BBC and ITV in Malta?

ladybug · 29-07-2008

Good Morning.

We have recently moved to Malta and we are having problems deciding which satellite Dish to buy. (if any)

I thought I had done my homework before leaving the UK and made sure my tv license was current and I also bought a Sky subscription and we have our digi box.

However, everywhere we turn we are told that we cannot receive E4, ITV BBC etc, which was not the information I had garnered before I left the UK

Any help would be most appreciated.

**rolfw** · 29-07-2008

Unfortunately there are no reports of successful reception available for Malta that I can find, but it would appear that a 3m dish or possibly larger is required to receive the channels on Astra 2D (BBC, ITV etc), the nearest report being Algeria.

Who advised you otherwise?

worth2 · 29-07-2008

Been in Gozo for years and know nobody who can now get BBC and ITV

ladybug · 30-07-2008

Originally Posted by rolfw

Unfortunately there are no reports of successful reception available for Malta that I can find, but it would appear that a 3m dish or possibly larger is required to receive the channels on Astra 2D (BBC, ITV etc), the neraest report being Algeria.

Who advised you otherwise?

When we bought our Sky, Irish subscription package it was priced on receiving those channels. I don't want to post who from because to be quite honest my brain never works well when I am neck deep in boxes and children screaming we want sky tv

and I may well have misunderstood. I now understand from contacting this provider the following:

"E4 and ITV are actually free and not part of a subscription as such but you will need a dish of at least 2m in size for those channels. Most other channels only require a 1m dish".

Strange that E4 and ITV weren't in the cheaper package however

Good Afternoon Worth2.

Does everyone charge sooooooooooo much for satellite dishes out here?

jtkeep · 01-08-2008

Hi Ladybug
If you have a skydigibox with valid sky subscription, you can see a lot of sky stuff on Astra 2a and Astra 2b, both have a North beam and a South beam, in Malta you need a 50-60 cm dish for the south beams, and a 120cm dish for the North beams.

Here is a link for details of sky programs footprints etc. _http://www.astra2d.com/
All the best Thomas

ladybug · 02-08-2008

Originally Posted by jtkeep

Hi Ladybug
If you have a skydigibox with valid sky subscription, you can see a lot of sky stuff on Astra 2a and Astra 2b, both have a North beam and a South beam, in Malta you need a 50-60 cm dish for the south beams, and a 120cm dish for the North beams.

Here is a link for details of sky programs footprints etc. _http://www.astra2d.com/

All the best Thomas

Thank you so much for this Thomas.

dm066 · 02-08-2008

Hi

It is possible to get E4 and more More4 (irish versions) in malta along with Channel 4 and Just recently ITV.

Ideally you need a 1.5m dish but many people get away with 1.2m ( i get away with 1.1m

dm066 · 02-08-2008

Have NOT been able to get BBC for a few years now ( I dont know of anyone who manages even with large dishes).

Although ITV is free, you need the sky card to access it.

The SKY can be very expensive package in Malta, because they have to generally have an address or bribe somebody.
The ideal way to do it is if you have a propertly available in the Uk is to get a subscription for there and manage to keep it via direct debit.

but shop around there are a few Sat shops around, some will rip you off but some won't in Malta always best to be recommended to somebody or become friends with someone.

**Analoguesat** · 02-08-2008

Originally Posted by dm066

Have NOT been able to get BBC for a few years now ( I dont know of anyone who manages even with large dishes).

Although ITV is free, you need the sky card to access it.

.

No you dont - ITV is FREE - all the card does is set the correct regionalisation.

UNLESS your region is one of the half dozen that has moved back onto the widebeams - they have had to scramble again.

dm066 · 02-08-2008

Probably wrong sorry. However, ITV doesn't seem to work for me without card access.

jtkeep · 02-08-2008

As far as i can see ITV1 central is clear no card needed.

the frequency is 12402 vertical S/R 27500 FEC 2/3

This the north beam 1.2m dish needed for malta

All the best Thomas

ladybug · 05-08-2008

Originally Posted by jtkeep

As far as i can see ITV1 central is clear no card needed.

the frequency is 12402 vertical S/R 27500 FEC 2/3

This the north beam 1.2m dish needed for malta

All the best Thomas

Can I just say a massive thank you to everyone who took time to reply to this rather frazzled mummy. Our 1.2 dish was installed today (We only ordered it this morning) by a local company and we have E4 channel 4 and all the channels that we wanted. (Until the yell goes up one's missing LOL) We had BBC1 NI briefly but it seems to be showing no satellite right now.

We have the sky Irish subscription and so far, so good.

The Company who installed for us said that there is something going on that will allow BBC shortly but to be entirely honest I didn't understand a fig of what he was saying. Something about a new satellite which will be in place next week?

I can truly recommend our suppliers.

**Analoguesat** · 05-08-2008

You will probably find some of the channels come and go throughout the day - its quite usual in extreme fringe reception conditions.

Your supplier is talking rubbish - theres no new satellites going into service next week.

dm066 · 06-08-2008

Originally Posted by ladybug

Can I just say a massive thank you to everyone who took time to reply to this rather frazzled mummy. Our 1.2 dish was installed today (We only ordered it this morning) by a local company and we have E4 channel 4 and all the channels that we wanted. (Until the yell goes up one's missing LOL) We had BBC1 NI briefly but it seems to be showing no satellite right now.

We have the sky Irish subscription and so far, so good.

The Company who installed for us said that there is something going on that will allow BBC shortly but to be entirely honest I didn't understand a fig of what he was saying. Something about a new satellite which will be in place next week?

I can truly recommend our suppliers.

Glad you got what you wanted. Are you sure you got BBC 1 N.Ireland??? Don't think that as been available at all in Malta. Maybe it was BBC news channel which shows BBC 1 breakfast in the morning ?
Think the supplier is probably talking rubbish as we are more likely to lose more channels than gain BBC.

On another note can someone explain in very simple terms why I can still get Channel 4 but no EPG and what that possible means for the Future? will any channel 4's stay like channel 4 HD of the channel 4 Test channel?

Thanks

cric2k · 07-08-2008

I've a 1.5m dish in Malta and haven't been able to receive BBC1 NI at any time in the last 2 years - my card is registered to my n.Irish address so it defaults there.

As mentioned in another thread I've lost Channel 4 NI but still have the HD and +1 channels so not too bothered at the minute.

jim1228 · 07-08-2008

Please can anyone advise me of what can be done to receive UK TV programmes in Malta. So Far I have made no firm decision and I shall purchase a Television receiver when I arrive in Malta on 3 November

ladybug · 08-08-2008

Although ITV is free, you need the sky card to access it.

or not.

With or without the card, I don't see a choice for ITV. I am wondering if my dish is set correctly

cric2k · 09-08-2008

Ladybug go into Services with your sky remote, go into settings and then go to Add Channels.

Put these details in:
12402
V
27.5
2/3

You will then see a load of ITV channels, save them and then you can view them in Other Channels.

Unfortunately they are several English ITVs and I don't get UTV for my home local news

**PaulR** · 09-08-2008

The default region for a $ly DIgibox without a card is BBC1 London, BBC2 England and ITV1 London.

If the card comes from another area then it will change these to the relevent regionallsed variants. If the card's from the London area then there will be no change!

**Analoguesat** · 09-08-2008

Originally Posted by dm066

On another note can someone explain in very simple terms why I can still get Channel 4 but no EPG and what that possible means for the Future? will any channel 4's stay like channel 4 HD of the channel 4 Test channel?

Thanks

There are a couple of test channels freom C4 srtill available on the widebeams. These will cease at some point and C4 will end up just transmitting on Astra 2D. At this point anyone out of range of the Astra 2D spotbeam will lose access.

C4 +1 will almost certainly eventually join its sister on Astra 2D as well - simply because its going fta so it can join the UK Freesat service.

You will probably lose C5 as well at some point as they will be joining Freesat later in the year..

cric2k · 09-08-2008

Can't say I'll miss channel 5 too much, can't remember last time I watched.

I have a Sky HD box. I believe that HD channels take up around 7-8 times the bandwith of SD channels, if so this would hopefully hold Channel 4 HD from going to 2D for a while because of space, right?

dm066 · 10-08-2008

Originally Posted by Analoguesat

There are a couple of test channels freom C4 srtill available on the widebeams. These will cease at some point and C4 will end up just transmitting on Astra 2D. At this point anyone out of range of the Astra 2D spotbeam will lose access.

C4 +1 will almost certainly eventually join its sister on Astra 2D as well - simply because its going fta so it can join the UK Freesat service.

You will probably lose C5 as well at some point as they will be joining Freesat later in the year..

Thanks For the reply. Yes it would seem that we will lose all Channel 4 at some point and channel 5 too (maybe be a problem with space for the HD).

What I dont understand is that I am still recieving the same region (channel 4 Scotland) as I was before, and there are at least 5 other regions I am still able to view the only thing I have a lost is EPG. This seems not to agree with what people are saying about test channels or am I missing the simple?

***snap*** · 10-08-2008

Originally Posted by PaulR

The default region for a $ly DIgibox without a card is BBC1 London, BBC2 England and ITV1 London.

Should read BBC1 London, BBC2 England and ITV1 Central W

ladybug · 14-08-2008

Originally Posted by cric2k

Ladybug go into Services with your sky remote, go into settings and then go to Add Channels.

Put these details in:
12402
V
27.5
2/3

You will then see a load of ITV channels, save them and then you can view them in Other Channels.

Unfortunately they are several English ITVs and I don't get UTV for my home local news

Thank you so much for this. It works perfectly and we now have ITV central!!

Atomicbullet · 15-08-2008

Just reading up on this for a reliative who lives in the Msida area, My aunt is english so likes all the english channels carried on Melita Cable. But they have a dish that i believe is pointing to Hotbird for the itallian channels. although it has not been used in years. I may tell them it would be possible to pick up some uk FTA channels with the dish they have, i think it is around 1.2m with a dual LNB too, so maybe pointing towards 19.2e.

I'll send them an email.

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BBC and ITV in Malta? Sky digital support forum at Sats UK, Everything involved on the hardware and software side of reception of the channels from 28.2/28.5 East BskyB, special focus on fringe reception of Astra 2D for UK free to air channels

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