I am looking for satelite TV providers in London, UK. I am not looking
for commercial operators, such as Sky Digital, but for dish antennas
that receive channels from Europe, etc. Also, list of channels that
may be received with each system.

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Clarification of Question by ukworker-ga on 14 Aug 2003 01:29 PDT

Mainly interested in channels in Spanish, preferrably from Latin
America. Also movie channels and news.

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Clarification of Question by ukworker-ga on 14 Aug 2003 01:34 PDT

Also interested in finding out costs and sources for equipment and descramblers.

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Clarification of Question by ukworker-ga on 14 Aug 2003 01:44 PDT

Have looked at websites below. Useful info but I need a "satelite tv
for dummies" type answer.

Which languages would you prefer, e.g. Italian, French, German?

Many programmes are transmitted via
Hotbird (13° East) (including programmes from Italy, Iran, Poland: digital)
http://www.lyngsat.com/hotbird.shtml

Astra (19° East) (including programmes from Germany: digital and analog)
http://www.lyngsat.com/astra19.shtml

and Astra (28° East) (used by BBC and Sky)
http://www.lyngsat.com/28east.shtml

A few French programmes (not digital, but analog):
http://www.lyngsat.com/5west.shtml

Programmes from Scandinavia (mostly encrypted):
http://www.lyngsat.com/sirius.shtml
http://www.lyngsat.com/1west.shtml

To find out which programmes are not encrypted:
http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/Europe.shtml

Before buying a dish you should check the following:
unobstructed line of sight to the satellite, satellite footprint and dish size.

Available channels in Spanish:

TV Chile and TV Colombia on 11179 H (digital) - these are FTA (free to
air) channels, but could be encrypted soon:
http://www.lyngsat.com/hotbird.shtml

The Hotbird satellite is also used by TVE (11785 H) and by EuroNews
(Spanish version - 12597 V).

The Spanish equivalent to Sky is Digital+:
http://www.plus.es/codigo/television/plataformas/digitalplus/portada2.asp

using 2 satellites (Astra 19° and Hispasat):
http://www.lyngsat.com/dig/dpastra.shtml
http://www.lyngsat.com/dig/dphispa.shtml

On Hispasat there are some additional channels, not encrypted:
http://www.lyngsat.com/hispa.shtml

I don't know the exact technical details necessary to buy a dish. But
I suppose someone reading your question will answer.

Thanks fp!