Best DiSEqC Motor

If you are looking at getting a motorized dish setup for ku band you might have some questions about which diseqc motor is the best and what to look out for while shopping for a motor. We will be looking only at the best DiSEqC motor options and ignoring actuators and vboxes for the time …


Digital Terrestrial Television – Pilot Channel List – South Africa

For those of you that are interested in giving the digital terrestrial pilot a go you might be wondering what digital TV channels are available for the test phase in South Africa. Currently the following channels are available leading up to the digital switchover in South Africa. This list includes the DVB-T and DAB digital …


Digital Switchover to DVB-T in South Africa

With the digital terrestrial pilot signals live for some time now and South Africa’s digital switchover imminent it is time to have a look at what we can expect as consumers. For now we ignore the noise being made around dropping DVB-T since at this stage with the signals already operating it would be crazy …


Digital Terrestrial DVB-T Coverage Map – Johannesburg

The Test signal for digital TV and digital radio have been running in South Africa for some time now but there has been very little talk about it and getting the coverage from sentech can be tricky. However these are the Johannesburg Digital Terrestrial coverage maps for the test signal. Since it is a test …


Free TV Channels in South Africa – FTA KU Band

Just a list of the TV channels available for free in South Africa using a KU band satellite dish as at July 2010, FTA channel lists change pretty often so this won’t valid for too long but you can get the latest lists using lyngsat or satbeams websites. The list will give you an idea …


Compro S350 – No LNB Voltage on Linux

For anybody trying to get the Videomate Compro S350 DVB-S card working in Mythbuntu 10.04 you might not be having much luck if you are running the newer variants which detect as the T750. There seems to be a GPIO issue which causes the card to not send LNB voltage. The quickest way to test …


FTA satellites in South Africa for Free TV (C Band)

The next level of free TV is definitely C band satellite, many people move on from KU band FTA once they have gotten a taste for free television. This table is a List of C Band beams covering South Africa. The idea is to help people who are trying to find C-band FTA streams in South Africa get started. Given the amount of C band beams covering this tiny planet this list aims only to cover the common beams however it has the most popular FTA satellites covering South Africa and most are visible with a 3metre dish depending on your location.

At the time of compiling this list there are roughly 200 free channels in South Africa available on C band, as with KU band you can motorize your c band dish with a actuator. This is a very popular often for seekers of free TV since having one BUD (big ugly dish) on your roof is already pretty depressing to those who value their homes not resembling NASA.

Once again you should contact your local installer to enquire about your equipment options and C band compatible FTA decoders. The setup costs are generally higher than KU Band options but you will have access to about 3 times as many free TV stations and the cost will still be about the same as 2 years of Pay TV in South Africa.

 

c band satellite fta south african free tv

Disclaimer: Free TV implies no subscription, you will still have equipment costs also FTA channels come and go without warning.


FTA satellites in South Africa for Free TV (Ku Band)

If you are looking for Free TV in South Africa  a good place to start is by finding out what satellites cover South Africa and deciding if the channels will appeal to you. Many satellites around the world broadcast FTA channels which provide options for watching television without subscriptions legally and if you find free TV channels that appeal to your tastes this may be a great option if you find Pay TV too expensive.

If you are looking for free television then you will probably want to check these satellites in South Africa which have FTA channels available. You will need a KU band LNB to receive free TV on these satellites. Remember that you can use a DiSeqc switch or motor to view multiple satellites from a single receiver or decoder. Your local installer should be able to provide you with the best options and pricing for the equipment.

At the time of compiling this list there are about 70 free to air satellite channels visible from South Africa on the KU Band but be warned if you are looking for free TV you should keep in mind that this number changes very often as channels are removed or encrypted. It can still be a great alternative to DSTV or TopTV if you can’t afford the monthly subscriptions and just want basic free television at home. Also the local Pay TV providers have been locking their decoders to prevent adding of FTA channels in an effort to prevent access to free television in South Africa. You will be far better off buying a FTA decoder which can be obtained from many local satellite installers including the accredited installers.

KU band satellite dish on FTA and free tv

Disclaimer: Free TV implies no subscription, you will still have equipment costs also FTA channels come and go without warning.