Well, mine certainly do, but I cannot watch Spanish channels - not that I want to anyway.

Hi Ian,

I brought a couple of portable TV's over and they work fine with my son's play station, DVD player etc. Since then i have bought a large Spanish set for the lounge, and i dont have Sky, what's the point in living in another country and watching UK programmes? My objective is to communicate with my neighbours, and to converse with them in their own language.

I actually find the Spanish and Catalan stations very useful, initially to tune in "my ears" to the languages, at first it was quite boring, but if you stick at it, you can pick up all sorts of useful things like verbs and vocabulary, and it will become easier with time, honestly.

Jools

Spanish terrestrial channels use a different frequency for sound from the UK. One uses PAL-B/G the other PAL-I.
Some modern TV sets have the ability to switch between the settings.

PB

UK TVs are fine for non-terrestrial channels. I haven't tried one with a Spanish vid / sat / terrestrial digital, but I guess if they're connected with a scart they'll work fine.

Jools is quite right about the language thing, but the programming here is so dire that it becomes difficult. The Catalan channels tend to be a bit better and if you like serious programmes, they do serious in a big way.

Nobody has mentioned that the Spanish use a dual broadcast system called, uh... dual. It's not very widely used at the moment, but it allows selection of local or original language for programme viewing (listening). As most of the decent programmes and films are English language, this can be quite useful. It is set to become much more widespread in Catalunya as the Generalitat are beginning to invest heavily in English language teaching (250 million euros over the next year). It also means, of course, that you can escape the same three voices they use for all their overdubbing! I heard recently that the female voice has recently dubbed a quantity of porn films- obviously she's trying to expand her vocabulary.

When buying a Spanish TV make sure to ask if it has Dual (pronounced doo-al).

On a different note, does anybody have experience of terrestrial digital here? I?m barely receiving an analog signal, but I wonder if the digital strength is higher (some of the aerials available are about the size of a well used pencil). I don't want to lash out the thirty quid for a receiver if I don't have a chance of getting a signal.

Dual has been going over here for years, it came in the same time as teletext was introduced, most of the spanish TV programming is now being passed over to TDT so if you haven't got a compatible TV you are going to get a shock in the non too distant future.  My TVs are all local bought but I am reliably assured that a TDT prepares set from the UK would work that same there as here.

As for the watching TV in the local language debate, well I have to agree that there is not much I would want to watch on TV over here, but even less that I would want to watch on TV over in the UK.  One of the things that sets the Brits apart from the locals here is that planning your day here doesn't start with "well there is your series at half six, then my programme at eight..."  God forbid anyone from the UK would wish to perpetuate that!  Yes watching TV in the local language helps, especially things like the news where you know what they are talking about and so have clues.  I would not advise anyone to but sky, except for the rugby and the cricket!

Quote:

You don't. He wasn't even funny in English.