New to SKY Digital...

[PoochJD]

Hi All,

I would like to introduce myself. My name's Pooch, and I am normally over in the DVD Talk forum. However, I am about to have Sky Digital installed, complete with a Panasonic Set-Top Box.

I have one question, which I apologise in advance, if it's already been answered, but I couldn't locate it.

Is it possible to obtain any other extra channels, free-to-air on the Sjy Digibox, when it's only connected to the Astra 2B satellite?! I'm particularly interested in getting hold of foreign-langauge entertainment and/or foreign movie channels.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, in advance,

Pooch

[Rotherhamfc]

Most of the foreign language channels, and free english european channels, are broadcast in anologue rather than digital, so it is at the moment difficult to recieve them, meaning you miss out on channels such as DSF and RTL that used to be on normal SKY.

I think in France they are starting to broadcast some of their new digital channels on the same Astra signal as SKY, so maybe you'll be able to get some of those.

[PoochJD]

Hi Again,

Addendum: does anyone know of any websites that will list these free-to-air foreign stations, and any "adult" stations as well, and explain how to get them?

Thanks,

Pooch

[dagaul]

Hi Again,

Addendum: does anyone know of any websites that will list these free-to-air foreign stations, and any "adult" stations as well, and explain how to get them?

Thanks,

Pooch

I am in a similar boat I have the standard sky digital package with a buch of shopping channels free to air and a few free to view channels, if I wanted to increase my channels to access many of the foreign channels, such as rtl or tv5 what are my options? apart from getting an analogue dish, or is there an analogue/digital combination dish out there that can work with dish as a set top box, or is the only alternative having another dish installed on the roof for analogue channels?

[Nick_UK]

Take a look at the Lyngsat (http://www.lyngsat.com/) site. There are other channels transmitted from satellites located in the 28.2E slot. Some are not as strong as Sky signal-wise, and require a bigger dish, and others use settings that the Sky box cannot do, but I believe that there are a few that you can pick up. Of course, these have to be added manually, and are not listed in the EPG. Most "adult" channels will be encrypted and require a decoder and pay-card of some sort.

[SamRadford]

There's no such thing as an analogue or digital dish. In the UK and Europe everything uses a dish and a "universal" LNB. The only difference is the receiver which can be digital or analogue. (Echostar used to sell a receiver that did both). Obviously if you want Sky or ITV, CH4, FIVE then you'll need a Sky Digibox and viewing card.

You can stick several LNBs on one dish to receive programmes from different satellites. For example, see http://www.satcure.com/tech/page9.htm for pictures.