# english tv in italy



## stacey812000

hi all.....i love this group, you are all so helpful  so i have tried streaming UK TV and my computer is so slow to watch english tv, and its not the same as watching it on the TV....so can anyone advise me on how to install sky uk....i have a decoder and card, i live in the region of piemonte....what size dish would i need, and do you think it would work? Any advice or help would really be appreciated....thanks again
Stacey
:juggle:


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## Joppa

stacey812000 said:


> hi all.....i love this group, you are all so helpful  so i have tried streaming UK TV and my computer is so slow to watch english tv, and its not the same as watching it on the TV....so can anyone advise me on how to install sky uk....i have a decoder and card, i live in the region of piemonte....what size dish would i need, and do you think it would work? Any advice or help would really be appreciated....thanks again
> Stacey
> :juggle:


80 cm dish will probably work for all channels - including tricky BBC and ITV on Astra 2D North beam, but may break up in poor weather. If you want more steady reception, I'd say 1 to 1.2m dish, professionally installed and tweaked for optimum performance.
Streaming or using VPN is a good alternative to large dish, and most modern PCs should be able to handle that. Keep basic 60 or 80 cm dish for other channels. What is more important is your bandwidth - you do need a good broadband download speed to get steady signal, if it's available in your area. Most modern flatscreen TVs have a PC input to show streaming TV when connected to your PC's monitor/TV out.


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## benwarburton

Hi stacey,as joppa said 80cm works fine until there is heavy rain /snow here in lombardy but i always recommend customers a 1m as its when there is bad weather you want to watch yout telly!!


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## jonnytorio

Hi Stacey,
Try Insat International on the web. Google them. This is a company in England that deals with all aspects of tv abroad, how to receive it, sky cards, etc.
Whilst i do not live permanently in Italy i am a registered citizen, and have a place in Cortona, southern Tuscany.
I have tried to get English tv to no avail, but i did find insat international and rang them. They told me i would need a THREE METRE dish in my area to receive all the English channels!
That may not be the case in the Piemonte region, i don't know. As you are in the north it might not be so bad.
Try their website. It's excellent. If you are able to you should ring them. They are helpful.
Best of luck. 
I'd be interested to know what they say.
Regards,
John.


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## JennyJ66

*Watch UK TV from Italy*

I have just heard of the latest thing in watching UK TV abroad if you are out of reach of a satellite signal.

It is called the Virtual Global Router Box and simply allows you to watch UK TV from any country abroad as if you are in the UK. There is no software installation or downloading from the internet. You simply order the box, plug it in and play.

With the Global Router Box you can watch UK TV both live and catch up from as many devices as you have in the house at the same time. So the children can be watching Nick Junior on the Playstation whilst mum catches up on Eastenders on the TV/PC and dad enjoys a game of online Poker on his laptop.

One box - Full VPN, UK TV and web content - play as many devices that you have (with a WIfi connection) at the same time and the best bit - just plug in and paly.

To have a look at the site simply type in the Google search box 'globaluktv'

Hope this may help


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## Joppa

JennyJ66 said:


> I have just heard of the latest thing in watching UK TV abroad if you are out of reach of a satellite signal.
> 
> It is called the Virtual Global Router Box and simply allows you to watch UK TV from any country abroad as if you are in the UK. There is no software installation or downloading from the internet. You simply order the box, plug it in and play.
> 
> With the Global Router Box you can watch UK TV both live and catch up from as many devices as you have in the house at the same time. So the children can be watching Nick Junior on the Playstation whilst mum catches up on Eastenders on the TV/PC and dad enjoys a game of online Poker on his laptop.
> 
> One box - Full VPN, UK TV and web content - play as many devices that you have (with a WIfi connection) at the same time and the best bit - just plug in and paly.
> 
> To have a look at the site simply type in the Google search box 'globaluktv'
> 
> Hope this may help


Expensive piece of equipment at 240 or 280 euro, plus yearly subscription after the first year.
I can achieve the same effect with VPN subscription of £60 a year and a wireless VPN router costing no more than £25.


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## annelong

I have lived abroad for many years and have tried a number of different solutions to get UK TV and one of those solutions is using a VPN service.

The only thing I would like to point out is that you pay your money and takes your choice. 

As I have found that the many free or cheaper VPN services either don't work or are not reliable!


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## unclejoe

I've been using Hide IP NG for several years now. Costs about 25 euro a year and it does the job for me. 

By the way, here's an article on the whole thing: English Language Television - The Italy Wiki


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## jacky mclean

Joppa said:


> Expensive piece of equipment at 240 or 280 euro, plus yearly subscription after the first year.
> I can achieve the same effect with VPN subscription of £60 a year and a wireless VPN router costing no more than £25.




can you tell me exactly where (what site) to find the wireless VPN router - which one do you recommend? And the VPN subscription? what is this?


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## jacky mclean

can you tell me exactly where (what site) to find the wireless VPN router - which one do you recommend? And the VPN subscription? what is this?


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## Kongo66

jacky mclean said:


> can you tell me exactly where (what site) to find the wireless VPN router - which one do you recommend? And the VPN subscription? what is this?


Depending on where you are in Italy you don't need anything apart from a Sat dish and decoder box to watch UK TV. A 110cm dish will work for freesat HD (or Sky if you already have a box and card) as far down as Pisa, further than that you would need to look at a Sat equipment supplier in the UK for details, I've found this company to be useful - brymar.co.uk 
(I don't work for or have any connection with them).
Don't buy a dish in Italy as they are ludicrously expensive, last time i looked Brymar were selling a 110 cm dish for £60 plus £30 delivery to Italy, whereas local suppliers were quoting anything up to €300. A freesat HD box can be had from as little as £60 in the UK and there are no subscriptions to pay.

Installation should cost a maximum of £100, more than that and you're paying the foreigners tax.


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## Dave.c

*Filmon*

I use expat network but thats to watch grand prix through skygo.
If you use Filmon . com you don't need a VPN so no subscription
ATB Dave


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## boz

By the end of 2013 the old Astra 2 satellite will have been replaced by two new ones,Astra 2E and Astra 2F.The signal quality is predicted to be poorer outside of the uk footprint but nobody knows as yet so will be interesting to see what happens.


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## stacey812000

ok so what do we do now, i have lost bbc on my sky, and heard all the other channels are coming to a end very soon, any advice? i dont really want filmon or apple tv, and nothing too expensive or renewing contracts! i have good speed wifi! please helpppppp


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## pudd 2

stacey812000 said:


> ok so what do we do now, i have lost bbc on my sky, and heard all the other channels are coming to a end very soon, any advice? i dont really want filmon or apple tv, and nothing too expensive or renewing contracts! i have good speed wifi! please helpppppp


you have lost me to why do you not want film on its all british television programs live , it does not cost any thing , there is no contract:noidea:


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## stacey812000

pudd 2 said:


> you have lost me to why do you not want film on its all british television programs live , it does not cost any thing , there is no contract:noidea:


ok just because i find the picture not very good! ok so how can i send that to my tv


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## pudd 2

stacey812000 said:


> ok just because i find the picture not very good! ok so how can i send that to my tv


we view tv on a full size tv and the pitcher is perfect you run a lead from your lap top to the tv , the name of the lead escapes me at the moment but ask at your computer shop


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## NickZ

The cable you need will depend on your TV and computer. Many newish computers have both a VGA and HDMI connection. I guess all new TVs have HDMI inputs. If you had both with HDMI then any normal HDMI cable would work. That cable is used by virtually everything today. DVD etc. So you may already have one of these in the house.

If your TV calls itself a monitor it may have a VGA type input . 

So you either need to look at your manuals or have somebody who knows to look at your TV and computer.


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## BBCWatcher

Another combination that works well in my experience is an Apple iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad (of reasonably recent vintage, but not necessarily the latest) combined with an Apple TV.

Connect the Apple TV box to your TV with an HDMI cable, and also connect the Apple TV box to your wireless or wired home Internet service. Install the BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, ITV, and other apps on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Make sure location services are disallowed for those apps (if prompted). Activate a VPN connection on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad while connected to the Internet at home. Then, using the "AirPlay" selection, "broadcast" your program to your Apple TV.

These instructions are more complicated than it actually is. (On edit: Apple lists their devices that support AirPlay here. Most Macs also support AirPlay. AirParrot adds AirPlay support to PCs and to some older Macs that don't support AirPlay from Apple.)

Alternatively, some people get "set top" PCs or Macs and hook them to their TVs. The Mac mini is a popular example. Then they use a wireless Bluetooth keyboard+mouse combination -- Lenovo makes a nice all-in-one keyboard with a pointing stick called the "ThinkPad Compact Bluetooth Keyboard With TrackPoint" -- to operate that PC or Mac from a coffee table in the TV room. (That Lenovo keyboard works with any PC or Mac equipped with Bluetooth.) Then anything that can play on that small PC or Mac plays on the TV.


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## stacey812000

Decision made after lots of research! Im going to get a android 4.2 pre loaded box! I hope its good!


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