Satellite positions

Below you can find an overview of the 4 most important satellite positions for Europeans:

 

  • Lnbf 1 receives the signals of the Astra satellite on 19 degrees East, which broadcasts many local and international channels. The so called FTA (=Free to Air) channels.

 

  • Lnbf 2 receives the Astra 2/Eurobird satellite on 28,2 degrees East, with a large number of  FTA channels, which can be watched for free, i.e. without smartcard or additional subscription. Furthermore English channels are broadcasted by this satellite, like: BBC(HD) 1, 2, 3, and 4, ITV 1(HD), ITV 2, ITV 3, Channel 4 London, Movies 4 men, True movies 2, Zone reality, Zone horror, BBC parliament , Body in balance, and much more.

 

  • Lnbf 3 receives the Astra 3 satellite on 23,5 degrees East, which broadcast all regional Duth and all commercial channels of Canal Digital HD and TV Flanders (both M7 Group) and many theme channels. Also lots of channels of the Balkan countries are broadcasted by this satellite.

 

  • Lnbf 4 receives the Hotbird satellite on 13 degrees East with a number of international FTA channels from countries like France, Russia, Poland, Italy, Thailand, China, Korea, Serbia and multiple channels from the African continent.

 

 

Please keep in mind that the Astra 3 on 23,5 East and especially the Astra 2 / Eurobird on 28,5 East can not be received -like the Astra 1 satellite- all over Europe. If you stay in a foreign country, please check upfront which satellites can be received on your location and which diameter is required for your satellite dish antenna. On the images below you can find the most important footprints of the Astra 1, 2, 3 and  Hotbird on 13 degrees East, so you can see which diameter your satellite dish antenna needs to have for receiving your satellites in a foreign country.

 

 

Footprint Astra 1L satellite

On the left the footprint of the Astra 1L 19 degrees East.
 

On the Astra 1 mainly German channels are available. Before Dutch channels in SD quality as well, but thes are transferred to the Astra 3 in HD quality (since April 1st, 2016).
 

On the footprint you can check which diameter your satellite dish antenne needs to have for reception in Europe. A minimum of 65 cm is advised by the Ses Astra Group. 
 

In the inner circle is -when ideal wheather conditions- also a diameter of 50 cm sufficient. With less wheather conditions, like rain or snow, it's better to have a satellite dish antenne with a dia,meter of 78 cm.
   

Footprint Astra 1H satellite

On the left the footprint of the Astra 1H 19 degrees East. 


On the footprint you can check which satellite dish antenna diameter is necessary to receive the channels of this satellite within Europe.
   
Footprint Astra 3 satellite

Image of the footprint of transponder 1G on the Astra 3, at 23.5 degrees East. 


The Astra 3 - 1G broadcasts the Dutch regional channels via the frequency 11.914 L1 TV, Omroep Brabant TV, Omroep Friesland, Omroep Zeeland TV, TV Drente, TV Gelderland, TV Noord, TV Noord Holland, TV Oost, TV Rijnmond. 
 

Furthermore the (High definition) package of Dutch spoken channels (Canal Digital / TV Flanders), like Discovery HD, National Geographic HD, RTL 4 HD,RTL 5 HD, RTL 7 HD, NET5 HD, SBS6 HD, NED 1 HD, NED2 HD, NED 3 HD. 
 

Also the 2nd channel of Eredivisie live football is available on the Astra 3 satellite. On the footprint you ca check the diameter of the satellite dish antenna you need to receive this satellite in Europe. Within the inner blue circle a 65 cm satellite dish antenna is sufficient, in the outside ring a 120 cm satellite dish is required.
   
   
Footprint Astra 2D satellite

A satellite position which is very populair because of more then 150 free to air English channels, is the Astra 2 satellite at position 28.5 degrees East. 


On the satellite Astra 2D -shown on the footprint on the left- you can find mainly the public British channels like BBC 1, 2, 3, 4 and ITV channels. 
The footprint is limited to the UK and parts of the mainland of Europe. 
 

In North Spain a satellite dish antenna of 90 cm is required to receive the BBC and ITV channels. 
 

In the South of Spain a 180 cm satellite dish is necessary to receive the BBC channels.
   
footprint hotbird satellite

The Hotbird footprint position 13 degrees East covers a much larger area then the Astra. This position contains 3 satellites, positioned at 13 degrees East. In Europe this satellite can be received with a small dish antenna. The Dutch news channel BVN (Best of the Netherlands) is broadcasted via this satellite and is free to air.

This position is very populair because of the large number of international free to air channels. In total there are almost 1,000 digital tv channels available at the HotBird, of which ±300 are free to air. Next to that there are also ±300 digital radio channels available, almost all uncoded (so free to air). The outside region of the footprint still gives 40 Db, to receive with a satellite dish of 180 cm, while in the centre a 50 cm dish antenna will do.