TV from home, wherever home is
Sky and Freesat both come from one position in the sky, 28.2°E. Most channels from Italy, Poland, Germany, Turkey and many other countries come from other satellites altogether, so a standard UK dish can’t see them. To watch them you need a dish aimed at the right position, of the right size, with a receiver that can tune it.
We set that up for families across East London and Essex, from Ilford, Barking and Walthamstow to Harlow, Basildon and Colchester, and for households further out in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. Sometimes it’s one dish for one satellite; sometimes it’s a dual-feed set-up or a motorised dish that swings between several. We’re independent, so we fit the hardware and help you choose a receiver, and you deal directly with any broadcaster you subscribe to.
International satellite services
Hotbird and European satellites
Hotbird at 13°E carries Italian, Polish and Greek platforms and hundreds of free channels. Astra 19.2°E, a little further east, is the one for German, French and Spanish TV.
A second dish or dual-feed LNB
Want Freesat and Hotbird? A second dish beside the first is the simplest answer. Where only one dish is wanted, a dual-feed bracket with two LNBs on a larger dish can pick up two nearby positions.
Motorised dishes
A motor mount turns one dish across the arc to reach many satellites from a single bracket. It suits keen viewers who want variety, but changing satellite takes a few seconds and it needs a clear wide view.
Choosing the right receiver
Sky and Freesat boxes only tune 28.2°E. For other positions you need a free-to-air satellite receiver, a TV with a satellite tuner, or the box your foreign provider supplies. We’ll help you pick one that fits.
Alignment and dish size
Satellites a few degrees apart need careful pointing, and weaker signals need a bigger dish. We align with a meter on the exact transponders you want, then check picture quality on your receiver.
Which satellite for which channels
These are the positions we’re asked about most. Channel line-ups change, so we check what you want to watch is still on a satellite before fitting anything.
| Position | Satellites | Known for | From Essex |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13°E | Hotbird | Italian, Polish and Greek platforms; many free channels | Good, with a mid-size dish |
| 19.2°E | Astra 1 | Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland | Good, fairly close to Hotbird in the sky |
| 42°E | Türksat | Turkish television | Low and far to the east; larger dish |
| 7°W | Nilesat / Eutelsat 7 West A | Arabic channels for the Middle East and North Africa | Beams aimed away from Europe; often weak or not receivable |
| 28.2°E | Astra 2 | Sky and Freesat (UK) | Strong; the standard UK dish |
Footprints and dish size
Every satellite beams its signal at a chosen area on the ground, called its footprint. Inside the strongest part of the footprint a small dish is enough. Towards the edge the signal fades, and you need a bigger dish to collect enough of it. UK satellite channels are aimed squarely at Britain, which is why a Sky dish can be so small. Many foreign channels are aimed at their home country, so Essex sits near the edge of the beam.
That’s why the dish for an international satellite is usually larger than a Sky one, and why the size depends on the channels as well as the satellite: two packages on the same position can use different beams. Height in the sky matters too. Türksat at 42°E sits low and well round to the east, so neighbouring roofs and trees block it more easily. We check the footprint for your channels and the view from your walls, then recommend a dish that will hold its picture in rain.
Free-to-air and subscription channels
Free-to-air channels need no card and no subscription. Once the dish and receiver are set up, you just tune them in. Hotbird alone carries hundreds of them, from news and music to regional and religious channels, and there are free channels on most of the other positions too.
Subscription channels are encrypted. To watch them you need a viewing card or box from the broadcaster or platform that sells them, on its terms. Some providers only sell to addresses in their own country, so check with the provider before you buy anything. We don’t supply viewing cards or subscriptions, and we only set up legitimate, properly licensed services. What we do is make sure the dish delivers a strong signal for whichever service you’ve signed up to.
How an international dish job works
Most jobs follow the same five steps.
Tell us what you watch
Ring or WhatsApp with the country, the channels or the package you want. We check which satellite carries them and whether the beam reaches Essex.
Survey the view
On the day we look along the arc from your walls and roof to find a spot with a clear line to that satellite, clear of trees and neighbouring buildings.
Choose the set-up
One satellite or several, a separate dish or a dual feed, fixed or motorised. We explain the options and agree the plan and price before any drilling.
Fit and align
The dish goes up on a solid bracket and is peaked on a meter to the exact transponders you want, then the cable is run neatly to the TV.
Tune and test
We scan the channels on your receiver, check picture quality and show you how to find and save the ones you watch most.
International satellite questions
Can my Sky dish pick up foreign channels?
Not usually. A Sky dish points at 28.2°E and is sized for UK channels. Most foreign channels come from other positions, such as Hotbird at 13°E, and need a dish aimed there, normally a larger one.
Which satellite has Polish TV?
Hotbird at 13°E carries the main Polish satellite platforms and several free Polish channels. Some Polish channels are also on Astra 19.2°E. Tell us which ones you want and we’ll confirm before fitting.
Can I get Turkish channels in Essex?
Yes, from the Türksat satellites at 42°E. They sit low in the eastern sky from here, so the dish needs a clear view that way and is usually larger than a Sky dish.
Can one dish receive more than one satellite?
Yes. A dual-feed bracket picks up two positions close together on one larger dish, and a motorised dish can turn to many. For Sky or Freesat plus one foreign satellite, two separate dishes is often simplest.
Can you supply viewing cards for subscription channels?
No. Subscriptions and viewing cards come from the broadcaster or platform, on its own terms. We fit and align the dish and help set up the receiver for the service you’ve bought.
Do I need planning permission for a second dish?
On most houses you can have up to two dishes without applying, within size limits. Larger dishes, conservation areas, listed buildings and flats can need permission, and we’ll tell you if yours might.
Can I get Arabic channels?
Many Arabic channels are on Nilesat and Eutelsat at 7°W, whose beams are aimed at the Middle East and North Africa. From Essex the signal is often weak, so we check your channels and tell you honestly what’s possible.