Speed of internet for TV

[LICY]

I know we have done this to death, but we are still plagued by frozen TV. We took a trip to Algarve Shopping and did pick up a ticket for MEO but decided getting to no 32 from no 4 may take until we are due to fly back. We popped next door and were offered NOS who are offering internet at just shy of 20, then from 4th month 25. Router reduced to 20. This gives 20 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload. The girl thought it was sufficient to watch the TV. The other were 40mbps and 100 Mbps and respectively 4mbps and 10 Mbps. I appreciates this depends on your location. I am informed internet speed is not great here. Has anyone got any comments about watching TV on the lower Mbps close to Praia do Carvoeiro as we are on the boundary? We can get 15 days trial which we will do on 30 December., bit would be great to hear from others.

[pickwick]

LICY

Try to establish what download speed (Mbps) your near neighbours can get over PT wires. To get good stable HD TV you ideally want 12Mbps and it MUST be on an unlimited download package.

Pickwick

PS The starting point will be to get the PT telephone line installed BEFORE December 30th as you have no chance of that happening before you go back in January if you leave it to the 30th to organise. Your Property Manager should be able to organise the line for you. If you get that done you will be able to get a speed test done on the line by PT and then you will know what speed you will be able to get. If all that works you should be able to get Alistair to install you IPTV box you want before you arrive on the 30th!!??!!

[maccasa]

The TV box being advertised by NOW TV says you need 2.5 Mbps - I have bought one and will be trying it out Dec 30th in CVO using a 7.2 Mbps mobile dongle!

[joeysoap]

slightl swerve but on the same subject ie tv reception. All my neighbours have changed over to the Gibralter tv reception. (I didn't yet as I am not out for long enough or often enough) When I was out in late September the code changed and those out there at the time paid the €10 and got the new code entered. I was out last week and the code had changed again. 1) How often does the code change. 2) can anyone find out where the code is obtained ie the tv shops in Portugal can obviously obtain the new code fairly easily so I assume anyone can find this code and 3) how hard/easy is it to imput the code into the receiving box ? If the code changes every 2 months it would cost €60 per annum just to keep up, more often and the costs go up, in which case internet tv might be an option. Interested in how the dongle works for you Maccasa. I have the cheapest €1 per hour 4 year old dongle and it works just about ok on a laptop but would not be great for large screen tv I imagine.

googles and maybe this is where you get the codes ?

http://www.satelliteupdates.com/2014/02 ... I7URHvpyl0



not optimistic:

Updated Friday, 12th December, 2014
DEC
12
INTELSAT 907 27.5W KEYS CHANGED AGAIN
BISS keys which secure the Arqiva BBC and ITV feeds to Intelsat 907 27.5w have again changed today, for the second time in two weeks. The last change was on 26th. November.
New keys are already freely available on hackers' websites.
There are unsubstantiated rumours that frequent key changes are now the norm, pending a complete change of encryption to a much more secure system.
It's extremely unwise, given this uncertainty, to buy new equipment or have an installation carried out to receive 27.5w. In southern Spain and the Algarve region of Portugal, offers of boxes and dishes to get the BBC back are common. A typical deal might be an 80 cm dish and a "reprogrammed" decoder. If an installer has turned round your dish to face west, it is likely to be pointing to 27.5w

[RichardHenshall]

The TV box being advertised by NOW TV says you need 2.5 Mbps - I have bought one and will be trying it out Dec 30th in CVO using a 7.2 Mbps mobile dongle!

I assume you're aware that to use NowTV in Portugal you will need to mask your location with smart DNS or a VPN. We use SmartDNSProxy set up in our router on a MEO ADSL line running at about 6 Mbps. The NowTV box can only be connected to your network by WiFi, so a good WiFi signal is essential.

[Farol]

slightl swerve but on the same subject ie tv reception. All my neighbours have changed over to the Gibralter tv reception. (I didn't yet as I am not out for long enough or often enough) When I was out in late September the code changed and those out there at the time paid the €10 and got the new code entered. I was out last week and the code had changed again. 1) How often does the code change. 2) can anyone find out where the code is obtained ie the tv shops in Portugal can obviously obtain the new code fairly easily so I assume anyone can find this code and 3) how hard/easy is it to imput the code into the receiving box ? If the code changes every 2 months it would cost €60 per annum just to keep up, more often and the costs go up, in which case internet tv might be an option. Interested in how the dongle works for you Maccasa. I have the cheapest €1 per hour 4 year old dongle and it works just about ok on a laptop but would not be great for large screen tv I imagine.

I have just bought a suitable digibox (Icecrypt s1600chd) for £62.99 delivered via Amazon UK. I will redirect one of my 2 dishes when I am out next month. This will give me BB1, BBc2, ITV1 and Ch4 for a once off payment of £62.99.

The codes and updated firmware can be freely downloaded from here:
http://gadgetadventure.com/blogs/news/1 ... -14-17-00h

The codes and updated firmware generally seem to be available within 24hrs.

At the budget price that this system currently provides I am prepared to take a chance on it because the breakeven compared to all alternatives is so short. Additionally the Icecrypt box provides extra functionality over my current box so even if I lost BBC etc again I would still be better off.

There is a good summary of the system, including the BISS codes, here:
http://www.satandpcguy.com/Site/intelsa ... annels.php

[joeysoap]

Great stuff Farol, thank you.

[maccasa]

The TV box being advertised by NOW TV says you need 2.5 Mbps - I have bought one and will be trying it out Dec 30th in CVO using a 7.2 Mbps mobile dongle!

I assume you're aware that to use NowTV in Portugal you will need to mask your location with smart DNS or a VPN. We use SmartDNSProxy set up in our router on a MEO ADSL line running at about 6 Mbps. The NowTV box can only be connected to your network by WiFi, so a good WiFi signal is essential.

Thanks Richard, I knew I would have to mask it but hadn't researched it - got the details now!!

[Bruce Wallis]

We all appear to have arrived at what appears to be the best workable solution for us.

I dismissed the idea of hanging onto the BFBS sat feed, because the broadcasting company AQIVA are regularly changing their encryption codes, which fair enough can be obtained relatively easily, but its a bit of a pain, and carries a limited number of channels.
Further to this AQIVA are considering upgrading the encryption, and BFBS are considering changing from a satellite solution to broadband one.
(I worked in the industry, and have contacts both at BFBS and AQIVA)
Therefore not a reliable, dependable long term option.

I tried using the Apple TV box. A £100 for the box. Download the Filmon app on your I-pad (if you have one), connect it up, and away you go.
Not a bad option, and though not HD, works quite well on the lower speeds, but it does tie up your I-Pad.

Our current option is through a company in Portimao, called MARC TV.

Its a system using broadband, hangs on your Wi-Fi, and gives you a big range of stations, and catch up TV.
It also does a lowband, non HD option on its menu, which means that in the low speed areas like Carvoeiro, you can get quite a good workable service.

The box cost 100Euro, and its a monthly subscription service of about 13 euros a month for normal TV, or 30 a month for the all singing, all dancing SKY film and Sports channels.
One advantage is that your subscription doesnt have to be 12 monthly, you just pay the months that you are out there and require the service.

The company is basically Dutch, and streams out of Holland.

As I say.......its a solution. One of many. Simple to use, friendly helpful service, and suits us.

Their shop is just off the N125 slip road on the turn off for Monchique, about 100 metres from the slip, on the right, just before the 1st roundabout.