Obviously television is different in Europe. Most of
Europe in on PAL versus NTSC (prominent in the States).
This varies in nearly all equipment including everything from
VCR's to DVD players to different types of decoders (Direct
TV, Dish Network, AFN).
To learn how to keep up with your shows via the internet and downloading all of your TV shows, go here.
Of course the televisions will need to
be 220V. Fortunately, the exchanges will sell televisions
that are dual voltage and PAL/NTSC compatible. This
makes it easy to take your nice new television back to the
States when you're done in Europe. You want to ensure
that if you purchase a VCR or DVD player that they are also
dual voltage and compatible with PAL/NTSC.
All of Europe will be on a digital
signal by the year 2010. Most services you will need a
satellite installed. I had mine professionally
installed. It's a single satellite that is capable of
handling two feeds (known as dual-LNB). It's prepped for
AFN and Sky services. Cost me about 300 euros for the
entire installation and equipment.
AFN (Armed Forces Network) is what most
people are likely to have if you're military. The
network is good and plays most current "hot" shows
from the US. There's always sports on Sunday on nearly
every channel, so no worries about missing the big
events. Unless you're in an area where AFN decoders are
issued (or in government housing), you can count on spending
about $200-$500 on a decoder depending on manufacturer and
availability. Most decoders can be purchased from your
local exchange. You can also get a refurbished decoder
from your exchange for about $100 or so--not all exchanges
participate though, so you may have to travel if it's worth
it--just ask customer service department, it's not something
they advertise. Call in advance. Anyhow, consult
your customer service department if they are not out on the
shelf. Most exchanges have them to rent on a monthly
basis as well (usually about $25/month).
Here's AFN's
website for Europe. You can also find radio
stations, etc. out there as well. Take a peek.
As with most satellite receivers, you
can add your own channels. If you are technically
challenged, you may not want to try this, but you can add
several channels that are not encrypted. Go here
to get a list of channels. AFN uses Hotbird satellite
services at 13 degrees east. Fill in the blanks as
necessary on the form (available in different languages as
well). You'll be looking for Digital & Clear
channels.
For additional entertainment, I also
have Sky (provided by the
Brits). You'll need a SCART to RCA converter (click
here to see what it looks like) to connect it from the
decoder box to your TV--most likely available through your
local exchange. There are other options available if you
know what you're doing. Anyhow, about 40 channels are
free if you have a decoder box (click
here to see the "Free to View" channel list
provided by Sky). You can pick one up on eBay
for about 100 bucks--most decoders sold today do not require a
card to view the free channels. You cannot get the
subscription service unless you have a valid address in the
UK. HOWEVER, there are services available where you can
get someone to represent you so you can get the subscription
service. Other options like Sky+ are available as
well. This is just a TiVo version of Sky--requires a
different decoder box that has a harddrive built into it for
recording channels.
If you are interested in Sky, check out www.skysat-europe.com. GI Euro and SkySat-Europe have teamed up to bring the military customer exclusive deals. When you order, make sure you mention GI Euro sent you to take full benefit of the great deals (free equipment, discounts, etc)! Additionally, you can go here to get contact information for SKYSAT-EURPE if you need to inquire, or simply contact us for questions. Please understand that GI Euro does not benefit from this referral in any way. GI Euro is a non-profit group.
www.skysat-europe.com
- provides subscription service for non-UK residents.
Also provides list of "Free to View" channels (the
40 or so channels that are free over the satellite). Click
here for a list of subscription packages and a list of
"Free to View" channels.
Another website you might find useful
is www.wildsat.com.
The guy who maintains this site provides a lot of useful
information about Sky and its services. He also provides
trimmed down personalized channel guides and listings.
I must warn you about Sky though.
The "Free to View" channels are paid for by
advertising channels that are also available on the "Free
to View" basis. Some of them include STRONG adult
content (most prominent in the evening hours), but hey, you get free TV.
I would recommend this for homes with children ONLY if the
parental control features are utilized (only available with a
subscription). There is no censorship on most
of the channels. Just beware and know that there are
options to "control" it.
Additionally, if you're technically
sound and think you can figure out how to add channels with
your Sky box based on satellite frequency, etc., here's a site
you can use to get more clear (non-encrypted) channels that
are available to be added to your Sky box. This site
provides listings for all Astra satellites. The Astra
satellite I use for my Sky is at 28.2 degrees east. A
satellite that is at approximately 30 degrees east can most
likely be picked up and channels from that satellite can be
added as well--this is where size matters... Go here
for the full list of satellites of the Astra Fleet (also found
on www.wildsat.com).
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