Sat TV & Cable

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Once again, Essential Edge contributor John Sidwell highlights some new satellite products and broadcast pointers, such as how to receive onstream sports events such as the just finished Olympics for free. There are also some new features dealing with security cameras for your home.

Mouriol Milhaguet, France -- The first product is a new Freesat Plus satellite receiver called the Sagem DTR94 and it comes complete with a built in hard disc drive of 500Gb which will allow you to record up to 250 hours of programmes. It has two tuners so that you can watch one channel while you record another and it will also record two programmes at the same time. This new box is being launched at 299 euros and it has a twelve months manufacturer's guarantee.

Milhaguet, France -- The American news and business channel CNBC started permanently transmitting free to air a couple of days ago. Previous to this, it was necessary to have a Sky subscription in order to watch it but non Sky subscribers can receive it on channel 505. It can be received on free to air satellite receivers but you will have to add in the Transponder information and do a manual search. The information you need is: Frequency = 11261 Polarity = Horizontal Symbol Rate = 27500 CNBC will probably appear on the Freesat EPG at a future date but, for the moment, you can add it to your list of channels in 'non-freesat' mode. You will need to know the figures above and your instruction manual will tell you how to do it. Our website also tells you how to add channels in non-freesat mode and that's in the freesat factsheets.

John Sidwell runs his own company, Bigdishsat.com in southwestern France and contributes this column to The Essential Edge.

[Editors Note: Want to know about free satellite hook ups in France? John Sidwell of Big Dish Satellite is your man.  Here  is an abridged installment of his latest Big Dish newsletter]
News from NordNet: NordNet, a subsidiary of France Telecom, has recently introduced Telephone via Satellite as an optional extra to their very competitive packages.  Nowadays, the kit is issued free as long as you undertake to have the service for 24 months and all for 34,90 euros per month. Internet via satellite is perfect if you can’t get broadband via France Telecom’s copper wires or Wimax.  
Even though we have France Telecom broadband here at Big Dish Towers , we also have the NordNet system so that we can demonstrate the system and, more importantly, back up the France Telecom system when it fails, which it does whenever there is a light shower over Limoges. Now, we have added the Telephone by Satellite option so our business can continue whenever Nature intervenes. So, as well as being able to demonstrate the NordNet system to visitors, we can also call you from a satellite phone so you can hear the quality for yourself.

MOURIOL, France -- As usual, Essential Edge contributor and SatTV specialist John Sidwell of Bigdishsat explores new possibilities and equipment but also problems for those wishing to receive satellite television, particularly free-to-view BBCi Sports Multiscreen. Sidwell also reminds us that free-to-view English language satellite programming, such as all the BBC and ITV channels, including Film 4 and FIVE, can be viewed both in France and Switzerland and do not require Sky Boxes.