Spanish TV

terry_vision03

Hi guys.

First of all, I'm sorry if this is the wrong forum.

I've had a quick scan around, and couldn't find anything that I was looking for, so I thought I ask myself!

I want some Spanish channels. I particularly want Canal+ and Canal Sur if possible, but any Spanish channels are good (they're all better than TVEi!). I have Sky+ and Sky Multiroom, and want to explore any alternatives to get me some Spanish TV and Radio.

I'm told Hispasat is probably the best, but I've had a quick look and can't get past all the technical jargon.

So, in layman's terms, how do I get hold of some Spanish TV?

Cheers/
James

JTA

not with Sky+ and Sky Multiroom, that's for sure !
you'll need a new dish, pointing at Astra 1 19.2E or Hispasat 30W, with a new receiver capable of decoding seca2 signals. Then, to open the secure channels, you'll need a subscription on Digital+ Spain, which is quite difficult to get unless you have some family or friends living in Spain.
Some of these secure channels can be opened from time to time using the necessary soft & hardware, if you can find & install the appropriate patches and keys, but nothing is sure for the moment. Most of the time everything is "black" without a proper subscription card.

AlexBellisBrown

You could try moving to spain and using a TV antenna. Go on, you know you want to!

terry_vision03

Too right I want to, but I need to finish my studies first!

Where would I get this equipment from? And what kind of cost will I be looking at?

I have friends living in Spain so the subscription shouldn't be a problem.

JTA

any sat receiver with a common interface will do - if you ask your Spanish friends to order a card + CAM for the Digital+ channels. The card goes into the CAM, and the CAM goes into the common interface of the receiver.
You might even get some bargains if you buy a complete set in Spain. As for cost : well, I'm not familiar with the prices in the UK, but it should be moderate.

terry_vision03

Sorry for sounding thick, but I'm gathering from your post that:

1) Any Satellite Dish will do, as long as it fits most interfaces?
2) I need to speak to my friends in Spain to ask them to get me a subscription, wih a CAM(?)

Now, what are the interfaces? And what is a CAM? Really sorry for sounding think, I can't help it!

JTA

a common interface is a "hole" in the receiver where you can put a CAM in. A CAM is a piece of hardware which is capable of decrypting a certain algorithm, here the seca2/Mediaguard signal send out by Digital+. For the CAM to decrypt your signal, you need to give it a valid subscription card which you insert into the CAM.
Any satellite dish will do, 60 cm should be enough for both Astra1 or Hispasat for your location (anyone : correct me if I'm wrong).
Any receiver will do, as long as it has a common interface slot where you can insert a CAM into it.
the CAM and the subscription card must come from Digital+. There ARE other CAM's on the market which are seca2/mediaguard compatible (Dragon-Matrix) but there's allways a risk that these are not 100 % compatible, so it's best not to compromize on this point.

Now, as an alternative, you might also consider to get a dedicated Digital+ receiver. No need for a CAM in that case, the subscription card is inserted directly into the receiver, and the channel list will be updated automatically by Digital+ which will also maintain the receiver software automatically (a bit like a SKY receiver does). But this type of receiver can only be bought in Spain (you could try the internet, though) and are more difficult to operate if you also want to receive other (non Digital+) channels.

AlexBellisBrown

Well, apparently from what i read i the spanish papers. TVE are planning a thing similar to the BBCs freesat, which would make TVE 1 & 2, Antena 3, quatro, telecinco, canalsur and canal2 andelucia, FTA on satellite. Apparently starting in spring 2007

JTA

yes, but is it terrestrial or satellite ? And if it is satellite, is it FTA or FTV ? there usually is a lot of confusion between these 2.

hilariocv

this is for tdt television

AlexBellisBrown

Nope, Its for FTA satellite transmission, for people such as i who cannot recieve TDT via the standard antena method.

Archerjs

Poor chap - he only wanted to know what a CAM was...you and your algorithms! You scared him off.

Now, in words of one syllable...can you explain whether and how I could subscribe to those TV channels (only) which have a preponderance of kids TV (in Spanish), pretty please. And if my dish points in the general direction of Hotbird and Astra 1 if there are any 'clear' channels for kids? I mean, if he's going to watch TV it had better be in another language, eh?

Ooo....that BBCfreesat-like spanish equivalent sounds good - I'd like some of that - did it happen?

Thanks,

Jo

Robbo

Hi,
There are not any free kids channels in spanish on satellite.

The kids channels in spanish that are available are in the digital+ package, available on Hispasat (30W) or Astra1 (19.2E).

As said above you need an official subscription card and CAM, or a dedicated D+ receiver. To get officially, you have to live in spain. To get unofficially you need to pay through the nose, or know someone who lives in Spain.

The package can also be obtained somewhat dubiously using a patched receiver with softcam and keys, which need to be updated 3x a day at present, and could go black anytime. There are also hobbyists cams that update automatically.

steve mac

I live in Spain but am moving back to Scotland, from what i understand here i can buy a dedicated D+ receiver or an official subscription card and CAM. Has anybody done this and do they have any advise for me? What does the acronym CAM mean? I'll need to make it clear what i need.

Any advice please. I'm new to this.