UK TV channels in Spain.

I have no idea if this is correct,    but thought many might find it 'interesting'.

From Spectrum Radio, Costa Almería:  IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON UK TERRESTRIAL TV CHANNELS IN SOUTHERN EUROPE
Television and Internet services in South of Europe is changing soon.

(1) All BBC, ITV, Ch4 and Ch5 TV channels etc. will disappear from the SKY platform at end of October beginning November. None of these channels will physically reach Europe mainland via Satellite.
The Satellite launch has now been completed on the 15th September and final switch over to the new satellite will be end of October beginning of November affecting more than 1,000,000 Ex-pats and foreign users outside the new footprint.

(2) Sky will stop the use of their cards in all Digital receivers other than their own.

(3) Sky Channels (Pay TV) will only be available on a SKY Digi set-top boxes with fixed card, however after end of October no BBC or ITV channels etc. will be viewable on your SKY Box, or Free to Air box.

(4) The only way as of now to get UK TV in areas outside the new footprint is via Internet:
through a telephone line with broadband ADSL with a minimum of 2 Mbps download speed or with an Internet via Satellite system, utilizing an IPTV set-top box easy-to-use for television via Internet (plug and play) or VPN service.

(5) If your only option (remote rural locations) is via Internet via Satellite, you will need a special VSAT satellite system and a package to make sure you have a perfect uninterrupted TV reception via Internet.
As you can see all these changes will be happening at once.

Astra 2E Launch - September 15, 2013
The ILS Proton returns to flight mission will be the Astra 2E satellite for SES on September 15, 2013.
Changes to BBC satellite transponders in 2013 - Astra 2E

The BBC has confirmed their plans to move their services from Astra 1N to Astra 2E in 2013. The overspill of the BBC’s services will be reduced so viewers outside the UK will find it even harder to receive them.

I note that this information is from their facebook page, nothing is mentioned on the radios official website.

Its pure scaremongering and designed no doubt to 'get likes' and please their many IPTV advertisers. Astra 2E has not even been launched yet, its widely known that its been delayed to the end of the month. There are  a couple of experts who post on EOS that have no Axe to grind, their advice as always been 'we won't know until it happens'

Whatever you do, don't Panic and go out and buy alternative solutions until we know what we are going to lose.

Interestingly, I've just found out that the whole piece below has been copied and pasted from a IPTV sellers website

Interestingly, I've just found out that the whole piece below has been copied and pasted from a IPTV sellers website

Well done. 

That was exactly why I showed it as a quote from    "Spectrum Radio, Costa Almería:  IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON UK TERRESTRIAL TV CHANNELS IN SOUTHERN EUROPE"

Call me synacle if you like, I have lived in Spain since 1998 and have always had UK and Spanish TV, in all these years I have never actually seen a change in the free to veiw service, yes, many years ago Sky reduced its footprint a little, however very few people lost reception.

With the advent of the internet you can simply watch UK TV on your smartphone laptop, tablet etc and simply connect the said device directly to your TV for FREE!!

I purchased my free to view box from a well known electrical retailer here in Spain and simply changed the settings (instructions in the box) and tuned in to UK TV for free and legally, includes channel 5etc, all regional BBC and ITV, with no monthly subscriptions. Cost of the boxwas 19€.

Simple.

Stuart ……………………..  and tuned in to UK TV for free and legally

Well you may be right, however, some years ago I was receiving SKY in Spain.  I called them following a message on my screen, and as a result, they discovered  I was in Spain. Ten minutes later I lost my reception.  Of course  'I found a way around the ban'. But I have never believed that I was truly legal.

I copied this from the internet. It was  in reply to letter sent to BBC :-

Dear Mark
Thank you for your e-mail.
I appreciate you would like to be able to view BBC channels in Spain.
Our domestic digital services are intended solely for the UK audience. While we are grateful for your interest, for reasons of copyright we are unable to supply tuning details or advice to viewers who reside outside of the UK.
I suggest you check with BBC Prime and BBC World to see if these channels are provided in Spain:
http://www.bbcprime.com
http://www.bbcworld.com
I hope the websites prove helpful and thanks again for contacting us.
Regards
Tony Brown
BBC Information

From everything I undestand about it you can legally receive and watch and EU channels from ANY EU country - free or subscription.

Although the BBC is aimed at the UK the nature of satellite signals means that there is overspill into other countries,. Those signals do not simply stop at national borders. The only way they can reduce / stop signals reaching those "other " areas, is by trying to limit the signal - which is what they are trying to do with the new UK beam on the new satellites.

It is not "illegal" to watch channels from another country. The Astra 19 carries channels from Spain, France, Germany, Italy, UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Russia... - so who would be the illegal party - the person watching those chanenls, or the satellite company for making those channels available to all of europe, or the channels themselves??

However, it is against the Terms and Conditions of subscription services to use their card outside the intended market - due to the right agreements. Hence why Sky UK cannot sell their cad outside the UK. However using them, although against the T&Cs, is not illegal. This was recently proven by the case of the Portsmouth pub landlady and the FA which, amongst other things, said it was not illegal to use a card from an EU broadcaster in another EU country.

So nothing illegal about watching BBC in Spain...they may not like it, but if you can receive those signals they cannot stop you.

It is legal to pickup satellite overspill if free to air and not profiting from reselling it (which the likes of the rebroadcasters are - Torresat etc) however for private individuals as long as you can pick it up, it perfectly legal to do so & is covered under the EU directive IP/01/913 - 2 July 2001   It is within your rights as an EU member citizen, to receive your own language television in a fellow EU member state, via a satellite dish - without planning permission or taxes.

Sky 'play the game' by following their rights & licenses for broadcasting in the UK - however much of their content is easily receivable overseas and is on pan European beams. Many agents have popped up overseas over the years assisting expatirates with Sky cards & boxes who are outside of the UK or have no UK address.  

It has been stated that there are over a million expatriates receiving Sky overseas - whether this is true or not is anyones guess, but whatever the number it's a fair amount of subscriptions for Sky. So if people 'accidentally' can receive Sky, it certainly does them no harm - some believe this is no coincidence? A case of saying one thing, but if we they take an extra £20 - £40 million a month, by 'accident' -  oops, nevermind...

There are already ways of getting Sky through the internet without a dish (of course not with Sky's consent) - so if Sky managed to stop all reception outside of the UK, not only would they lose a fair amount of money - they would play into the hands of some IPTV providers, who would step in and offer the same service anyway - or at least with the most popular channels.

Life would be much easier if all broadcasters just signed up to a pan european agreement, so anyone could pick up TV - but that would be far too simple.

Here here.

I have just received an email stating that the Freesat satelite is to be switched off soon. Is this related to this post or is it a new scare.

I have heard that the new satellite will be in the same position- 28.2 degrees, so surely nothing will change?

Yes, but the new satellite will have two beams, a uk spot beam and a pan european beam.

The fear is that if some of our favorite channels are moved to the uk spot beam, and this beam will not reach to southern Spain, we will loose them.

As the genuine experts tell us we won't know until it happens

I have just received an email stating that the Freesat satelite is to be switched off soon. Is this related to this post or is it a new scare.

There is no "Freesat satellite". Freesat do not own any satellites, in the same way Sky do not own any satellites. The channel operators simply rent frequencies on the satellites, operated by Eutelsat and Astra. The chanenls on Freesat are transmitted from a number of satellites, currently Astra 1N, Astra 2A, Astra 2F and Eutelsat. If they "switched off" the "Freesat satellite", what would happen to all those people who bought Freesat boxes, and all those in the UK using Freesat...

But soon Astra 2E will join the UK TV slot, and will be taking channels that are currently tranmitted on Astra 1N, so there may be a change in reception, but this  depends on many things like where you are, and what sized dish you have.

I have heard that the new satellite will be in the same position- 28.2 degrees, so surely nothing will change?

Correct. The UK TV satellite will continue to be in the 28.2-28.5 east slot - if they were moved anywhere else, then EVERY dish in the UK would have to be realigned... a bit costly.

Yes, but the new satellite will have two beams, a uk spot beam and a pan european beam. The fear is that if some of our favorite channels are moved to the uk spot beam, and this beam will not reach to southern Spain, we will loose them. As the genuine experts tell us we won't know until it happens

Correct. The seconds new satellite is not even in its test position yet (at 43 east) and it will be several weeks bevfore it is moved to 28 east and starts to transmit. Only then can its true reception in Spain be determined, not before.

Oh satandpcguy - I love you!

You talk/type what I can understand............wonderful

jo

"Has anyone heard when the tv channels are likely to move to the new satellite? "

Whenever it has finished testing, and move to the UK TV slot....

Nothing definate or confirmed yet - but guesses are late November / early December...when some (not all!) UK TV channels will move to it.

 So Sat TV all ok for Xmas

Astra 2E News : Transfer of channels from 1N to 2E will take place "early February 2014"

So no changes in UK TV reception for a couple of months yes, despite what you may have heard on the rumour mill!

Courtesy of Satandpcguy's Facebook page

We are told that the TV satellite Astra 2E launched at the end of September has been testing at its ‘holding station’ 43.5E since arriving, prior to being relocated into a permanent transmitting position of 28.2E.

This is now a UK narrow beam that allegedly will supply better reception to UK licence payers and deprive southern Europe of its free-view channels. The expected start for transmission was in October/November this year but the 2E is still waiting to be moved and the new target date is end of January.

Astra 2E will replace the old worn-out satellites (2A & 2B) that currently allow us to receive fta channels in Spain but it appears that wemay not be able to pick up the new signals for UK telly, so the general opinion is that satellite dishes will no longer be any use in Spain and the only way to get BBC/ITV FTA will be via an internet broadband system.

There is also a satellite - Astra 2F at 28.2E which supplies all of Europe and can pick up and transmit all the 5’s ITV and BBC – so why are we being told that we will lose all our UK television when 2E commences transmitting in a few weeks time when 2F is already up there and in position?

Nobody knows until transmissions start if the new Astra 2E will stop UK TV being received in Spain or if it will only be possible to receive channels on a 1.8m or a 2.4m dish.

If anyone knows anything about the 2F transmission of UK TV or has any updates on the Astra 2E southern Europe coverage – please share your information.

Cheers  Woodbug

I have also posted this in the Living In Spain/TV section...

To help demystify the techincal terms used in the discussions on what 'might happen' in the 'Big Switch Off' .. I have written this...

I hope it is useful :

http://livinginsouthernspaincostadelsol.blogspot.com.es/2013/12/thebig-switch-off-thepossibility-of.html