Why Not BSkyB?
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We originally wanted to install a BSkyB system as many other villas have. Upon investigation we discovered that BSkyB have no license to transmit to Spain and actively discourage BSkyB use here. BSkyB do not provide any licenses for reception in Spain so anyone using BSkyB in Spain is ostensibly doing so illegally.

The satellite that transmits the BSkyB service originally had a 'footprint' (the area the transmission covers) that covered Spain, France and other European countries and could be received with a normal 0.9m dish.

They then tightened up this footprint. This still didn't stop reasonable reception of BSkyB in Spain if a 1.5m dish was installed so BSkyB narrowed the footprint even more. This meant that reception became poor and unusable after about 9pm as the satellite sinks too close to the horizon. Villa owners are now having to install 2.4m dishes in their gardens (too big to go on the roof!) and even then reception after 9pm can be intermittent depending on the weather.

Some businesses have sprung up whereby they erect a large satellite dish to receive the BSkyB signal and then re-transmit the signal locally to smaller dishes. Obviously the viewer has to pay them for this service but BSkyB certainly do not condone this style of operation or receive money for it. Some villa owners even suggest clients should bring their own BSkyB card over with them. Tales of clients asking for refunds due to lack of TV reception are now starting to surface.

Overall BSkyB are succeeding in making their service unusable from Spain and until they start up an official transmission here we have opted to go with a multi-satellite system that allows access to hundreds of free to airs, many of them English language but NOT including Sky channels (except Sky News) nor the BBC and ITV channels.

 


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Last modified: 17-01-2010.