British TV disappears for many viewers as satellite range decreases to focus on UK

[Delderek]

For some reason, probably because its winter and I don't spend much time outside, I have been watching UK TV on 'Filmon' So I have to ask what exactly does the BBC spent the TV tax on? Just checked from 12 noon to 6pm there are 16 programs. Three are news items, one is the start of the winter Olympics. of the remaining twelve seven are repeats. Of the remaining five two are quiz's, three are sort of antique thingy's and one is general intrest.

Mostly agree with you, but compared to Spanish & Canarian TV, the BBC should get an Oscar!

[Guanche]

Mostly agree with you, but compared to Spanish & Canarian TV, the BBC should get an Oscar!

No argument from me on that point Del. But I have to point out that the Spanish don't have a massive TV tax.

[Janet]

[Guanche]

For some reason, probably because its winter and I don't spend much time outside, I have been watching UK TV on 'Filmon' So I have to ask what exactly does the BBC spent the TV tax on? Just checked from 12 noon to 6pm there are 16 programs. Three are news items, one is the start of the winter Olympics. of the remaining twelve seven are repeats. Of the remaining five two are quiz's, three are sort of antique thingy's and one is general intrest.

OOOPS! That should read two antique thingy's

[Perikles]

OOOPS! That should read two antique thingy's

If you insist, then it should be "thingies" as well 

[Guanche]

If you insist, then it should be "thingies" as well 

Damn spell check! As 'Thingies' is not in my normal vocabulary I took a guess, toooooo many options Butt u shoud b uzed 2 me bad zepeling bye knoe P init

[minesadorada]

Last year, I bought an LG TV with built-in TVT and Satellite tuners.

I quickly got the TVT up and running, and often watch Spanish TV to grope at learning pronunciation etc.  (at least I can answer most of the atrapa el milion questions now)
...but I was always curious about the unused satellite tuner.

Yesterday I was given a 1-metre satellite dish, so I got some cable and quickly realised that installing satellite TV in the Canaries is not straightforward at all.  There's no question of receiving UK channels on a 1-metre dish, and I have no interest at all in Sky broadcast channels.  Also, my 1Mbt internet connection precludes internet TV.

After a bit of internet research, my best bet is to ask an established satellite TV installer (Menny's in Los Cris) to mount the dish and tune my telly to receive some extra english-language channels - which they are happy to do for a fee.

I have no idea which satellite or channels I will end up with tomorrow.  Unfortunately he told me straight away I have no chance of receiving BBC4 - a forlorn hope dashed.

Vamous a ver as they say - I'll update on results tomorrow.  It seems satellite TV in the Canaries is somewhat in a flux at the moment, with the loss of BBC/ITV channels causing a rush to Internet TV all over the south.

I do feel angry at Movistar dragging their heels over the local deployment of the already-laid and euro-funded fibre-optic line which could easily deliver IPTV to many communities in the South.  The business opportunity gap is being filled by many new broadband-WIFI companies - to Movistar's detriment (not that they care)

[Delderek]

Last year, I bought an LG TV with built-in TVT and Satellite tuners.

I quickly got the TVT up and running, and often watch Spanish TV to grope at learning pronunciation etc.  (at least I can answer most of the atrapa el milion questions now)
...but I was always curious about the unused satellite tuner.

Yesterday I was given a 1-metre satellite dish, so I got some cable and quickly realised that installing satellite TV in the Canaries is not straightforward at all.  There's no question of receiving UK channels on a 1-metre dish, and I have no interest at all in Sky broadcast channels.  Also, my 1Mbt internet connection precludes internet TV.

After a bit of internet research, my best bet is to ask an established satellite TV installer (Menny's in Los Cris) to mount the dish and tune my telly to receive some extra english-language channels - which they are happy to do for a fee.

I have no idea which satellite or channels I will end up with tomorrow.  Unfortunately he told me straight away I have no chance of receiving BBC4 - a forlorn hope dashed.

Vamous a ver as they say - I'll update on results tomorrow.  It seems satellite TV in the Canaries is somewhat in a flux at the moment, with the loss of BBC/ITV channels causing a rush to Internet TV all over the south.

I do feel angry at Movistar dragging their heels over the local deployment of the already-laid and euro-funded fibre-optic line which could easily deliver IPTV to many communities in the South.  The business opportunity gap is being filled by many new broadband-WIFI companies - to Movistar's detriment (not that they care)

Many complexes are now upgrading sat dishes to 3.5 or 3.7mt dishes to still bring in all UK channels.  Inc BBC and ITV.

[minesadorada]

The promised update:

The installer pointed my free dish at NILESAT 7°W, (I said I wasn't interested in SKY) and the TV scanned for a few minutes and reported over 1000 new channels.   Some pretty strange stuff there (Palestinian TV, Syrian TV etc), and LOTS of Imam-TV channels solemnly reading the Qu'ran to camera.  But amongst the dross is BBC World, French news in English, CNN and quite a few movie channels with English soundtrack.   Some nice music channels too. So all in all I am a happy bunny.  The dish is mounted downstairs on our bottom terrace where it is least noticeable.

TDT also picked up a few more channels, including DiscoveryMax and a HQ classical music station which the scanning had missed last summer.

Unfortunately we will all lose XPlora and a few other channels soon (6th May) as it seems the Gobinero took them to court over alleged irregularities in the bidding process and won.  It's a shame, I will miss their late-night crime programs.  I wonder what will replace the defrocked channels?

[Guanche]

Thanks for the explanation for 'Xplora' and I think 'Sexta 3' The are going on the 6th of May. I wondered what the reason was.