How to Receive Satellite TV in Italy

Frequently Asked Question #31:

Q: What equipment do I need to receive satellite TV in Italy?

A: Rather than answer this in an abstract way, here is a list of equipment that you need to build the optimal system described in our satellite channel FAQ. Apart from the Digibox (item 4) these items are both easily available and relatively cheap in Italy. In Piedmont you can receive the 3 satellite clusters ASTRA-1, ASTRA-2 and HotBird as well as Italian terrestrial TV in up to 12 rooms with this system:

2 x 80cm Solid Parabolic Dish (one for ASTRA-1 and HotBird, one for ASTRA-2) - any good make.
2 x Quad LNB (one for ASTRA-1, one for HotBird), e.g: ALPS BSTE4-101A, plus a 6.2 degree 'dual feed' bracket to mount them side by side.
1 x Single Universal LNB (for ASTRA-2), e.g: MTI AP8-T2
Digibox - various models, e.g Grundig GDS200/2
Offel M8-12 Multiswitch, part number 15-892. Inputs: 8 LNB + terrestrial UHF, 12 outputs.
Offel Modulator PLL (Phase-Locked Loop), part number 07-841. Demodulates the Digibox ASTRA-2 output.
Offel 30dB Mixer/Amplifier, part number 26-135. Required to combine the demodulated ASTRA-2 signal with the terrestrial UHF signal.

In each room that you want to receive all 3 satellites you will need:

Offel Outlet TV/SAT, part number 17-521. This separates the UHF (terrestrial) and satellite signals, so that each can be fed to a TV simultaneously: terrestrial via the normal arial input, and satellite via the SCART input from the free-to-air satellite receiver.
A free-to-air receiver for ASTRA-1 and HotBird. There are various manufacturers and models, for example: TELESystem model TS4.0F. This unit costs only about 100 Euros - well within most budgets.
A continental-standard PAL Television. Note that a UK-standard PAL TV will only work connected directly to the UHF output of the Digibox.

Note that Offel is an Italian company: Offel hardware is cheaper in Italy than that of other manufacturers, for example the German satellite specialist Spaun.

To see how these components fit together, see this system diagram. Note that this system will supply all three satellites plus terrestrial Italian TV to up to 12 rooms - if you want to scale this down, just select a another multiswitch in the Offel M8 range with a lower number of outputs. Don't worry if this is all Greek to you - just give this parts list and system diagram to your satellite installer and ask for a quote (a preventivo).

Note that a solid (i.e not perforated) dish is used with a diameter of 80cm. For details of the size of dish you need in other parts of Europe, see an ASTRA-2D footprint map here. The ASTRA-2D satellite carries the UK terrestrial TV channels that are free-to-air: BBC1 and BBC2. It is the most narrow-beam of all the 28.2° East "Sky Digital" satellites, so if you can receive these channels on ASTRA-2D you can also receive all the other channels from the cluster of ASTRA-2 satellites aimed at the UK from 28.2 degrees East.

Note also that the footprint map linked to above varies somewhat from the official ASTRA data. It appears that in certain areas of Europe (for example, Switzerland and Northwest Italy) reception is somewhat better than ASTRA claim, while in other areas of Europe (for example, the Costa Brava in Spain) reception is somewhat worse - presumably because Astra deliberately degrade the 2D signal in that area.

Note also that in all of Southern Europe outside the South of France and Northwest Italy, you need a dish significantly bigger than 80 cm: in most parts of Tuscany, or in the Alicante region of Spain, for example, you need a 2.4m dish.

For a full list of channels that can be obtained with this system, see our satellite channel FAQ.

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