France - TNTSAT - Digital French Satellite

The TNTSAT satellite service is the French equivalent to the UKs Freesat service. Its aim is to provide access to the whole of France of the French national digital TV channels.

TNTSAT is a service targeted to regions where TV households cannot receive signals from terrestrial transmitters. It offers French TV viewers the full range of French digital terrestrial free-TV channels over the Astra satellites, allowing a 100 percent coverage of France. At the time of the analogue switch-off in France, the number of households which will not be covered by terrestrial transmitters is estimated to be around 1.5 million, representing five percent of the French population.

The TNTSAT package channels are broadcast from the Astra 1 constellation of satellites, located at 19.2 degrees east of  south. They can be easily received by using an 80cm dish.

The channels are broadcast as Free to View, meaning that they are free to watch with no monthly subscription, but you do require a viewing card to watch them as the channels are encrypted (for copyright and broadcast contract reasons).

With each official TNTSAT receiver you also get a viewing card that unencrypted the channels. The receiver and viewing card are available with a single one off payment, and no monthly subscription is required. The viewing cards a expected to last about 3 years before renewal is required.

These are the channels available with the TNTSAT viewing card.

The receiver is also able to receive other free TV channel on the Astra1 satellites.