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
