Watching UK TV in Spain

This may be useful to  people who have internet.

 Using a program such as i use from the computer company, I have Sky in the UK and so i can watch sky go here with this program, without the need for a dish here.

I have seen sky advertise that you can subscribe to sky go only, without having to have the full sky package dish etc. and therefore watch sky through the internet.  You probably need a UK address, so for residents who can sort a uk address a good  option, Perhaps if you have a relative in the UK with sky they would allow you to use their sky go account.

Holiday makers can access their sky account whilst in Spain, providing they have an internet connection.

 johnzx says

I'm Irish and found this - not very pc at all

Sky Go is no good to use via the internet in Spain unless you are using a proxy server as it will only work with a UK IP address

Thanks inspectahomespain

Dont know anything about proxys, but i do know without any fuss or configuration.

It works with the program from the computer company. its a download you can get from their website computers-spain

I use the premium version which has various monthly payment options, and gets me loads of UK channels inc access to sky go and Netflix all at the click of a button on their interface, i did not have to do any configuration i just downloaded and SKY GO.

Catch up TV is all well and good, but i assume for the most of you, you still have a working Sat based solutions for UK TV.

When you loose this, can you live without Live tv on your telly? Yes, ipad apps and apple tvs and cables from your laptop all exist. And for now, for catch up and a bit of five they fill the gap. But can you really live with this as a full time TV replacement?

This IPTV box type solution offered by numerous people now, is a direct replacement for your freesat box or sky freeview box.

The quality is far better than the likes of filmons free service. Plus you get the full weeks TV programs from 22 channels available to watch anytime in an instant. It does need ADSL, but 1.5mbps is all you need. (2mbps + is better).

at 17.99 euros a month, its really not a great deal more than the TV licence fee.

Can anyone else confirm the 2x forced upgrades to filmon app in the last 3 weeks? The adds have stopped for now, but the place holders are still in place.They are prepping up for the switch off. Ive been approached about buying ads on the filmon service. So trust me, they are comming.

Astra 2 I don't fully understand your post because I believed with this solution you need a box and a satellite dish which, with the changing of a variety of satellites may not also offer a long-term solution, but I am no expert on this but there are experts on here that have said this

As I said before  I have Apple IPAD, a new smart TV where I can now run I player and other  applications over the Internet using an IPVPN installed of the router so it now even works on other TV's via my Playstation and Wii

If the IPTV box doesn't needed I certainly would not be paying €17.99 a month for rental, I would go out and buy one of the many boxes with built in IPVPN capability for a couple of hundred Euro, at least I then own it

There are still no popups, which is what you were maintaining on the upgrade for Filmon  

"is a direct replacement for your freesat box or sky freeview box"

Sky do not make Freeview boxes. So there is no such thing as a Sky Freeview box.

Some of the quality on IPTV is certianly questionable, certainly not in 1080 HD that you can get with direct from satellite. But I suppose that it is an option should areas of Spain have a reduction in signals. Mind you there are all sorts of boxes and systeme on offer - some free (XBMC for example), expatshield, and other VPN services that offer access to ukiplayers. Although in many cases this will simply requrie an upgrade in dish size - many people who lost signals are dishes that are simply now too small to receivce the 2F signal. As for peopel who say "well I dont want a 2m dish in my garden" well to be honest that s what has been used in many CBlanca areas for the last 10plus years so if people do want thei TV direct and in HD from the satellite then a dish upgrade is the solution. But it may well be best to wait until the summer and see what is exactly needed when BBC ITV C4 change to 2E satellite in the summer, as that will be an investment for the next 15 years of satellite TV..as that is the lifespan for these enw satellites. 

In the villa that I live in the urbanisation do not allow satellite dishes on individual properties and the incumbent supplier, Teleast  want to charge €20 for a limited package so I am happy with the free IPVPN solutions that I use, excepting that I will not get the quality resolution of having my own dish

In my other properties around Torrevieja one has a +2m community dish and the other in La Florida has a 1.9m dish with quad LNB and a mixture of FREESAT boxes and Sky Boxes and this was installed 4 years ago and has always worked brilliantly, at that time cost much more but bought quality and has worked great

On this urbanisation there are organisations trying to sell people smaller dishes on the basis that they will hide them away or put them into community areas so that they cannot be seen

Need to exercise a little caution with the smaller dishes. Many local 'experts' installing 1.0 metre dishes were yeaterdays builders and advice given is quite often incorrect.

We are presently receiving channels both off Astra 1N & the new satellite Astra 2F. The problem is most of the channels are still on 1N, though this will change by summer. This means that many people who are having these smaller dishes installed, may well find out in less than 6 months, that their dish is too small.

Present recommendation is a 1.4, this allows reception of 2F and takes into account the new satellite 2E and 2G next year (concluding the satellite replacement program). All these satellites (except 1N which will be moving) have the same stated footprint - i.e if you can receive 2F now, there should be only minor changes - according to Astra SES signal will be identical to to 2F on the newer satellites.

Brackets can be modified for solutions to hide dishes away from street view - though in every application can be different. 

In communities there are quite often solutions, though somoetimes this can come down to the engineering capability of installing company. We have installed dishes in a car park (probably the least ideal location), by the use of custom mounting fabrication, hiding dish out of harms way from reversing cars.   Some examples of this on this link. http://tvtech.sharepoint.com/Pages/CommunityTVinstallations.aspx

Paul the frustration here is that we already have the very large dishes onsite and the infrastructure cabling to support UK digital channels using standard Freesat type boxes but the provider that managed the site, Teleast, will not allow this and open the connections so you can only take their satellite boxes and channels which are not HD or recordable

For free the owners get 5  UK channels for free ITV1, ITV2, BBC1, BBC2 and Sky News delivered on a analogue signal and all of the Spanish digital channels in HD

Teleast have no rights to veto anything on your community.

The community owns the telecommunications ducts / cupboards and infrastructure & it is with your permission they have access to it. The community also owns the TDT cables.

You can bypass their system entirely, in which case what business is it of theirs?  So they are holding the entire community to ransom in order to maintain their monthly subscriptions for a substandard service locking out anyone that wants the full compliment of UK TV or Sky. 

If you could round up enough community members that wanted to go to a full satellite system, this could be done without interuption to their system - but they will want to stop this as ultimately once people have figured out you get a better system for no ongoing payments they'll start losing customers - which is the case presently, most of our business is from one rebroadcaster or another.  

We had a community with a similar starting point in Los Alcazares, which Teleast ran the site - community had enough and eventually we switched over around 100+ community members. The system paid for itself in a year (based on what people would pay a rebroadcaster) and for the last 3 years aside from a couple of hundred euros of maintenance (divided between over 100 people), the average community member has saved in excess of €500 each, based on what they would be paying for a subscription service - for free TV.

Legally every community is responsible for the Spanish TDT, however again this is a separate service and the two satellite / TDT should be run separately allowing full reception of both in original format - rather than a half baked SMATV hotel type system which downgrades the quality & channel selection.

Teleast have no rights whatsoever to dictate what you do within your community. Chances are to save a few euros they've probably borrowed much of the existing community TDT cable for their own service and pushed the UK signal down this (an assumption based on what we've seen previously. The reason why they put in this type of system is it is far cheaper for them to install (less cable) and then they gain maximum profit by way of subscription (which most will take as standard UK channel selection is deliberately limited). 

Ultimately it will always be about the numbers, if there are enough people that want a truly free to air service (or Sky), then if the numbers stack up for the equipment that is required then there is the possibility of installing a non subscription service with all channels HD or otherwise & of course the usual logistical headache getting everyone to agree, which does take time - but if people can add up & realise the potential long term savings and want a full UK TV service, it is the only method of getting this. 

There are 1100 properties, 426 occupied and 85% of the owners are English

Sounds like a golf resort?  We did Polaris World in El Valle which is probably a comparitive size - definately a case of a fibre optic network. 

On a project of this size, before any reports or costings could be made a full (no charge) site evaluation would be required. Once all this has been established an overall cost & options for this type of project could be put together - there will be a couple of different ways of going about this, depending what cable there is in situation.

If  community already have a fibre network (which is usually then switched to coaxial runs nearer the properties), much of the equipment may well already be in place and a few changes to the types of amplification and signal converters may all that is needed - though until a full survey is done this cannot be confirmed.

Paul the equipment and infrastructure  is all in place and the large dishes are based onsite

Should you wish to see if this is viable - welcome to give us a call or email & we can review site then put a report together. All the engineers will need, is access to main telecomms room, one example property & a few external points to review how system has been put together.

Sky dont make freeview boxes, but a skybox without subscription is commonly known as free to view from sky.

In the Costda del Sol, Test have shown that even with a 3.5m dish, the signal for the current channel five is not great, and only in the best of weather conditions, did it work.

this dish size is not only expensive, 2000 - 3000 euros, but requires planning permission. I dont see this as a solution for the average home.

Astra2tv doesnt require a dish, just the settop box, a broadband connection, and your TV set. The PC, MAC and iOS apps are a free part of the subscription. Given they have the whole 7 days worth of content from all of the channels, stored on their extensive 'content delivery network' the small box they supply needs no recording facilities. Quality is as good as SD satellite transmissions. There is no lag or buffering, its just like watching normal TV. So, you have to pay a monthly fee. Well, its less than the cost of a coffee per day. Certainly cheaper than a huge dish. The back up and support is second to none, and they have a huge number of dealers up and down the coast who are signed up as partners. From Gibralta to Granada. IPTV is the future, its here now, and its here to stay.

As i have stated here before, there are ways to get content for free. Using PCs and VPNs and filmon ect. Those technically minded (like those who post on forums) most probably will. But if you want a quality solution without the fuss and hassle, dont own an apple tv with iPad and airplay, your looking for LIVE tv not yesturdays eastenders, then astra2tv has the perfect solution. Compared to smart-sat IPTV which has a cost of 25.00 per month, its a stack cheaper and works better.

 I aggree there must be better ways of getting uk tv than big unsightly dishes, the internet seems to be the way forward as the connections get better and faster. I am using a program by The computer company, you can get live uk tv as well as access to netflix and sky go, and some other stuff, best of all its cheap works out at from 6 euros a month, free if you only want catchup! and if your part time out here, you can just subscribe for the time your here.

ive posted there video demo 

isitworthatry ?

 The problem is you need broadband connection and if it is a holiday home then this will be  expensive.

 Hi 

Yes you do need broadband, but nowadays peoples access to the internet seems to be important , even for holiday homes wifi seems to be a priority, i have a friend who rents out part of the year and he tells me that  renters seem to expexct wifi and tv in the property, and so with the internet you can get tv .He users a provider who give access when you need it rather than a yearly contract. I guess this varies from area to area depends on provider deals.

isitworthatry ?

.. shame the tcc programme isn't compatible with a mac, like filmon!