New satellite Astra 1N being launched 1st July 2011

SES Astra are due to launch a new satellite. Astra 1N will launch on Friday 1st July 2011.
Astra 1N was designed to be placed at 19 eat, and provide new satellite capacity for Western Europe, like Spain, France and Germany. However, Astra have said that 1N will initially be deployed at 28 east, providing more satellite TV capacity for UK broadcasters like Sky, BBC and ITV and Freesat, and to help

Motors TV now free to view on Sky

Motors TV, which used to be part of the Sky TV subscription service, is currently available to view for free.

Howeve, to watch Motors TV, you still need a sky card, as Motors TV is "free to view", and not "free to air".

So if you have a freesatfromsky viewing card, you can now receive Motors TV with no subscription on Sky channel 413.

As Motors TV is "free to view" and not "free to air" it

Sick Of Comcast Cox and Charter Cable?

Are you sick of Comcast, Cox and Charter? Chances are you have one of these cable tv providers or have had them in the past. Tired of paying $70/month or more for Comcast, Cox or Charter cable? Fed up with the outages and bad service? Some of you have no alternative because of where you live. If you own a house, mobile home or condo you do have a choice and there is a solution.

Satellite TV by Dish Network offers you many options. DISH just rolled out 3D TV and Google TV. You will also qualify for HD Free For Life by subscribing to any of the America's Top packages with Dish Network. As an example, America's Top 120 is only $24.99/month. This package gives you 120 of the most well liked channels and your local networks. You will also get HBO and Showtime free for 3 months. There are some great new customer promotions going on with DISH right now.

Here is the part that will really make you smile! Installation is free. Dish Network will also give you a free HD-DVR upgrade if you order soon. You can also take advantage of the 3 for free deal. Three HD receivers installed free of charge. If you want the best HD programming on the planet and want it free for life then Dish Network is for you. DISH customer service is rated #1 among pay tv providers in the USA.

Look over all the details and sign-up today. Have your old cable bill with you and compare with Comcast, Cox or Charter. Sit back and enjoy the best value in pay tv now.



More articles on Dish Network TV

UK Football in Spain on Satellite Digital+

Digital+ matches for the first weekend of the English Premier League:

Tottenham - Manchester City - Saturday 13:45
Aston Villa - West Ham - Saturday 16:00
Wigan - Blackpool - Saturday 16:00
Chelsea - WBA - Saturday 18:30
Liverpool - Arsenal - Sunday 17:00
Manchester United - Newcastle - Monday 21:00

For more information please visit:

The Sat and PC Guy - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial

English Football Premier League - Games on Sky and ESPN - Costa Blanca Spain

Live fixtures up to the end of November (ESPN games in italics):



AUGUST

Sat 14 Tottenham vs Man City 12.45pm

Sat 14 Chelsea v West Brom 5:30pm

Sun 15 Liverpool vs Arsenal 4pm

Mon 16 Man United vs Newcastle 8pm

Sat 21 Wigan vs Chelsea 5.15pm

Sun 22 Newcastle v Aston Villa 1:30pm

Sun 22 Fulham vs Man United 4pm

Mon 23 Man City vs Liverpool 8pm

Sat 28 Blackburn vs Arsenal 12.45pm

Sat 28

Some Changes to TDT – Important Sky Card Information – Sky Boxes switching off

Some Changes to TDT – Important Sky Card Information – Sky Boxes switching off

TDT is the Spanish Digital Television service available via your TV aerial. With TDT you can receive around 30 digital Spanish Channels. Although there are no UK or English channels on TDT, you can, in many cases, change the language of certain UK and USA imported programmes from the dubbed Spanish into English. In

Some Changes to TDT – Important Sky Card Information – Sky Boxes switching off

Some Changes to TDT – Important Sky Card Information – Sky Boxes switching off

TDT is the Spanish Digital Television service available via your TV aerial. With TDT you can receive around 30 digital Spanish Channels. Although there are no UK or English channels on TDT, you can, in many cases, change the language of certain UK and USA imported programmes from the dubbed Spanish into English. In most cases this can be done by simply pressing the “Audio” button on the remote control.

Sony Entertainment TV no longer available

One of the TDT channels that transmitted a number of American TV imports was the Sony Entertainment Channel – SET. However, you may have noticed that in the last few weeks it is now unavailable, or you are getting a “channel scrambled” message. This is because SET is no longer being broadcasted on TDT. It has been replaced by AXN. However, AXN is the second pay channel on TDT, the first being GOL TV.

To watch these Premium TDT channels you require a Premium viewing card, and a TDT receiver or a TDT Integrated TV with the ability to read the card. Currently a monthly subscription of around 15euros is required for access to both Gol TV and AXN.

High Definition Channels on TDT

Over the coming year some more HD TDT channels will become available. I say more, as in some areas of the Valencia area it is possible to receive Canal 9 HD. Later in the year TVE, and Telecinco are expect to launch their TDT HD channels. In order to receive these TDT HD channels you will require either a TDT HD set top box, or a TV with a built in TDT HD receiver.

Important Sky Card information

As many are aware Sky TV recently replaced their viewing cards from the Blue with Yellow house cards to the all white cards. On the 1st March 2010 all the old blue yellow house cards were deactivated and no longer “unlock” any of the Sky TV channels.

The new white cards have also thrown up a few interesting surprises.
Sky card require a constant signal from the satellite to “keep the cards alive”. If the cards do not receive this “keep alive” signal over a few weeks, then the cards can “go to sleep”. If the cards have “gone to sleep” then one the encrypted channels you will see a message informing you that “This is the wrong cards for this set top box”.

The old blue Sky cards could be “woken up” by leaving them in ANY Sky digibox over a period of 24 / 48 hours, and the channels would eventually reappear. However, the new white Sky cards can only be woken up by leaving them for 24/48 hours in the Sky box that he cards were originally activated in.

Sky Boxes Switching Off Randomly

Since the beginning of March 2010, some Sky boxes have been experiencing an issue where they are switching off at random times, even if you have turned off the Autostandby feature on the Sky box.

The Autostandby feature automatically puts the Sky box into Standby mode if the box has been switched on and no remote control buttons have been touched for 4 hours – supposedly helping you save some power by not having the box turned on all the time.

However, on the Pace 430N Sky receivers, a software update from Sky has been causing the boxes to shut down at random times. You can confirm your make of Sky box by looking at the sticker that should be on the bottom of your box. By pressing Services, 4, 5 and accessing the System Details, software version 3.8.8 is the one that is causing the issues. All other Sky boxes and software versions are at the moment OK.

You can correct this problem yourself, by performing a manual software update which rolls back the software to the previous working version.
This process should be done in the morning, and only if you are getting the background music playing when you enter the Sky menu system, as the frequency for the software download may not be available on small dishes or in the afternoon, and performing it when the frequency is not there could damage your Sky box.

1 Unplug your sky box from the power
2 Press and hold the BACKUP button on the Sky box – not the remote control.
3 Still pressing the Back up button, reapply the power.
4 Keep pressing the back up button on the Sky box until RED YELOW and GREEN light glow on the front panel of the box. A “Downloading” message may also appear on the screen
5 Once these lights have appeared you can release the Back up button, as the box has now started the software download.
6 The Sky box will reboot once the download has been completed. You can confirm if the correct software has been downloaded by going once again into the System Details (Service, 4, 5) and checking that the Software version is now 3.7.6

I should better reiterate that this process should only be down if you can get the download frequency (11778) indicated by the background music on the sky menu screen, that you may also have to re add those “extra” ITV1, C4 and Five channels you have added into your Other Channels lists, and that you perform this upgrade at your own risk and I cannot be held liable if it fails and / or damages your Sky box.

This and further information can be found on our website and Satellite TV forum:

The Sat and PC Guy - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

or the forum

The Sat and PC Guy FORUM - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

BBC One HD Coming soon....to digital satellite

The BBC has confirmed plans to launch a high definition version of BBC One in the autumn.

BBC One HD will offer a HD simulcast of the channel, including HD versions of EastEnders, Holby City and The One Show.

The channel's autumn schedule in HD will also include Strictly Come Dancing, Human Planet and Waterloo Road.

BBC One HD will be made available on Freesat, Freeview, Sky and Virgin Media.

TDT via satellite - interesting survey results

A recent survey saw that an overwhelming 98% responded that they wanted a Satellite DTT as in other countries.

Many of the current problems of TDT reception are due to grey areas, where TDT signals are either very weak or nonexistant. In Spain 1.5% of the population live in these TDT grey areas, which rises to over 35% if you count areas bloccked by buildings. A total of more than 2 million households would receive NO TV in a position today and another 3.5 million million have pixilation, Fadding or white noise along the coast.

This could be solved by TDT by satellite

According to the latest survey on satellite DTT, 97.7% of Internet users who responded to the consultation want access to TDT channels via satellite for free, as in most European countries, such as France, Italy and the UK (Freesat).

Unlike in Spain, the governments of these countries have opted for open models in the distribution of DTT by the alternative pathway of the satellite, making it easier for all who want access to this modality.

The result is that any French citizen, English or Italian has only to approach a distributor (dealer or supermarket) to buy the receiver and the corresponding card (if required - not in the UK, but in France - TNTSAT) for a price of around 100 euros.

Another difference is that in these cases the package is available by satellite is the same as the land based transmitters and includes the HD channels and pay channels.

In Spain access to satellite DTT is much more restricted because we have to go to an installer approved by Abertis and meet certain requirements and procedures, which lengthen the process and make it expensive: The installer goes to the user's home (which should be in shaded area) to check that there is no possibility of receiving the TDT signal and draws up a report submitted by Abertis. Abertis gives its approval and delivery to the user keys that can unlock the receiver and the card (also approved by Abertis). Once these unlocked, the installer returns the address of the user to proceed to the final installation. The average cost of a satellite installation of DTT in Spain is around 400 euros.

In addition, each receptor is only for a TV and its reception capacity is limited to two transponders on Hispasat.

The survey, which was attended by 8545 Internet users, giving results very clear about how you should distribute satellite DTT in Spain:

- 8348 people, 97.69% of participants want a cheap satellite DTT and free access, as in other countries.

- 1.33% DTT Satellite wants a free access, no matter the price.

- 0.44% The states that do not need satellite DTT in Spain.

- 0.41% is satisfied as currently distributed by Abertis.

And the 0.12% estimated that DTT is not necessary as some satellite channels are available in packages of payment.



For more information please visit:

The Sat and PC Guy - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

or the forum

The Sat and PC Guy FORUM - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

TDT via satellite - interesting survey results

A recent survey saw that an overwhelming 98% responded that they wanted a Satellite DTT as in other countries.

Many of the current problems of TDT reception are due to grey areas, where TDT signals are either very weak or nonexistant. In Spain 1.5% of the population live in these TDT grey areas, which rises to over 35% if you count areas bloccked by buildings. A total of more than 2 million

What is the best satellite for English channels?

What is the best satellite for English channels?

The main satellites that provide the UK with their satellite TV channels are the Astra 2 and Eurobird 1 satellites, located at 28 degrees east of south.

These satellites carry the main BBC,  ITV, C4, Five and "Sky subscription package" channels for the UK.
They are not available on any other satellite system, and so the answer to this question is

Loss of UK TV BBC ITV Astra 2d signals in Spain in the mornings

Well its that time of the year again when you may be experiencing some signal loss on yur Sky UK satellite TV systems.

For about 10 minutes a day, there will be a temporary loss of the UK TV channel frequencies via the Astra 2D satellite for about 10 or 15 minutes a day.

This will normally be happening at around 11 am CET.

This is beacuse the Astra 2D satellite, that carries BBC and ITV channels, is directly in line with the sun. It is assumed that he suns energy swamps the signals from the "weaker beamed" Astra 2D satellite, resulting in a loss of BBC ITV Channel 4 channels in Spain for this short amount of time.

This happens twice a year. There are two times in the year when the sun, Astra 2d and the earth are in alignment and the sun causes this drop out in signal. It happens early March and in October.


For more information please visit:

The Sat and PC Guy - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

or the forum

The Sat and PC Guy FORUM - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

Loss of UK TV BBC ITV Astra 2d signals in Spain in the mornings

Well its that time of the year again when you may be experiencing some signal loss on yur Sky UK satellite TV systems.

For about 10 minutes a day, there will be a temporary loss of the UK TV channel frequencies via the Astra 2D satellite for about 10 or 15 minutes a day.

This will normally be happening at around 11 am CET.

This is beacuse the Astra 2D satellite, that carries BBC and ITV

What UK TV Channels are available on small satellite dish on the Costa Blanca Spain

Here is a full channel list (correct as at December 2009) of the UK TV channels that you should be able to receive on the Costa Blanca area of Spain on a small satellite dish.


These are all the free to air (FTA) channels that can be received without a Sky viewing card, on a Sky digibox, a Freesat satellite receiver, or a generic satellite receiver.

This is due to the fact that these channels

My installer says I need a Sky viewing card or else I will lose my BBC.

"My installer says I need a Sky viewing card or else I will loose my BBC."

I have been hearing this a few times in the last few weeks, sparked by the new White sky card that are being issued, and many people wondering what channels they will and will not be able to received if they do not have new white sky viewing card.

Many people are stil under the impression thatthey need a sky card, or

UK TV in Spain gets more complicated....

The National Police have arrested 60 people in connection with an investigation against the piracy of pay-TV channels. Among those arrested include hotel managers and presidents of neighboring communities that have defrauded a total of several million euros.


It appears that not only were these systems providing pay tv channels via "web streaming", but as a result of this investigation it was

British UK English TV In Costa Blanca Spain (Freeview Freesat TV Freesatfromsky Sky TV UKTV)

English / British / UK Television in Costa Blanca SpainThis page gives a summary of all the details within my main website (http://www.satandpcguy.com/) with respect to receiving UK Television within Spain, and the various other services available, such as TDT - Spain's version of Freeview.FREEVIEW"Freeview" is the brand name of a UK Digital TV service ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK. It is available

BBC Satellite Television Channel Reception Costa Blanca Spain

BBC Satellite Television Channels are transmitted from two satellites in the same "constellation". On both satellites they are available for free, with no Sky viewing card required. They are classed as free to air channels.The BBC channels are split between two satellites, one has a vey strong signal for the Costa Blanca, and the other has a weak signal.The channels on the stronger signal

What size satellite dish do I need to receive BBC ITV Sky TV on the Costa Blanca, Spain

It is important to ensure that you are using the correct size satellite dish to receive the channels you want to watch. A Sky minidish, used in the UK, is pretty much useless for reception on the Costa Blanca. Many channels can be received on an 80cm dish, but if you want to watch the main UK television channels, like BBC ITV C4, then a much bigger dish will be required.Generally to receive the

Free Satellite TV arrives in South Africa ... apparently

Thanks to Chris @ iMod and the Bizcommunity guys I heard about the launch of a new free satellite TV offering called Free2View.
They claim to have MSNBC Africa as the mainstay and "the channels include a full schedule of live news of a world-class coverage and reporting, political analysis and award-winning documentary programming, 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
All you have to do is fork out R1400-00 for a dish and decoder and you will have this programming for life.
So I was interested, not having South Africa's 'premier' satellite offering Dstv. I clicked over to their 'website.'
Sorry guys, their is no ways I am going to part with any of my hard earned cash on a media company that has this as their portal to their potential customers and a logo ... Well that red thing in the top left corner is their logo. And I suggest Eish!! readers do the same.

For a case study in bad marketing click here.