20 replies to this topic

[Arthur Daley]

I know there is a site on the web that can arrange a 'new' subscription to to SKY & SKY+ (via a UK address), but has anyone on here actually bought their box out - and and carried on their UK subscription?

Any answers would be appreciated

thanks

[Arthur Daley]

OK - have found answers myself on web now.

Unsure as to whether I can post link to the (non-commercial) advice page concerned, but if anyone else wants to know, they can pm me.

[Tinks]

I have to say, I feel there would be many FAR more important things to consider with a move to Crete than what you will be able to watch on the telly......

[Assim]

There's a topic here about tv and satellites

tv and satellites in greece

I think though to get some of the channels you need a very large dish in Crete.

[Dinny]

Hi Tinks,

It's true there is a LOT of other more important things to take care of while moving to Crete.... but:

When winter came last year it was quite cold outside in December, raining a lot and heavily, not much possibility to get out for even a small walk, and my TV could offer something like 6-7 Greek channels of which 2 where clearly viewed, the other quite "snowy". Well, when you don't speak Greek and you don't get the hang of it even after wathing the news over and over again, then you might get to the point where you think it would be nice to watch something that you can understand on the tele. I admit I was truly happy with the Christmas present I received from my son-in-law: A satellite disk ! I now have 437 channels to choose from, but actually only keep track of the 6 Italian plus BBC & CNN - which at any given time will supply me with whatever I want from TV, news, movies, weather... in a comprehensible language! I don't watch the TV very much, but at nighttime it's there when I want to watch it and I am pleased that I can now understand what they are saying on-screen!

[Assim]

Theres usually an English language film on the greek channels at night. Subtittled and never dubbed. Also Makedonia tv has some bad american comedies and Star has Xena, Hercules and Friends. In Athens I get CNN through the arial So theres not a lot of need for satellite if you only watch a little TV (Athens not Crete)

BTW how big is the dish to get BBC in Crete?

[Dinny]

Assim, when I only had the Greek channels I did watch the late movie on NET at 23.00 hrs - the problem is that it's actually LATE, with all the commercial spots included it's easily around 2:00 am before it's all over.



As for the size of the disk, I have NO idea Anyway, it's the BBC World channel I am referring to.

[David and Glenda]

I see the link to TV and satellites in Greece is not working and no further comments have been made in this thread.
B & Q in UK are selling a 60cm satellite system for £60.00 - reports on the receiver seem favorable and we're seriously thinking of buying one to bring out with us in a couple of weeks.
So have opinions altered and are more ex-pats hooking up to Satellite TV?

[lshall05]

That size of dish may be useless in Crete for a lot of the sky channels you'd want (or are paying for). Not planning to have sky when we move but I'm sure I've read on this or other forums that the dish needs to be quite big. If you've ever been to Malia and walked down Beach Road from the big Church and passed a pub on a corner with a humoungous dish - that apparently is the size you need if you want to get every possible sky channel (and lots more)!!!

[Emma1310]

I'd rather have internet than tv.

After all- if you know where to look, you can have both

[David and Glenda]

Emma1310,
After trying out the BBC iPlayer and ITV's Catch-up TV here in UK, I'm sure you are right - providing you can get a Broadband connection - I'd hate to try it on dial-up!

[john4d]

The bad news is that the BBCi player is not available in Crete. You must have a UK ISP for it to work. In fact you must have a UK ISP that is on the BBC's list of ISP's, so it's a positive recognition system not a negative one.

ITV's Catch up TV their site says

Geo-blocking: Our Services are using geo-blocking software to prevent you from accessing them from outside the United Kingdom: this is necessary for us in particular to comply with the terms of our broadcast and content licences. You agree not to attempt to access, and/or not to attempt to circumvent the geo-blocking software to access, the Services from anywhere outside the United Kingdom.

So no joy there then.

Most Sky channels will be received with a 1.2 metre dish but not BBC, ITV or channel 4. If you invested in a 5 metre dish you could probably receive these most of the time.

John

[Emma1310]

...I know, but those weren't the places I was looking.

Although that reminds me that I need to follow up my complaint to the BBC about their i-player availability.

[Wim]

Imaging.

Living in Crete and needing a television. You might as well stay at home or is it about being afraid of getting melancholic

[DaveW.]

Unfortunately Wim, not every evening can be spent at a taverna enjoying the company of friends.
Having spent a couple of weeks in Crete in November/December one year I can say that TV was a great companion on evenings when it was pouring down with rain and blowing a gale, and I didn't fancy the 15 minute walk into the village which, in all probability, would have been very quiet as most of the locals would have not have ventured outside and would have been indoors watching TV. Sky would have been an asset then. Mind you I did have time to listen to my music and do a lot of reading.

[lshall05]

Our first out of season holiday in February 2006 was cold and wet. We spent a lot of time with our friends at their house. I did notice that although the TV was on in the background, as soon as a Greek soap came on everything else stopped!! We were glad we'd taken our laptop and some dvds with us or we'd have had a few boring nights in the apartment on our own...

[Wim]

Boring nights?
Was the weather bad and the company dull?
What happened to the good old book and the art of amusing oneself? Or another .

[lshall05]

Living in Crete can't be fun 24/7 and if people think that then they haven't done any research. Not everyone can afford to go out every night and sometimes it's just not possible with the weather.

There were a couple of nights that were quite bad weather wise. We did have books with us but why read a book when you can snuggle up in bed and watch a film together.

[Wim]

Living in Crete can't be fun 24/7 and if people think that then they haven't done any research. Not everyone can afford to go out every night and sometimes it's just not possible with the weather.

I lived in Crete for about a year as part of a sabbatical so I think I have some experience here.
I never had a dull moment and neither the need of a tv screen. Having fun is neither spending money in the wrong bar with the wrong people and the wrong drinks for the wrong prices. If you want to go out than visit the local "καφενείο" it's a mirror, maybe even a t.v., featuring the local residents you live with.

Trying to communicate with them is fun and informative and the prices in these café's are not "touristic" so you can easely spent time. By showing interest in them they do the same thing in return but then even multiple. Of course you stay a "ξέvoς" but that's what you are. You may even be invited to their homes and have a real Cretan dinner. Not the "touristic" extract. Once you "gained" their friendship it's for real.

Living is what you make of it, especially in a "foreign" country, but it takes "fantasy" to enjoy it for real. But that's about the same quality as you need "at home".

[Emma1310]

Is that you in the leather pants, Wim?

People are different and therefore find different things fun. Personally, I like to read books sometimes, I like to talk to people sometimes and I like to watch tv sometimes. Given the quality of UK tv compared to many countries I've visited, I can't blame people for wanting to have Sky tv. Get over it.