, you would certainly have problems getting BBC & ITV channels in southern Italy. Unless you ahve the space and spare cash for a dish somewhere around 3.5m in diameter forget any ideas of getting the Beeb & ITV.

What are your main interests and we can take it from there- as nanochuck says, Sky Italy has a fairly good choice of channels with dual soundtrack:

http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/skyitalia.html

If this will do you then you will need to see about getting a local Sky Italia installer to set you up as you need the SI box and card

BGonaSTICK · 07-08-07, 09:45 PM

BBC Prime on Hotbird is also an option - a regurgitation of the usual UK BBC general entertainment aimed at ex-pats.

You could also go for a huge dish and try for everything available in the UK. Check astra2d.com for reception reports - Astra 2D is the home of much UK satellite television.

Let us know more about what sort of programming you like, what sort of dish size you would contemplate (or what size is practical on your new property) and how much you'd like to spend. Also, how involved you'd like to get.

Watching English TV becomes an obsession for some once they get started, whilst for others it's just a nice to have if and when it's available.

Roughly where is your new place in Italy?

Tony C · 07-08-07, 10:20 PM

Thanks for the input so far. To give a bit more detail, the house is near to Diamante, in Calabria. This is the bottom of the laces in the Italian boot. One problem that I will have trying to install a large dish is that the house is in the "centro storico", the historic centre, and the commune gets very upset if anything goes up that is much larger than 80 cms. The other problem that I have with a sky package is that we are only there for three months or so every year, so an annual sub is going to work out very expensive. From what has been said already I have ruled out BBC and ITV, I would settle for something that would give me news in english, possibly CNN or similar. Is anything like this possible without paying an annual sub. Thanks for the input so far. Tony.

BGonaSTICK · 07-08-07, 10:33 PM

It sounds like you just want a cheap system with dual LNBs (Astra1 and Hotbird) or maybe a small DiSEqC motor and a nice little FTA box. You can then while away a few hours checking out the freebies.

Have a look at our thread on free English TV in Europe.

You'll get heaps of English news, plus some general entertainment. A patched Technomate will get you BBC Prime on Hotbird for BBC 'drama' and entertainment etc.

nanochickin · 07-08-07, 11:23 PM

Quote:

The other problem that I have with a sky package is that we are only there for three months or so every year

Just bring the receiver and card back with you and use it in the UK. Like i said its camparable with BskyB so you have nothing to lose really

Nano

Analoguesat · 08-08-07, 07:33 AM

OK English news and free if at all possible it is

Well we can give you Sky News, CNN, Euronews, and a host of other including an Iranian news channel

for free on a small dish.

A simple fta box will do that - something like a Technomate (note we often recommend the Technomates simply because they are well regarded by the hobby fraternity)

An 80 cm dish would allow you to have lnbs set on 13E 19E (and 28E for some of the free English channels!). Something like this:

http://www.satcure.com/tech/page9.htm

BGonaSTICK · 08-08-07, 09:56 AM

Don't forget BBC World, France 24 and Al Jazeera International - all in English

LOL - news isn't going to be a problem

Analoguesat · 08-08-07, 07:45 PM

Tony - if you have reasonable speed broadband at both ends (England and Italy) you might be interested in the Slingbox which place shifts viewing from one location to another. You get your sky uk subscription, hook the slingbox up to it and view the digibox output on it in a foreign land. We have a dedicated sub forum here as I bought one to play with a couple of months back.

http://www.satellitehelp.co.uk/forum...oard,70.0.html

If you fancy a trial when you are in Italy let me know & I'll give you the password & set it up again - (Ive been buggering about with the configs!).

07-08-07, 08:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
Tony C Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	English T.V and Radio in southern Italy. Hi, I have been directed here by Analoguesat who has given some good advice already. I have just bought a house in southern Italy and would like to get english speaking t.v and radio through my italian tv set. I am a complete beginner in this field so don't feel that you will be teaching granny to suck eggs. I just about recognise an egg! I understand from AS that I will need a digital receiver; could anyone recommend a receiver that would work for this application, and what other stuff would I need, like sat dish (size), holding brackets, satellite pickup heads etc. How much could I get for free and how much would need a pay account for, i.e sky. I have looked at the Astra satellite which gives a number of what looks like suitable channels. Should I be looking at other satellites that cover southern Italy. Thanks for any advice.Tony.

07-08-07, 09:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
nanochickin Retired Mod & Sat Guru Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Wolverhampton Posts: 3,825 Thanks: 46 Thanked 338 Times in 270 Posts	Re: English T.V and Radio in southern Italy. Sky Italia has loads of English speaking stuff on it (Hotbird @ 13e) Being in Italy getting a sub shouldn't be a problem either Its a fantastic package which is comparable with BskyB for quality, i personnaly think its better than BskyB but thats just my opinion I think it will just be a case of getting a sub and let the lackies from Sky Italia do all the work For the side of not paying a sub i would go for one of the Technomate receivers either a 1000 or 1500. I cant say what dish to get as i don't live in Italy but i should imagine a 1m would be fine for most apps although i wouldn't hold any hopes of getting much British TV on it. If you go for 19.2e you should get most things that are broadcast however though anything off Astra 1e or 1f could be a bit hit and miss as your on the fringe of some of 1E-1Fs broadcast beams You should be able to get a TM1000D, a 90cm-1m dish, wall bracket or patio stand and a good quality lnb for around the £150 mark in the UK. Your also looking at about £20 for a roll of CT100. Make sure you check if there are any stupid rules regarding wiring in Italy, as i know CT100 is banned in France due to the outer sheath material so it may be the same in Italy Nano [img width=400 height=286]http://www.lyngsat-maps.com/maps/images/astra1e_hnf.gif[/img] __________________ Sanity is nothing more than an excuse to be boring

07-08-07, 09:38 PM	#3 (permalink)
Analoguesat manic midlander retired mod Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Scottish Borders Posts: 11,668 Thanks: 21 Thanked 1,339 Times in 990 Posts	Re: English T.V and Radio in southern Italy. Ho Tony, welcome to the forum. As I mentioned in my email to you, although you would be able to get a reasonable proportion of the UK channels, you would certainly have problems getting BBC & ITV channels in southern Italy. Unless you ahve the space and spare cash for a dish somewhere around 3.5m in diameter forget any ideas of getting the Beeb & ITV. What are your main interests and we can take it from there- as nanochuck says, Sky Italy has a fairly good choice of channels with dual soundtrack: http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/skyitalia.html If this will do you then you will need to see about getting a local Sky Italia installer to set you up as you need the SI box and card __________________ Basic forum rules for both satellite & cable: no keys no patches no offering or asking for card shares Anyone pm'ing me for details of card sharing or anything to do with hacking cable will be banned immediately Analogue forever!!

07-08-07, 09:45 PM	#4 (permalink)
BGonaSTICK Dodgy Geezer Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Brighton Posts: 9,718 Thanks: 3 Thanked 166 Times in 60 Posts	Re: English T.V and Radio in southern Italy. BBC Prime on Hotbird is also an option - a regurgitation of the usual UK BBC general entertainment aimed at ex-pats. You could also go for a huge dish and try for everything available in the UK. Check astra2d.com for reception reports - Astra 2D is the home of much UK satellite television. Let us know more about what sort of programming you like, what sort of dish size you would contemplate (or what size is practical on your new property) and how much you'd like to spend. Also, how involved you'd like to get. Watching English TV becomes an obsession for some once they get started, whilst for others it's just a nice to have if and when it's available. Roughly where is your new place in Italy? __________________ Dreambox 7000, Skystar2 PCI, Skystar USB, Fibo 90cm on Moteck SG2100, Triax TD110 multi-LNB. Sky + ART cards. 45.0°E - 58.0°W

07-08-07, 10:20 PM	#5 (permalink)
Tony C Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: English T.V and Radio in southern Italy. Thanks for the input so far. To give a bit more detail, the house is near to Diamante, in Calabria. This is the bottom of the laces in the Italian boot. One problem that I will have trying to install a large dish is that the house is in the "centro storico", the historic centre, and the commune gets very upset if anything goes up that is much larger than 80 cms. The other problem that I have with a sky package is that we are only there for three months or so every year, so an annual sub is going to work out very expensive. From what has been said already I have ruled out BBC and ITV, I would settle for something that would give me news in english, possibly CNN or similar. Is anything like this possible without paying an annual sub. Thanks for the input so far. Tony.

07-08-07, 10:33 PM	#6 (permalink)
BGonaSTICK Dodgy Geezer Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Brighton Posts: 9,718 Thanks: 3 Thanked 166 Times in 60 Posts	Re: English T.V and Radio in southern Italy. It sounds like you just want a cheap system with dual LNBs (Astra1 and Hotbird) or maybe a small DiSEqC motor and a nice little FTA box. You can then while away a few hours checking out the freebies. Have a look at our thread on free English TV in Europe. You'll get heaps of English news, plus some general entertainment. A patched Technomate will get you BBC Prime on Hotbird for BBC 'drama' and entertainment etc. __________________ Dreambox 7000, Skystar2 PCI, Skystar USB, Fibo 90cm on Moteck SG2100, Triax TD110 multi-LNB. Sky + ART cards. 45.0°E - 58.0°W

08-08-07, 07:33 AM	#8 (permalink)
Analoguesat manic midlander retired mod Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Scottish Borders Posts: 11,668 Thanks: 21 Thanked 1,339 Times in 990 Posts	Re: English T.V and Radio in southern Italy. OK English news and free if at all possible it is Well we can give you Sky News, CNN, Euronews, and a host of other including an Iranian news channel for free on a small dish. A simple fta box will do that - something like a Technomate (note we often recommend the Technomates simply because they are well regarded by the hobby fraternity) An 80 cm dish would allow you to have lnbs set on 13E 19E (and 28E for some of the free English channels!). Something like this: http://www.satcure.com/tech/page9.htm __________________ Basic forum rules for both satellite & cable: no keys no patches no offering or asking for card shares Anyone pm'ing me for details of card sharing or anything to do with hacking cable will be banned immediately Analogue forever!!

08-08-07, 09:56 AM	#9 (permalink)
BGonaSTICK Dodgy Geezer Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Brighton Posts: 9,718 Thanks: 3 Thanked 166 Times in 60 Posts	Re: English T.V and Radio in southern Italy. Don't forget BBC World, France 24 and Al Jazeera International - all in English LOL - news isn't going to be a problem __________________ Dreambox 7000, Skystar2 PCI, Skystar USB, Fibo 90cm on Moteck SG2100, Triax TD110 multi-LNB. Sky + ART cards. 45.0°E - 58.0°W

08-08-07, 07:45 PM	#10 (permalink)
Analoguesat manic midlander retired mod Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Scottish Borders Posts: 11,668 Thanks: 21 Thanked 1,339 Times in 990 Posts	Re: English T.V and Radio in southern Italy. Tony - if you have reasonable speed broadband at both ends (England and Italy) you might be interested in the Slingbox which place shifts viewing from one location to another. You get your sky uk subscription, hook the slingbox up to it and view the digibox output on it in a foreign land. We have a dedicated sub forum here as I bought one to play with a couple of months back. http://www.satellitehelp.co.uk/forum...oard,70.0.html If you fancy a trial when you are in Italy let me know & I'll give you the password & set it up again - (Ive been buggering about with the configs!). __________________ Basic forum rules for both satellite & cable: no keys no patches no offering or asking for card shares Anyone pm'ing me for details of card sharing or anything to do with hacking cable will be banned immediately Analogue forever!!