Hi there, is there anyone out there who can clear this up for me. I was told that I needed to obtain (via the uk) a "sky viewing" card that had been activated in the uk, and that along with a sky dish (1metre) Lmb, and sky box I could recieve uk T, V.

Now Iv been told that due to changes made by "sky" that all I need is the sky box, 1 Metre dish, LMB, and that I dont need a card activated in the uk anymore ???? anybody with some "know how" would be really grateful... Ta.

If you want the "free to air" channels, like BBC, ITV, C4 Five, and about 100 more, then all you need is a dish, LNB, cabling and a satellite box.

If you want Sky channels, then you will need a dish, LNB, cabling, a Sky box, and a sky viewing card and subscription.

This has been the case for a number of years. You have not needed a viewing card for BBC channels for the last 8 years, for most ITV channels for about 5 years, for C4s for about 5 years, and for the fives since Dec 2011.

In many areas, BBC ITV C4 and Fives are now available on a smaller satellite dish than previously required. This is nothing to do with "sky" as these channels are not associated with Sky at all. It is just that the satellite these channels were on, and that required a big dish, is being replanced, and these channels have TEMPORARILY moved to another satellite whose reception is much better and that can be received on smaller dishes. This is not a permanent move. These channels are only expected to be available on smaller dishes until the end of this year. (Something that many "installers" are forgetting to mention in their adverts or before installing the dishes!)

Hope this helps

Astra 1N

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Astra 1N is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES, launched in 2011 to join Astra 2A, Astra 2B Astra 2D at the Astra 28.2°E orbital slot. The satellite was originally designed to provide digital television and radio broadcast services across Europe from the Astra 19.2°E position, in particular the German, French and Spanish markets, alongside the Astra 1KR, Astra 1L, and Astra 1M satellites already operating there.

However, Astra 1N will initially be positioned at 28.2°E to provide capacity for the UK and Republic of Ireland, including the Sky and Freesat DTH platforms prior to the launch of Astra 2E and Astra 2F to this position in 2012 untill 01.01.2013.

Astra 1N is the fourth satellite to be built for Astra by Astrium and the 46th SES satellite in orbit. On 24 October 2011, Astra 1N entered commercial service at 28.2°E.

The Astra 1N satellite provides three broadcast beams, each with horizontal and vertical polarisation, across three footprints. The UK spot beam covers the UK and Republic of Ireland with reception on dishes of 45 cm diameter across the whole of the UK, Ireland and Channel Islands with the exception of the extreme north east of Scotland, where a 60 cm dish is required.

The Pan-European Beam 1 provides reception on a 60 cm dish across Western and Central Europe including Sardinia in the south but excluding Finland in the North. Pan-European Beam 2 provides 60 cm dish reception over substantially the same area reaching further north into Scandinavia and east as far as the Baltic States, Russia and the Black Sea but excluding more of the Iberian peninsular, Italy and the Mediterranean.