UK Sky & Freesat satellite receivers. Humax, Pace, Thompson & Amstrad. These do function in Spain but do not perform exactly the same way as they do in the UK.
One example is for those who have Sky cards in the UK. These cards will not record in a different Sky HD + box in Spain. To record the card needs to be subscribed to the original receiver. If you use the card in a different box, you will be able to watch the free to air content, but not the premium Sky subscription channels.
CAN I RECEIVE SKY BY SATELLITE IN SPAIN?
Yes. Signal is available from Astra 2E, Astra 2F & 2G. Within Costa Blanca & Costa Calida reception of most channels are available with a satellite dish between 1.10 – 1.90 metres depending on location. Most popular dish size in Costa Blanca South is a 1.4 metre dish, which will be able to receive Sky / Freesat. Different quality dishes & sizes are available which will affect performance.
KNOWN ISSUES WITH SKY BOXES
‘No signal’ fault – If your Sky box has this message, it may not be correct. If the Sky box does not see the one boot up frequency of 11778 V, then it declares ‘no signal’ all Free to air (generic designed to be used worldwide), if one or two frequencies are weak, the box will boot up, but with missing channels. Skybox, may not allow you to boot.
Rebooting. As boxes get a little older, the processors tend to overheat and boxes reset. If you find the box freezing or rebooting periodically, this usually indicates the end of the boxes service life is looming.
ADVANTAGES OF SKY BOX IN SPAIN - PRO’S
- Familiarity of menu system
- 7 day program guide
- You can use as free to air receiver, without card.
DISADVANTAGES OF SKY BOX IN SPAIN - CONS
- If using as a Free to air receiver, certain channels will not be listed in the main TV guide. You will need to add and view through ‘services’ other channels. Channels scanned in would then show up in the other channels menu – not the main channel menu. These include some regional programming. You cannot record these even with an active Sky card.
- Can not alter the channel order of the main menu.
- Designed only to read Astra 2 E, F & G satellites, cannot be used in a motorised system or to view broadcasting on any another satellites.
- Can only use Sky cards, other service providers Conax or Irdeto encrypted cards are not suitable for the Sky receivers.
- Cannot be serviced in Spain.
- Sky Q – Currently available in the UK only as on a rental rather than purchase agreement. Dish LNB (receptive element at the centre of the dish) is different to the usual high-performance LNB’s we need to use in Spain – so there will be issues of signal weakening on dishes, just by changing to a compatible LNB.
MY SKY BOX HAS NO SIGNAL
Unplug box from the mains supply leave for a few seconds
Plug the box back into the mains
Turn the box on with the remote - until the box shows a green light, not a red one. Can take a few seconds to respond when booting up after replugging into mains
Press the Services Button
On an older model non HD receiver key in quickly 4, 0, 1 and Select. This should give you the installers menu
Sky + HD or Sky HD boxes, press ‘services button’ then 0, 0, 1 then’ select’ button. This needs to be done quickly. If done correctly you will see ‘Tx Ponder’. Option at top of the screen on a 2nd tab to right-hand side. This is a hidden installers menu and the numbers need to typed in quickly. If you do not see the ‘Tx Ponder’ after doing the first time, press back up and try again – most do not do on their first attempt!
Press 2 – Default Transponder option. IN HD boxes you should see option ‘Tx Ponder’.
Select the Frequency (GHz box line and type in 11778). 11778 default is now much stronger than previously due to change of new Astra satellites, should not really need to change this, unless issue locally or reception wise. If you cannot get reception with 11778 (which should be the case), then you can try 12207.
Scroll down and select Polarization. This should show V. There are only two choices, V and H. If necessary, change by pressing the right key (to the right of Select) on your remote. As standard, you should only need to change the top number.
Scroll down to Save New Settings, Press Green to do this, then press Select. This will return you to the Installers Menu.
Press Back Up twice. Your screen should now display ‘searching for listings’.
Press ‘back up’ & then TV guide & select channel – try 516 on Sky + HD (Sky news) or 501 on old Sky box – this is the same frequency as EPG 11778V (at time of writing).
If you have periodic power cuts and wish to continue to use your Sky box then we recommend the use of a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) which will keep power to the receiver during the power cut – stopping the box defaulting to its UK / Eire settings. Alternatively, a non-Sky free to air receiver designed to work worldwide will avoid this issue as they do not need a EPG data stream to lock onto, as does the Sky box/system.
REGIONAL SETTINGS BBC AND ITV CHANNELS.
Sky boxes are designed for the UK. When setting up in the UK they have regional settings installed. BBC, ITV & channel 5 have a regional setting, which broadcast on different frequencies. ITV HD is one example of where reception is available, but not on all ITV HD frequencies. To review options available and to use to scan in to ‘other channels’ on your Sky box, please review
link here.
Free to air satellite receivers work differently and do not need to see the Sky guide 11778 frequency to boot (as the Sky box do) and also will allow you to scan in all regions and have them together on the same program guide. If using for free to air reception, we generally recommend the use of an FTA receiver as will allow more flexibility in reception terms and unlike UK Sky, which will need an active Sky card to record - FTA receivers do not.
FREESAT & FREE TO AIR SATELLITE IN SPAIN
Freesat is a brand name for the UK and related hardware supplied. It more relates specifically to the program guide, which much like Sky, offers a 7-day viewing option for UK users, allowing to check programs in advance & in the case of twin tuner satellite receivers, such as the Humax HDR-S range, you can record TV. Unlike Sky via satellite, you do not need a viewing card. Freesat receivers are NOT officially supplied or serviced in Spain.
Locally supplied satellite receivers (namely anything not called Sky or Freesat), do receive all the same channels as the Freesat, but just lack the 7-day program guide. Usually just ‘now & next’ – online guides are available
www.tvguide.co.uk
being one example. Local newspapers also carry weekly guides.
Free to air receivers (as opposed to UK Freesat) can potentially have a couple of advantages, usually, you can have a single tuner receiver, with a USB memory stick (or external HDD) to record. This tends to be a little cheaper than the equivalent Freesat box if wanting a more economical recording solution.
You will not be able to use the catch-up or on-demand services (same as UK Sky box when overseas), as these are geographically locked. It is possible, but only with the use of a secondary flashed VPN router with subscription VPN linked to your original router. Other services which offer on-demand or catchup are available with alternative IPTV services.
SKY Q
This is available in Spain, by special order from non authorised overseas suppliers.. Sky does not officially supply Sky boxes or the UK Sky service full time outside of the UK.