Instant guide to free digital TV channels
france
august 2011
'allo 'allo Pick up channels
from across The Channel
Want to see more?
Visit Wotsat.com for daily news, reviews and updates from the world of digital TV, or join our forums.
WWW.TPS.UK.COM
0161 344 0123
Robert Lehmann - Fotolia.com
Euro Spotlight
This month, Wotsat looks at TV from France and how to get it
France toolkit What you need to receive French free TV n Free-to-air DVB digital satellite receiver (or analogue for just three channels) n 50cm dish for 28.2°E, 60cm (13°E, 19.2°E, 9°E, 5°W), or 80cm (12.5°E, 7°E)
FRANCE spearheaded the European national DBS programme of the 1980s, so French satellite channels were mostly found on the TDF satellites at 19°W and later from the Telecom satellites at 3°W, 5°W and 8°W. Very few used to broadcast from the panEuropean Astra 19.2°E and Hot Bird 13°E. That’s all changed. The 5°W slot is still a centre for French broadcasting but most free French channels can be watched from Astra 19.2°E and Hot Bird 13°E. The big exception is TF1, which remains unavailable via free-to-air digital satellite.
Watch The Avengers in French on Arte
Cash TV reveals the French love of gambling
TF1 and France 2 are the main (and most popular) French channels, roughly equivalent to our BBC One and ITV1, with M6 (also unavailable FTA by satellite) perhaps most akin to Channel 4 or Sky1 in third place. All the national channels are available encrypted (but free to view) via TNTSAT (the satellite service that brings France’s Freeview-like Télévision Numérique Terrestre to areas out of reach of terrestrial transmitters) or Fransat (the
French equivalent of Freesat), transmitted from Astra 1 (19.2°E) and Atlantic Bird 3 (5°W), respectively. You will also find France 2, 3 and 5, and the overseas service, France Ô, all free to air on 5°W. TNTSAT and Fransat are also the places for French HD, with the major channels simulcasting in free-to-view high definition. There’s plenty of HD via the pay-TV platform CanalSat too, but that’s more expensive to access.
position
Genre
CHANNEL
position
Genre
CHANNEL
position
Genre
7°E
Overseas entertainment
Direct 8
19.2°E
Entertainment
France Ô
5°W
Entertainment
Arte
19.2°E, 13°E, 5°W
Culture
Euronews
News
i>télé
19.2°E
News
Best of Shopping
19.2°E
Shopping
28.2°E, 19.2°E, 13°E, 5°W
Shopping
Catwalks
Religion
13°E
23.5°E, 16°E, 13°E, 10°E
19.2°E, 5°W, 12.5°W
Beur TV
Fashion TV
KTO
Government
19.2°E, 5°W
News
France 24 Français
28.2°E, 19.2°E, 13°E, 10°E
19.2°E, 5°W
BFM
News
La Chaîne Parlementaire
Cash TV
19.2°E
Gambling
Liberty TV
19.2°E
Holidays
France 2
5°W
Entertainment
Demain!
5°W
Jobs
Luxe TV
9°E
Lifestyle
France 3 Sat
5°W
Entertainment
M6 Boutique La Chaîne
19.2°E
Shopping
Dieu TV
13°E
Religion
France 5
5°W
Entertainment
M6 Suisse
9°E, 7°E
Entertainment
french pay-tv
CHANNEL Africable
2 What Satellite & Digital TV August 2011
French pay-TV CanalSat France
Orange
Satellites: Astra 1, 19.2°E Encryption: Mediaguard 2, Nagravision 3, Viaccess 2.5-4.0 Channels: 230 SD, 10 HD Website: www.canalsat.fr France has had pay-TV since the ’80s, and so are used to paying to view. The main pay platform is CanalSat, part of the Canal+ Group. CanalSat has lots of films and sport with a complex package pricing structure, starting at €19/month.
Satellites: Astra 1 (19.2°E), Hot Bird (13°E), Atlantic Bird 3 (5°W) Encryption: Viaccess 3.0 Channels: 140 SD, 12 HD Web: www.orange.fr The Orange service is usually tied to an internet connection, but not exclusively, and starts from €3.90/month, with sports, films and other entertainment and documentary channels on offer. France-based customers can also get
WWW.HD-PLUS.CO.UK
WWW.FRANSAT.CO.UK find more guides at www.wotsat.com Euro Spotlight
Euro Euro TV focus focus
Drama and general entertainment on Direct8
France24 provides the Gallic view of global news
Des Chiffres et des Lettres n Channel: France 3 n On air: Weekdays,
5.30pm CET n www.france3.fr/
Cooking in a fedora – only on French TV
Sports and rugged scenery on Montagne TV
The big choice of free-to-air SD French TV is on 19.2°E and 13°E, and includes niche channels for news, music, shopping, religion, and more, as well as general entertainment originally intended for local consumption but now available across Europe. There are also a few channels intended for French-speaking territories in Africa available via satellite. Perhaps the best French TV ‘taster’ can be had from two channels available from all three of the main French TV satellite positions. Arte provides a wide ranging coverage of culture, from opera through pop music to stand-up comedy, from
France and elsewhere in Europe. TV5 Monde is available in various versions worldwide with ‘FBS’ (France, Belgique, Suisse) and ‘Europe’ available here, and provides a selection of programmes from the main French-speaking networks around the world, as well as news, music and films. Better windows into French life, and a glimpse of how the French view us, are hard to imagine. Next n Free TV from Spain and Portugal
* = In DVB-S2/MPEG-4 • = Also in analogue SECAM / H Also in DVB-S2/MPEG-4 high definition
CHANNEL
position
Genre
CHANNEL
position
Genre
Mirabelle TV
5°W
Entertainment
Télé Monte Carlo
5°W
Local entertainment
Montagne TV
19.2°E
Mountains
TéléGrenoble Isère
5°W
Local entertainment
Normandie TV
5°W
Local entertainment
NRJ Paris
5°W
Local entertainment
Télésud
13°E
Overseas entertainment
ORTM
7°E
Overseas entertainment
TF1*
5°W
Entertainment
TFM
9°E
News
Renault TV
28.2°E, 19.2°E
Cars
RTS1
7°E
Overseas entertainment
Télé Locale Provence
5°W
Local entertainment
VoD via broadband, but if you import a system to the UK that won’t be possible. The channel line-up varies between the satellites – Astra 1 offers the best choice.
Bis Satellites: Astra 1 (19.2°E), Hot Bird (13°E), Atlantic Bird 3 (5°W) Encryption: Mediaguard 2, Nagravision 3, Viaccess 3.0/4.0 Channels: 35 SD, 2 HD Web: www.bis.tv A smaller offering is available from Bis (once ABSat) on 13°E and 5°W, with about
One of the longestrunning game shows in the world, Des Chiffres et des Lettres (Numbers and Letters) is a mainstay of France 3 and an icon of French TV. After 40 years it still draws an audience of 1.5million. It has spawned imitations in other nations, including Channel 4’s Countdown, as well as board games, video games, websites, and a network of fan clubs across France. Based on a previous show Le Mot le Plus Long (The Longest Word) running since 1965, the show started in 1972 and has migrated from Antenne 2 (later France 2) to France 3. The rules will be
fairly familiar to fans of Countdown. Two players compete against each other in two challenges – Le Mot le Plus Long and Le Compte est Bon (The Total Is Right). In Le Mot le Plus Long, players select 10 random letters (alternately specifying if each is to be a consonant or vowel) from which in 45 seconds they produce the longest word they can that is in the show’s dictionary. In Le Compte est Bon the players are given six randomly chosen numbers and must combine them arithmetically to get as close to a randomly selected target number in 45 seconds. Unlike Countdown, Des Chiffres et des Lettres also has a ‘duel’, in which the players compete using touchscreens in more complex number and letter games. Laurent Romejko
35 channels and packages starting at €4.90/month. The channels are in MPEG-4 on 13°E so it’s less popular with unofficial viewers. It’s intended for French residents only, but cards and receivers are available in the UK or can be arranged through contacts living in France. While not strictly speaking pay-TV platforms, TNTSAT and Fransat are encrypted and popular with unofficial viewers overseas as they provide all the staple French channels plus others, at a fairly low price. They need a dedicated receiver and card, available in French stores or via agents in the UK.
WWW.TIVUSAT.CO.UK
August 2011 What Satellite & Digital TV 3