Portuguese TV in UK help

[zza1pqx]

My partner is portuguese and a massive FC Porto fan. I currently have no TV receivers of any kind (including any kind of standard aerial!)
I was thinking of getting a dish installed in order to receive Portuguese channels for her birthday.

I would need to get Sport-TV in order to get that birthday wow-factor.
I have spoken to her father (who gets his telly via the Portuguese Zon service) who did some research on his side of europe and concluded that I would have to have an account set up at a Portuguese address. This isn't a problem as he has said he will happily let me register through his address.
I know I need to be pointing at 30 degree West at Hispasat. He also mentioned something called TVCabo Portugal which I assume is the service that Zon sells him.

I am located in Brighouse West Yorkshire.

The questions I need answering are.

1) Is there anyway to get the decoding box in the UK or will I have to get it shipped from portugal?
2) what is the ball park cost of setting up a dish that will grab a signal from hispasat that the box can decode?
3) Does anyone know of a supplier in my area that could help?
4) Would UK terrestrial Free Sat work with the setup required for Portuguese telly?

I know the second question is a loaded one but I really need to know, will it cost a few hundred or a few thousand? (in which case she will get a fluffy bunny for her birthday).

I have looked at some euro TV supplier websites but they tend to be poor quality sites and that suggests to me that either the installers know kack all about internet code, or they aren't properly legit and if it's possible I don;t mind paying subscription for quality and peace of mind.
All other sites seem to be for Sat-TV enthusiasts and I am an incredible n00b when it comes to such things. I have been happy with my BBC iplayer and ITV on demand web service so know nothing of these metal umbrellas on the side of houses.

Thanks in advance for anyone genuinely able to help.

 

[A nonymous]

Portuguese TV can be received quite easily in the UK

Its broadcast on Hispasat at 30 degrees west.

1) Is there anyway to get the decoding box in the UK or will I have to get it shipped from portugal?

Best to get the correct one from Portugal as Zon uses Nagravision 3 encryption which means the card is paired to the box.

2) what is the ball park cost of setting up a dish that will grab a signal from hispasat that the box can decode?

A standard 80cm dish is fine for Hispasat in your location. A DIY Install would cost you about £50.

3) Does anyone know of a supplier in my area that could help?

Try PMing Rick the moderator

4) Would UK terrestrial Free Sat work with the setup required for Portuguese telly?

Different satellites. Uk stuff is on 28.2e, Portuguese stuff is on 30w, so you either need 2 dishes or motorised.

I don't think the UK freesat boxes support DISEqC control so it wouldn't be able to switch between the 2 dishes.

If you can get the stuff from Portugal through family i would do as if you go through a non Portuguese supplier you will get ripped off.

Nano

 

[Adam792]

Not got much more to add to the useful information that nanochicken has provided other than I believe that at least some of the Freesat receivers do support DiSEqC - including the Humax Foxsat ones.

Also, you might want to look at meo (_www.meo.pt) as well as Zon TV Cabo as both provide the Sport-TV channels (as well as all the regular Portuguese terrestrials RTP1, RTP2, SIC and TVI and various others). Both come from Hispasat 30°W.

You could have both systems through one box but it'd take more setting up (i.e. Linux receivers) so I don't know if you'd want to bother with that. You wouldn't be able to get the Portuguese stuff through a Freesat box.

One thing I have heard, and have noticed for myself actually, is that the Meo pictures are a little sharper than the Zon TV Cabo ones.

 

[zza1pqx]

Thanks chaps. Adam, I have quite a small HD TV so I'm not sure I would notice much of a difference. I have to say that my ladies father watches his Zon through what appeared to be a 65" Bang & Olufsen Beovision 4 and picture quality didn't seem to be an issue there either, I'm not sure my eyes are that good. (is there such a thing as 720i eyes?)

Question to nanochickin, I have found some UK based dealers most notably porsat.com claiming to sell new Zon HD boxes in the uk. If they're useless without the card, what keeps them in business?

 

[Analoguesat]

If you have the chance to buy from Portugal via family contacts, DONT use a UK based reseller - it will cost you much much more to get it in the UK.

 

[Chris76]

Thanks chaps. Adam, I have quite a small HD TV so I'm not sure I would notice much of a difference. I have to say that my ladies father watches his Zon through what appeared to be a 65" Bang & Olufsen Beovision 4 and picture quality didn't seem to be an issue there either, I'm not sure my eyes are that good. (is there such a thing as 720i eyes?)

Question to nanochickin, I have found some UK based dealers most notably porsat.com claiming to sell new Zon HD boxes in the uk. If they're useless without the card, what keeps them in business?

Your much better sticking to the receiver for the box mate as its hassle free.

 

[zza1pqx]

Portuguese TV can be received quite easily in the UK
3) Does anyone know of a supplier in my area that could help?

Try PMing Rick the moderator

Can't PM anyone on here..?

 

[Analoguesat]

Can't PM anyone on here..?

No you cant you havent made enough posts and havent been a member long enough. You will get those privileges in a few weeks when you have made more posts.

 

[zza1pqx]

Oh. OK. I'll sort the system somehow. Cheers for the advice people.

 

[rolfw]

If you want an installer, post a thread in the installer wanted section.

 

[CSB]

Its also worth noting, that a DVB-S2 capable reciever is required for meo. Which I feel is worth the extra cost now, as it would be much easier to sell on later.

 

[zza1pqx]

Thank you everyone. Dish is up, signal is great, Zon box is paid for, authorised and on it's way to the UK. Also, Dad in law says he'll pay for the subscription. Happy Days. Also, knowing what she had coming I found her slowing down and staring in at the 'much bigger telly shop' window. Double bonus!

 

[Lazarus]

Nice.

Enjoy!

 

[CSB]

Thank you everyone. Dish is up, signal is great, Zon box is paid for, authorised and on it's way to the UK. Also, Dad in law says he'll pay for the subscription. Happy Days. Also, knowing what she had coming I found her slowing down and staring in at the 'much bigger telly shop' window. Double bonus!

FMI What was the cost/package you got ?

 

[zza1pqx]

I think the box was around 80 euros. Not sure why that needed paying for tbh. The package which includes US drama channels, a million soap operas and all sport tv hd channels is about 40 euro a month. Not what I was aiming for but Dad in law says he'll pay for the box and half the monthly fee.


Incidentally does anyone know if the Zon box connects up to a phone line or the internet via ethernet? My gf and her dad swear blind that interactivity comes exclusively through dish and don't seem to even understand what I'm talking about.

 

[darksider]

I think the box was around 80 euros. Not sure why that needed paying for tbh. The package which includes US drama channels, a million soap operas and all sport tv hd channels is about 40 euro a month. Not what I was aiming for but Dad in law says he'll pay for the box and half the monthly fee.


Incidentally does anyone know if the Zon box connects up to a phone line or the internet via ethernet? My gf and her dad swear blind that interactivity comes exclusively through dish and don't seem to even understand what I'm talking about.

The zon box for HD content costs €79 euros. You could rent it for an additional € 3,49 per month on the monthly bill which is not very cost effective and hence buying the box. The channel pack Max which has about over a hundred channels including some very nice ones (the full list can be seen here: ZON Multimedia) costs €21.99 pcm. The sport channels are premium and cost €25 and €28 for non HD and HD respectively.

I have no idea if the satellite HD box has any connection to the internet but I'll find out in a couple of weeks when I return from Portugal . The non-HD box I have does have an ethernet port, however I have no idea what for has I never used it. The HD box is recent and so it should at least have one too.

 

[CSB]

We were looking at doing the same thing from Madeira/Portugal, as we are only there for 3 months a year (my wife is Portuguese). The thing that put us of at the time was the poor hardware (reciever) and support that Cabo offered at the time. (2009).

I think you need to ask your partner what it is on Portugal TV that is of interest to her. Unfortunately the Portuguese terrestrial channels RTP1,2 & Regional, TVi & SiC you will need to get through subscription. For me, the Portugues use subtitles on Movies, the Spannish have Dual Language. The Sport channels are comparable to BSkyB over here.

While there is not much FTA (free to air) Portuguese language program's on Satellite, RTPi & Brazil TV Record are easily recieved, and there are a lot of Spannish channels. But not on 30w where TV Cabo/Meo broadcast from.

=http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/Europe.html