[Steven_W]

Morning all I live in Broadstairs in Kent right on the coast. Th French DTV signal is strong enough to be picked up pretty well here. Can anyone recommend a set top box to receive free to air dtv transmissions from France? Many thanks

[Tight Git]

I'm on the East Sussex coast and the French FTA come booming in here too.

Set top box recommendations are exactly the same as for Freeview.

Bon chance, mon ami!

[Steven_W]

Ah great, I assume I need a box which is not "locked" to just the standard UK stuff? Is there a set top box which is global? So you can set your country and it searches for channels according to country? Thanks!

[Rodders53]

French TV uses DVB-T with MPEG2 coding for Standard Def, and MPEG4 for High Def... so a UK Freeview HD box would be best to use. (SD Freeview won't be able to decode the French HD channels). Digital terrestrial television - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some TVs with integrated tuners will be able to, though, if you can choose countries on installation... but not all do! You'd need to check the specs out!

A Freeview box won't assign the French stations in their French 'logical channel number position, but they are usually stored in the 800s (as are UK out of region or duplicates).

If you want a separate box for Franch only use (with a separate aerial directed to France) then a box from France would, perhaps, be better (if your French is good enough for the menus etc.,.).

[Tight Git]

Originally Posted by Steven_W

Is there a set top box which is global? So you can set your country and it searches for channels according to country?

I rather doubt it, but why would you want that facility just for French DTT?

If you're planning to travel the world, I suspect it would be a nightmare getting such an STB through security!

[winston2010]

UK boxes put the French channels in the 800's and generally won't decode the French teletext. There are odd ones that will however, the Icecrypt T2200 and some Sagems will decode the teletext. Lidl occasionally sell suitable boxes as well. A day trip to Calais might be worthwhile, Auchan. and LeRoy Merlin have boxes as cheap as UK ones and wine is a lot cheaper. The menus can invariably be changed to English.

[brian badonde]

Wouldn't touch an Icecrypt Freeview box with a bargepole. Just try a Technika STBHDIS2010 for around £20+ on e-**y from tesco outlet

[winston2010]

Originally Posted by brian badonde

Wouldn't touch an Icecrypt Freeview box with a bargepole. Just try a Technika STBHDIS2010 for around £20+ on e-**y from tesco outlet

So what is wrong with the Icecrypt box? The Technika, good though it is, won't decode teletext on French channels.

I possess one of each, the Icecrypt in the front room and the Technika in the bedroom.

[stblob]

Originally Posted by Tight Git

I'm on the East Sussex coast and the French FTA come booming in here too.

Set top box recommendations are exactly the same as for Freeview.

Bon chance, mon ami!

Hi, what transmitter you getting your signal from fella. Cheers. I use TNT Sat to get my French channels.

[Tight Git]

Originally Posted by stblob

What transmitter are you getting your signal from?

Not sure, but I get 3 HD channels on Ch29 and 6 SD channels on Ch34.

We face Boulogne, so perhaps it's whatever serves them.

[A1944]

Originally Posted by Tight Git

Not sure, but I get 3 HD channels on Ch29 and 6 SD channels on Ch34.

We face Boulogne, so perhaps it's whatever serves them.

With that combination, it has to be Boulogne - Mont Lambert, which is located in the hills above the town. Neufchatel-en-Bray near Rouen also uses 29 for HD, but not 34 for anything.