# British TV in the Middle East



## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

I have a sneaky suspiscion that a company based in Spain are being a little economical with the truth. They are advertising the fact they provide a service where British TV can be viewed live through your PC.......I've NEVER heard of this in the UAE (cannot comment on the rest of the Middle East) - can any Brits on this forum confirm if they have heard of British TV Abroad (website of the same name)?

I'm assuming that some programmes would breach political, religious and moral sensitivities and therefore would be banned???? 

Many thanks.


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## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

Am I presuming I was correct in that this service does not exist??


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## stevieboy1980 (Sep 9, 2008)

i dont believe this exists.

I use a VPN gates and go through and watch british tv that way


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## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

Thanks, Stevieboy, I think this is how this company is providing their service too. They mentioned bypassing IP address so you can get a UK one and subscribe to UK TV that way.

I'm not disputing what they claim, I'm simply saying that I've never known of this in the UAE, despite their claims.

Thanks, again.


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## FlyingDodo (Aug 26, 2008)

Pasanada said:


> I have a sneaky suspiscion that a company based in Spain are being a little economical with the truth. They are advertising the fact they provide a service where British TV can be viewed live through your PC.......I've NEVER heard of this in the UAE (cannot comment on the rest of the Middle East) - can any Brits on this forum confirm if they have heard of British TV Abroad (website of the same name)?
> 
> I'm assuming that some programmes would breach political, religious and moral sensitivities and therefore would be banned????
> 
> Many thanks.


Hola

The service is technically possible. The way it works is that they give you access to a box in the UK that is receiving UK TV, and you access that signal via the Internet. I think that it works like Slingbox, but on a commercial scale.

Accessing this content in the UAE may well breach their morality laws etc, but I suspect that some expats may use vpn to avoid such issues.


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## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

Flyingdodo, many thanks for that; I didn't think it was impossible but wanted to know if anyone had heard/used this service as this company claim, I certainly never heard of them in the UAE but wanted to know if anyone else had heard of this service. There are so many cowboys in Spain that I will dispute and prove they're a rip off!! However, I like proof before I leap in!!

Muchisimo gracias!


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## FlyingDodo (Aug 26, 2008)

FlyingDodo said:


> Hola
> 
> The service is technically possible. The way it works is that they give you access to a box in the UK that is receiving UK TV, and you access that signal via the Internet. I think that it works like Slingbox, but on a commercial scale.
> 
> Accessing this content in the UAE may well breach their morality laws etc, but I suspect that some expats may use vpn to avoid such issues.


 
Sorry, should rephrase: using vpn doesn't avoid the legal issue, it just prevents blocking.


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## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

FlyingDodo said:


> Sorry, should rephrase: using vpn doesn't avoid the legal issue, it just prevents blocking.



Yes, as I thought and have stated this to the provider.....I'm waiting on their response and to which Middle Eastern countries they serve.

Thanks again.


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## FlyingDodo (Aug 26, 2008)

Pasanada said:


> Flyingdodo, many thanks for that; I didn't think it was impossible but wanted to know if anyone had heard/used this service as this company claim, I certainly never heard of them in the UAE but wanted to know if anyone else had heard of this service. There are so many cowboys in Spain that I will dispute and prove they're a rip off!! However, I like proof before I leap in!!
> 
> Muchisimo gracias!


You're right to be cautious; I just checked out their website and to be honest I am not 100% at ease. They mention awards at the bottom, but I can't correlate it against the Softpedia site, and others on some forums also had that problem.

Maybe the best solution for you in Spain would be the vpn and use the ITV, BBC, C4 and C5 on demand services.


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## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

FlyingDodo said:


> You're right to be cautious; I just checked out their website and to be honest I am not 100% at ease. They mention awards at the bottom, but I can't correlate it against the Softpedia site, and others on some forums also had that problem.
> 
> Maybe the best solution for you in Spain would be the vpn and use the ITV, BBC, C4 and C5 on demand services.


I tend to watch Spanish TV when at home in Spain so this isn't applicable to me. There are massive debates going on in Spain regarding British TV, one well known company was recently raided by the Guardia Civil and have been forced off air whilst investigations are ongoing. This has lead to smaller companies taking advantage of British expats who miss their TV.....and are being talked into parting with their hard earned money only to find the "service" isn't what it's claimed to be.

I am making enquiries on here as this company claim to provide British expats in the Middle East, I have lived in the ME (and will be returning soon), have friends in various ME countries and at no time has this company been mentioned.....like you, I find the whole think smells a little dodgy, time will tell.


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## FlyingDodo (Aug 26, 2008)

Pasanada said:


> I tend to watch Spanish TV when at home in Spain so this isn't applicable to me. There are massive debates going on in Spain regarding British TV, one well known company was recently raided by the Guardia Civil and have been forced off air whilst investigations are ongoing. This has lead to smaller companies taking advantage of British expats who miss their TV.....and are being talked into parting with their hard earned money only to find the "service" isn't what it's claimed to be.
> 
> I am making enquiries on here as this company claim to provide British expats in the Middle East, I have lived in the ME (and will be returning soon), have friends in various ME countries and at no time has this company been mentioned.....like you, I find the whole think smells a little dodgy, time will tell.


 
I see, I am going to ask around the office to see if anyone has used this lot. Their tech page shows some legal twisting and turning to ensure compliance with UK law on this: Tech page - British TV Abroad Expats overseas want Satellite Freeview BBC ITV & Sky UK TV | British Overseas Freeview Satellite TV BBC ITV Sky channels living in America Spain Asia British Expats Catchup TV

I'll let you know if I find someone who pays for this service!


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## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

Many, many thanks for your help!!! IF this company is not all it seems, you will be making many pensioners in Spain VERY happy!!


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## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

Hi Flyingdodo,

Have you had any feedback on this service?

I received a reply from the company who allege to provide this service, please see the comments below:

*Curious of your motives.
do you wish to report British TV watching customers to the religious police.
Or are you looking to recommend my services.
unsure if the spoon in your hand is silver or wooden.*

For a "legitimate" company, they certainly do not like to be questioned, I found the above totally unprofessional if they have nothing to be worried about.


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## TakeItEasy (Nov 24, 2008)

*British TV*

As an ex-pat living in Spain, I've been through all the trials and tribulations of viewing British TV online. Any company which offers BBC etc to be streamed direct to your PC is illegal. It is copyright material which can only be viewed in the UK.
The only answer to this problem which is perfectly legal is to purchase a UK IP address or a VPN (Virtual Private Network) as it's known. This is what I did.
When connected to your UK IP it makes you appear to be in the UK, then you can watch BBC, ITV direct from their websites.
This is perfectly legal.


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## 54248 (Jul 21, 2007)

There is meant to be software available online to let you watch satellite TV on your PC, I can't remember the name.

There is also current.tv and searching via google I got the following;
FreeTVonline.com - Watch free tv links and view TV shows, Movies, and videos online for free.
13 Places To Watch TV Online for Free

There is a big brand name web2.0 version -- but I can't remember what its called though


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## TakeItEasy (Nov 24, 2008)

Be careful with that link, if you click on it and then click on `live TV´, it tries to download Zango, which is some kind of search engine and supposedly riddled with virus's and trojans


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## TakeItEasy (Nov 24, 2008)

worchyld said:


> There is meant to be software available online to let you watch satellite TV on your PC, I can't remember the name.
> 
> There is also current.tv and searching via google I got the following;
> FreeTVonline.com - Watch free tv links and view TV shows, Movies, and videos online for free.
> ...


Website's like that are just showing recorded freeview programs. Think about it, BBC, ITV etc is copyright material only to be viewed in the UK. Any website claiming to be able to stream `live´British TV to countries outside of the UK is illegal and will eventually get shut down. Many have tried and all have been shut down.
However there are a couple of free media streaming software applications, Zattoo and tvcatchup (google them) that do stream live British TV but again they use Geo-IP technology to auto detect which country you are in (they have to by law). If they detect you are not in the UK, you will be blocked.
The only solution is to purchase a UK VPN, once connected this makes you appear to be in the UK and is perfectly legal. Hook up your PC to the telly with a S-Video out cable and you can then be watching live British TV.
I purchased mine from here:

PC-Streaming.com - Your Streaming Headquarters From 9 Countries.

I'm currently sat in Spain and watching Jeremy Kyle on ITV. Wonderfull


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## 54248 (Jul 21, 2007)

I didn't know that about Zango... I apologise for this.


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## TakeItEasy (Nov 24, 2008)

worchyld said:


> I didn't know that about Zango... I apologise for this.


No worries worchyld, you wern't to know. I only know about it because another forum I'm a member of has warned all members to stay clear of Zango because of Virus's.


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## hari (Jul 12, 2008)

You can watch british tv in Justin.tv - Live Streaming Video there are always someone who streams live tv channels. One channel which streams britsh tv occassionally is Justin.tv - CRICKET FAN'S CHANNEL - Live Streaming Video
Justin.tv - hari_chingapuram's channel - Live Streaming Video

Dont know who is streaming these.. lol 

Can anyone tell me which is the most popular tv show or channel from uk, among expats?

Cheers!


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## stevieboy1980 (Sep 9, 2008)

anything further on this?


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## Emirateslad (Jun 5, 2009)

*Brit TV*



Pasanada said:


> Yes, as I thought and have stated this to the provider.....I'm waiting on their response and to which Middle Eastern countries they serve.
> 
> Thanks again.


Gents,

As an ex IT Techie, I can confirm, that this company can give you, what they claim, but it done through circumventor sites. This avoids the banning etc of morality codes etc. These sites are free, but tend to get closed by the IT Techies at Etisilat etc, on a daily basis. So to put it politely, it's really not worth the hassle, of having to search for a specific circumventor site, everyday.

Hope this helps explain things.


Ticketyboo


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## tomkin (Sep 4, 2009)

FlyingDodo said:


> You're right to be cautious; I just checked out their website and to be honest I am not 100% at ease. They mention awards at the bottom, but I can't correlate it against the Softpedia site, and others on some forums also had that problem.
> 
> Maybe the best solution for you in Spain would be the vpn and use the ITV, BBC, C4 and C5 on demand services.


There is nothing illegal about using a VPN to access UK catchup TV from anywhere in the world. The BBC themselves say there is no licence required on their IPlayer website. If you want a good reliable one i use a vpn service called speedytv.co.uk


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## robwyatt (Oct 6, 2009)

tomkin said:


> There is nothing illegal about using a VPN to access UK catchup TV from anywhere in the world. The BBC themselves say there is no licence required on their IPlayer website. If you want a good reliable one i use a vpn service called speedytv.co.uk


I use a VPN all the time. My son loves Dr Who and it's great to keep him up to date with his culture. I use uktvaccess dot com and their speed is excellent and service has not been a trouble. 

As Tomkin says, it's all legal, though if you are using a VPN you will still have traces of Internet activity on your local computer, so if the authrities come knocking and take your PC away they will know where you have been. Great for TV and getting past the censors, though.

Rob


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## robwyatt (Oct 6, 2009)

FlyingDodo said:


> Maybe the best solution for you in Spain would be the vpn and use the ITV, BBC, C4 and C5 on demand services.


I use VPN and it works for me, but I can live without Sky. BBC and ITV have enough good stuff. Also, as I travel a lot, I can use the same connection anywhere I'm online. There's always gonna be a risk if your computer gets impounded as you will still have your web history (though there's tools to keep the registry clean), but as long as the morality police don't actually come and take your PC away, whatever you do online isn't traceable. For some reason, though, VPNs won't unblock sites locally banded (so if youtube is blocked, a VPN wont fix it). All they do is give you a british ip address and so ITV and BBC will allow you to access their content. i use uktvaccess . com for british tv - don't have any suggestions for USA (hula and stuff) cause ... well, it's not my interest.

cheers

rob


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## clarence456 (Oct 9, 2009)

I don't agree with the exist one plan so I'm not disputing what they claim, I'm simply saying that I've never known of this in the UAE, despite their claims. I just agree with stevieboy1980.
Thanks.........................


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