The Big Switch off: Costa viewers face new block on BBC and ITV : Spanish Expat Paper

[satandpcguy]

The following has appeared this week in one of the Free English Newspapers on the Costa Blanca.

There is nothing new in this newspaper report that has not already been published on this website for the last few months. This includes the "short term" reception gain of BBC ITV on a small 1m satellite dish in Spain.

BRITISH TV viewers on the Costa Blanca face a big switch-off of their favourite channels from next month following a new satellite launch.

One-metre satellite dishes have mushroomed locally since February when reception of BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 programmes became easy.

It was all a big contrast to using large dishes or re-broadcasting companies like Torresat or Simulsat – and it happened because the major UK channels were shifted to a satellite that offered better coverage in this area.

But the move was only a temporary one, a fact that many satellite installers chose not to mention as customers flocked to buy new equipment.

Last Friday, a new satellite was launched which will replace the current one – with key services expected to move onto it from November.

And although there are no official service maps of the coverage area of the new Astra 2F satellite, it is widely believed that reception of the major free-to-air UK channels will be impossible on the smaller dishes.

It is also borderline as to whether 1.9 metre dishes will be able to pick up those services. And that could also impact on many community installations around the area, especially on the urbanisations.

After seeing private and public maps of the service area of the new UK beam, the webmaster of specialist Satellite TV reception site Rob’s Satellite World told The Courier:

“Signals are always received further than the reception maps from the Astra satellites suggest, but I think that owners of 1.9 metre dishes may be all right. However, we will not know for certain until the satellite starts testing in the next fortnight”.

Owners of smaller dishes will still be able to receive programmes from other channels, but they’’ not be able to watch the main UK channels.

And while those who have subscriptions to SKY, along with the appropriate equipment, will have access to a wide range of premium channels, Britain’s five most popular channels won’t be available to them.

If the signal strength of the UK beam from the new satellite is very low, the re-broadcasters – with their very big dishes - could be the main beneficiaries of the changes

They are likely to be the only people with the means to pick up the basic channels – though there is an outside chance that the footprint of the new satellite may even be too difficult for them to receive.

The only other alternative would be to either watch the missing channels live through unofficial websites, or to access sites like the BBC iPlayer, though you’d need to use an internet proxy to indicate that your computer is in the UK.

[satandpcguy]

In this weeks edition of The Courier a "Martin Harrow" has written a letter saying the above story is incorrect:

There is a letter about this in this weeks issue:

I’M afraid that Courier correspondent Alex Trelinski has not got his facts right in his recent statement headed Switch Off’.
Yes, the launch was successful but this recent addition to upgrading the existing satellites will NOT be available until October 2013
Please, Alex, view this website for the correct information and not Rob’s Satellite, whoever they are.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcintern...sat_astra.html
Did the Courier not ask satellite Installing companies who PAY to advertise in your weekly paper for a statement regarding this?
Do Alex or the Courier have shares or part ownership in illegal rebroadcasters such as Torresat, Superbeam, Tele East (sorry, same company as Torresat) etc etc.
The BBC are moving some of their hardly used Red Button streams to the UK transponder and current users will notice hardly any difference to their existing systems.
We will continue to Install one-metre dishes for clients and I will add to our company statement ‘invoice that we WILL offer a full refund of monies to anyone who loses their channels. The sooner the illegal rebroadcasters are taken off the airwaves the better.
MARTIN HARROW

ALEX TRELINSKI replies: I stand 120 per cent behind the story. Martin is referring to the BBC changing frequency for a reduced Red Button service, which has absolutely nothing to do with a wholesale transfer of major free-to-air UK TV services to a new satellite. He’s also quoted a webpage that is a year out of date’ Also, as a former BBC employee. I have my sources from that organization, along with more public sources like Rob’s Satellite Website.
I repeat again that the Astra 2F satellite with the UK spot beam carrying services from the BBC and ITV will be available for transmission from November. and that reception of these popular services will be impossible in our area on a one- metre dish. By the way. I’m a dish owner myself, and totally share Martin’s views over the rebroadcasters.

To add my thoughts.
If this Martin is an installer, then it may be best to avoid him, as he clearly does not have a clue as to what is happening!

"the launch was successful but this recent addition to upgrading the existing satellites will NOT be available until October 2013". No idea where he gets this from. SES Astra, who operate the satellite, have said they would like the new satellite in operation as soon as possiable, as it will also be carrying an internet service for France, which was scheduled to start on the 1st November 2012. SES Astra have also said they would like the "temporary" 1N satellite to move to its correct position as soon as possiabl,also. It does beg the questionas to what he thinks this recently launched satellite,and the next one in Q1 2013, are going to do for 12 months...nothing???

"Please, Alex, view this website for the correct information and not Rob’s Satellite, whoever they are.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2011/08/red_button_dsat_astra.html"

He is quoting a blog post from a year ago about changes to the BBC red button service, and three other BBC TV channels, and that they are moving from one frequency to another. This change happened over a year ago.

"The BBC are moving some of their hardly used Red Button streams to the UK transponder and current users will notice hardly any difference to their existing systems."

Asside from the fact he is quoting a out of date blog, in fact, yes, there are BBC Red Button changes happening this month. The BBC are reducing the 5 streams to one stream. So users WILL see a difference. And there are a few more frequency changes also.
All as per this latest blog: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/abouttheb...ing-BBC-One-HD

"We will continue to Install one-metre dishes for clients and I will add to our company statement ‘invoice that we WILL offer a full refund of monies to anyone who loses their channels." Hope is preparing for a bit of a payout, considering most other satellite installation companies are aware of the changes that the new satellite will bring, and advising not to install a 1m dish for BBC ITV C4 and Fives.