Astra 2E Update : New UK TV satellite is now at location.

Press release from SES Astra this morning :

ASTRA 2E has now been deployed at its final destination in the orbital arc of 28.2/28.5 degrees East, where it is co-positioned with ASTRA 2A, ASTRA 2F and ASTRA 1N.
Over the coming weeks, BSkyB, Channel4, ITV and BBC programming in this arc will be transitioned to the new satellite with its powerful footprint over the British Isles.

http://www.satandpcguy.com/Site/astra_2e_satellite_reception_testing_news_updates.php

British newspapers in Spain serving the British community have been referring to the Great British TV Switch-off, with biased opinions by IPTV / internet TV / Smart TV / Brit Box TV sellers.

This has confused many expats residents, as they worry about losing reception of the channels from the country they left behind.

Many rumours, bar talk and misinformation have been spread about the sudden loss of UK TV in Spain. Many of these rumours have been spread by people wanting to sell lower image quality internet streaming devices- many of which require a subscription even to watch the free channels like BBC and ITV..

Until the Astra 2E satellite is fully operational, and actually has some transponders and frequencies turned on, no-one knows the exact nature of Astra 2Es reception in Spain, despite what some IPTV / internet TV / Smart TV / Brit Box TV sellers claim.

As reception varies so much over Spain, some areas of Spain maybe better off reception wise, but yes some areas of Spain maybe worse off. It is difficult to generalise about UK satellite TV reception in Spain and is really incorrect to say that all of Spain will lose all UK TV.

This is especially so when some areas of Spain can receive some BBC HD channels, ITV1, ITV1HD, C4HD and FIves that are on the first new satellite Astra 2F that has been operational since Decemeber 2012,and can be received on a 1m satellite dish in most of my service area.

So, despite all the IPTV / internet TV / Smart TV / Brit Box TV sellers claim, there will NOT be a total loss of all UK TV channels in Spain.

HD Satellite Receiver and IPTV / Internet TV Costa Blanca

Galaxy Innovations GI Genius Smart TV IPTV Satellite Receiver Satellite System



The Galaxy Innovations Genius Smart TV digital satellite receiver is an easy way to receive hundreds of channels, free and subscription.

It performs well on the Costa Blanca.

It has a USB port to allow you to record onto a USB pendrive / stick.

The Galaxy Innovations Genius Smart TV satellite receiver can also read your Sky card.

The Galaxy Innovations Genius Smart TV satellite receiver can also be used to watch UK TV, movies, series, and other countries TV, via the internet.

With this High Definition Linux IPTV satellite receiver, you can have the best TV from both worlds - direct from the satellite or from the internet.

Use with a satellite dish, and receive your UK TV channels in high definition and Dolby 5.1 digital audio. Channel like BBC1HD, BBC2HD, ITV1HD and C4HD are all available in super stunning crystal clear high definition.

Use by connecting to your ADSL Internet router, and you can receive the UK TV channels streamed from the internet. Unlike some IPTV services that charge 20€ per month, these channels are available for free, with no monthly subscription.

More information on this satellite receiver for IPTV / Internet TV Spain : http://www.satandpcguy.com/Site/receivers/GI_genius_hd_smart_tv_satellite_receiver.php

More information on IPTV / Internet TV in Spain : http://www.satandpcguy.com/Site/uk_tv_on_pc.php

Smart TV vs Satellite TV : Picture Quality comparisons

Some people have been using Smart TV / Android technology as a way to receive UK TV.

Some of the companies selling these systems use "scare" tactics to try and push a sale - saying things like "You WILL lose UK TV in Spain soon and our product is the only way to keep watching UK TV!"

We covered a few points in a previous post (http://costablancasatellite.blogspot.com.es/2013/05/iptv-sales-talk-confusing-and-scaring.html ).

But here we compare the picture quality of such systems.


An image quality comparison test between Smart TV Internet streaming (top) and Satellite TV (bottom).

The image quality of the Smart TV is blurry, whereas the image from the satellite TV is sharper and more defined.

And the comparison will become more noticeable when the systems are compared on large TV screen that many people are using these days. The low image quality from the Smart TV Internet system will be a lot more noticeable than the direct from satellite system.

Why?

Well most of the Smart TV internet streaming services use a low resolution for their streaming - this resolution is sometimes only 480.

Normal standard definition TV resolution is 576.

Full High Definition resolution is 1080.

So the image resolution between Smart TV Internet streaming is less than half the resolution to HD TV, and about 16% lower than standard television transmissions.

So for LIVE TV, satellite Tv is produced the best image quality.

And when most UK satellite TV channels, like BBC, ITV C4 and Fives are available for free and on a small satellite dish, why compromise on image quality using an internet TV system for your live TV?

Why use a lower quality resolution TV rather than a high definition satellite systems on your HD TV. That is like buying a Ferrari and then replacing its v8 engine with a lawnmower engine!