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Sky TV Cyprus - why so many Big (3m +) Satellite Dishes ?
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Visitors to Cyprus can't help but notice the size of some of the satellite dishes that people have installed in their gardens - but why would you want to go to the expense and inconvenience of installing one of these massive 3m+ monstrosities on your property ?
Well, having a satellite dish of a size and type that wouldn't look out of place at Jodrell Bank, was the only way to watch Sky TV in Cyprus - but why was such a big satellite dish required ?
The satellites that broadcast the Sky TV channels to the UK are pointing towards the UK (obviously) to make the signal strength as strong as it can be in all parts of the UK. Cyprus is situated well outside the satellite's signal footprint and therefore, only receives fringe (weak) reception - therefore, a very big satellite dish is required in order to collect enough of the signal to produce a TV picture.
In the last 2 years, the company that owns the Astra satellite fleet has been sending new satellites into space to replace some of the ageing satellites that were providing services to Sky TV. The new satellites have signal beams that are more tightly focused on the UK and therefore, the strength of the fringe reception received in Cyprus has weakened. Weakened to the point that receiving enough signal to produce a TV picture, even with a massive 4.2 metre satellite dish, is impossible on the majority of the TV channels that were available to Sky TV users in Cyprus.
At first, Sky TV users in Cyprus lost the TV channels that they cherished the most - the UK free to air TV channels (BBC, ITV etc.). The first round of satellite changes were a temporary solution to solve an immediate problem that Astra were facing and so, although the people who had invested their hard earned cash in these expensive Sky TV systems were sorry to lose the channels that were most important to them, they were optimistic that the channels may return when Astra implemented the permanent solution at a later date. In short, they were 'hoping' that they may get the channels back when they were transferred onto their permanent satellite. Unfortunately, in the fullness of time, it wasn't to be and eventually, even more channels disappeared until the big dish solution was no longer viable and British Expatriates living in Cyprus started to look for alternative ways of getting their UK TV fix !
BBC iPlayer and ITV Player were already being widely used by the British Expatriate community in Cyprus and initially, the people who had lost their UK free to air TV channels from their Sky TV systems turned to these for a solution. Unfortunately, there were two main problems with this - picture quality and the speed and reliability of the internet in Cyprus. It just wasn't the same experience that the Sky TV users in Cyprus had become used to. It wasn't long before other solutions began to appear, one of which is the solution that is offered at the top of this page and which was introduced to the market 2 years ago.
A dedicated UK TV box that delivers the majority of the UK free to air TV channels without using a computer or a satellite dish and even better, without paying a monthly or annual fee for the privilege. More information is available at UK TV Box
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April 18, 2014 - 09:16 pm
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This page was updated on the 18th April 2014 and during this process, user comments dating back 18 months were moved to another page: Sky TV in Cyprus.
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November 14, 2013 - 06:06 am
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The new Astra 2E satellite is currently being tested and news of the final move to its permanent position will be posted here soon.
It's expected that the new satellite will become active and put into service before Christmas. Then, I hope that we'll get some information from Sky TV users - reception reports on Sky TV in Cyprus
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December 15, 2013 - 12:44 pm
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No channel shuffling until February 2014 is the official line -so- Sky users in Cyprus can relax for a while and enjoy watching Christmas TV on the channels that are still receivable.
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December 22, 2013 - 02:52 pm
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Good Day .. I'm interested in this Device. Can you receive with this Device also German Channels ?
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January 26, 2014 - 01:14 pm
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I have a Sky HD box connected to a 4.2m dish with the full sky package. Able to receive about half the available content at present including Movies & Sports. Some HD channels across the board are available though many of the SD channels are there if the HD ones are not. Have the box connected to a VPN now so receiving the Sky On-Demand / Catch Up services too so am able to view more content (even though its not live streaming). Awaiting the next instalment of channel shuffling......
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February 04, 2014 - 11:26 am
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Had several reports from various areas that the Sky TV channels have disappeared this morning. Please post your comments if you can confirm or deny this.
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February 04, 2014 - 05:44 pm
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I can confirm that as from last night, all sky digital have been lost. I have a 4.2m dish located in Limassol. So guys this is the end of an era. I am turning my dish on 19.2 East there is plenty of stuff there.
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February 05, 2014 - 05:12 pm
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I too can confirm that the Sky channels appear to have now gone. This is because the default transponder that the Sky box uses has also moved rendering the box blind. However, if you change the default transponder on the box to: FREQ: 12.285, POL: V, Symbol Rate: 27.5, FEC 2/3, there are 50 or so channels including sports there. No movies and no HD anymore.
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February 05, 2014 - 05:28 pm
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Correction.......just found half a dozen movie channels and in HD too.
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February 06, 2014 - 07:32 am
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Justin - do you mean 12.285 or 12.284 ? From your January message I guess you still have the 4.2m dish. I am in Northern Cyprus with a 1.5m dish and have lost all HD channels. 12.284 and 12.285 both boot up my box and I can receive some SKY SD broadcasts that I don't think I received before: Sports 1,2,3, F1, Sky News on 516, Skys 1, Atlantic and Living and some of the minor channels. But no Sky Sports News at all. How do you manage to receive movies in HD ? Are they SKY channels and how is the reception ?
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February 07, 2014 - 09:45 am
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Hi Paul. I am using FREQ: 12.285 on a 4.2m dish. 7 movie channels in HD are receivable. Also a few extra music channels have returned together with many of the discovery ones (channel 520 onwards). Sky Sports News on 436 is there too.
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February 07, 2014 - 09:23 pm
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Hi, Paul I am using FREQ: 12110 H 27.5 2/3. Receiving no HD channels. Getting SKY News, Sport News, Atlantic, Sky 1 etc. in their SD locations. Regards...
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April 05, 2014 - 01:16 pm
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Hi Paul,
Notice BEin are selling new cards for the World Cup and next season EPL.
Can you place me on your order list please ?
Regards David
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So, is there way to have the sky box with all the channels, including 3D and features such as live pause and forward ?
At the moment I use a VPN and Sky Go which is not good having to rely on the internet as it always cuts out.
So many Brits, I wonder why Sky won't pay extra for licensing in Cyprus ?
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September 05, 2014 - 06:40 pm
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Maybe there is a solution to receive the channels from Astra 2 again to use a MOD LNB, an offset LNB with 72 Db gain (ap 82 xt 2n) from mti rebuild to connect on the feed from a primefocus dish.
Then the sensitivity is better and use a adf 120 feedhorn and turn it 12 mm from the end and use a good receiver as Technomate 5502 HD or a Dreambox 2070 hd with a replaced alps tuner, they are very good tuners.
You can see what I mean here.
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September 10, 2014 - 03:20 pm
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Hi Paul. Trust you are well.
Paul the internet TV box I bought from you early this year has been great. Are the films/TV shows updated or is it a static list ?
Regards David.
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November 22, 2014 - 12:48 pm
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We have been getting Sky Sports, Sky News and many other Sky channels via our 2.8m dish until about ten days ago, when we suddenly got "no signal". Have Sky made further transponder/satellite changes in the last 2 weeks? We live in the Paphos area.
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