French TV in Spain – Fransat
The French satellite TV service Fransat is the French equivalent to the UK’s Freesat service.
Its aim is to provide access to the whole of France of the French national digital TV channels.
Fransat 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 Atlantic Bird 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 Fransat package channels are broadcast from the Atlantic Bird constellation of satellites, located at 5 degrees west of south.
The Fransat package will provide the 19 French TV channels that are considered as the ‘mainstream’ television channels in France. If you have a Fransat High-Definition receiver then you will receive the same package but with a number of the channels being in HD.
The channels are broadcast on a “Free to View” basis, 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. The Fransat receiver comes with a viewing card which is valid for 4 years from the date of activation. No monthly subscription fees are payable.
With each official Fransat 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.
A TNTSAT receiver is designed for use on Astra 1 satellites at 19 East.
A Fransat receiver is designed for use on Atlantic Bird satellites at 5 West
Although they offer the same channels, a TNTSAT receiver will not work on a satellite dish aligned for Fransat, and vice-versa
Fransat Channels
These are the channels available with the Fransat receiver and viewing card.
TF1
FRANCE 2
FRANCE 3
FRANCE 4
FRANCE 5
M6
ARTE
FRANCE O
DIRECT 8
W9
TMC
NT1
NRJ
LCP
BFM
ITELE
EUROPE TV
GULLE
TV5 MONDE
Fransat Viewing Cards.
A FRANSAT viewing card will allow you to watch the French TV channels on the “Atlantic Bird” satellites at 5 West.
French TV Changes in 2016
From April 2016, French TV will only be available in MPEG4 and HD.
The changes from MPEG2 to MPEG4 aim to increase bandwidth, and offer more channels in HD.
From April 2016, the French digital television network will be available exclusively in HD with an offer of 29 channels. During the first quarter of 2016, 12 new HD channels will be available free-to-air (BFMTV, D17, D8, iTélé, Gulli, NRJ12, NT1, TMC, W9) as well as three premium (pay-TV) HD channels (Canal+ Cinéma, Canal+ Sport and Planète+).
Already available are TF1, France 2, Canal+, Arte and M6, who started broadcasting in HD in October 2008; and HD1, L’Équipe 21, 6Ter, Numéro 23, RMC Découverte and Chérie 25, that became available in December 2012.
This will mean that those watching French TV on Standard Definition receivers will have to upgrade to a new HD satellite receiver to continue to watch French TV by satellite.
Fransat Satellite Installations in Spain
The Fransat package can be easily received in Spain by using an 80cm satellite dish.
We can supply and install a satellite dish, viewing cards and receiver to receive Fransat French channels.