Satellite TV Hardware & Service For Iraq

[pgg]

I'm an American, and know almost nothing about satellite TV service that's available outside the US. My apologies if this is a poor choice of forums for asking these questions.

In short, I'm looking for advice and sources of information about hardware and service for satellite TV in western Iraq.


When I was in Afghanistan last year, one of the locals sold me a small dish and receiver to get FTA TV programming. I don't recall which satellite it was pointed at - we ended up with a handful of English channels including CNN, BBC, Eurosport, and dozens of continuous live phone s_x ad channels.

I'm going to Iraq in a couple months, and I'm interested in buying a small dish and receiver to take with me - I'm sure I can get a better system by planning ahead than by (again) trusting the shady guy who parks his van by the gate. Either FTA or paid subscription programming is OK.

Problem is, I have absolutely no idea what receivers I should be looking at, which satellites I can hit from western Iraq, or what English language programming is available. (Ironically, I'm very familiar with Middle Eastern satellite internet service, and have a 1.2 m bidirectional dish packed up and ready to go for my unit to use. But I know nothing about ordinary TV service over there.)

Ideally, I'd be able to buy a dish, mounting hardware, and receiver all in one package. Where do I begin? I'd appreciate any tips, pointers, sales pitches, etc.

 

[gameboy]

Check this out - dish may be a bit small but I'm sure you can find a larger dish from your job spec.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/96125972@N00/sets/307676/show/

From this thread...

http://www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/forum/showthread.php?p=215521#post215521

 

[pgg]

Check this out - dish may be a bit small but I'm sure you can find a larger dish from your job spec.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/96125972@N00/sets/307676/show/

From this thread...

http://www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/forum/showthread.php?p=215521#post215521

That's pretty cool. However, I've got a fair amount of cargo space available, and I don't expect to be moving a whole lot ... so I'm leaning toward quality over portability. That poster said he wasn't too impressed with the LNB, and I'm sort of suspicious of what kind of receiver + dish you can get for 100 Euro. (Maybe I just have inflated expectations of what I'll have to pay for a decent system.)

 

[rolfw]

With a 2m or so dish you should be able to pick up the widebeam on Hotbird 13E, if you can then acquire a Powerview receiver and subscription, you can watch the AFN channels.

 

[mochaman340]

'm an American, and know almost nothing about satellite TV service that's available outside the US. My apologies if this is a poor choice of forums for asking these questions.

In short, I'm looking for advice and sources of information about hardware and service for satellite TV in western Iraq.


When I was in Afghanistan last year, one of the locals sold me a small dish and receiver to get FTA TV programming. I don't recall which satellite it was pointed at - we ended up with a handful of English channels including CNN, BBC, Eurosport, and dozens of continuous live phone s_x ad channels.

I'm going to Iraq in a couple months, and I'm interested in buying a small dish and receiver to take with me - I'm sure I can get a better system by planning ahead than by (again) trusting the shady guy who parks his van by the gate. Either FTA or paid subscription programming is OK.

Problem is, I have absolutely no idea what receivers I should be looking at, which satellites I can hit from western Iraq, or what English language programming is available. (Ironically, I'm very familiar with Middle Eastern satellite internet service, and have a 1.2 m bidirectional dish packed up and ready to go for my unit to use. But I know nothing about ordinary TV service over there.)

Ideally, I'd be able to buy a dish, mounting hardware, and receiver all in one package. Where do I begin? I'd appreciate any tips, pointers, sales pitches, etc.

NO problem let me help. I have been here twice in central and northern iraq all you need is a 1m dish or so pointed at Hotbird to get English language programming that you mentioned earlier. Also if you are a Govt unit you can order an AFN box for free. This also works off Hotbird 13. Get with a local and have them get you a standard digital satellite receiver with a card and you should be set. If you have any other questions, post them and ill try to answer. As far as models of receivers , I recommend Starsat or Strong both of which i have owned and successfullly used here. Let me know if this helps

 

[powel000]

Absolutely, get a powervu unit through your local Military office and get AFN. Afn was great when we had it.