TV in Europe with the demise of Astra
Has any one any experience of either TV by VPN or using a Slingbox?
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We travel abroad a lot (totalling months!) staying in hotels or apartments, and our main TV entertainment is Netflix and using a slingbox to view scheduled recordings on our Sky+ (in the UK) - so yes lots of experience. Slingbox: Quality is extremely variable,
never great, often only just good enough, sometimes unwatchable. The (receiving) bandwidth available in a hotel can be the limitation (I suspect many campsites are too) but often the factor that most limits the viewing quality is the upload quality where my
slingbox is located (typically the upload speed an ISP provides is tiny compared to the download speed - I have fibre broadband with test figures showing downloads typically of around 30Mb BUT upload is more like 1Mb) - we quite often find that Slingbox is
unwatchable but Netflix is not just watchable but good (in otherwords - it isn't the download bandwidth that is the problem it is either upload or bottleneck in the international networks (that support fast browser data bursts but streaming less so). Network
contention varies by time of day too - Slingbox viewing quality is worst evenings and weekends. So overall recommendation - is cautious. I have a slingbox and yes I would buy another. But anyone else looking to buy I would strongly recommend you confirm your
network speeds first and if possible test one before you buy or buy somewhere that offers a 14 day satifaction gaurantee and you should test it to ensure viewing quality is watchable. Good luck0 -
We just use Filmon when away and not able to receive satellite tv.This works for us whether its on campsite or hotels, if the wifi isn't good enough to watch live I just record it to the cloud then download it to my tablet when its quiet overnight.
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I have just tried this and recorded 1 program then got a "no more space for DVR" am I right in thinking one needs to buy space for further recording?
Depends on how many accounts you have with filmon
you can only record 1hr to their server (cloud) for each account then you need to download
it to a device, then delete it from the cloud and you can re-record. We have 5 accounts with Filmon as we have 5 email addresses, so can record 5 hours, although only up to 1hr at a time, alternatley yes you can buy more time.0 -
TG Got that apart from the"download it to a device" I cant see an option for that
AD are you using a laptop or tablet? once you have set it to record a program you then go into 'your recordings' once the program has finished. It can take a wee while sometimes before you see it in 'your recordings' you should then get the option to 'watch'
'download' or 'delete'. On my tablet I just select download and it goes straight to my device, on the laptop its a bit differant, I select 'play' then once playing, right click and choose save as, I save it to my videos and rename it. This can take awhile
if the download signal isn't great. Hope I've got this right. I will record something on both devices and come back to you if I'm wrong.0 -
What happened to Astra?
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AD, just tried it on my laptop, once I've recorded something, I go into 'my recording' and I get the option (red Button) to 'Play video' next to it is an arrow, click on that and you have 'download' or 'delete video'
On my tablet, I go into 'my recordings' then press the 3 little vertical dots, this then gives 'Download' or 'delete' you will see a picture of a cloud underneath the dots, if its grey then the programme is recorded, once you download it this will change.
The joy of downloading a program then watching it later it doesn't buffer
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What happened to Astra?
In what way
if you mean can you still get it abroad then yes depending on where you are. The footprint has been changed for
the last year or 2 so its more difficult to get UK programmes once you get over the French/Spanish border unless you have a huge dish or have a SKY box and pay channels.0 -
Is your tablet an Ipad because this Samsung Galaxy does not have those options but thanks again having discovered we can now access programs after they have been broadcast is a big help
Mine is a Samsung Galaxy 7
EDIT, just thought it could be it depends on which version of Filmon you have as an APP, I had one version that was really weird so got rid of it and downloaded another one from the Playstore.
I've just recorded and downloaded a programme to my tablet. In 'my recordings' it now shows the program as 'recorded' it still has the name of the programme what channel and the time it was on, there are still 3 vertical black dots, and underneath a grey cloud and now a symbol like a floppy disk (remember those) if I now press the dots. i get the option to delete, if I press that I then get the option to
From cloud and device, From cloud, From device, I always choose just Cloud. Once watched then delete it from device.
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So are you using camp/hotel wifi to stream TV programmes?
Me? yes. When in Spain we often buy cheap wifi which is good enough to watch it live, if not then I download it overnight when its quiet. When we are at our timeshare in Lanzarote the wifi there is good so can watch live or download if we go out in the evening.
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as TG says, the UK spot beam has been tightened a little recently which makes getting the beeb a bit more difficult as you move away from the channel.
for folk using an 85cm dish, this will start to fade around the Agde, Aix en Provence areas....roughly...
Sky pay channels on the Euro beam still available well down on the costas....
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Dianne, good to know...thanks for the update.
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With a Sat box and 80cm dish we got UK TV in English all over Germany and Southern Austria. From Spril to June this year.
DianneT
Wish they hadn't messed thing up so much!!
Last year in the Camargue with a 78cm dish we got a good signal for 3 days, lost it for two and then decided to return!!
Just find it so frustrating!!!
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With a Sat box and 80cm dish we got UK TV in English all over Germany and Southern Austria. From Spril to June this year.
DianneT
Dianne
Can you confirm that the programmes included BBC1,BB2, ITV and Channel 4?
David
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Hi David
I can confirm that I got BBC/ITV in northen France, south Germany, Austria and as far as Sursee near Lucern to the east. This was with a 54cm dish!! At lake Garda and Slovinia I use a 1.35cm dish which we carry under the fixed bed. I use a Manhattan sat
finder which is very accurite and quick. In Croatia even the 1.35 dish will lose BBC/ITV, but will get sky as we subscribe.Hope this helps
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As an F1 fan it's important to get a good picture no matter where you are in europe.
I just find a friendy dutchman, frenchman, or german and watch their telly. Their tv's always seem to work.
Very cost effective method too as a bottle of wine is the only entrance fee.
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What happened to Astra?
if you mean can you still get it abroad then yes depending on where you are.
Thanks. "Demise" sounded like their network of satellites had all fallen from the sky and I had missed the fireworks.
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Just off to tell my wife that all the time spent on CT is not wasted as I have discovered that I can download programs for her to watch later. Thanks!!
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