Is FTA for me?

[stevek]

I guess I'm looking for some advise, and figured here was the best place to start. I currently subscribe to DTV; so I am not opposed to paying for sat service. However, recently DTV dropped all their international news programming, and I can't stand the choices of cnn, fox & msnbc. I have checked Dish, and their programming is no better. So, I am looking for other options. . .

I live in the Chicago area, and have a pretty clear southern and northern views. Linguisticaly, I am limited to english and some french. I am completely unafraid of the technology, the install, etc. . . but would probably be limited to a smaller dish, due to install limitations.

I have reviewed some of the channel lists, and with some reservations they seem better for my purpose; though, I would really like to get BBC feeds, but this seems unlikely without the ability to get a Canadian sat provider. . .

So, I am not sure if FTA is the solution for me, or if there are other options I am unaware of.

TIA - Steve

[mhoward]

Welcome to FTA!

With a small dish (80cm) you could get Euronews from Globecast, that is a paid subscription, but its only $10 a month, I think.

If you could do a larger C-Band dish (180cm) Big Dish, or maybee a 1.2m Offset dish with a C-Band LNB, you could get some great news channels from Pas 9. DW-TV (Germany's PBS/CNN, it has programing in English (50% English/50% German), on PAS 9 you could also get NHK (Japan's English News Channel), CCTV (China's English NEws Channel), Real Madrid TV (if you like soccer).

For BBC, you would have to have a Big Dish and a clear view of the Far western sky to pick up Galaxy 13.

But, if you live on the West Coast, you are in some luck, With a big dish, you could get Pas 8, on that sat are several News Stations, one from Japan, One from Australia, one from China AND BBC.

**

If none of that is an option--take a look at IA5, with a small dish you can get Euronews (fee), and many of the Middle Eastern channels do one or two English language news broadcasts every day--particularly IRIB-2, Oman TV and Emirates. IRIB-2 (From Iran) has English subtitles for many of the movies and tv shows that they do. Take a look at the Globecast receiver--you can subscribe to Euronews and get all of the FTA channels also. Or, you can use it to pick up just the FTA channels and take a wait and see attitude with the subscription content.

**I have wanted BBC for a long time also, I wish I could pay a subscription for all of the BBC stations BBC1, 2 3 & 4....and see all of the British content. I might just have to break down and pay Comcast for the digital cable so I can watch BBC America (I can only pick up eastern satellites because my condo faces east)

[rainman]

Russia Today is also on IA5 broascasting in english. I would recommend a 90 cm dish to receive check www.lyngsat.com to see what channels are avaiable in north america.

[Carpenter1]

I too live in chy-town and have been doing this for 3 years and some change now, and I would advise you to get a motor with any FTA system you decide on for the full effect.