Questions for non-US posters

[danielson]

What kind of cable or satellite do you guys get on your TVs? Do you get HBO? How many of them? Hi-def tv? Do you get popular American shows like American Idol in your country? I have always wondered these things. Also, are big screen TVs expensive where you are from? Pretty common for people to have them?

[CalvinH]

Thats some question

[danielson]

Thats some question

I pluraled it!

[AVBG]

in Sydney Australia we get cable/sat. from foxtel, approximately 50 channels.. we dont get hbo but usually get all the popular shows including idol. big screens are popular and decent brands start from $2k

[danielson]

in Sydney Australia we get cable/sat. from foxtel, approximately 50 channels.. we dont get hbo but usually get all the popular shows including idol. big screens are popular and decent brands start from $2k

50 channels? How you gonna find something good with only 50 channels? They jip you guys down under.

[AVBG]

50 channels? How you gonna find something good with only 50 channels? They jip you guys down under.

totally jip'd.. cable only arrived mid 90's here.. We have a great climate here and in my house we dont watch alot of tv anyway.. prefer to be outside. .

[danielson]

totally jip'd.. cable only arrived mid 90's here.. We have a great climate here and in my house we dont watch alot of tv anyway.. prefer to be outside. .

Climate here is good too, just not where I live

[Diesel1]

"What kind of cable or satellite do you guys get on your TVs?"

We have both cable and satellite, which you have to pay for. Satellite is probably the most popular/common of the two. I have niether  

By what kind, do you mean programming? It's pretty much the same shit you guys get. MTV, Discovery, SciFi, various film channels, news channels, sports and hundreds of other mindless drivel channels.

Most people just get by with the five terrestrial channels BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Which are all free and generally very good. British telly i would say is without a doubt the best in the world.

Don't get me wrong! Some American programmes can be the best things on television. But not many. On the whole, British telly is much, much better.  

Do you get HBO?

We don't get HBO as a channel, but we do get some programmes from HBO such as The Sopranos and Rome. Infact Rome was a jointly produced programme between teh BBC and HBO.

How many of them?

How many of what?

Do you get popular American shows like American Idol in your country?

Yes. Whatever is really popular over there, will generally end up over here.

I have to say that American Idol was first done over here (Pop Idol it was called) with Cowell and some other tossers, before Cowell took it over to you guys. Your version is much better. It's still shit, but better than our shit  

Hi-def tv?

Only on some selected channels. There's more HD channels on satellite, which you've got to pay through the nose for (morons lol). Cable shows some HD content, which again cost a fucking bomb. There's no HD on terrestrial or freeview (yet).


Also, are big screen TVs expensive where you are from?

Well i suppose just like in the US or anywhere else, you get what you pay for and the prices vary.

I guess a decent flat screen would set you back at least 7 or 8 hundred quid (£) at a minimum. Then upto 2 to 3 thousand.

I don't really know because i can't see the point in buying one while so little content is actually broadcast in HD. A non HD picture on a flat screen is fucking horendous and not worth watching.

It doesn't stop the fucking braindead, bastard sheeple morons from going out and buying these useless fucking telly's though does it!!!!

Pretty common for people to have them?

Yes. Most places have stopped selling CRT televisions now and only sell HD ready flat screens.

[danielson]

Thanks Diesel. I meant how many HBOs? Like we get 12 of them, 10 Cinemax, 14 Starz etc.

[benz]

What kind of cable or satellite do you guys get on your TVs? Do you get HBO? How many of them? Hi-def tv? Do you get popular American shows like American Idol in your country? I have always wondered these things. Also, are big screen TVs expensive where you are from? Pretty common for people to have them?

Analog cable switching to digital right now - For open tv, government is still deciding but it seems we are gonna take the euro norm since my country is run by socialists AND THEY MAST PAY BACK NOW, you know, they leeched enough food & money from euro back when they were terrorists and had to escape from chile.

Normal cable is about 60 chans? then the "premium" ones ...100 or so i guess but as anywhere else, only 10 are really worth.

Yes we get american idiot lol

Yes very expensive but since we live in a DEMOCRACY all of the majority (poors) are allowed to have a cc and live in debt.

[CalvinH]

in Sydney Australia we get cable/sat. from foxtel, approximately 50 channels.. we dont get hbo but usually get all the popular shows including idol. big screens are popular and decent brands start from $2k

Only 50 channels

[headhuntersix]

When i was stationed in Afghanistan we got our cable through satelite from Pakistan. Most of the channels were from the UAE. Alot of European music channels...ESPN Europe and HBO Asia which edits their crap and has commercials.

[Faust]

In belgium almost everybody has cable. We don't have that much channels though. (Maybe 6 decent ones, and like a couple for music, a "woman" channel, ...). And then a german channel, a spanish one, a french one, like from every country one or two channels.

Most of the good american series are bought and aired here on commercial channels, but later than in the US. (Like sopranos, lost, the wire, ...). I was practically raised on american shows (fresh prince, simpsons, friends, ...). Usually it's more the youth that watches this stuff.

Now i have digital tv, and i pay a bit extra for some sport channels, and they show a lot of american sports as well (NHL, NBA, NFL). I've been watching NFL and i like it. For sure i'll watch the superbowl.

Widescreen tv's etc. it's the same as in the US i think.

The immigrants (mostly turcks and morrocans) usually have a sattelite and watch programs from the "homeland".

[benz]

In belgium almost everybody has cable. We don't have that much channels though. (Maybe 6 decent ones, and like a couple for music, a "woman" channel, ...). And then a german channel, a spanish one, a french one, like from every country one or two channels.

Most of the good american series are bought and aired here on commercial channels, but later than in the US. (Like sopranos, lost, the wire, ...). I was practically raised on american shows (fresh prince, simpsons, friends, ...). Usually it's more the youth that watches this stuff.

Now i have digital tv, and i pay a bit extra for some sport channels, and they show a lot of american sports as well (NHL, NBA, NFL). I've been watching NFL and i like it. For sure i'll watch the superbowl.

Widescreen tv's etc. it's the same as in the US i think.

The immigrants (mostly turcks and morrocans) usually have a sattelite and watch programs from the "homeland".

You forgot to say the government pay them the tv, leechers!

[Faust]

You forgot to say the government pay them the tv, leechers!

Nah. Governement money is spent on feeding the dozen or something kids.
TVs and cars etc. are usually stolen.
 

jk

[smaul]

In belgium almost everybody has cable. We don't have that much channels though. (Maybe 6 decent ones, and like a couple for music, a "woman" channel, ...). And then a german channel, a spanish one, a french one, like from every country one or two channels.

Most of the good american series are bought and aired here on commercial channels, but later than in the US. (Like sopranos, lost, the wire, ...). I was practically raised on american shows (fresh prince, simpsons, friends, ...). Usually it's more the youth that watches this stuff.

Now i have digital tv, and i pay a bit extra for some sport channels, and they show a lot of american sports as well (NHL, NBA, NFL). I've been watching NFL and i like it. For sure i'll watch the superbowl.

Widescreen tv's etc. it's the same as in the US i think.

The immigrants (mostly turcks and morrocans) usually have a sattelite and watch programs from the "homeland".

Faust, where in Belgium are you at?  I'm in Antwerp.

The real local Belgian tv sucks big donkey dicks.  The channels that show foreign shows are decent.  I used to live in England and I agree with Diesel that British tv is quite possibly the best in the world.... on average.

[Faust]

Faust, where in Belgium are you at?  I'm in Antwerp.

The real local Belgian tv sucks big donkey dicks.  The channels that show foreign shows are decent.  I used to live in England and I agree with Diesel that British tv is quite possibly the best in the world.... on average.

Oost-Vlaanderen.

You are right that a lot of the belgian series and shows are trash. But there are some good docus now and then or some halfwhat entertaining/funny shows. Plus we get the best american shows and some good britisch series sometimes. It's not worse than in other countries i think.

I don't watch that much tv anyway so i'm not an expert.

[JasonH]

"What kind of cable or satellite do you guys get on your TVs?"

We have both cable and satellite, which you have to pay for. Satellite is probably the most popular/common of the two. I have niether  

By what kind, do you mean programming? It's pretty much the same shit you guys get. MTV, Discovery, SciFi, various film channels, news channels, sports and hundreds of other mindless drivel channels.

Most people just get by with the five terrestrial channels BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Which are all free and generally very good. British telly i would say is without a doubt the best in the world.

Don't get me wrong! Some American programmes can be the best things on television. But not many. On the whole, British telly is much, much better.  

Do you get HBO?

We don't get HBO as a channel, but we do get some programmes from HBO such as The Sopranos and Rome. Infact Rome was a jointly produced programme between teh BBC and HBO.

How many of them?

How many of what?

Do you get popular American shows like American Idol in your country?

Yes. Whatever is really popular over there, will generally end up over here.

I have to say that American Idol was first done over here (Pop Idol it was called) with Cowell and some other tossers, before Cowell took it over to you guys. Your version is much better. It's still shit, but better than our shit  

Hi-def tv?

Only on some selected channels. There's more HD channels on satellite, which you've got to pay through the nose for (morons lol). Cable shows some HD content, which again cost a fucking bomb. There's no HD on terrestrial or freeview (yet).


Also, are big screen TVs expensive where you are from?

Well i suppose just like in the US or anywhere else, you get what you pay for and the prices vary.

I guess a decent flat screen would set you back at least 7 or 8 hundred quid (£) at a minimum. Then upto 2 to 3 thousand.

I don't really know because i can't see the point in buying one while so little content is actually broadcast in HD. A non HD picture on a flat screen is fucking horendous and not worth watching.

It doesn't stop the fucking braindead, bastard sheeple morons from going out and buying these useless fucking telly's though does it!!!!

Pretty common for people to have them?

Yes. Most places have stopped selling CRT televisions now and only sell HD ready flat screens.

Good answers Diesel - I love it when Americans ask questions to Brits what it's like in the UK.

I get asked where I come from whenever I'm in the States - I say I live near Birmingham and they say they've never heard of it except for Birmingham, Alabama. Then they ask if it's near London as if we can walk down the street to it. Then they proceed to tell me they have relatives in the UK and ask if I know them.