After reading a number of questions, inaccurate answers and “scaremongering” on the internet and social media over the last few days, I hope this will help understand what changes are going to happen when watching UK TV in Spain post Brexit.
UK Streaming Services in Spain post Brexit
Since 2018, UK residents travelling within the EU were able to keep watching their UK streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, SkyGo, NOW TV , Britbox UK and ITV Hub without the need for a VPN or Smart DNS service as part of the EUs “Digital Single Market” and “portability” rules.
These rules allowed short stayers like holiday makers, travelling from one EU country to another EU country would be able to access the same streaming video library they’re subscribed to at home without the need to “hide your ip address” or the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) / Smart DNS (SDNS) services. Continue reading »
The UKTV group of channels may be changing on satellite soon.
The UTV group operate 10 TV channels on UK TV satellites:
Alibi Drama Dave Eden GOLD Good Food Home Really Watch Yesterday
And on satellite TV, via the Astra 2 group of satellites, these channels are only available via a Sky subscription.
According to recent reports, these 10 channels, in standard Definition, have suddenly appeared on frequency 12129 V SR 27500 FEC 2/3 . So there could be a change from their current frequency of 11817 V SR 27500 FEC 2/3 to 12129 V SR 27500 FEC 2/3.
Some channel number changes have taken place for the UKTV group of channels on Sky:
Watch/HD 109/245 (HD swap changed) WAS 109/214 Dave/HD 111/246 (HD swap changed) WAS 111/213 Good Food/HD 133/255 (main SD/HD channel change) WAS 244/255 Really 155 WAS 245 Drama 158 WAS 166 GOLD +1 166 WAS 133 Home 196 WAS 243 Watch +1 213 WAS 155 Dave ja Vu 214 WAS 158 Good Food +1 243 WAS 247 Home +1 244 WAS 246 alibi/HD 132/247 (HD swap changed) WAS 132/226 alibi +1 226 WAS 196
The following image is being used by one retailer of IPTV systems, and basically using scare tactics and incorrect information about the potential loss of UK TV in Europe into pressuring people into buying their product.
Their image sayings that any people in the RED area will not be able to receive any UK TV signals, specifically BBC ITV C4 and Fives, from this new satellite.
THIS IS WRONG.
The map they have used is an SES Astra predicted signal footprint map showing the predicted coverage where a 45cm and 60cm satellite dish is expected to receive those signals. The inner blue area on the map is the expected area of reception for a satellite dish of 45cm. The outer blue area on the map is the expected area of reception for a satellite dish of 60cm.
The map simply does not show what size dish will be required for many people in those RED areas.
Their suggestion that anyone living in a RED area will not get any signals for these UK TV channels is incorrect.
They are ignoring what the map they have used actually shows, which is the predicted reception for users with a 45cm and 60cm dish. The map does not say anything at all about reception in other areas of Europe, with people using larger dishes.
This “promotional pack” is saying that ANYONE living in the red area will lose the BBC ITV C4 and Five channels, ignoring the fact that a) no-one will know what reception of the new satellite will be like until it is launched and operational, and b) how they are misrepresenting what the map is actually showing for their own gain.
And this map is the same map for the first new satellite, Astra 2F, which can be received in most areas of Spain. For example in the Valencia area, this satellite can be received on a 1m satellite dish, which does disprove this maps reception inside the RED area!
This is just another example of many of how deceitful some IPTV and Internet TV sellers can be, into scaring people into buying a system that they may not need.
I wonder if Trading Standards in the UK, where the company that issues this advertisement says it is registered, can do anything about such misleading and false advertising….
Remember, if and when the new satellite does come into operation, and you are in an area that can receive the satellite signals, then you are best to invest in a satellite TV system rather than an IPTV systems. Especially so if you want image quality and high definition images for live UK TV. Many of these IPTV / Internet tv services offer low quality low resolutions for their live UK TV services, sometimes with a resolution as low as 400. Normal TV has a resolution of 576, and high definition has a resolution of 1080. Thus you can see that these systems, although they may sounds good, simply do not offer the image quality that can be offered by direct from satellite TV systems.
UKTV direct from satellite on a 40cm satellite dish from Hotbird….is this another con to prey on unsuspecting expats who may lose their UK TV?
These leaflets, being distributed through bars and shops in the south of Spain, preying on people due to the potential loss of UK TV channels.
This UK TV satellite systems is “a brand new Angelo Hispanic digital TV service beamed from the Eutelsat Hot Bird13A satellite. This innovative service will bring UK TV programs to Spanish audiences, with both Spanish and Original language options. The service will also offer Spanish ex-pats British programming in Spanish.”
Sounds too good to be true.
And it probably is…
For £250, (that is for a receiver and 1 years subscription – you have to pay extra of you want a dish!) you are promised UKTV channels direct from satellite available on an small 40cm satellite dish.
“plus £150 for 40cm or 60cm dish and installation fee.” – Personally, for ideal reception of the Hotbird satellites in Spain a minimum of 60cm satellite dish should really be used. And I supply and install an 80cm dish for 100 euros!
The satellite they are using is, according to the website, the Hotbird 13A satellite . Which is interesting as, according to all the satellite tracking websites, Hotbird 13A is not operational, is not carrying any channels, and is not even located at 13 East (it is in fact in a “graveyard” slot at 3 east!).
Of course this could be a simple error. Or it could be a “rebroadcasting” system that uses terrestrial signals and masts, rather than a satellite, but tries to make people think that their system provides UK TV from a satellite.
According to their website you will receive BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, BBC4, CBBC, CBEEBIES, BBC NEWS, ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, CHANNEL4, 4SEVEN, FILM4, MORE4, E4, 4 MUSIC, CHANNEL 5, 5USA, 5STAR, Abu Dhabi Sports (ADMC) EUROSPORT, ALJAZEERA, CNN, FOXNEWS, DMAX, MTV, SYFY, DISCOVERY CHANNEL.
Also, according to their website, “Programs such as “East Enders” will be dubbed into Spanish, at the same time available in the original English language version, this will apply to all of the channels offered”. I think this would take an enormous amount of resources to be able to live dub all channels into Spanish!!!?!?!?!?!?!?
It would take someone a few million Euros to be able to set up a system such as this, so you would have thought they would have produced a more professional looking website and leaflet.
The website has no contact numbers. Simple. No detail. No “company information” or registrations. And is registered to an address in Kent.
Sounds familiar. Well a few years ago, there was a short lived system similar to this one, proclaiming to be a long term UK TV system. Their agents, including someone calling themselves a “Charles Turner” (KH?TW? “DM”?), spamming websites and forums for sales, saying nothing can stop them and this system will last forever. It lasted about 4 months before it was closed down and removed from the satellite, leaving their clients out of pocket a few hundred euros. Although their agents claimed there was a “technical issue” with the satellite they were using, and they would return, they never did. Interesting that the website used for this closed “rebroadcast by satellite”, is now selling internet TV systems here in Spain. Hmmmm.
So, until someone can prove different, best avoid this “innovative service”.
UK TV Drama will feature shows including Pride and Prejudice, Catherine Cookson’s The Cinder Path, Sharpe, Tipping The Velvet, Auf Wiedersehen Pet, Cranford and Lark Rise to Candleford.
UK TV Drama channel will be available on Freeview.
UK TV Drama channel is available on the Sky Pay TV service – UK TV Drama is currently on Sky channel number 291. UK TV Drama channel will not be on Freesat.
UK TV Drama Frequencies: transponder 6 11817 V 27500 2/3
UKTV, who operate channels like Dave and Watch, has announced new Freeview channel Drama.
The station will launch on July 8 and feature shows including Pride and Prejudice, Catherine Cookson’s The Cinder Path, Sharpe, Tipping The Velvet, Auf Wiedersehen Pet, Cranford and Lark Rise to Candleford.
The channel is UKTV’s first new station since the launch of Really in May 2009.
It has been announced that the UKTV Drama channel will be available on Freeview. No confirmation of if this channel will be available on Freesat or Sky, but going with the fact that UKTVs other channels are on the Sky subscription service, it does look like it will not be available on Freesat.
But wil UKTV Drama be a new channel in addition to the current portfolio of channels, or will it replace an existing channel?
So apparently another “expert” was on an Costa Blanca radio station recently, and according to him the next new UK TV satellite will be launched, and channels like BBC and ITV will be moved over to this new satellite “in the next month or so”.
Well, I think he needs a new calendar, as the next new UK TV satellite, Astra 2E, is, and has always been, scheduled for launch in June 2013.
Not in March / April or even May.
It is no wonder there is so much confusion about UK TV in Spain when even the “experts” cannot even get their facts right!
It is almost as bad as “installers” in the area passing 1.25m satellite dishes off as 1.4m satellite dishes.
