Sky Digibox ... Channel Five problems

We get calls on a weekly basis from customers who have 'lost' Five on channel 105 on a Sky Digibox. Usually, it's the Sky card which has been removed and put back in the wrong slot that has caused the problem.

Just recently, we've been getting an unusually large amount of correspondence about Five and the fact that it's disappeared. It's probably all down to a software download by Sky which has triggered problems in certain Sky Digiboxes. So, to fix this particular problem, unplug your Digibox from the mains supply. Verify that your red or green light has gone out and then plug the box back into the mains. The red light will come on straight away but don't try to switch the box on for at least a minute. Then, switch the box on and see if that has cured the problem

CNN joins Freesat line up.

CNN has just joined the Freesat line up on channel 207. Until now, you had to add CNN as a non-Freesat channel in order to view it on a freesat set top box. Nothing has changed if you watch CNN on a free to air receiver or a Sky digibox.

At the same time that CNN launches on the Freesat EPG, two other channels have also started:
Rural TV provides rural news and entertainment to the rural community (don't ask) and JML Home and DIY sells discounted goods to DIY enthusiasts. Those channels are on 403 and 808 respectively. Enjoy.

Freesat receivers should upgrade automatically and add these three channels into the EPG

Cinémoi FTA in March

A new French language film channel has started transmissions on the Astra 2 satellite. It's called CinéMoi and is showing classic French cinema in the original language but with English subtitles.

The channel plans to encrypt in early April and you will have to pay Sky a supplement on top of your Sky subscription if you want to carry on receiving it. CinéMoi can be seen on channel 839 on a Sky digibox or you can add it to a free to air receiver by doing a manual search on the following transponder:

• Frequency = 11,546
• Polarity = Horizontal
• Symbol Rate = 27500

If you have a Freesat receiver, you can add the channel by putting the receiver into Non-Freesat mode and adding the transponder information above.

Enjoy this while you can.

TNTSAT goes High Definition

High Definition tv has finally arrived on the TNTSAT satellite system this week (16/02/09)

This is the first time that HD has been transmitted on satellite by the French on a non-subscription basis. The channels are TF1 HD, France 2 HD, Arté HD and M6 HD.

In order to see these channels in all their HD glory, you are going to need an HD TNTSAT receiver (in our shop under French TV) and a satellite feed from the Astra 1 satellite. Naturally, you will also need an HD Ready or Full HD television