Options For UK Satellite TV In Valencia Province
It is important to understand the reason why there are challenges to receiving UK television in Spain . The "rights holders" of Television programs sell or rent their material on the condition it is not available to viewers outside the area it is being broadcasted. With terrestrial TV complying with the "rights Holders" conditions is not a problem as the signal transmitting the program is limited to line of sight from the transmitter to the receiver and therefore only those situated close to the transmitter can view the program
With satellite TV, the area the signal can reach can be vast. Generally the method of controlling who receives the TV programs via satellite to comply with the "rights Holders" conditions is by encrypting the service, using a digi box with a card (Sky Box for example). Due to the fact the BBC and ITV are transmitting free Satellite TV, the option of a using box with an encrypted card is not possible. Therefor method adopted by the UK Television Companies to limit the broadcast of Satellite TV channels only to the UK is by using the Astra 2d satellite that has a narrow beam focused on the UK . Consequently unless one has a large dish and/or a subscription it is impossible to receive many of the English Channels outside the UK.
Go to this page to view the Footprint of the satellites relative to English TV in Spain
Fortunately for viewers in Valencia Province, there are several ways of overcoming this restriction with one or the combination of the following :
- Using a larger Dish than is normally used in the UK
- Using a Sky Box with either a Free to Sat Card or encrypted card
- Using a Free Sat Box or Generic Box
Most Expensive and Best System
If you live in the Northern part of Valencia Province, the signal from Astra "D is better than the Southern part of Valencia Province (see this map) . You will need a 1.8 m Dish with a Sky package. You will receive BBC 1 and 2, ITV, Channel 4 , Ch 5 and most of the channels sold by Sky depending on the package you subscribe to.
If you live in the Southern part of Valencia Province, the signal from Astra "D is weaker than the Northern part of Valencia Province (see this map) . You will need a 2.4 m Dish with a Sky package. You will receive BBC 1 and 2, ItV, Channel 4 , Ch 5 and most of the channels sold by sky depending on the package you subscribe to.
The second Best System (smaller DisH)
If you live in the Northern part of Valencia Province (see this map) . You
need a 1.3 m Dish with a Sky package. BBC 1 and 2 could disappear in
the evenings (see this page for the reason), ItV, Channel 4 , Ch 5 and most
of the channels sold by sky depending on the package you subscribe to.
If you live in the Southern part of Valencia Province (see this map) . You need a 1.8 m Dish with a Sky package. BBC 1 and 2 could disappear in the evenings (see this page for the reason), ItV, Channel 4 , Ch 5 and most of the channels sold by sky depending on the package you subscribe to.
The Third Best System (Even Smaller Dish)
You need a 1.2 m Dish with a Sky package. You will recieve ItV, Channel 4 , Ch 5 and most of the channels sold by sky depending on the package you subscribe to
Less Expensive Systems
There are several systems available where you save money and have less UK
English channels. Firstly You don't have to have a sky monthly subscription.
However, in most cases if you want to watch ITV or Channel 4 (24/7)
using a big dish or a small dish you need a Free To View Sky Card (FTV) This
card is not a subscription card and is purchased from Sky for a "one time
fee" of £ 25. The Channel HD channels is available 24/7 with
a small without any card provide you have a HD box
Free to Air (FTA) English Channels Using Smaller Dishes
On another page we discuss all the English TV channels broadcast from UK TV providers. In addition to these channels there are the English channels from the Badr satellite at 26° East and the same channels (more or less) from Nilesat at 7° West, these satellites have excellent English channels in English with Arabic subtitles (non removable).
There are also some FTA English Channels on the Hotbird satellite at 13° East and the Astra satellite at 19° East, but they are not worth bothering with unless you have a motorized satellite system.
To access multiple Satellites with one set top box you need to have one of the following systems (which are further discussed below):
- Multiple dishes
- Single dish with two LNBs
- Motorized dish
Multiple Dishes
With this system, detailed elsewhere, you have two or more dishes connected to one set top box. Each satellite is orientated to a different satellite. This system is used when the channels required are from satellites that far apart. For Example Astra at 28° East and Nilesat at 7° West
One Dish with two LNBs
With this system you have one dish with two or more LNBs connected to one set top box. The dish and the first LNB is tuned a satellite. The 2nd LNB is placed alongside the 1st LNB and adjusted so it picks up the signals from an adjacent satellite. This system is used when the channels required are from satellites close together .For Example Astra at 28° East and Badr at 26° East.
Motorized dish
With this system the motor drives the dish left to right. As stated elsewhere I don't recommend this system for the average user.
maximizing the number of FTA English Channels (small dish and TDT Antenna)
My choice is to install an offset 1.2m dish with two LNB's. One of these LNB's would be a twin (Inverter makes the best twin LNB for offset dishes) and the other LNB would be a single narrow type (inverter).
The twin LNB is aimed at Astra satellite at 28° East and the single LNB is aimed at the Badr satellite at 26°.
One cable from the twin LNB will go directly to a Sky Box to access the ITV 1, channel 4 and the Five family. The other cable from the twin LNB will go to the diseqc switch. From the other narrow single LNB the cable will also go the diseqc switch, From the diseqc the outlet cable will go to a generic set top box. The terrestrial antenna will also connect to the diseqc switch as illustrated below
This relatively inexpensive system will give you a huge amount of free English channels including the Spanish digital terrestrial TV where many of the films and documentary channels can viewed in English.
The basic Sky package sells for around €19 per month and provides fantastic TV and fits really well with this installation.