UK Television in Germany

• Hi Margie, In order to receive English TV stations in Germany you will generally require a satellite dish which is aligned with the Astra 2D satellite at 28.2° E. This should enable to receive the various UK free-to-air (FTA) channels which include the BBC channels (BBC 1, 2, 3, 4 & News 24 including the regional channels), the ITV channels (ITV 1, ITV 2, ITV 3) and Sky News. Please note that several UK channels, including Channel 4, are encrypted and cannot be viewed without an appropriate decoder. A comprehensive list of all channels available on the Astra 2D satellite can be found on internet web sites. The channels available change on a fairly regular basis, however this affects mainly special interest channels (home shopping, gaming, religion, dating etc.) and the mainstream BBC and ITV channels remain transmitted on the same transponder frequency. As Kathleen already pointed out, in certain areas of Northern Germany BFBS / SSVC provide terrestrial broadcasts via a regular TV aerial for the British forces based there. These broadcasts can usually only be received by UK-spec TV sets, although some newer TVs bought in Germany may also be compatible. As Natalie mentioned, your location will dictate the size of dish and azimuth elevation required. Generally speaking, the larger the dish the better. Larger dishes provide an improved bad weather reserve thus avoiding the chess board effect when heavy cloud or sleet/snow is overhead. The quality of the various satellite components (LNBs, cable, wall sockets etc.) will significantly influence reception quality – cheap components can lead to a substantial loss in signal strength on the way from your dish to the satellite receiver. I know of people located as far south as Austria who can receive the UK channels on a 85cm dish, however I would personally recommend a 100cm or 120cm, depending on the location. In some cases, a separate dish for UK channels may provide superior reception. If you opt for the twin LNB configuration which Natalie describes, the second LNB should be aligned with the Astra 1D satellite at 19.2° E. I hope that I’ve managed to provide enough information without baffling you with science. It is however quite a complex subject.

  Marc 28 Авг 2007, 10:19 - Report

English TV in Germany