How To Set Up A TV Satellite Dish And Sky Digibox To Watch English Channels Such As BBC And ITV

Hardware Requirements:

I am assuming that you have the necessary equipment as detailed in my previous article about 'How to get the equipment to watch English TV in Europe'.

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You need:

How To Set Up A TV Satellite Dish And Sky Digibox To Watch English Channels Such As BBC And ITV

A TV (preferably one with a SCART socket)
An ex-rental Sky Digibox that has already been used in the UK
A dish of the appropriate size (see my earlier article and astra2d.com for a size guide) with LNB
Co-ax cable
A Sky viewing card or Freeview card
Necessary fixings to mount the dish
Mounting the dish

The satellite we are looking for is Astra 2D 28.2E. This located at 28.2 degrees East of South. Let me tell you why setting up the angle and elevation is very important and has to be done very carefully. Astra 2D is in a geostationary orbit, which means it appears to be stationary when seen from the rotating earth.. The normal height for a geostationary satellite is 36,000Km and the satellite is only 8m tall and just over 2m diameter, it actually looks like a tin of baked beans with the lid open! So the alignment of the dish has to be done very accurately.

I cannot help you too much with the exact angles you need as they vary depending on your location. Here in the Southern French Alps a compass bearing of 150 degrees with an elevation of 34 degrees are the figures required. In Bucharest in Romania a bearing of 177 degrees and an elevation of 39 degrees would be required. Looking on the internet, particularly on ex pat web sites for your area, will normally reveal the magic numbers.

So mount your dish where you like, it does not need to be on the roof as it does not work like an aerial. It just needs a clear path between it and the satellite, no trees or buildings. The steepness of the angle surprises a lot of people, in the type of dish where the LNB is supported on an arm attached to the bottom of the dish, the 'beam' angle we are interested in is roughly parallel to that arm. Set the elevation to the correct value and leave the bracket slightly loose so that you can turn the dish from side to side. Using a compass, point the dish at a compass bearing you have (150 in my case). You will not get it right first time, but the closer you are, the less danger of finding the wrong satellite there is.

Getting it all working

Now, connect the dish to the box an the box to the TV and switch on the power.

Warning: The dish cable carries a small electric current, so never connect or disconnect it while the box is live; otherwise some of the electronic components could be damaged

Do not worry if the remote control does not react immediately - after switching on the power the Digibox can take several seconds before it will respond. On the remote control, press Services, then press 4, then 6. This will display a Signal Test screen. Ignore the Signal Strength and Signal Quality bars for the moment. You should however have something in the Signal Strength bar. (If you do not, you have a faulty connection on the way to the LNB).

Place the TV where it can be seen while manipulating the dish, move the dish until the zeros change to 0002 (Network ID) and 07d4 (Transport Stream). The change will be quite sudden so go carefully to avoid swinging the dish too far. The Lock Indicator will also change from 'Not locked' to 'OK'. The value of 07d4 is usually the case but you might encounter others, particularly if you are trying to get a signal in southern Europe. However the Network ID must be 0002, otherwise you are pointing at the wrong satellite.

Finishing off the setup

As soon as the Network ID and Transport Stream values change from zero, a digital signal is being received. Clamp the dish, then press the Backup button on the remote control 3 times to return to the normal screen. Now wait until the box has finished getting the program data.

If after aligning the dish, you get a signal but there is interference on sound or vision, it is almost certainly caused by the dish elevation or direction being slightly out of alignment. Move the dish very slightly and carefully and watch the Signal Quality bar on the Signal Test screen for the greatest value. Anything over about 50% should give good reception.

How To Set Up A TV Satellite Dish And Sky Digibox To Watch English Channels Such As BBC And ITV

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Does A Satellite Descrambler Let You Watch Encrypted Channels?

Ever wonder how satellite companies make their money? Well, other than that huge check you send them each month in exchange for their programming there are other clever ways satellite companies keep you from "borrowing" their services. One way they do this is by scrambling their satellite signals so that not everyone with a satellite dish and receiver box can pick up programming.

You may remember satellite descramblers from the good old days as huge satellite boxes that sat on your television and were connected to 18 foot satellite dishes, some of which had to be hand cranked. After a while, satellite companies began to notice that more and more people were purchasing satellite receivers. As premium and pay-per-view channels began to spring up satellite companies saw the writing on the wall.

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First, the satellite companies charged you for your programming, and then they scrambled some of the programs so you had to buy another piece of equipment, or a chip to add to your receiver, to be able to watch the programming you had already paid for.

Does A Satellite Descrambler Let You Watch Encrypted Channels?

Generally, satellite programming was divided into two separate categories - Free to Air and Premium. You did not need a descrambler to watch this so-called Free to Air stations, but Premium or pay-per-view channels were often scrambled until you purchased the equipment to descramble the programs you wanted to watch.

Currently, your satellite receiver basically works as a satellite descrambler. All of the signals that come in through your satellite are digitally scrambled until they reach your satellite box. The box descrambles this information and puts it into a form where the satellite programs can be viewed on your television.

While satellite descramblers once were used as a way for the satellite company to make extra money, it is now a way for satellite companies to keep from being ripped off. For those of you who have satellite television, you know that you cannot turn back on a satellite box that has not been paid for, is past due, not activated, or was owned by someone else until you verify the receiver box with the satellite company.

This is so you can not use to box to steal services from the satellite company. This also explains why satellite companies don't mind leaving their satellite dishes in place even after service has been turned off. Since the signals are scrambled, it would take a technical genius to figure out how to unscramble the signals and illegally watch satellite programming.

However, Free to Air is making a comeback but not the way you would think. Some companies are producing what is know as pirate satellite boxes that basically take the digital satellite signal and descramble the signal illegally. People purchase these boxes for several hundred dollars but never pay any money to the satellite company. Satellite piracy is becoming a booming business and satellite companies are scrambling, for lack of a better word, to find a way to secure their signals so that can't be hacked.

Does A Satellite Descrambler Let You Watch Encrypted Channels?

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Illegal Cable TV Boxes - Best Way To Enjoy Free Cable TV Channels?

The reason you are thinking of going for illegal cable tv boxes is probably due to the reluctance to pay for months and months of recurring bills for the cable tv service. The reluctance is legitimate but I can't say the same with regards to the method itself. However, all is not lost, there are better alternatives than using illegal cable tv boxes and they are perfectly legal and reliable. It is by watching live cable tv on your computer.

So how do you have cable television channels streamed right to your PC with no recurring fees? There are 2 ways to do that. You can get a PCTV card. These cards come in the form of internal (PCI/PCI Express) cards or external USB device. Connect the device to your broadband connection and you can start watching live cable feeds with the software that comes in the package.

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Another way, which I personally prefer, is by using satellite tv software. This software enables your PC or laptop to stream live tv channels using broadband network without the need for any hardware. A real plus since there is no need for hardware installation or having another device on your desk. Some of these softwares offer more than 3000 international channels in different languages for you to choose from. The great thing about it is that it makes use of internet as the medium of video streaming, which means it is reliable and you use it anywhere there is an connection, even WIFI/wireless internet. Even illegal cable tv boxes can't give you that.

The good thing about these methods is that they come only with a one-time fee. For PCTV cards, you only need to pay for the hardware. If you are using satellite tv software, you also will only need to pay for the software itself and can subsequently watch thousands of live tv channels, anywhere in the world, for as long as you like, free of charge. It is a much better alternative, in my opinion, than using illegal cable tv boxes.

If you prefer to watch cable tv on your sleek LCD TV screen, you can connect your desktop or laptop to it using a VGA connection.

Illegal Cable TV Boxes - Best Way To Enjoy Free Cable TV Channels?

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DISH Network HD Channels Guide

HD (high definition) TV is amazing. The image is so realistic, you think you're watching a scene through a window. Here's a guide to DISH Network HD channels.

Local Channels

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Depending on where you live most of your local network channels like ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and The CW channels are broadcast in HD.

Movie Channels

DISH Network will broadcast the major movie channels - HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Starz - in HD. You can also lesser-known festivals such as movie channels HD Theater, TBS, TNT, HDNet Movies, Movies, World Cinema and five pay-per-view.

Sports Channels

DISH Network has a ton of sports channels like ESPN, NFL Network, Big Ten Network, World Sport HD and regional sports channels like CSN, Fox Sports Network Primetime, and SportsNet

Special Interest Channels

DISH> Network has a huge number of niche channels. Some of these channels - Leisure, The History Channel, Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, Home and Garden TV, Food Channel, Music HD, Animal Planet, National Geographic Channel, Family Room, gallery, game, Rush, Animania, Equator , Rave and Ultra.

HD Prices

You can watch the HD channels when you buy DISH Network programming. Prices for program offeringsfrom $ 19.99 for 40 channels of family package, and go up to $ 94.99 for the 365 channel package "Everything." HD programs can also individually priced starting at $ 10 per month.

To view the HD programming you need an HD receiver. Luckily, DISH Network will give you a free HD receiver. You will also get a free HD / DVR receiver, you can store 500 hours of your favorite programs, and allows you to rewind, pause andFast forward live TV programs.

DISH Network HD Channels Guide

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