TV via Internet or Dish

[La apanada pair]

Good Day forum followers, I am due back to our little place on the island in el matorral, [13th June], while there we intend to arrange some form of TV coverage, I don't need sports or even catch up, but would like to get English speaking news and general channels, on our last visit we looked into the Dish route but was informed that we would require a BIG dish 3metre plus, the price was not an issue BUT the big dish taking up precious outside space was, so I'm now looking in to the internet option with a smart TV and channels via internet, and that's where I am now, I was advised to speak to canary net because after installation cost I could just pay for it as and when required, this would be ideal as we can only make it 3 or 4 times a year at the moment, so I spoke to canary net and they do not have coverage in el matorral. I have tried looking for other companies who offer a similar service but have not found one yet... SO forum Followers can anyone offer some advice, who can I use for internet? whats the cost to install and running costs, would a payg phone with a large data bundle be better? or do I just get a 2TG hard drive and watch pre downloaded programs.. I hope someone can offer this technophobe some advice       

[Archer]

If you want to go 4g route, then you need to check (using a phone) whether you have a good 4g signal in your home.
Then you need to decide on how much use you likely need. Are you there only a few days at a time, full-time etc, then how much uk tv you actually want to watch.
We have Orange 4g en casa, which for us is brilliant. Very fast and being in rural location is ideal. You get a free router/modem, 35g allowance each month and only signup for one year, initially. Cost is 30e per month.
If you want cheaper 4g, then buy your own 4g router in the uk, and put in a payg sim card with adequate data allowance.
We don' t watch much uk tv (it's cr*p), maybe the odd 2 or 3 hours per week through an Android box, plus a few films from same box.
Mostly we watch films on our smart tv & aerial with the language switched to English. Or Spanish tv.
My advice is don't use the iplayer app on the smart tv, as it eats up too much data. The android box is much more economical.
Ornage store will sell you 4g en Casa service.

[La apanada pair]

Thanks for the advice, we wouldn't watch a lot of TV maybe an hour in the evenings, we intend to be out for 2wks at a time, 3 times a year. IF the 4g router is our only option, then I wouldn't want a contract if I don't have to, I think it would be better to  payg to just cover the time we am there, it may cost a lot more for the weeks I need but surely it would be cheaper than paying for months I wouldn't use it?

[Archer]

True. Payg best option for you. Plenty of cheap data sims on ebay.

[spitfire58]

We just had JRM installed a couple of weeks ago when we were out. You have options to pay monthly with free installation or pay for the installation & pay as you use it. We went for the second option. Cost was 214â,¬ for installation & from, I think 30â,¬ per month, paid on their website when you want to use. We are in the same position as you & will only be out for three to four visits of a couple of weeks at the moment. I looked around for ages for an option & also looked at Orange en case but with a monthly fee was not economic. You could go down the 4g & sim router route, I also looked at that but with the cost of a suitable router & decent outside antenna it was back to roughly the same cost as JRM & it may or may not have been good enough. They fitted us in for an installation at short notice as we were only there for a week & for the couple of days we used it this time service seemed to be good. Download was 6mb & upload 4mb, better than we get from SKy in the UK. Hope this helps, cheers . . Ron

[Archer]

You don't need an outside antenna for a 4g router. If your phone works, then so will your 4g router. Mine gets full power signal in any room.
JRM may be an option if they cover his location, but didn't someone on here say they were not a nice company (threats or something?)

[spitfire58]

You don't need an outside antenna for a 4g router. If your phone works, then so will your 4g router. Mine gets full power signal in any room.
JRM may be an option if they cover his location, but didn't someone on here say they were not a nice company (threats or something?)

The reason I said an antenna was because I had a mifi portable unit. The signal outside the house was great but because of all the reinforced concrete the signal inside was rubbish. Might be alright in the likes of Rosario or Caleta but the signal would anyway be improved with an antenna

[La apanada pair]

I think I'll be contacting JRM sharpish see if they can get me connected, I am really close to there old office so hope coverage would not be a problem, then bring over an Android box with me, sounds like that may be my best option..

[erik_tonny]

True. Payg best option for you. Plenty of cheap data sims on ebay.

Don't you need a sim card from your local (spanish) 4g provider (orange / vodafoon) ?

[spitfire58]

True. Payg best option for you. Plenty of cheap data sims on ebay.

Don't you need a sim card from your local (spanish) 4g provider (orange / vodafoon) ?

Yes you do. I have a Spanish Orange sim. Data is relatively expensive this way.

[Archer]

Roaming fees are banned from June 2017, by the EU, so UK cards are ok.
Of course, we are out of EU soon, so don't know what happens then!

[caza]

Not sure canaries are in the EU at the moment ?

[Johnrgby2]

Not sure canaries are in the EU at the moment ?

Well we were not this morning Caza

[Windermeregolfer]

Not sure canaries are in the EU at the moment ?

Well we were not this morning Caza

I am confused John, I take it you are joking,  but there some differences see - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_member_state_territories_and_the_European_Union

Plus when returning to the UK I thought the duty free from the Canaries is different, I am happy to be corrected

[woe10]

I think I'll be contacting JRM sharpish see if they can get me connected, I am really close to there old office so hope coverage would not be a problem, then bring over an Android box with me, sounds like that may be my best option..

JRM (now Netservice) can offer up to 75 mb / sec. But it will cost you. I've seen it in action in the office at Netservice Office in Rosario.

For two days I was getting 45 mb /sec. They had upgraded me by mistake, but soon corrected it.

[La apanada pair]

Thanks for All the replies and comments,  we appreciate the help from the forum followers,  We have now contacted JRM (netservices) and have been informed that we have 2 options, we can have a free installation and sign up to a 1 year contract at 45â,¬ a month or pay for the installation (200â,¬) and then buy access as and when we require it. This sounds an ideal way to get the TV service we require via a smart TV,  but now I have another dilemma,  do I just use the Smart TV as it stands?, do I need to trick the TV into thinking it's in the uk, or can I bring a android box from uk and plug it in and get my programs that way? I can get a chipped android box from jack the ad down the road giving me every channel I could wish for here in uk, but would it work on the island via internet there...  hope you can all be as helpfull on this extra question....

[spitfire58]

Thanks for All the replies and comments,  we appreciate the help from the forum followers,  We have now contacted JRM (netservices) and have been informed that we have 2 options, we can have a free installation and sign up to a 1 year contract at 45â,¬ a month or pay for the installation (200â,¬) and then buy access as and when we require it. This sounds an ideal way to get the TV service we require via a smart TV,  but now I have another dilemma,  do I just use the Smart TV as it stands?, do I need to trick the TV into thinking it's in the uk, or can I bring a android box from uk and plug it in and get my programs that way? I can get a chipped android box from jack the ad down the road giving me every channel I could wish for here in uk, but would it work on the island via internet there...  hope you can all be as helpfull on this extra question....

Hi panada pair,
That is the same deal we got. Sounded best for us as well (paid for the install & pay as we want it). They said 200 but it was actually 214 plus an obligatory first month so our total for set up was 252â,¬, you will probably be the same. Your smart tv or android box will not work with UK apps there (not sure about Kodi, plenty on here who use will advise though). You will have to get a "vpn" or Smart DNS to "trick" your apps into thinking you are still in UK. I set up an account with Getflix & set up a Smart DNS. All you have to do is access the settings in your router & change the DNS settings to what Getflix tell you, then everything on you're wifi setup will think it's in the UK. If you go to www.getflix.com it takes you through all the options & even has help tutorials to help you change DNS settings ( & specifically one for a tp link router which is what JRM use.
Hope this all helps.
Let us all know how you get on,
Cheers
Ron