Satellite TV

Have you considered a Kindle for reading your books?

I could be wrong but it looks as if Avtex market a version of the Snipe satellite system? If that is the case it is quite a neat and compact system. The downside would be, in taking it to Europe, would be the limited reception area for UK Free to Air programmes. It might be OK for some of the Sky programmes. If you are going anywhere south of the Loire Valley you really need to think about a system with an 85cms dish. Might be worth having a lot at the Road Pro website. They fitted my rook mounted system and they were excellent.

David

Yes we have tried a Kindle and neither of us get on very well with them - wrong generation I suspect!  Furthermore my wife tends to suffer insomnia if she watches any kind of screen late at night.

Thanks for that.  Yes the Avtex is the Snipe.  I will look at Road Pro.

Satellite does not need to cost £100s let alone £1000s. Paying out big money only buys convenience, not ability to get a picture or quality of that picture.

You need a TV with a satellite decoder built into it, or a decoder top box, plus a dish and connecting cable. Even with little care it is possible to do it for a £100.

In all cases, auto and manual systems, where you are needing to use it will dictate the size dish required.

I suggest your first decision needs to be "where do I want to go?"

From that the size dish and in turn the cost and suitable options can be suggested.

I hadn't mentioned where we want to go as I had not realised that to be an issue.  Sadly I have forgotten Spanish, in which I used to be fluent, so we have not been further South than France as French is such an instinctive language and not easily forgotten.  However, I am considering brushing up on Spanish and going down to the South coast.   I quite like the idea of Portugal but not tackled Portuguese yet.

To receive in the South of Spain, directly the normal BBC and ITV channels like we have on terrestrial TV in the UK, then a very large dish and good weather will be needed. However, as I have not tried I don't know the specifics, but others will. I suggest the dish size virtually precludes folding automatic systems. 

Set your sights on France then given good weather, reports are that an 85 CM dish, ie a large folding MH type, will do. Ideally going for one with auto skew to give you the best chances.

Mine is a manual 65 CM and as proved last week it pulls in UK TV from Astra 28.2 by the Dordogne river in the Lot, well till the rain clouds gather to cause temporary lost.

If Spain is going to be a frequent location where UK TV is required I suggest you look at some of the internet supported alternatives. others here know about.

£200 gets you a dish, decoder, tripod etc. Works very well but bit of an art in getting it set up, aligned, and understanding how to make it work.

£800 gets you a snipe (or similar) only difference it is fully programmed, stop, turn it on, it finds the sat and tunes it for you. Good for most of the way down France.

£2000 gets you the same technology with additional features but with a larger dish which is mounted on the roof and generally has a better range, most are good all the way to the very north of Spain.

IP TV is gaining in popularity, TV over the internet via WiFi or GSM but you need a good phone signal or site WiFi. Kit is cheap but bills can be high if you are not on the right tariff. This technology or its successors will probably take over in time.

I recently bought an Avtex TV with built in de-coder and a large dish from eBay for £200 (used). I haven’t tried it yet but at that price was worth the risk.

We have a Status TV aerial on the advice of one of the biggest providers of equipment to the leisure market. Good enough for the UK. We never watch TV abroad.

Work out where you are going to be travelling and then what signal/TV programmes you'll get. Then talk to a few suppliers.