TV in Spain

JJ Abrams new series Alcatraz on La Sexta on Spanish Digital TV

2012-02-02T23:32:00.001-08:00

After its U.S. debut in January, the new Alcatraz series, created by JJ Abrams, will be shown in Spain on Wednesday February 8.

Alcatraz starring Sam Neill, Jorge Garcia and Sarah Jones, will debut in the double opener at 22.25 hours, on La Sexta.

The arrival of Alcatraz, produced by JJ Abrams, creator of Lost and Fringe, will add to laSexta other American fiction series Watched. Person of Interest.

In this series, the renowned producer and director is committed to a detective story that combines slices of fantasy elements in which was one of the most anticipated releases of the new television season.

During a murder investigation, a detective discovers a fingerprint belonging to a prisoner of Alcatraz for dead 30 years ago.

A number of unknowns that will be resolved over the 13 episodes that comprise this first season.

Alcatraz hooked to almost 10 million viewers in its debut in the US, becoming the biggest opening of the Fox drama of the last three years.

New TDT Channel. UK Satellite TV Changes. UK TV in Spain Information

2012-01-17T09:36:00.001-08:00

The Sat and PC Guy has been installing and maintaining satellite and television systems for the Costa Blanca North for over 7 years. We cover between Calpe to Valencia and inland to Alcoy and Ontinyente. We are able to supply and install a range of dishes, from 80cm to 2.4 meter satellite dishes, and digital satellite receivers, from Sky Digiboxes and the award winning Sky+ Digital Recorder, to Freesat, High Definition and generic receivers.

New TDT Channel – Discovery MAX

TDT provides a large number of Spanish digital channels via a TV aerial. It is the Spanish equivalent of the UKs “Freeview” service. There are no UK TV channels available on TDT. However, on many of the imported programmes from the UK and USA, the dubbed Spanish audio can be changed into the programmes original English audio.

In January 2012, a new channel was launched on TDT. Discovery Max is a documentary and entertainment channel that is now available for free on TDT. Discovery Max shows many of the popular programmes that are available on the Discovery satellite channel, via the Sky or Digital+ subscription service.

You may need to perform a channel scan on your TDT receiver or Digital TV to be able to watch Discovery Max.

UK Satellite TV Changes

In December a number of UK satellite TV channels changed their frequencies. This included the ITV1 Central South and East regions, and the Channel Five group of channels. If you used to access these channels via your Sky boxes “Other Channels” list, then you may find these stored channels no longer work. You will need to add these channels using their new frequency to your Sky boxes “other channels” list.

ITV1 Central South – frequency 11053 H 22 5/6
Channel Fives – frequency 10963 H 22 5/6

The new frequencies for these channels are on a slightly “weaker beam” than previously, and if you are unable to receive them it may mean your satellite dish is either too small to receive their signal, or your satellite dish needs to be realigned properly.

Also, in December 2011, users of Freesat boxes will have noticed that they can now receive Channel Five, Five* and Five USA. These channels used to be only available with a Sky card, but now they are available on Freesat receivers also – from Freesat channel 128 to 131.

Whether you require a satellite system installing, your existing system upgraded or serviced, or more information contact The Sat and PC Guy on 96 281 9796 / 620 130 292.

We also have a popular internet discussion forum at www.satandpcguy.com/forum where you can seek answers and advice for your satellite and TV in Spain questions and problems.

Discovery Max: New channel to TDT in Spain 12th January 2012

2012-01-06T07:54:00.000-08:00

Discovery Max: New channel to TDT in Spain 12th January 2012

Discovery Networks will launch "Discovery Max" on the 12th January 2012, as 1745.

Discovery Max will be available for free, on Spains TDT Digital TV service.

Discovery Max replaces the current channel of Veo.

Discovery Max will will include content from Discovery Networks channels, including American Chopper, Born Survivor with Bear Grylls, Mythbusters, Deadliest Catch, Ink Inc, Destroyed in Seconds and more.

As many of these channels originalted in the USA or the UK, it can be expected that many of these programmes will be offered with the original English audio soundtrack.

The new Discovery Max channel is currently available, prior to launch, but is showing test transmission using a showreel of the programmes it will be showing.

Spanish government to rethink RTVE funding

2012-01-04T10:26:00.000-08:00

The recently elected Government of the PP in Spain is on the verge of announcing a reduction of the budget of state broadcaster RTVE by €200 million.

The news was announced by Cristobal Montoro, Minister of Finance and Public Administration and the €200 million cut back will fall within the total €442 million that the ministry intends to cut.

Following budget cuts of €200 million, the Spanish government has said it is now reviewing the financial situation of the state broadcaster RTVE.

The situation of the broadcaster is ‘serious’ and the government is considering re-introducing selling commercial airtime as a serious option.

The current model of financing the broadcaster was introduced by the former socialist government and is based an a special tax of 0.9% slapped on the turnover of telecom companies and private broadcasters. This type of tax, which Spain introduced after France pioneered the idea, has come under heavy criticism from Brussels.

In addition to swingeing cuts to its budget, as decreed by Spain's new conservative government, it now seems inevitable that national public broadcaster Corporación RTV is to lose a number of channels.

As reported yesterday in Rapid TV News, TVE’s budget is to be reduced by €200 million and now in a futher indignity TVE may be forced toi decide between cutting channels or return to including commercial advertising on its programming.

Other avenues that the Corporation could take include having to sell some of its sporting rights such as the crown jewels of the UEFA Champions League's rights or even the ones pertaining to the London Olympics.

sources: rapidtvnews.com/index.php/2012010418475/rtve-may-reduce-channels-sell-rights-or-accept-ads.html and broadbandtvnews.com/2012/01/04/spanish-government-to-rethink-rtve-funding/

UK TV Satellites - Astra 2A, Astra 2B, Astra 2C, Astra 1N, Eurobird 1 - and reception in Spain

2011-11-06T04:15:00.000-08:00

UK Satellite TV is provided by FIVE satellites.

Four of these satellites are operated by SES Astra of Belgium, and one, Eurobird, is operated by Eutelsat.

SES Astra operate Astra 2a, Astra 2b, Astra 2d and Astra 1N.

Eutelsat operate Eurobird 1.

These satellites provide the UK And Europe with the UK satellite TV channels, such as the BBC, ITV and those provided on the Freesat and Sky satellite platforms.

These five satellites are located at 28.2 to 28.5 degrees east of south.

Each of these satellites operate a number of "beams". Each of these beams have different reception characteristics, especially in fringe reception areas like Spain and the Costa Blanca. This is the reason why channels like Sky News can be reepived in Spain on a smller satellite dish than channels like BBC TV Channels, as these channels are distributed across these different beams.

There are a number of "siganl reception maps" or "footprints" for these beams, but they have to be treated with some caution. Many of them are the theoretical reecption, and are different to the actual reception.

Receiving Sky TV in Spain and the Valencia area of the Costa Blanca and Costa Azahar

2011-06-28T05:46:00.000-07:00

Confusion About Free UK Television in Spain - Freeview Or Freesat?

2011-06-22T04:32:00.000-07:00

Confusion About Free UK Television in Spain - Freeview Or Freesat?

Many people are confused about whether they can receive free UK television in Spain. The subject of what UK channels you can receive is something we are always being asked. Terms such as free UK television in Spain, Freeview and Freesat are always cropping up so we shall explain it to you.

Many people, including satellite installers in Spain, get confused about Freeview and Freesat. If satellite TV installers are unable to get their terminology correct, then no wonder British expats on the Costa's in Spain are getting more and more confused about how to receive UK TV in Spain.

As British expats move to the warm coastal areas of southern Spain in the Mediterranean, they find it frustrating that they are not able to watch the UK television programmes such as BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5, or the other 100plus other UK TV channels, including Sports, movies and news, that are available to view for free. Although they try to watch local Spanish television channels, some feel the quality of programmes on Spanish TV is not that good as UK TV, they do not show many popular UK TV programmes like Coronation Street or Eastenders, and not all programmes are available in English, (although the switch to Digital Terrestrial Television - TDT - has meant a lot more UK and USA imported programmes are available in English.)

Receiving Freeview in Spain

Freeview is a free digital TV package that is available to people living in the UK. It is not, like many people say, available outside the UK especially Spain. You cannot receive Freeview in Spain. Freeview is a UK only digital television system that is transmitted from the land based television transmitter masts, like Emley Moor and Crystal Palace. The signals from these terrestrial transmitters are not strong enough to reach Spain.

Many UK TV channels are available on "free to air" satellite systems. British expats around Europe can watch their favourite UK TV channels for free via free to air satellite in Spain. Free to air means that there is no monthly subscription to pay, unlike the pay TV channels offered on satellite packages offered by Sky TV.

Receiving Freesat in Spain

Freesat is the name of a brand of satellite receivers designed to receive these free to air UK satellite television channels. You can also use a Sky digibox or any other digital satellite receiver to receive the free to air signals. A Sky digibox without a viewing card will still be able to receive BBC and ITV channels, and all the channels a Freesat receiver can receive.

You can receive many of the UK free to air TV channels by installing a small satellite dish and a digital satellite set top box. However, due to the frequencies used, the main UK TV channels such as BBC and ITV may not be available on these small satellite dishes, and therefore much larger satellite dishes will be required, from 1.8m to 2.4m.

It is worth noting that a Sky digibox without a Sky viewing card will receive the same channels as a standard Freesat digibox.

Both Sky digiboxes and Freesat digiboxes use the same satellite frequencies. So if you cannot receive BBC1 on a Sky box withoyour exisitng satellite dish, then you will not be able to receive BBC1 on your Freesat receiver with the same dish!

Spain does have its own version of Freeview, called Television Digital Terrestrial - TDT. Using a TDT set top box, you are able to receive around 30 digital Spanish television channels via your TV aerial on your roof. The digital aspect allows a much clearer picture than the old analogue TV system, and has the option to change the Spanish dubbing soundtrack on UK and USA imported programmes into the original version. It should also be noted that some UK "Freeview" set top boxes do not work in Spain correctly, as they are programmed for the UK TV service and not the TDT service.

So if an installer says that they are able to install a UK Freeview television system for you in Spain, ask them a few questions. As Freeview is a service received by a TV aerial, then why are they installing a satellite dish? Will you able to receive all the UK Freeview channels, like "Dave" and Sky Sports News, for free on their system, as many channels available for free on Freeview are in fact subscription only on satellite. Remember You cannot receive Freeview in Spain!

For more information please visit:

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Important changes to TDT "Spanish Freeview" frequencies - free TV in Spain

2011-06-04T00:22:00.000-07:00

There are some important changes to some TDT "Spains Freeview" digital TV service.

These changes affect most Spanish TV reception across Spain and is part of Phase 2 of the digital switch over in Spain.

All channels on frequency / multiplex 66 have been moved and transferred over to new frequencies.

This has affected the following Spanish digital TV channels:

Teledeporte
Intereconomía
Veo7 TV

A rescan on your TDT set top box will need to be performed to make sure you can continue to receive these Spanish TV channels.

In some cases a call for a TV engineer / TV installer will be required, as your existing system may not be able to receive Teledeportes new frequency. This is especially true for community TV systems, where individual amplifier modules are installed.

Phase 2 of Spain’s digital switch over is aimed to free up the digital TV frequency spectrum between from 62 to 69. This is so these frequencies can be sold off to other telecoms companies, like mobile phone operators.

It is also worth noting that Teledeporte is now labelled as TDP.

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Top Gear on Telecinco on TDT

2011-04-07T23:20:00.001-07:00

BBC's Top Gear will soon be shown on Spanish Tv.
BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, has signed a deal which gives Telecinco the rights to show the popular motoring show Top Gear.
The deal also includes a number of BBC produced dramas.

This follows a "British TV trend" on SPanish TV, as Antenna 3 have been showing the drama Downtown Abbey.

For more information please visit:

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Spanish TV - We can consider ourselves the world leaders in telebasura – trash TV

2011-04-02T04:47:00.001-07:00

In Spain, reading levels are very low, educational failure very high and public contempt for culture colossal. However, not everything is lost: we can consider ourselves the world leaders in telebasura – trash TV. Broadcasters have a complete disregard for taste or decency, airing material unsuitable for children at all ours of the day, profiting from scandal and violence, exploiting sex in true macho style, practising trial by television and disseminating mumbo-jumbo and pseudoscience. The news is partisan and sensationalist, the language vulgar and advertising floods the schedules. But as long as audience figures rise, they're allowed to get away with it.

In fact audiences are glued to the screen: the average consumption of television in Spain in 2010 was 234 minutes per person per day.

It would be unjust to say that television in Spain is merely bad. Television in Spain is appalling. The stars of the schedule are sitcoms, whose pathetic acting and bargain basement scripts bely the gusts of canned laughter over every other line. There are reality shows that alienate the contestants as much as the viewers, and political discussions that are as extreme as they are biased. The only news items worthy of the name are transmitted by TVE, a public channel that, now that it has stopped showing advertising, is stimied by financial problems.

While TVE earned 63.5m euros less in 2010 than the previous year and closed its accounts with a loss of 48m euros, the private channels are earning money like never before. The income of Telecinco rose 30.3% during 2010, to 855.1m euros. At Antena 3 they "only" made a net return last year of 109.1m euros, an increase of 79.6% on 2009.

One main channel alone, Telecinco, holds 51% of advertising thanks to a merger of channels allowed last year by the National Commission of Competition. Less plurality, more profit: Telecinco is the channel of Belén Esteban, the ex-wife of a bullfighter crowned by the Spanish audience as the "queen of the people". The people of telebasura.

Javier Pérez de Albéniz blogs on Spanish television at eldescodificador.wordpress.com. English translation by Howard Rouse

sounrce: _http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/apr/01/critics-notebook-javier-perez-de-albeniz

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More HD channels soon on TDT

2010-09-25T06:32:00.001-07:00

Over the next week or so some new HD channel will be appering on TDT.

Many areas have Telecinco HD, although not yet officially launched, is available in many areas. Its already available on Monduver (Gandia) area.

On Tuesday, Antena 3 start their HD channel.

And constant rumours about La Sexta starting a HD channel also.

So with Canal 9 HD and TVE HD, thats more HD channels that the UK Freeview and Freesat system!!!!!

Who says Spain lacks behind ! OK reception this summer has been random at the best of times, thats to the humidity, but at least full terrestrial switch over has been completed ahead of many other European countries.

For more information please visit:

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Antena Nitro New channel on TDT in September

2010-07-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Announced a few weeks ago, Antena.Nitro is one of the future TDT channels that has raised more expectations among all that have been presented so far.

Antena.Nitro will be a channel devoted exclusively to male viewers, thus completing the group's offer Antena 3 on TDT that already has Antena.Nova (female audience) and Antena.Neox (young audiences).

To get you started, the group has decided to move forward little by little some elements of its new channel before its official launch, through its corporate website: www.antena3.com/nitro.

Most of the content of the channel will primarily be major USA drama series, such as 24 and Flashpoint

For more information please visit:

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Satellite TV in Spain

2010-07-08T08:11:00.001-07:00

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