French Channels

[RogerP]

Hi, are there any FTA French channels to be found, I can only see one channel and that's part of a package, but dont know enough about it to find non Sky listed channels, we have a Sky digibox so are limited to 28.2 E. The wife and myself are trying to polish up our french and theres a limit as to how many times you can watch the same DVD in french, or english come to that!!
Thanks.

[rolfw]

Try changing your default language to french (under services/system setup) and tune to Channel 416 Motors TV, also 528 Euronews. Of course there is also TV5 at channel 825, but as you say, you need a Sky package for that one.

[rolfw]

The other option you have, is to get hold of a cheap 80cm dish and a second hand analogue receiver, you can then find the French Terrestrial channels on 5W.

[RogerP]

Thanks a lot, it hadn't occured to me to change the default language! Euronews will be excellent, not sure my wife would agree about motors though! So what analogue reciever would I need for french terrestial, presumably an old Sky one wouldn't work?
Thanks again.

[rolfw]

An old Sky one would be OK, but not a very old Sky one, it needs to be able to use a universal LNB and the dish must have a universal LNb. If you don't have a Secam capable TV, the pictures will be in black and white, but that isn't a problem to most people.

[RogerP]

So how old is very old, is there any easy way to tell which are able to use a universal LNB? A zone 2 minidish would be OK I presume.
Regards Roger.

[rolfw]

A zone 2 minidish is great in principle, but unfortunately, the LNB is pre-skewed for 28.2 East and requires a bit of butchery to the case to make it right for a western satellite. If it has a Skyware LNb it should be OK, as they have fully adjustable skew.

Pace models from MSS 100 to 1000 are all OK also the Prima. Some Lidl stores may still be carrying the analogue receiver and dish for £39.99, or you may find some on the internet.

[cpc]

RogerP, if you're planning a trip across the channel to France in the near future, you can pick up a complete analogue kit - 80cm solid dish, universal LNB and analogue receiver pre-tuned to Atlantic Bird 3 French FTA channels for around £40, from eg Carrefour supermarkets or Castorama DIY chain. I've just installed one in France - my kit cost 40 euros (less than £30) and it works perfectly, but I guess you may need to substitute a better LNB in the UK - this one is rated at 0.7db and is made out of yoghurt pots.

[mill9]

The analogue channels will not be around forever so personally I would buy a digital FTA receiver and get a 90 cm dish put 3 LNB's on it to cover 28.2/13.5/19.2° E and there will be several French programmes plus many other channels to view

[PaulR]

Unfortunately you can't get the same range of channels on digital FTA that are currently available on analogue FTA at 5W.

So, no natter that they won't be there for very long, in this case almost uniquely I would suggest you go for analogue.

PaulR

[j.m.]

I paid £19 for a Nokia Analogue box on e-bay

Snazzy huh

[mill9]

I fully appreciate that going for analogue is a good idea for the range of channels but how long they will be there.........

[j.m.]

who knows, digital will eventually kill it........

£20 for a box to add some channels.......... I don't tink I would buy a dedicated 19.2 system tho ..............

[cpc]

As I understand it, French analogue channels will remain at 5 W until they sort out their digital terrestrial TV distribution. Atlantic Bird is used to feed the French analogue terrestrial transmitters (it was not intended for direct reception by individuals). As they have only just started issuing details of the proposed initial phase of digital terrestrial rollout, and as lots of French people have invested in cheap analogue transmitters, I think it will be some time before we lose them - although apparently TF1 may start encrypting some broadcasts (films and football) according to "Telesatellite.com"
Having said that, unless you really have to have French FTA (like me) analogue doesn't have much going for it.

[cest42]

I am in the Beaujolais and have a working Sky setup. I have just had a 2nd dish pointed at Atlantic 3 @5°W by alocal installer and whilst I am waiting to get my hands on a French digital decoder, have plugged in a 2nd Sky box we have only to find it is displaying "No signal being received". Is there something fundamentally different between the default setup of a Sky box and a French FTA box ? Installer said that the dish was picking up both dig and analogue signals .

[rolfw]

Yes there is a difference, the Sky digibox only has limited symbol rates available and not the requisite ones for anything on that satellite. Most standard digital receivers will be able to receive the digital channels on 5W.