Multi Satellite TV Using a DiSEqC Switch for Combined TNTSat & UK Free to Air TV
Multi satellite TV using a DiSEqC switch (a switching box which automatically chooses the correct satellite) and an appropriate dish & LNBs. Some TNTSat receivers can be configured to receive the Free to Air UK TV channels such as the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five, etc. as well as the French channels.
A single satellite dish can hold 2 or more LNBs. The dish is primarily focused on Astra 2 with main LNB set up to receive Free to Air UK TV. A second LNB that is slightly off-set receives the French channels from TNTSat on Astra 1. Using a DiSEqC switch, you only need 1 cable run from the dish to your satellite receiver. If you choose to watch ITV3 for example, the satellite receiver selects the correct LNB on the dish to receive UK TV. If you then select one of the French channels, it switches to the other LNB and receives French transmissions instead.
The advantages of using a multi satellite TV setup are that you need only one receiver with one remote control & only one cable from one dish. This not only reduces the cost but has the advantage of simpler control of your entertainment experience & less remotes to misplace!
The one minor drawback with this service is that, at present these satellite receivers do not have the facility of an electronic program guide as can be found on SKY or Freesat receivers. Most have ‘Now & Next’ facility. Neither do they display the UK channels in a logical order. You can however, modify the order of the channel list to suit your own needs.
Multi Satellite TV – Single Dish
Sky – If you are paying for Sky subscription services then you need to keep your existing box as the card is registered to it. Unfortunately your Sky box does not allow you to switch satellite feeds so you will need another box compatible with French TV channels and with the single dish arrangement this would be for TNTSat on Astra 19E.
Multi Satellite TV – Multiple Dishes
Using this set up is fairly similar to the above but caters for those with an existing Sky mini-dish and / or choosing to point at Eutelsat 5W sometimes called Atlantic Bird and use a FranSat receiver. As with the above if you are not using Sky subscription services you can use your FranSat box for your English FreeSat channels as well.
Multi Satellite TV – Feed Switching
If you are using your Sky box plus an additional receiver for the French channels you can skip this.
To use two satellite feeds with one receiver changeover is achieved using a DisEqC switch controlled by the receiver.
If you are having a large multiroom system using a multiswitch then the DisEqC switches are incorporated into the unit. However if your system is a small one, say one or two receivers then individual DisEqC switches will be needed for each receiver (two in the case of a box which has second channel recording function).
