10192 Channel 4 UK SKY

Hi Nicola here is a copy of a pm I just sent Aretina which gives the explanation and a possible solution.

[I]We can’t receive channel 4 here in Abruzzo so this is what I have found by research.

Channel 4 has moved I believe to 10.174 Ghz, Horizontal Polarisation, Transponder 41, SR 22000, FEC 5/6 on the Astra 2d satellite.

This means in English that if you can not pick up BBC1, ITV, and their spinoffs it is unlikely that you will now pick up Channel 4 as it has moved from Astra 2a North beam.

I think this has been done because CH4 has now become part of the UK freesat package. All the rest of these channels are on Astra 2d.

If you can get BBC then you may be able to get it by going to the add channels part of the services menu and getting your receiver to search the above frequency.[/I]

Thanks Nielo, this makes sense as we never have been able to get BBC. I will really miss Channel 4 especially all the rubbish programmes such as 'The F Word', 10 Years Younger, etc. to which I am ashamed to admit I had become addicted. Nicola

Hi Nicola
If you used to receive Channel 4 before it switched to Astra 2D, you should still be able to receive the Channel 4 +1 hour channel (on SKY channel 135) as that is still encrypted on Astra 2A (hopefully it won't be switched over as well...) :smile:
Cheers
spoilyourself

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]Hi everyone[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]Just thought I'd post something else re: C4 I discovered last night...might make some people v. happy![/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]C4 is actually [I]still[/I] being transmitted in real (UK) time via a transponder on Astra 2A that isn't automatically picked up by a SKY Digibox or SKY's EPG (Electronic Progamme Guide). The good news is you can add it, along with ITV1 (!!!), which has been unobtainable since May 2003 when the Beeb and ITV shifted to the narrow UK-focused Astra 2D beam.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]Anyway, to access these "hidden" channels on Astra 2A transponder 36 (ITV1) and transponder 40 (C4), you need to add them to the "Other Channels" section of the SKY Digibox "Services" menu, as follows:[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]1. Bring up the "Services" menu and choose option 4 for "System Setup" then 4 again for "Add Channels"[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]2. [FONT=Arial]Type in the following frequency for Channel 4: "12480" (don't worry about the decimal as it is inserted automatically), and ensure the polarity letter is "V"[/FONT] [/SIZE][/FONT]

[SIZE=2]3. [FONT=Trebuchet MS]Leave the Symbol rate and FEC at their default values (i.e. [/FONT][FONT=Arial]Symbol Rate 27.5 & FEC 2/3)[/FONT][/SIZE]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial]4. [/FONT]Choose "Find Channels" and the list of channels being broadcast by that transponder appears. C4 is being transmitted in real time under "[FONT=Arial]TT on 4" (it could disappear at anytime I guess, but was being transmitted last night :smile:). [/FONT]Highlight the name of the channel and press the yellow button for all the ones you wish to add to your list.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]5. Press the "Select" button to save your choices; your selected channels will now be available under the "Other Channels" option on the "Services" menu (NB not via the usual SKY EPG). [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]You can save up to 50 channels in this fashion.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]6. To get ITV1 repeat step 1, then at step 2 insert frequency "12402" [FONT=Arial]and ensure the polarity letter is "V". [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS]Symbol rate and FEC value stays the same. Repeat steps 4 and 5 above. ITV1 is listed as six regional variations (e.g. [FONT=Arial]ITV1 Mer SE; ITV1 Anglia W; ITV1 Yorks E etc.[/FONT]).[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]Once you have completed the above, you can [I]only[/I] select these channels via "Services", "Other Channels" - obviously you can still see what's on using the SKY TV Guide.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]Happy viewing![/SIZE][/FONT]

Please note

Spoilyourself's instructions will only work if you are picking up the North beam of Astra 2a and b.

If you live too far East or South, and can only pick up the South beam, this will not work.

Hi. Possibly a stupid question, but has anyone managed to receive FreeSatHD (from the BBC/ITV) outside of the UK? Is it possible? TIA!

A special thank you to 'spoilyourself'. It looks like the Arezzo area receives the North beam of Astra 2a and 2b as we were able to get real time C4 and ITV following the above information.

Now getting greedy, but can we get any other channels this way.

Again many thanks.

Thank you SO much for the really useful and well explained advice. I now can recieve channel 4 and ItV - which is brilliant! Not a great tele addict but my husband works away so nice to have something to watch on those dull winter evenings. I just wonder what else I can get? Don't suppose one can pick up any BBC channels - being greedy now!

Thanks again spoilyourself

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]Hi there, just back from a trip home and saw the replies in this thread.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]Nielo is absolutely correct to point out that the instructions will only work if you are receiving the 2A/B North beam.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]But it is also worth pointing (apologies if this states the obvious!) out that one's ability to receive this beam is also a function not only of location (and there can also be good reception "pockets" and signal "sidelobes" where one might not expect it), but also of dish size, the quality of your low noise block converter (LNB), and even the type of SKY or SKY+ Digibox - some boxes have better signal synthesisers than others, and are thus preferable in a fringe signal area. There are loads of satellite/astra/sky specific discussions forums which discuss the techie aspects, e.g.:[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2][URL="http://www.satellites.co.uk/satellite/astra-28-2-eurobird-28-5-including-astra-2d/"]Astra 28.2 and Eurobird 28.5 including Astra 2D - Satellite TV support forum & Digital TV support forum.[/URL][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2][URL="http://astra2d.proboards31.com/"]The Astra 2D Forum www.astra2d.com - Home[/URL][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]For info. my set up is 80km NE of Rome in Lazio using a 1.8m offset dish, a MTI [FONT=Arial]Supreme Line [/FONT]LNB (0.2db) with a Pace TDS470N SKY+ Digibox and I receive 2A/B without a problem. Yes, further South and East reception does get harder and a bigger dish will be necessary, but there are reports of reception using 2.4m dishes in Calabria (which would be a bit like having Jodrell Bank on your roof, I grant you! :smile:). And there is one pub in Rome that actually receives the [I]2D[/I] stream (I watched live BBC Six Nations coverage there this year). The owner told me he has a whopping 3.5m dish on the roof !!![/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]To answer the other queries:[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]1. Yes, other channels are available - this website '[URL="http://www.wildsat.com/astra.htm"]Astra 28.2E Tests & Other Channels[/URL]' is updated with listings and frequencies quite regularly so is preferable to me updating the thread :bigergrin: and it also repeats the info I provided in my previous post. If you aren't already receiving a channel via a standard SKY set up you can search/add these in the same way as described in my previous post...remember that these channels not on the SKY EPG can change at anytime and move (or be removed), so there is always a risk they might just vanish...[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]2. No, unfortunately no BBC channels currently available using this manual tuning method![/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]Cheers![/SIZE][/FONT]

We are able to watch the Six Nations, Wimbledon and the Olympics, using our Italian free sat box. It is possible to tune into the BBC interactive feeds. These are normally called stream 3.0 to stream 3.6 on Astra 2b south beam. And we have just an 80cm dish. Amazing what you can find if you fiddle about a bit!

I'd heard of Wimbledon being transmitted via the BBCi stream but didn't realise they had also transmitted the Six Nations this way. Must keep an eye out for that next spring :smile:, thanks!

As you indicate you need a Free To Air (FTA) satellite receiver to pick up the BBCi streams directly - according to posts elsewhere you can't manually tune in BBCi channels on a $ky Digibox as they are only recognised as data streams...

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]Something else I found out the other evening re: BBCi streams (specifically BBC sports multi screens).[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]If you have a $ky box and receive BBC Parliament (504) or BBC News (503), press RED and after BBCi loads type in "3001". This will take you directly to the sports multi screen :winki:. From there press "2", "3" or "4" to change the main screen being viewed.

Details of what's on can be found [/SIZE][/FONT][URL="http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/whatson/search/daylist.cgi?service_id=10001&day=Today"][FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2][COLOR=#1515aa]here[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/URL][FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]. I am not sure if it will work for non-Sports events (e.g. Eurovision Song Contest, election night coverage, Dr Who specials etc.), but it's another string to the bow![/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]Cheers[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=2]spoilyourself[/SIZE][/FONT]

Many thanks - followed your concise instructions and they worked a treat here in Calabria!