British TV

Transparent dish Standard dish In order to view British TV in France you will need a satellite dish accurately aligned on to the Astra2 satellite. The dish size required depends upon your location. Generally the further south you are the larger the dish you will need. If you already have a satellite dish at your property it may be possible to have it realigned for British TV reception, provided it is of the correct type and is in good condition. The dish must be installed in a position with a clear line of sight in a southerly direction, pointing into the sky, free of obstructions such as houses or trees obscuring its view of the satellite in space. Once you have the correct dish installation (and a run of cable to your TV point) you will then need to choose your satellite receiver type and channel package.

There are currently five main options for receiving British TV in France. The service you choose will depend on which channels you wish to receive and how much you wish to pay. The key differences between the options and the equipment you need is rather subtle so please read this section carefully. The type of dish installation remains the same for all the following options. • Option 1 - Free Channels - TV and radio

These channels are completely free and therefore they do not require a subscription card. They can be viewed using any ‘Free to Air’ (FTA) digital satellite receiver. Suitable receivers are available at very reasonable prices, making this system ideal for people on a budget or perhaps for use in a gîte.

Channels available include:

BBC 1,2,3,4, Cbeebies, CBBC, BBCParliament, BBCNews24, ITV 1, 2, 3, 4, Film 4, Euronews, CNN, Aljazeera News, Bloomberg, The Vault, LiveTV, Rapture, Chartshow TV, Fashion TV, Motors TV, Hollywoodclassics and several cartoon channels. Also included are around 70 radio channels including BBC radio 1,2,3,4,5,6,7, World Service, Classic FM and Jazz FM.

Please note that Channel 4 and Five are not completely free via satellite, see option 2. The FTA system will also need to be manually retuned from time to time in a similar manner to ‘Freeview’ boxes in the UK.

• Option 2 – One-off payment channels - TV and radio

In addition to the channels listed above this option allows you to view Channel 4 and FIVE amongst others. It also allows you to use the digital interactive services, which include selecting which match you want to watch during Wimbledon. Another great feature is the 7-day programs guide which allows you to see what’s on for the whole week without the need to buy a British newspaper or go online. The Digibox will update automatically should a channel change frequency, and thus remove the need to re-tune it yourself. This makes life much easier if you prefer not to deal with technical issues. You will also need an access card. To obtain one of these cards you will need to pay a one-off fee of 20GBP in the UK. These cards will continue to work for around 3 years.

• Option 3 - Subscription channels - TV and radio

This option allows access to all the channels listed above as well as the subscription channels, such as Sports, Movies, Cinema, History, Biography, Geographic, Music and many, many more. The equipment required is identical to that of option 2, except you will need to apply for the relevant subscription card in the UK. Monthly costs range from 16 - 45GBP.

NB. For Options 2 and 3 we supply only the best satellite receiver for use abroad - The latest model Pace Digibox. This model is the most reliable, fastest at changing channels and copes best with the weaker signal that we receive in France.

• Option 4 – Personal Video Recorder (PVR) – TV and radio

This option allows you all the benefits of options 2 and 3 plus the ability to record one channel whilst watching another and to pause live TV. You will need a special part fitted to your standard dish installation and a second run of cable to the TV point.

• Option 5 – High-definition Channels (HD) – TV and radio

This option allows access to the growing number of High-Definition (HD) broadcasts available. HD is in essence cinema quality pictures in your own home. In order to benefit from this service you will need an ‘HD ready’ TV set. HD installations can also offer the same PVR functionality as option 4.

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Tel: +33(0) 6 80 55 06 09
Address: Paul Stevens, Square Salvandy, 32100, CONDOM.
Siret no: 45262188100021