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 25 Loss of UK TV channels (Read 157960 times)
PaulH
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Re: Loss of UK TV channels
Reply #60 - Jan 25th, 2013 at 10:25am
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2MB enough to stop picture freezing?
  
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philmountains
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Re: Loss of UK TV channels
Reply #61 - Jan 29th, 2013 at 8:03am
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I'm a just quizzing here Nigel, but you can get hold of 1.2m dishes fairy cheap, what is your humble opinion on extending these out to 2.3m with sheet metal ? I've seen that some of the manufactures have this option !and when your talking 2 grand a dish for us folks not in the trade, but with welding/fab skills ? Wink
  
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Nigel
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Re: Loss of UK TV channels
Reply #62 - Jan 29th, 2013 at 8:17am
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..well...
The best quality 1.2M dishes I know of (the ones I installed) are Gibertini dishes. They are 'offset focus' dishes. I personally wouldn't attempt to enlarge one with steel plate. Think of a dish like a concave mirror - if you have imperfections then the signal doesn't arrive at the focal point so you end up with a big dish working like a small dish.

Remember that the manufacturers have presses to press the extensions to the correct curved form.

Over the years I have been asked to align some dishes that have been damaged - dropped, bent by the wind, been badly transported  etc. and it's very difficult to get a decent signal out of them for the reason stated above.

I'm sure there will be a few cheap 1.2 dishes around in the summer - if your welding/metal working skills are up to it then you can always try and see.
  
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Nigel
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Re: Loss of UK TV channels
Reply #63 - Jan 29th, 2013 at 8:30am
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PaulH wrote on Jan 25th, 2013 at 10:25am:
2MB enough to stop picture freezing?

Streaming at 2Mb is just about ok; 1Mb isn't enough. 3Mb or more is much better as the 'player' reads chunks of data at a time and so has a buffer big enough to last a few seconds.

BUT.. and this is the killer..

The WiMax network (Eurona, Iberbanda, NetPorts) is NOT capable of supporting lots of users all streaming at the same time. It is a limitation of the technology. Remember that there is only a guarantee of 10% of the contracted speed (this is normal for any domestic internet service) so your 1Mb only guarantees you 100Kb. This is ok if the speed drop is short duration but if it lasts for a while then expect your stream to stop and your picture to freeze and it always seems to happen at ........

So, if we are all expecting to jump onto iPlayer/FilmOn/whatever in the summer then don't expect too great a result. Also the quality of these streams is designed for PC screens, not for 47" TV screens. It doesn't scale well so you end up watching a big blur..

If you have an ISDN line (in towns and some villages) then you are ok but the majority of us don't.

I still don't know about Satellite internet users but, if they are ok, then they will need to upgrade their service as the current monthly download limits will soon be used up while streaming.
The satellite internet offers are improving - I currently have one that allows unlimited download after 8pm so there is hope, daytime TV is out though.

I am investigating alternative solutions.

  
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PlanesPete
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Re: Loss of UK TV channels
Reply #64 - Jan 29th, 2013 at 2:45pm
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We gave up on Sat TV a few years ago due to the reliability of signal. After that we used the iPlayer for a while through 'my-private-network' as a VPN to kid the Beeb that you are in the UK. Sadly the iPlayer is a mess, too many problems to list but an external group have come up with an alternative called 'get_iplayer'. It's clunky and old fashioned looking but does the job really well. The programs downloaded don't expire and sit on your computer as 'proper' MP4 files so you can copy them onto tablets, phones etc to watch on the plane or wherever. You still need the VPN though. We are on Eurona 3Mb WiMax (the little receiver pointing into town).
Have also started using thepiratebay.se which serves almost everything, including missed episodes from the Beeb.
  
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philmountains
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Re: Loss of UK TV channels
Reply #65 - Jan 29th, 2013 at 3:54pm
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Yeah Pete I did the same scrapped Sky as a extravagance we could do without ,I also download the series I missed on Discovery etc.... don't have a internet on  phone "tight Yorkshireman" so when up at the finca "donkey shed"  all lonesome Undecided
  
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PlanesPete
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Re: Loss of UK TV channels
Reply #66 - Jan 30th, 2013 at 4:34pm
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We also bought an HTC Desire mobile phone on ebay and a SIM card from simyo.es. The HTC has a 'wireless hotspot' feature that give you full wireless internet just using the phone. The plan we are on with simyo gives 600MB of internet per month with extra very cheap. You just have to use a minimum of €6 per month in calls. We use this whenever we are away from the casa. As 3G mobile coverage is very good in Spain, we can usually get more than 2Mb bandwidth off the mobile.
  
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philmountains
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Re: Loss of UK TV channels
Reply #67 - Jan 30th, 2013 at 8:45pm
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Just been looking at one of these phones on ebay "for sale in Skipton Cheesy " I'm a bit of a stick in the mud, my old phone which is about 8 years old it was my daughters old  ,old, old phone and it still works OK and work,s great in Spain and cost is around a fiver a month, I use my old iPod touch for internet "hot spots" MacDonald,s Grin but of course no good up at the donkey shed but great for watching films on and of course it,s mega best feature Tom Tom !!!!!
  
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Nigel
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Re: Loss of UK TV channels - Latest
Reply #68 - May 20th, 2013 at 11:42am
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Astra 2E is scheduled for launch on July the 19th, following launch it will need to be stabilised, this will probably take at least a week, Astra 2E will then need to be placed at a non 28.2 degrees east testing position for extensive testing to make sure that everything is in order with the satellite, The Astra 2F satellite was tested at the 43.5 degrees east satellite position before being moved to 28.2 degrees east following it's launch and this testing lasted for about a month, so allowing for a similar scenario regarding Astra 2E's launch, testing, and commencement of service then we are talking about the very end of August/the very beginning of September at the earliest before we see Astra 2E being announced as officially in service, nothing is going to be happening/changing regarding your BBC/ITV e.t.c. reception before then, all this is of course subject to the existing current plan being without delay and problem free.
  
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Nigel
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Re: Loss of UK TV channels
Reply #69 - Jun 19th, 2013 at 7:15am
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Update on the planned launch. It is now scheduled for 21st July. The satellite has arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch site and is being prepared for its launch.

It should be in it's designated orbit and operational by the beginning of September. I would guess that they will then start to announce the dates for migration of the channels.
  
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PaulH
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Re: Loss of UK TV channels
Reply #70 - Jun 20th, 2013 at 8:15pm
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Thanks for the update Nigel. Do you think Radio reception will be affected, we have this romantic idea that we will return to the age of the wireless!
Paul
  
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Nigel
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Re: Loss of UK TV channels
Reply #71 - Jun 20th, 2013 at 9:49pm
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If they are coming from Astra 1N then yes. If via the internet/a 'real' radio then no.

Check out the channels that will be moved here:
http://www.lyngsat.com/Astra-1N.html

This is the satellite that will be replaced as it is in the wrong place and is 'on loan'.
  
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santsalvador
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Re: Loss of UK TV channels
Reply #72 - Jun 24th, 2013 at 10:35am
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Sky news reported this AM that all of the Costa del Sol had lost
Sky News, due to relocation of Satellite, why has this not affected us and our area?
Terry.
  
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Nigel
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Re: Loss of UK TV channels
Reply #73 - Jun 24th, 2013 at 7:28pm
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I've been trying to find out about this but nothing. If it were so I would have expected to see postings on the sat forums but nothing. I've asked a friend of mine who lives in Benidorm if he still has it.

There weren't any scheduled moves so I don't know any more at the moment.
  
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Nigel
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Re: Loss of UK TV channels
Reply #74 - Jun 25th, 2013 at 8:01am
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Latest info on the changes.

It seems likely the migration of channels will start around 6th September and will be completed by 14th September. All channels on Astra 1N will be moved to 2E over this time.

When the first channels move we should then know of the size of dish needed. Before then it is only speculation.
  
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