TELMICRO (CHANNELS GONE !!)

Seems Telmicro have withdrawn English channels, maybe the Sky ones, or had them withdrawn.

The Torre forum are all discussing it. TELMICRO

Paul (The Television Man) has now just got "under construction" on his website http://www.thetelevisionman2000.eu/ where he used to have lots of info including the TV programme guide.

Hope this doesn't mean we forked out 700€ for nothing at Christmas.

I've emailed many friends in Spain asking if they've got their channels or if they have heard anything but Sky have been saying for some time they were going to take action to remove their channels so maybe this has to do with the channels going.

Anyone know anything ?

Oh dear.  How does this system work?

To be honest, we're not even supposed to get SKY through a dish in Spain.  That's why the cards have to be registered in the UK for them to work here.

Sounds like maybe it was a bit of a scam!

Justin

Im watching mine now and all channels are ok including English,  Chingo

Justin, Telmicro is massive in our area of the CB. People are rightly furious as Telmicro advertise they are 100% legal. They conveniently don't mention the Sky service isn't legal ( they are fully legal re paying Spanish taxes) so it's misleading. When we signed up we didn't realise we could lose the promised Sky channels & many more didn't.

At the risk of being edited as these indeed are links to the Torrevieja forum so I apologise, in advance, for breaking Justin's rules but think this is very important, (Justin will edit out links if he chooses, of course,  & I appreciate it may happen ) here are links to the boards where Telmicro is being discussed at great length.

  Main one is TV channels gone plus

Sky, Telemicro, Nortons, etc etc programmes gone forever !!! and  Telmicro

Also check out thread called  TV Man Here in Mobile Phones - Television - Computers & others

 

Hmm, sounds like you are using a repeater service rather than a satellite decoding box. The free channels are all available off the Astra satellite, you don't need a Sky box as any satellite box will receive these channels. If you have the encrypted channels however, that is a different kettle of fish. Sky do not have a license to broadcast outside of the British Isles and what you get in Spain is the signal overspill (funny how the Murdochs live in Spain isn't it?), therefore there is no such thing as a Sky authorised dealer, although in Puerto Rey and Mojacar there is a company advertising just that!!

Mark

There is an explaination of what is happening on the TV. All the sky chanels seem to have gone but we still have BBC1 and 2, ITV and chanel 4. From the info given it seems that Telimicro are trying to replace the lost chanels with 'English alternatives'.......................whatever that means.

As hubby just said "here today in the UK we have lots of sun & we have our Sky TV channels & hopefully Telmicro will give us something to watch when we come over to Spain next month".  Yes, Karen, it's the Sky channels that are encrypted I'm on about. The others are ok at the moment.

Love the blank TV screen pic you put in bucket thread.

The broadcasting of these channels has always been ilegal as it is ilegal to receive SKY channels in Spain and luckily I have had the syetm 4 years so I have saved money compared to wjat I would have paid in the UK

This company have always stated that they are 100% legal and the comonay and the local installers have made a fortune out of this system

SKY are now actively targeting these operators and will be looking at people who have dishes and subscriptions that may be paid in the UK, as there is a strong rumour that CANAL have done a deal with SKY to legally broadcast subscription services in Spain and part of the deal is that they have to clean up the market

Telmicro are still  broacasting ITV BBC and their own range of LEGAL Movie channels but this has removed almost 50% of the channels

Screen announcements say that a new package will be announced and this month will be free

Yes it has always been a scam a distribution company taking the signals and distributing them for money

 

Roy, can you make your signature larger as I can't read it.

OK that change is overdue

SORRY

TV INFO FOR SPAIN BY COSTA BLANCA EXPERTS SITE

My uncle had telmicro installed about 3 years ago and i have come out to spain for holiday and about 20 channels have gone, although a few have reappered today but seem to be different. Instead of sports 2 i have a spanish channel (not good). I rang my uncle back in england and he said that he would try and sort this out.

My uncle got in touch with premier systems who installed the system and spoke with warren. He has said that yesterday he was asked to the office on an important matter and was told that they (telmicro) have told him that they will no longer be transmitting certain channels. Telmicro are allowed to transmit free to air channels like bbc1 through to channel five and any current free to air channels. Telmicro also have the rights from another supplier to show FOX, SCI FI, CALLE 13?, CINESTAR?, XTRM?, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC and NATURA.

He was also told that telmicro have been forced to take certain channels off but have been working for a long time seeking new content providers, suppling english language alternatives of Entertainment, sports, films and documentaries. This is the same information that is currently been displayed on some channels at the moment. All Telmicro customers are not been charged for this month as they are completing the channel line up. Please note that this does not apply to Teleast customers.

Warren also said that many people are panicking and thinking of going to another company, do not do this.

Why?

This crack down is going to affect all providers of re-transmission of the sky subscription channels. (This will not affect anyone that has there own satellite dish, sky digital receiver and offical sky digital card)

If you change your provider now then you may be throwing your money away as there is no way to know when they will be switched off. Also BEWARE of anybody offering you a system that will get you sports and movies as many people will be trying to cash in on a simple scam.

HOPE

Not all is lost, Remember that telmicro are by far one of the biggest and as such have the financial means to approach other content providers that supply good quality english alternatives. For instance football or movies been transmitted from another satellite might have the audio in another language and in most cases the audio can be switched back to its original as many football games and movies have multiple audio/language tracks)

This would be one hundred percent legal as a license would have to be secured to have the rights to show these channels.

My uncle said that warren was really helpful in this matter so i guess it is a case of wait and see!!!

There does seem to be alot of information (mis-information) on the web, i have read different accounts but most report the same as warren so i guess his information is pretty accurate. I am trying to find his number to get any updates (Need Footie for sunday).

Hope this helps.

I have lived here for 18 months and have never been a telmicro customer.
We have a 2.4m dish and receive are channels directly from Sky.

After all this debate over Sky restricting services to spain and retransmitting there signal, i just wonder whether Mr Murdoch and Co's family and 
friends which spend most of there days in the south of spain, enjoy watching spanish only TV or i just wonder whether they also have a 2.4m
dish to receive there signal from Sky, i bet without the horendous monthly charges anyone else outside of there little clan have to pay?

Telmicro have provided a pretty good service over the years to the expat community. Where is the harm done?

HT

Hola marrow.......................don't quite get the point of your post.
I'm sure no one is particularly bothered about what Mr Murdoch watches, but we have obvious concerns about what we can no longer watch.
As for Telmicro providing a pretty good service to the ex-pat community, I don't think anyone is disputing that, we are all just wondering what we will get now and how much it will cost us !!

I like stuffed marrow

Hi Karensun
I was referring to the point of sky wanting to firstly try and withdraw anyone using there system in spain and secondly what harm were 
telmicro really doing?
They were providing a service which had sky authorities had better negotiations with ofcom could have created a similar system.

Hope this clears up my point

HT

Thanks marrow for that........................trust me to read it wrong !!       

The problem is that Sky has no authority to broadcast outside the UK and Ireland.  They also carry BBC and ITV which are not allowed to broadcast outside these areas.  I agree, it would be nice to have the system in Spain but I think everyone knows that it is not supposed to be.  Like others, I can't really see the harm but if Sky don't do something about it, they may be in danger of losing their satellite rights in UK as well.  BBC and ITV won't allow their internet service (i player and catchup) to be received by a computer without a UK address.  On the other hand, NBC, CBS etc won't allow internet access outside the USA, either.
Many people have put up a 2.4 metre (or bigger) dish up to pick up Sky direct.  Unfortunately, some communities won't allow this so you are, basically, stuck. 
If a company tells you they are perfectly legal, they may not be lying even though they will be, shall we say, being economical with the truth.  But they will only be legal under Spanish law.  They will not have any rights whatsoever from Sky as they are not allowed to do so and do not authorise anyone to do so.  Using your digibox in Spain with a big dish is also not authorised by Sky because they, quite simply, are not allowed to authorise this under UK broadcasting regulations.  I am sure that Sky would absolutely love to be able to do so but they must bear in mind the relatively low market in Spain compared to the possibility of losing their broadcasting rights in UK.  The Astra satellite, which Sky still uses, can be accessed but it doesn't have any of the UK main channels (BBC, ITV etc) nor any of the premium channels.
I can you give the names of loads of sites which broadcast TV through the internet but they are generally very boring, public information, advertising, films/cartoons from around 1920 and religious channels so hardly worth the bother of even calling up the site.  (try wwitv.com to see what I mean). 
The best bet (for the moment) will be the Spanish Digital suppliers when they are fully up and running.  You will then get lots of channels and, if the original programme is in English, you can change the language on your TV to receive it in the original language.  If the demand is there, I am sure the Spanish digital will carry more and more British and American programmes in English but don't expect BBC or ITV as they are not allowed to broadcast even though they can sell their programmes to the Spanish companies.
In the meantime, find a good library or DVD hire shop.

Edited to add:  BBC 24 and BBC Prime are exceptions to the rule as they are designed for viewing outside the UK and are allowed to carry advertising.  Your licence money doesn't pay for them.

This message was last edited by bobaol on 5/20/2008.

hi bobaol

I was a leicester lad, markfield actually.
Ex radio communications man.
All points are noted with interest, but i will keep the big dish as we have no problems 
with neighbours.

Cheers

HT

Greetings, Marrow, from not so sunny Markfield.  Been here over 20 years but Spain year after next.  Also ex comms man from Woodhouse but now stuck behind a desk.

Woodhouse Eaves here too.

My daughter and her partner live in Leicester

Sorry to hijack this thread - I don't come (or do any of my family come) from Leicester not have Tel whats it. BUT I did wonder if one of you 'Comms' professionals out there could tell me why I can't hear my DVDs on my player in Spain?
I posted this request some time ago but didn't really receive any answers that worked.  
We bought a small TV (I think 17 / 19 inch) and DVD player from our local electrical shop in Fuengirola, both LG.  No problem with the TV sound but when we want to play a DVD we have to turn it up to the maximum allowed, which I'm sure can't be doing the set any good. Picture OK but whisper soft sound so I think I've got the right channel or settings on.
We purchased a SCART lead at the same time and the DVD player came with three cords - red, white and yellow.  I plugged everything in a shown and even tried switching them around but still no improvement. 
In the UK we have no problem with a small set and DVD player that aren't even the same make as each other. 
Any suggestion welcome

Also would appreciate advice on buying a set top receiver.  Had a quick look in supermarket but have no idea what I should be looking at or paying.  Getting the basic channels via the communal aerial but would something more for those rainy days!!

Hi Sonia

Not sure if this helps but I've a funny feeling we had a similar problem though it tends to be my OH who watches stuff on our DVD player in our Spanish home & I could be wrong. Both our 20" TV & DVD player were bought in Spain. I seem to recall the sound on the DVD player was really low (so like your problem) but we used the TV remote to increase the DVD volume. Could I be correct ? Did you try that. Could be such a daft question but did you try ? (I'm sure you must have. )

Sounds to me like you are using the component cables Sonia rather than true SCART connectivity. There should be somewhere on the back of your DVD player to allow the male pins of a scart lead to be connected, then the other end of the male pins to the TV, it should work then.

Mark

We bought a SCART lead at the same time as the two machines and that is connected plus the DVD (coloured) cables.  On our UK set we only use a SCART lead.  The one we've got in Spain the shop told us was what we needed.  I had wondered if these varied but I know we've swapped our UK ones around different machines with no change to either picture or sound. 
If there was no picture I could (sort of) understand a connection problem but it's just the sound.  I wondered if it was because the TV has a low output and if speakers might help but normal TV reception is fine.

You should only need a SCART lead.  No need for the component cables.
You may also have your sound settings the menu turned down.  Try going into the setup menu on the DVD and increasing the volume from the audio menu.
Good luck.
 

Sonia, did you see my post ? Did you relate to what I said ? 

I just went to ask my OH & got little sense out of him as the Man Utd v Chelsea match is ready to start. (He wants his dinner though BUT he must learn to be a little less brusque. MEN for you, grrrr .....    !!!)

Sonia - I'm a little confused about how you're connecting the two.

1. does your dvd player have a scart connection and are you using a scart lead between this and the scart on the tv.

2. how many scart connections does your tv have.

I'm not an expert but my N I L told me that the coloured outlets (red,white and yellow) are pre scart connections.  You can buy a scart lead which has the coloured leads at one end (some even come with a detachable scart connector.

If you are using this type of connection then that should be ok as well.  

Who makes LG, have you tried asking a question on their website?  Perhaps it's a known problem.

Bobaol advice sounds good unless of course you've already tried that.

When we bought our Samsung dvd/vcr combo the instructions booklet was in every language but English.  Luckily a friend who is very good at DIY had offered to come out for a weekend with my husband to help us move in.  At the last moment his son offered his help, he set up the combo and also wrote out an idiots guide for me to follow.

I'm a bit confused about this TV in Spain business. I am a Telmicro customer ( pay yearly ) and what I don't understand is why other providers are still broadcasting Sky?
There has been a lot of 'chat' in other places about just WHY Telmicro have stopped transmitting Sky, but no one seems to know what the truth of the matter is.
I was up at Norton's earlier today and was told that the piece about them  ( Norton's ) in the free press was not in fact placed by them.
Apparently Cable will guarentee 'Sky? broadcast for one year. How can they do this if Sky is pulling the plug?????????
Also there is evidence that Sky ARE cutting off cards bought in the UK and being used in Spain.
Norton's offer a service where you buy a big dish and a box thing and they provide a Sky card ( for a price of course...........you have to pay the same price as for Sky in England )...................BUT how can this BE, if Sky will only allow broadcasting in England and Ireland.....................how can they do this???????????
As for 'it being legal'.......well they might be legally allowed to transmit in Spain, BUT it is not legal to transmit Sky here.
SO...............................what is going on? Is this another BIG con and will cost us all more money in the end ?????????