UK IPTV SOLUTIONS BRITISH TV SPAIN. XBMC ANDROID RASPBERRY PI. SUPPLIERS INTERNET TV

 
 

XBMC is a solution for more tech savvy TV fans..

Story written by Jeremy Stenton-Jones   Google+

Have spent most of this weekend reading various tutorials and stories about XBMC and Raspberry PI, in addition to trying to find a way of using XBMC over the home network using my incredibly powerful desktop PC, and have received an android and branded smart TV box from two different suppliers and will receive an Raspberry PI this week. With many customers looking for a cheap fix to the possible loss of UK TV in Spain certain options of box and or kit may require more than simply pressing the channel up and down button and whilst some computer / tech savvy and geeky types may like a more programmable type of mini PC solution the majority of our clients will find these operating systems totally different to what they are used to and some (myself included) may become incredibly frustrated by the way these things work.

All that said; we will be supplying these options but will make it very clear that over the past couple of years FILMON the main provider has been shut down several times and left many with no BBC or ITV for 2-3 days before streaming started again. Because of this we will supply all customers who purchase these solutions a written notice that when things go wrong with streaming providers who supply the content for free go offline that we as a supplier will be unable to offer any other advise other than to check on the providers website for further information.  When purchasing a XBMC compatible solution it would be a good idea to LIKE the XBMC Facebook page as you will then get regular updates from XBMC automatically to your Facebook page and you can visit the XBMC page and see what people are saying. In addition to the XBMC website you can also visit some really useful XBMC developers websites that will give you a heads up on any new additions to XBMC.

Whilst I am both totally blinkered and biased towards SKY TV in Spain I feel that it is only fair to offer all of the solutions available in order for our clients to decide for themselves what best suits the budget and technical level required by the new client.

Need some advice? Unsure? call +34 618 585 051

info@mrskytv.com

XBMC relies on Filmon, at present Filmon is not available on the Android platform and has not been available via TSMEDIA for 5 days! Hundreds of very upset clients calling a certain wholesaler that was selling these!

OK - So lets say you spend £100 on a PI with remote etc and then Filmon disappears so you have no ITV or BBC etc it is a waste of time and money.

As a supplier of UK TV in Spain for almost 12 years we are very reluctant to supply a service that relies totally on FREE content from Companies and individuals that may or may not be around next week or the week after.

If you want BBC1, ITV,CH4,CH5 etc and want a 100% reliable service XBMC is hardly the way to go. Can you imagine as a Business supplying thousands of people with XBMC and then Filmon stop broadcasting? Do a quick Google search for "Filmon stopped broadcasting" you will see that they regularly shut down the service. Could you live with that?

When the channels go off on Filmon or Notfilmon on XBMC and you have no BBC1 or ITV and the Mrs is going nuts, guess what? You cannot call anyone and complain, you cannot call anyone up and ask what is happening it is all done via the internet via chat rooms and forums. Do not think that Jamie will spend hours and hours on the phone with you when it all goes wrong either! Imagine a hundred people all loosing the TV on a Friday night! Who are they going to call?

Updates and crashing; If you go to the XBMC Facebook page have a look at how many people are complaining "EVERYDAY" about XBMC NOT performing.

If you want to see just how frustrating & difficult XBMC is, you can download it for FREE right now on your PC or laptop, you can watch Youtube tutorials on how to set everything up, you can read lots of posts n the internet and learn about downloading repositories and how to set up your XBMC. The whole process is both complicated and mind numbingly complex.

If we sell anyone a PI or similar on XBMC platform we have to ask the client to sign a TECHNICAL SUPPORT waiver form otherwise we will end up inundated with hundreds of calls every time XBMC stops working, DO NOT TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT go take a look at the XBMC Facebook page and see how many people are moaning they have no TV.

This is what XBMC has said today!

XBMC It's not our responsibility to check if addons still work. It's up to the users or developer to report if they work or not. We simply provide a platform for distribution. Also note that some plugins are geographical locked so they work in one country and not in others.

So you buy a box use XBMC and when you contact XBMC for support they tell you it is not their responsibility.

Talking of support... Who is going to support you when things go wrong like this chap?

I have Installed latest version of XBMC for ANDROID software! All loaded perfectly and the XBMC icon is on the main applications. It all starts up perfectly but when ever I try to play anything back TV or movie I keep getting message saying

"External Player Active Click OK when playback has ended"

This chap posted this on the XBMC Facebook page on 2nd December and has had "NO" reply and "NO" HELP.

Also please bear in mind that if your TV is high definition that the picture quality is pretty poor and will actually damage your eye sight as you strain your eyes, the picture is very grainy.
Before you even consider a XBMC or ANDROID type of service have a read of the language that you will need to learn by visiting the XBMC Facebook page here - "https://www.facebook.com/XBMC" If you are a Facebook user you can contact those frustrated and upset people and ask them what they think of XBMC do not take our word for it. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.


That said; If you are aged 10-40 and have an excellent knowledge of computing, have two monitors on your computer as XBMC will take over your entire screen on a PC and cannot be reduced so you are unable to watch the Youtube videos on how to set everything up and leave you unable to check e-mails etc then perhaps XBMC is for you.

This is the Youtube video "How to set up XBMC" so you can watch Emerdale or Eastenders!

Watch this video on how to configure XBMC and watch BBC1 or ITV if you think "That looks easy" then buy a Raspberry PI and hook it up to your internet and have a go.
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nNHVRBlKIY"


When you watch the video you will notice how complex being able to watch BBC1 or ITV is.

What are the alternatives then?

Hands down 100% is SKY TV, it is a GUARANTEED service, never gets shut down, easy to use etc. If you have a SKY+HD box you can connect it to the internet using a special UK ROUTER to watch BBC and ITV via the internet through your SKY+HD BOX, why SKY though? No1 "Picture quality" if you have spent €1'000 on a nice 42" LED 3D TV why would you want to hook up a $50 Raspberry PI that will provide a really poor quality picture? Also using a SKY+HD box is easy to use, easy to record with and you do not need to be technical minded. If after work you just want to flop on the couch and watch TV without having to press loads of buttons the SKY+HD box wins every time. The UK routers sell around 245 euro inc 12 month access to a UK IP address.

IPTV BOXES - Minimum 2MB internet connection required.

Our advice is a MAG-250 as it is the easiest box to use, it takes 60 seconds to set up, all you do is connect a HDMI cable to the TV, plug it in and within 60 seconds you can be watching ITV BBC CH4 CH5 etc, you can flick through the channels etc and it works just like a normal satellite receiver. The service is a "PAY" service so should anything go wrong or you have an issue you can call us up and we will get it sorted, the difference is with the MAG-250 is that "WE ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY" we provide support and we are available 7 days a week, unlike XBMC you can call us and we will help, not that the MAG-250 ever has any issues because it is a "PAY" service the provider wants you to be happy so you keep paying for the service. Unfortunately all the services on XBMC are FREE so nobody earns any money from it so do not offer any support.

In our opinion; XBMC is best left to the technical minded people as it is way too complicated for 95% of our client base.
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsVzEztwOyw"


This link above is a demonstration of the MAG-250 Box you will notice how easy it is to use compared to XBMC.

　

SATELLITE 27.5 degrees West

You can receive BBC1,2,3,4 BBCHD ITV, CH4HD and several other on 27.5 West using your existing satellite dish on the Costa del Sol, the only issue is that in order to receive these channels you will require a suitable satellite receiver with BISS keys programmed in to the box. These BISS keys (bit like pin numbers) tend to change every three or four months and may leave you without UK TV
These are the UK TV channels available using BISS keys - http://en.kingofsat.net/sat-i907.php



We can supply this service along with the box although "we cannot guarantee how quickly new BISS keys become availble when they are changed"

Our advice is this; Before you make a decision go on Youtube and watch a few XBMC videos and then watch a few MAG-250 videos and see what you think. Also talk to people that already have a MAG-250 or are using XBMC 

As XBMC relies on Filmon read this -
So Mark Camposat if Filmon gets cut off is it safe to agree that the alternatives are a bit sketchy at the moment and that nothing else exists like Filmon?

I just feel that whilst your comment of not being "bright as others" may be your opinion, I just cannot understand where or how you will get another feed to replace Filmon should they get shut down. I have been looking and searching and as far as my searches are concerned I have been unable to find a Filmon alternative.

Even though this is a "open source" and "for the love of it" set up do you not think that anyone that is relying on Filmon to watch UK TV will get the hump if they get shut down and an alternative "simples" solution cannot be found within a reasonable time? It is precisely because of the uncertainty relating to Filmon that would cause me to have sleepless nights if I was to sell a product that relied on the stream that Filmon provides.

As for the other options I very much doubt that they have the financial resources at their disposal as Alki David the owner of Filmon does, so what happens then? He has pumped millions of pounds in to Filmon and is fighting multiple court battles in the USA and the UK I suppose you could use a "PAID FOR" streaming service although you would then need to charge for the service and that would then lead in to a Telmicro style situation where you are charging for rebroadcasting albeit over the internet.

Whilst not the "brightest" of cookies at times I cannot sick my head in the sand and ignore the 11 court cases that are taking place "NOW" and I also cannot ignore the reports from Reuters, Bloomberg, etc I am however very interested in your thoughts as I am sure others are.

If you Google "Filmon court case" you can see what has been happening, including Alki David being held in contempt of court in the USA. Whilst the Filmon servers for UK TV are based in Switzerland the Business is USA registered and the British courts will have jurisdiction issues although European writs can be issued the Swiss have the final decision.

This is one way that Filmon are getting around the "re-broadcasting" legalities.

Rather than offer a retransmission, FilmOn through its Swiss-based subsidiary (FilmOn X) lets viewers control their own unique dish or micro digital antenna in order to tune into the broadcaster’s own transmission to view it in its original format. Users can also purchase these antennas which are delivered to their home and can be connected to their device by WiFi.

However, FilmOn said it “will respect a broadcaster’s control over where their content is available by ensuring the service respects international boundaries where they are already in force.”

So a bit like using a sling-box, if you have a receiver in the Country of broadcast and then watch it in a different location via the internet it appears to be OK according to the New York court case ruling regarding re-broadcasting. You can see an antenna farm below.

The good news is that it looks like everyone will be able to watch the Queens speech on Xmas day so eat, drink and be merry! Merry Xmas to everyone.