Two different ways of receiving television
When somebody says “the TV aerial”, they usually mean the terrestrial one: that arrangement of elements on a mast pointing at a transmitter. A satellite dish is something else entirely, a reflector aimed at the sky, at a satellite roughly 36,000 km above the equator.
Both let you watch television, but they are not interchangeable. Each receives different broadcasts and answers a different need. This article explains how each one works and when a dish is worth fitting. If you have already made up your mind, go straight to our TV aerials and satellite dishes service.
How a TV aerial works
Spanish digital terrestrial television is broadcast from transmitters and relays spread across the country, in the UHF band. Since the second digital dividend in 2020, it occupies the lower part of that band and the 700 MHz band went to mobile services.
The aerial picks that signal up and carries it down coaxial cable to the aerial points. Depending on the building there will be a masthead amplifier or a programmable head-end unit, and often an LTE/5G filter to keep mobile signals from interfering.
With a properly aimed aerial you get the free national and regional channels. It is the basic option and it is enough for most households.
How a satellite dish works
A dish has three main parts:
- The reflector: its parabolic shape concentrates the satellite signal at a single point, the focus.
- The LNB: sitting at the focus, it receives the signal in the Ku band, around 10.7 to 12.75 GHz, amplifies it and converts it to a frequency that can travel down coaxial cable.
- The receiver: it decodes the signal and puts it on the television. Some televisions have one built in.
Aiming has to be very precise. A few millimetres out and the signal is gone, which is why alignment is done with a satellite field meter rather than by eye.
The key differences
| Aspect | TV aerial | Satellite dish |
|---|---|---|
| Where the signal comes from | Terrestrial transmitters | Geostationary satellites |
| Channels | Free national, regional and local | International, themed, pay platforms |
| Effect of terrain | High: hills and buildings get in the way | Low: it just needs a clear view of the satellite |
| Effect of weather | Little | Very heavy rain can interrupt it briefly |
| Equipment needed | Aerial, amplification, cable, aerial points | Dish, LNB, cable and a satellite receiver |
| Aiming | At the transmitter | At a specific orbital position |
What a dish really gives you
Channels from other countries
This is its great advantage. Satellites such as Astra 19.2° E carry many free-to-air channels from Germany, Austria and France, and Hispasat 30° W carries Spanish and Portuguese content. For foreign residents on the Costa Daurada, it is the most direct way to watch television from home. If that is you, we go into it properly in how to watch international channels.
It does not care about the terrain
In farmhouses, remote estates or valleys where terrestrial signal arrives weak, a dish can be the only way to get stable reception. All it needs is a clear view of the sky towards the satellite, with no trees or buildings in the way.
Picture quality
Many satellite channels broadcast in high definition and some in UHD. Spanish terrestrial television has also moved on in HD, but the choice in high quality by satellite is wider.
Pay platforms
Some pay television platforms are distributed by satellite, with their own equipment and card.
Limitations worth knowing about
- It does not replace the terrestrial aerial in most cases: the free Spanish channels come terrestrially; the dish is an addition.
- Heavy rain: a downpour attenuates satellite signal and can cause brief drop-outs.
- Wind: a dish catches the wind, and if it is not anchored well it drifts off aim.
- Every television needs its own receiver, or a proper distribution system, a multiswitch or Unicable, if you want satellite in several rooms.
- In a block of flats the signal needs distributing through the building’s ICT communal installation, instead of every household hanging a dish off the façade.
When a dish is worth it
It is worth it if:
- You want channels from another country in their original language.
- Terrestrial signal reaches your home badly and a good aerial and amplification will not fix it.
- You subscribe to a platform that broadcasts by satellite.
- You manage holiday lets with international guests.
It is not worth it if:
- You only watch the national and regional channels: a properly installed TV aerial is all you need.
- Your problem is a pixelating terrestrial picture caused by interference or a failed amplifier. That is fixed in the terrestrial installation, and TV aerials and satellite dishes explains how.
Dishes in houses and in blocks of flats
In a house the job is straightforward: a dish on the roof or a wall, cable to the receiver and, if there are several televisions, a multiswitch.
In a block, the sensible answer is a communal dish built into the building’s ICT installation, feeding satellite signal to every flat over the same cabling as the terrestrial signal. That keeps the façade clear of dishes, which is often regulated by the association’s statutes or by local by-laws anyway.
And here on the Tarragona coast?
In towns like Salou and Cambrils, home to residents of many nationalities, dishes are everywhere. Two technical details cannot be ignored here: salt air, which corrodes connectors and brackets unless the right materials are used, and wind, which means the mast has to be fixed properly.
If you are torn between improving your TV aerial and fitting a dish, ask us for a quote with no obligation. We measure the signal at your home and tell you which option makes sense for what you want to watch.