The television you grew up with, here on the coast
The Costa Daurada is home to a great many residents and regular visitors from the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium. One of the first questions after moving in is always the same: how do I watch the channels from back home?
The answer depends on the country. Not every channel comes from the same satellite, the coverage is not the same everywhere, and the access conditions differ. In this guide we go country by country: which satellite to point at, what dish size is usually needed around Tarragona, which receiver you need and what legal options you have over the internet. If you would rather we looked at it in your own home, see our TV aerials and satellite dishes service.
First things first: satellites and footprints
Every satellite transmits towards a specific area, called its footprint. Some beams cover the whole of Europe strongly; others are aimed at a single country and arrive very weak outside it. That is why a small dish picks up German channels without complaint, while British ones demand a large one.
German and Austrian channels
- Satellite: Astra 19.2° E.
- Dish: coverage in Catalonia is good, so an ordinary domestic dish is enough.
- Free to air: the German public broadcasters (ARD, ZDF and their regional and themed channels) and many Austrian and commercial channels in standard definition.
- Needs a card: the HD versions of the German commercial channels (the HD+ platform) and some Austrian channels (ORF), which have their own access conditions.
This is by far the simplest case.
French channels
- TNT Sat: received from Astra 19.2° E, the same satellite as the German channels, with a card from the platform.
- Fransat: uses a different orbital position (Eutelsat 5° West) and also needs its own card.
- Dish: domestic size in both cases.
If the household has mixed tastes, a single dish pointed at 19.2° E can serve French and German viewers at the same time.
Dutch and Belgian (Flemish) channels
- Satellite: Astra 23.5° E.
- Platforms: Canal Digitaal (Netherlands) and TV Vlaanderen (Flanders), both with a card and a subscription.
- A useful trick: with a twin-LNB bracket, a monoblock or a dual-focus mount, you can receive 19.2° E and 23.5° E from a single dish.
British channels: the demanding one
The British public channels (BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and the rest) come from Astra 2 at 28.2° E, with beams concentrated over the British Isles. In Tarragona you are right on the edge of the footprint:
- A large dish: often over 1.5 metres, sometimes more, to pick up the channels on the UK beam.
- Variable reliability: even with a large dish you can lose the picture during heavy rain or at certain times of day.
- Space and wind: a dish that size needs a solid fixing and room on the roof. In a block of flats, the residents’ association has to agree to it.
- British pay platforms: their terms usually require an address in the UK. Read the contract before you have anything installed.
For all those reasons, plenty of British residents pair the dish with internet services, or go straight to the internet instead.
Summary by country
| Country | Satellite | Rough dish size | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany / Austria | Astra 19.2° E | Domestic | Much of it free to air; commercial HD by card |
| France | Astra 19.2° E (TNT Sat) · Eutelsat 5° W (Fransat) | Domestic | Platform card |
| Netherlands / Flanders | Astra 23.5° E | Domestic | Card and subscription |
| United Kingdom | Astra 2 (28.2° E) | Large, 1.5 m or more | Public channels free to air; reception limited |
The exact size depends on where you live, what is in the way and which channels you want. That is why it pays to measure before you buy a dish.
The receiver
The receiver has to match what you want to watch:
- DVB-S2 as a minimum, and HEVC (H.265) if there are UHD channels.
- A CI+ slot or a card reader if the platform works with a card and a module.
- A certified receiver where the platform insists on one.
- DiSEqC if you are going to combine several satellites.
We go through all of it in choosing a satellite receiver.
Legal options over the internet
In 2026 television over the internet is a serious option, especially if you have a decent fibre line:
- The broadcasters’ own apps: many public broadcasters offer catch-up and live streams. Some apply geographical restrictions outside their own country.
- Portability within the EU: Regulation (EU) 2017/1128 lets you use a paid subscription from another EU country while you are temporarily in Spain. It does not apply to the UK after Brexit.
- Subscription platforms with a licensed international catalogue.
Steer well clear of IPTV lists promising “every channel” for a tiny monthly fee. They distribute unlicensed content, they are illegal and they drop out constantly.
If you go down the internet route, the key thing is getting wifi to the television. If it does not reach, have a look at our wifi solutions.
Holiday lets and apartment blocks
In Salou and Cambrils it is common for a residents’ association or a holiday let to want several languages available. The tidiest answer is a communal satellite dish with a multiswitch, distributed through the building’s ICT communal installation, rather than individual dishes on every balcony. Each flat then chooses its own receiver and the façade stays clear.
If you want the television from your own country at home, ask us for a quote with no obligation. We check the signal from the satellites you care about at your address and tell you which dish and which receiver you actually need.