UK TV In Spain Frequently Asked Questions

Can I receive Freesat in Spain?
Can I watch Sky TV in Spain?

These and many more questions are always being asked as people try to decide what is the best way to receive UK TV channels in Spain on the various satellite and digital terrestrial services.

With this in mind, we have created a number of pages which tries to answer all your UK TV in Spain questions.

Frequently Asked Questions - UK TV in Spain

Frequently Asked Questions - Freesat TV In Spain

Frequently Asked Questions - Freeview TV in Spain

Frequently Asked Questions - Sky TV in Spain

Frequently Asked Questions - TDT in Spain

If a specific question is not answered on these pages then you can always try our forum - http://www.satandpcguy.com/forum/

UK TV Channel Frequences for Sky TV and Freesat TV digiboxes

UK TV Channel Frequences for Sky TV and Freesat TV digiboxes

BBC TV in Spain
The BBC1 TV channel is available on various frequencies, due to the various BBC1 local regions. The best or strongest region is BBC1 Channels Islands.

The frequency for BBC 1 Channel Islands is 10847 V 22000 5/6.
This is also the same frequency setting for the BBC HD Channel, available on HD satellite receivers.

Other regions are available by searching on other frequency settings
BBC TV Satellite Frequency Settings

ITV TV in Spain
The ITV1 channel is available on various frequencies, due to the various ITV1 advertising regions. The best or strongest free (ie no sky viewing card is required) regions is ITV1 Channel Islands. The frequency for ITV1 Channel Islands is 10905 V 22000 5/6.
If you have a Sky viewing card, the best or strongest ITV regions are on frequency 12402 V 27500 2/3 - including Tyne Tees South (TTS) and Meridian SE (Mer SE)


Other regions are available by searching on other frequency settings

ITV Satellite Frequency Settings

Channel 4 TV in Spain
Channel 4 group of channels are available on various frequencies.
The free to air channel 4 channels, on Sky chanel 104, are on ,frequency 10714 H 22000 5/6. On the Costa Blanca, this frequency may not be available all day. This is the same frequency for Film 4.
Channel 4+1 (and E4 and More4) are avaialble on 10729 V 22000 5/6, which should be available most of the day on a "big satellite dish"

If you have a Sky viewing card, the best or strongest Channel 4 channels frequency 12480 V 27500 2/3 - the Irish version of the Channel 4 group of channels.

Channel 4 Satellite Frequency Settings

Channel 5 TV in Spain
The Channel Five group of channels are available over two frequencies.
Five, Fiver and Five USA are available on frequency 12422 H 27500 2/3 - with a Sky viewing card.
Channel Five, the Freesat version avaialble without a Sky card, is on 10773 H 22000 5/6 - the same frequency as BBC2, so reception of this version of Five will be as per BBC2.

Channel Five Satellite Frequency Settings

Sky TV in Spain
Sky TV is available in Spain. Its channels are spread over many frequencies. Many frequencies also carry channels available on Freesat

Sky TV and Freesat TV Channel Frequency Settings

Irish TV Channels In Spain
Irish TV channels are spread over many frequencies. The main Irish TV channels, like RTÉ One, RTÉ Two, TG 4, TV 3 are availabel on frequency 10744 H 22000 5/6. Irish TV channel 3e is on frequency 11261 H 27500 2/3.

All the main Irish TV channels require a Sky veiwing card registered at an Irish address to view. You cannot use a Sky card at a UK address to view Irish TV channels.
Irish TV Satellite Frequency Settings


To see how to add the "secret" and additional ITV, Chanel 4, and Five channels insructoins can be found at
Extra Secret Additional Sky and Freesat Frequencies


For more information please visit:

The Sat and PC Guy - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

or the forum

The Sat and PC Guy FORUM - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

Can I change the BBC1 and ITV1 regions on Sky 101 and 103 to another regions?

Can I change the BBC1 and ITV1 regions on Sky 101 and 103 to another regions?

The regional variations of BBC1 and ITV1 available on Sky Channel 101 and 103 are determined by the postcode fo the address that the Sky card is registered.

This has mean that many people receiving a new white Sky replacement viewing card, who have ordered it at another UK address to their previous blue yellow house viewing card, may be getting different BBC1 and ITV1 regions to what they were used to.

So, in Spain many freesatfromsky cards were supplied using a Manchester postcode, so that one of the strongest ITV1 regions would be available on Sky channels 103.

But during the Sky replacement card process, some people ordered new wite cards at another UK address, say York, in which case their 103 would default to ITV1 Yorkshire.

So the only way to change the 101 and 103 BBC1 and ITV regions on a Sky card is to contact Sky and register your Sky viewing card at an address in the UK region you would like.

But it is worth noting that ALL all BBC regions are avaiklable on both the Sky TV and Freesat TV EPGs...
Other ITV1 regions can also be watched, by manually adding them to your "Other Channels" list on SKy receivers, or in Non Freesat modes omn Freesat receivers.

BBC TV Regional Variations Transponder and Frequency Settings

ITV TV Regional Variation Transponder Frequency Settings



For more information please visit:

The Sat and PC Guy - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

or the forum

The Sat and PC Guy FORUM - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

"What is UK satellite frequency from Spain"

"What is UK satellite frequency from Spain"

This question seems be be asked by many people.

The answer is simple.

The same satellites are used for UK TV in Spain as they are used for UK TV in the UK.

Therefore the same frequencies are used for Sky TV in the UK and Sky TV in Spain.

For example, the satellite frequencies for Channel Five in the UK is the same frequency for Channel Five in Spain. (either 10773 H or 12442 H depending on your Sky card region!)

In the same way, the satellite frequency for BBC TV in Spain will be the same frequency for BBC TV in the UK.

This link shows the Transponder frequency settings for certain channels as used for Sky Tv and Freesat TV.
Sky TV and Freesat TV Transponder Frequency Settings

This link explains why there is not just one frequency used
What is the best transponder frequency for Sky TV and Freesat TV in Spain

For more information please visit:

The Sat and PC Guy - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

or the forum

The Sat and PC Guy FORUM - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

TTon4. Where has TTon4 gone? It has disappeared! My TTon4 Channel 4 is missing!

Where has TTon4 gone? My TTon4 has disappeared! My TTon4 Channel 4 is missing!

It looks like that, as from today, the TTon4 channel is no longer available. Many people will have lost access to TTon4 and are no longer be able to use this channel to watch Channel 4.

In the Costa Blanca area, many people used TTon4 to view Channel 4, which was useful for people who used to use this to watch Channel 4 on Freesat receivers, as the main Channel 4 frequency has limited reception in the Costa Blanca Spain.

This was helpd by the fact that it could be viewed for free, without a Sky card, and on a small satellite dish.

As I have mentioned in the past, this TTon4 channel was a left over test signal, which could be removed and lost at any time, and it now appears that C4 have now removed this and so it has disappeared from the "Other Channels" list.

However, the Irish Channel 4 variations on 12480 are still currently available. The questions is...for how long....
 

For more information please visit:

The Sat and PC Guy - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

or the forum

The Sat and PC Guy FORUM - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

Can I use Freesat in Spain?

Can I use Freesat in Spain?

Many people have ask me about Freesat and Freesat channel availability in Spain, and the Costa Blanca. So hopefully this page will answer this availability question.


Yes Freesat TV is available in Spain.

To an extent.

Many of the main UK TV channels available on Freesat are available in Spain, but, as you would with a Sky receiver, you may still need a big satellite dish to receive the weaker Freesat channels in Spain.

Technically Freesat is only an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG), and receives its data from the Eurobird satellite. Therefore the Freesat EPG should be available to people with an 80cm dish and be able to be received in Spain.

HOWEVER

To receive the main channels provided via the Freesat EPG on the Costa Blanca you will still require a big satellite dish. This is because Freesat uses the same satellites (Astra 2 and Eurobird) and (similar) frequencies as the Sky satellite systems.

So if you require a 2.4m satellite dish to receive BBC channels on a Sky receiver, you will still need a 2.4m satellite dish to receive BBC Channels on a Freesat receiver.
There are various Freesat receivers available: a basic receiver, a HD receiver (the Humax Freesat HD being the best Freesat receiver for Spain), and a hard disk recorder recevier (the Humax Freesat HDR or Freesat HD+)
 
If you have been quoted for a Freesat receiver, a genuine Freesat receiver will have the Freesat logo (as above) on the receiver. If the receiver does not have the Freesat logo, then you do not have an official Freesat receiver.
 
Some non Sky and non Freesat receivers are also able to receive the same channels as a Freesat receiver, but one of the disadvantages of this is that you will not ahve access ot the Freesat 7 day programme guide, or the specifi Freesat reciver software that allow access to some of the UK TV interactive features, like BBC Interactive Teletext services.
 
 
Also note that UK Freeview is not the same as Freesat. You cannot receive Freeview in Spain. Freeview is a UK only digital television service, transmitted from landbased transmitter sites, and only available to receive via a TV aerial. There is a similar service in Spain, Digital Television Terrestrial, also known as TDT, or sometimes as Spanish Freeview.
For more information please visit:

The Sat and PC Guy - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

or the forum

The Sat and PC Guy FORUM - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

This is the wrong card for this set top box

Some people have been experiencing an on screen message on the television screen informing them that "This is the wrong card for this set top box" on their Sky digibox with the new white Sky card.

This problem is easily resolved.

The new white sky viewing card is in hibernation, after not getting the "keep alive" signal from the satellite.


Where as the old yellow house Sky cards displayed the "To subscribe to this channel call ....)" on all scrambled channels if they were hibernating, the new white sky viewing cards display "This is the wrong card for this set top box", irrespective of whether the card be in the right box or not.
 
As before, leaving in a sky box that is turned on and receiving channels shold wake them up over the next 24 hours.
 
The same message will also be displayed if you are using your Sky Subscription card in another sky box, and trying to watch the Sky premium channels, like Sky Sports or Sky Movies.


For more information please visit:


The Sat and PC Guy - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca

or the forum

The Sat and PC Guy FORUM - Digital Satellite and Terrestrial Installations and Maintenance for the Costa Blanca