UK TV in France

Technology
41

Well I'll weigh in again as I think I was the first to complain about people going off topic on this thread.

Yes I agree it's a fair and democratic society, a friendly forum where all can chat, and it seems the odd post here and there doesn't generally digress too far from the subject. I think this site works best as a discussion forum, but some may feel that it's better as a chat room. Separate discussion, don't reply!

Anyway just please consider this before you post:

a) the original poster would be keen to see what information other members can offer on their chosen topic, and if they're like me, they'll check back on every new post to see what's been said. This becomes very annoying when it has nothing whatsoever to do with the title of the original post

b) there are people ( like me) watching this forum who have busy day jobs but may be genuinely interested in the original topic and can only check back once or twice a day. I hate having to wade through pages of comments to find 3-4 pages which are actually on topic.

c) I've been an Internet forum user for probably about 15 years now, and work in Internet related industries. Yes there are no rules, but there is certainly an accepted etiquette. Try to be friendly and polite, try to stay on topic, and don't feed the trolls.

So, if you want to debate the above, I'm more than happy to do so, but please start another thread and I'll join in.

So, about this satellite TV. Hopefully future readers of this post will see this summary when they get towards the end of this thread to pull it back on track!

Gillian asked a very good question facing many ex-pats, of which there seem to be many ways to solve. Some highlights:

Many pointed out that you can use your UK Sky digibox (unofficially) and still receive UK TV with a properly aligned dish.

Terry recommended http://www.englishtvandradio.com/ to supply and install the system in France

Mark recommended Gordon at http://crosschanneltv.com/ for installations and a good website

David pointed out that you can get free-to-air channels via satellite just fine with an old digibox, and he has a free one if you're quick!

Several people are using the Humax Freesat boxes which are generally well rated

Finn mentioned http://www.lyngsat.com for looking up channel frequencies

I raised the issue of Astra 1N and how the new spot beam coverage will affect how we all receive TV in different areas of France, if at all

There's lots I missed off here, so please keep this discussion going. I'm interested to hear if anyone has experience of receiving Astra 1N channels (see Lyngsat for which ones) can be received in different areas, and also how people have got on with Humax and Samsung Freesat boxes in France.

42

Ah yes! The joys , jolly japes and enduring qualities of rugby! Be it in English , French , Afrikaans or Pidgin? Whatever,wherever, it brings people together, with wonderful cameraderie, built on strength and beauty , guile and brute force...Players with pace, mercurial skills , backs with flair and artistic gifts to spare, forwards hewn from Scots granite, English oak, French elan , Welsh "leaks" and a wee touch of Irish spirit too...Chuckle!

How could it ever ( possibly ) cause trouble on a forum or in a chat room? Hmmmmm! Have I drifted off thread into the dead ball area again? I need to "try" harder and "convert" my sporting words into a discussion about TV & radio reception , before I'm sent to the bench ,sold a dummy , kicked into touch or given a hundred lines-out! <{:#))

Swing low mes amis!

43

I don't need to read the comments in the discussion to know how easy it is to go off topic. I have been know to post a similar note in another topic when it felt like I was having to wade through irrelevant discussions. However, Shirley, I am finding it easier the more I use SFN to spot the wanderings and just skim past. I agree with Andrew below that this is what discussion is about and hoe the dinner party atmosphere encouraged by James and Katherine would go.

Sheila, please don't ever be put off posting. I think it is unfair to accuse you of pushing for an award you have always been a prolific contributor even before the award was started. I would vote for you though :)

44

with you both sheila and andrew, and whilst even these 'grumbles' about who says and does what are also part and parcel of these posts, please note just how often I (for instance) also overtly try to push things back on track when they go beyond the reasonable. we're all just friendly without malign intent and as for the notion that one or the other is in competition for the most posts... think that belongs in another group pal, the one dedicated to jokes!

45

Just to back up Sheila's reply, which I support wholeheartedly, some of the most interesting and valuable information is often given when discussion's go off topic - that's the beauty of sfn - it's a friendly group of people who like to discuss and help each other. anything else and I wouldn't be here so let's not start getting bogged down in staying on topic politics or over zelous policing of chit chat - there is always the "stop following" button

and on the rugby, when I get the time and permission, france 2 and 3 are excellent and unlike others (and i'm not an expert and haven't played for over 20 years) I think the commentary is good. I often start sundays with the rugby round up on france 2 at 8h00, it's worth a watch ;-)

46

I feel I must respond to this post:

"oh dear, I'm going to be really politically incorrect - as I said before this thread is about poor old Gillian, who wants to know best way to access UK TV. Now it seems to me that a) Keith, Brian & Sheila - by fair means or foul - are all in competition to win the monthly award for the most posts posted - seemingly it is irrelevant whether or not you stick to the topic in question. Can you please put your rugby posts under another blog heading!

My email inbox now consists of 90% of replies from Sheila Walsh-Blackmore and I'm sorry Sheila but its becoming really boring now, because whatever the topic - you always seem to have more to say than anyone else. I'm sure you are a lovely person, but......"

I will respond to Shirley's "comment" as follows: Firstly, this is a DISCUSSION, not a thread. It is open to all members. I responded initially to Gillian's query, and subsequently added my own query which was completely on topic (a question re rugby channels) and replied to another member's helpful suggestion. Hands up - the subsequent four posts by me were in response to rugby posts and yes they were off topic, but that sometimes happens, and we usually veer back onto the original question. So I fail to see how my 7 posts over 4 days could possibly be filling Shirley's inbox.

Finally, I have been invited by the moderator of another group to add comments, but as SHirley has now joined that group, and already commented on some posts being off-topic, I feel constrained from so doing, notwithstanding the fact that my proposed comments would have been on topic.

I am a member of SFN because of its warmth and friendliness and the willingness of members to help one another. I have not and will not make contributions on the basis that I might make Member of the Month.

47

I believe that TV has much to offer rugby fans, in-depth expert analysis , scrummage close-ups and super technology for the borderline decisions...Pure heaven for the anoraks ( like me) BUT BUT BUT. It will never replace the thrill of "being there" ( Max Boyce ) and hearing La Marseillaise roared out!

I have one or two minor criticisms of the Beeb's rugby presentations, but by and large Auntie does an excellent job. However, one particular bugbear of mine is the persistent intrusion of the blonde bimbos doing a man's job, in a man's sport, whether they are hosting studio chat or on the touchline.Ugh! It must really p*ss the lads off when the eye-candy "know-nothings" stick their microphones in, asking daft questions and pushing points of view prompted by unseen producers! Thankfully the MOTD Football show ( with Gary , Lorro and the two Alan's ) has so far managed to avoid the brigade of women! I see that Clare Balding is now one of the anchors for Rugby League on the Beeb as well...Blurry 'ell!Bring back Eddie Waring!

48

interesting. after I finished duties as a hooker I went for ref/touch judging and did that at least a dozen years. apart from big internationals I do not watch on tv, preferring to be on the line after nearly 40 years on the field... I do not support a particular club team either, so scotland and cambridge matches are about all I normally watch WHEN shown. however, no two refs ever agree either which is why there is now a 'committee' of the almighty glued to a camera for big ones - and they get it wrong too so often, soooooooooo....

49

Ah yes the Mothers of Convention are alive and kicking...The thread controllers are out there watching....waiting .....ready to pounce from their tidy webs....But but but....rugby is at the heart of French culture and is a major ingredient in French TV especially in the South where I live...More please more please, by dish , by cable , by whatever means of TV reception....More from Perpignan, Toulouse, Narbonne, Beziers, Castres , Montauban , Agen , Albi, Bayonne , Biarritz, Montpellier, Toulon, Clermont ....Bring it on!

50

Haha, fair enough Keith. Suppose I was displaying a slightly blinkered attitude there! And who am I to argue with a referee - we all know it doesn't get you anywhere! And of course, I've only played tip rugby, when I was a young one (long time ago now). It's a pity there aren't more SFN members interested - we could have a good oul shindig. We are not all that far from you, I think - we are near Lezignan-Corbieres. We have a niece who has a house in Viviers Les Montanges (if that's how it's spelt) and not sure where it is in relation to Castres.

51

@SWB...I WAS a referee in Scotland, I'd have yellowed him without any warning! He ran into an attacking French player from an offside position with a whole field to move in..Was he blind? Classic intentional lazy running to obstruct a French attack...No quibble YELLOW! If you ever played the game at a senior level, you'd know that these boys UNDERSTAND exactly what they're doing! And so do the refs! And when I played I knew it too! Best accept it , even tho' he was an Irishman! >{:o))

Many happy memories of playing for Liverpool against Malone...Great weekends!

52

Love the comments. Not enough rugby fans on here. I set up a Six Nations discussion in the Emerald Isle group but don't get many contributions. Should have included a smiley with the pipe remark!

A yellow card is normally given for two reasons - one is dangerous play and the other is for an offense in the so called "red" zone. In the case of Healy, he had been injured, and was receiving treatment way back down the pitch. Play had moved on and the French were now in our 22. He was trotting back from the other end of the pitch, to rejoin the team, so to be fair it wasn't quite lazy running either. However, I think it looked a lot worse than it was and I think he could have made a stronger effort not to obstruct, but the French were not in the "red" zone just then - i.e., they could not have been considered to be about to score a try. Hope that all makes sense! I've spent half the day battling Wordpress, and the old brain cells are threatening to strike!

53

OK. See that there are some rugby fans out there...Suppose you know there's a " MOTD type " programme on ITV 4 on a Sat / Sunday evening. Good coverage , all the usual suspects ,presented by Martin Bayfield et al...Excellent viewing with a large malt to hand ... Swing low!

My local team is Castres, great rugby , great crowd ,great wee stadium , great beer and great sausage baguettes. A sporting bargain for the whole family!

54

@SWB...I know there were plenty of fouls, many obvious , but not too many yellow card events, these two blatant Irish fouls were in full view, and stopped French attacks , so the whole crowd spotted them! Healey's lazy running was the worst I've seen for a long time, reminded me of the All Blacks of 10 or so years back...They were masters at it! The ref just bottled it! As for the final penno in the Wales v ireland match...It simply was NOT a foul, the ref got it wrong! And the rest as they say is history...Wales got a last minute undeserved win! They've ridden their luck and could get a Grand Slam....but I think they can still be upset by France, as long as the temperamental bu**ers get off the bus and play!

Good to see Tommy Bowe back to form and Rob Kearny had a stormer! Don't quite "get" your comment "put in pipe and smoke"...Don't you care for my comments?! Chuckle...

55

yes, compared notes with an old team mate on the phone after. both of those penalties for sure, more hands in not penalised than we should mention, we were calculating up to 16 ignored infringements. bottom line, france bottled it as the stronger team physically and ireland allowed some sloppy play when the ball went into the french double line who could have got lucky and run in several more tries - they simply appear to have lacked the brainpower to dummy, pass and run left or right of where the ball would be expected to be! or have the big boys forgotten what we considered an elementary tactic in schoolboy rugby in say 1966?

56

Thanks for that, Terry. Appreciate the time you took on this. Your rugby-mad physio will surely understand our position! :-)

57

According to a programme schedule I just found Sport+ carries H-cup matches not involving French sides. The coverage seems to be spread across several channels. Assume Sport+ is also part of Canal+ so with that and Rugby+ you should get a lot of what you want. I will try to ask my rugby-mad physio what he watches as I know he has a specialist rugby channel from somewhere.

58

Chuckle...(tic ) Don't know, don't watch French TV! Serge doesn't have much to say for himself anyway! He's certainly not in the same lingusitic league as the loquacious Keith Wood. Whatever , I'm more interested in the skewed refereeing of my fellow Englishman. 2 perfect examples of yellow card penalties , both " ignored" and both had significant bearings on the final result.

59

Hi Keith. He could have yellow carded several players on BOTH teams! The number of incidents where the referee influenced the game was quite significant - for example, awarding a penalty against Ireland for not releasing the player in the tackle, meanwhile Harinordoquy holding onto the ball, which was an obvious penalty to Ireland which went to France. Homer Simpson is not the only "homer" on the planet. Witness also his performance as touch judge in Wales v Ireland, where he bottled it in not recommending a red card for the spear tackle. Put in pipe, and smoke!

60

How many Irishmen did France 2 have on its commentary team? At least the BBC had Serge Betsen!