Hi,

I am considering a move to Switzerland and would like to know whether it is possible to get any English language television there. As we already have a dish I'm particularly interested in satellite channels and the legality of installing the dish on what will be a rented property.

Many thanks.

sky digibox

Getting Sky TV

Cable? Pay per view? Satellite?

http://www.englishforum.ch/showthread.php?t=220

These should help you!

I know nothing about legalities of if you can install a dish on a rented property.
We rent and we asked our landlord if he minded and he said not - that was enough for us.

Yes, thanks. I know it is technically possible to do it as we get British channels now, here in Munich, and we're further out of the satellite footprint than, say, Zurich. I was really specifically interested whether there were any laws that said "Yes, you can put a satellite dish up" or "No, you can't, because we don't like them spoiling the skyline [or whatever other reason]." When we were in Zurich we didn't see anywhere with dishes up, which is what made me wonder.

usually, it's ok if it's within the balcony of your apartment (assuming that's where you live).

You certainly did not visit some areas then, there are some bespeckled with dishes.

You can also get transparent dishes should you need to, with a fine mesh built into the perspex.

Have a look at one of the links in my sig for more helpful information. Most expats have Sky....

You do not always need a satellite. We have an analogue tv but got a decoder for digital TV. This gives us BBC1 + 2, Sky news, CNN etc. and two movie channels in English. (And the Dutch BVN tv for dutchies reading this).

This is with video2000.ch. Cost 240 for the decoder and no subscription fees. I know it is expensive but wanted the BBC!

Is that cable or something, muze7? The website's all in French and I don't understand a word of it (I'd have a chance with German, but gave up on French in school).

Hey Muze7 - the decoder thing you mentioned - does that work all over switzerland ? or is it just regional ?

Hmm, I am not sure. I know the company is only for the kanton of Neuchatel. But I would expect other kantons to have similar companies?

Yes it is cable. So it is the company that organizes all cable TV in our kanton. We do not pay extra per month, we only needed the decoder.

http://www.cablecom.ch/en/tvradio/di....htm?setlang=4 is a national? provider with parts of the site in English. They have lots of foreign channels, mostly news and movies in English, but no BBC 1 +2, only BBC prime etc.

for a solution without dish, I'd go for this:
http://www.cablecom.ch/en/mydtv_pvr?...age=3000000002
I would never not have a PVR again after having Sky+

To put things in perspective, we live in Germany and currently receive BBC1, 2, 3, & 4 (including regional variations), ITV 1-3 (ditto), C4, C5, and a bunch of other channels that we never watch, for the grand monthly total of nothing

I guess I'd have to get out more (when we had the dish installed the guy said "You've lived here for four years without English TV? This is going to change your life. You may never leave the building again." He was right )

A friend at work just got this box after I mentioned it to him (from hearing about it here).

He says it's great - seems to be pretty much as functional as my Sky+ box and apparently gives better picture quality then his old receiver-only digital box.

He's paying something like 10CHF a month extra on his abo for the HDD recorder, so not a bad deal.

yeah, but would be nice if they added some more english channels. i for one would pay for them.

I believe the 50 franc bundle gives you BBC1 BBC2 some movies + sport (with English either first channel or selectable) plus some other channels (Fashion TV , Beeb Prime & World, CNN, C-More channels, NASN, etc)

All listed here, I hope
http://www.cablecom.ch/en/mydtv_pvr?...ption216795365

(I might add that I manually typed that URL and it took a while)

not quite true... while on some terrestrial analogue TV channels you can switch from german to english, which means the programme is transmitted in "zweikanalton", actually with cablecom this should be possible but isnt. when confronted with this, they said that this is a technical problem being worked on, but in fact i have had cablecom for 2 years now and no change, even with the new PVR / tivo thing.

god i wish they would just get on and offer HDTV. I hate that it isnt yet in sight here.

wow, so you only get the ones listed in English actually in English? How do the locals deal with C-More movies in English? Subtartles?

PS: Saw InterDiscount XXL now stock one model of HD satellite receiver....geared to Premier, I think.

maybe the subtitles thing works with C More movies, but since the channel SHOULD be called C More Really Old and Rubbish Movies, and i hence did not subscribe, then I cant comment.

Its true that you can now find a couple of HDTV receivers around, and maybe if you take Premiere HD from teleclub, but this is only satellite. Im not sure, but dont want a dish. I would like to get HDTV from cable, which teleclub and cablecom do not offer.

I'd wait and get HD DVD (whichever version) first and wait for the carriers to support more and better HDTV.

After all, analogue switch-off is years away and the Digital STB ain't really made a breakthrough - especially here

Lob Rockster pointed out to me the BBC 1+2 channels are part of Cablecom Bonus for German speaking CH. This means people who only pay the $25 for the basic recorder package also get them!

On another note in Swiss Romande this time, the dual sound system to get either language does work in Canton Neuchatel with Video2000 subscribers

The Cablecom basic package is pretty decent for the price. Though obviously people should consider the satellite route if they can which will get them at a minumum the BBC and ITV channels, plus Sky News and a few other miscellaneous ones for free.

If you get an old Sky digibox you can also get Channel 4, Five and Sky Three for a one-off payment of 20 quid for the requisite card.


Gav

Hi,

Just moved to Switzerland and am still trying to figure out the whole english channel thingy. Does anyone have an update on the current situation, plus recommendations on what i should buy. I am about to purchase a basic LCD tele for abuot 900SWF and wondering if its any value tapping into bluewin, cablecomm etc etc...... Costs etc?

Signed
confused