HOW TO RECEIVE ITALIAN TIVUSAT SATELLITE TV IN UK A COMPLETE GUIDE

Here at the Satshop can supply all of the latest Italian Tivusat Satellite Receivers from the new Xoro HD box to the 4K Opentel Tivusat receiver.

All of our Tivù Sat Receivers come with an Activated Viewing Card!

No Extra Cost!

No Codice Fiscale Required or Italian Address Needed

If you already have a satellite dish pointing to the Hotbird Satellite we’ll either set the box up for you prior to despatch or guide you through the complete setting up process with you over the phone.

In fact we prefer to guide you through setting up your new Tivusat Box to make sure everything is working correctly and you’re all set to enjoy watching Italian TV.

I also enjoy a good chat over an Espresso as well 🙂

If you do not already have a Satellite Dish then we have a Nationwide Database of Engineers that we have hand chosen and completely trust to ensure that they provide an excellent installation service at a reasonable price. Our reputation is only as good as the engineers we recommend so We Only Recommend The Best.

How to Watch Italian TV via Satellite in the UK

Updated 15/03/2021

Italian Satellite TV is very easy to receive in the UK. All you need is an official Tivusat Satellite Box and Card and a Satellite Dish looking at the Hotbird Satellite at 13º East.

What Size Satellite Dish do I need for Italian Satellite TV?

For most of the UK we recommend an 80cm Satellite Dish. In the South of England if an 80cm Dish is too big then you can use a slightly smaller 65cm dish but you may find that in bad weather such as heavy rain you may lose the signal.

What Direction Do I Need to Point a Dish to Receive Italian TV?

Italian Satellite channels are transmitted from the Hotbird Satellite. Hotbird is in fact a cluster of satellites all in the same orbital position that broadcasts over a thousand different channels all over Europe.

Hotbird it located at 13º East of South. Basically if you face directly South (The point were the Sun is at its highest point during the day is a good indication) then move slightly 13º to the East or Left if you’re facing South. Then that is the direction the satellite dish needs to point. Another reference is Hotbird is not quite as far round as English Sky Dishes which point at 28º East. So a good guide is somewhere between South and a Sky dish if you have a neighbour that has one.

What Satellite Receiver do I Need to Watch Italian TV

In the old Analogue and to some extent Digital days it was possible to receive Italian National Channels such as Rai1 Rai2 Canale5 etc with pretty much any satellite box or receiver.

In 2009 RAI merged with MEDIASET and Telecom Italia Media to form Tivù Sat.

Tivù Sat is a completely Free to Air service and provides over 40 National Italian TV Channels such a Rai Canale5 LA7 etc with no subscriptions or extra cost. With the launch came a wide selection of official Tivù Sat satellite receivers. These are now by far the best satellite receivers to purchase as they are designed specifically for Italian TV.

Tivù Satellite receivers are easy to set up and install and will automatically update any change of channel frequency without you having to do anything or even know it’s happened.

We supply a wide range of Italian Tivusat Satellite receivers from manufacturers such as Humax Telesystems Fuba Opentel Digiquest and Xoro.

Do I Need a Tivù Sat Viewing Card?

Tivù Sat satellite receivers come with a Tivù Sat Viewing Card. The viewing card needs to be activated in order to view the channels. Despite the channels being Free if you do not activate the viewing card you will not be able to gain access to the full range of Tivusat Channels.

How Do I Activate my Tivù Sat Viewing Card?

Tivù Sat viewing cards have to be registered to an Italian address and Codice Fiscale number. To activate the viewing card the satellite receiver needs to be plugged in and connected to a working satellite dish. Then the registration can be done on the Tivù Sat website.

Do You Activate my Tivù Sat Viewing Card for Me?

YES! We Activate All of our Tivù Sat Viewing Cards for you prior to despatch. We do not need your Codice Fiscale Number or Address as our Italian Supplier does it all for us.

Unlike Other Retailers We Do Not Charge Extra For Card Activations.

Of course if you prefer to use your own details that’s fine as well. Just let us know and we can either activate the card for you or talk you through the process.

Can I Use My TV Instead of a Satellite Receiver for Italian TV?

If you have a TV with a build in Satellite TV Tuner then it is possible to still view Italian Tivù Sat  without the need to use a stand alone Satellite set top box. You will need to check that the TV has what is called a CI or CAM Module which is a slot usually located on the side of your TV. Almost all TVs have a CI Slot.

You will then require a Tivù Sat CAM (Conditional Access Module) and Viewing Card. Both the CAM and Card slot into your TV and will then unlock and decode the Italian Channels for you. Of course the Viewing Card still needs to be activated which we do for you and you still require a satellite dish pointing towards the Hotbird Satellite.

What Tivù Sat Satellite Channels Will I Be Able to Watch?

Over 40 Italian satellite Channels are available via TivuSAT. Here is just a selection of the most popular :-

Rai 1 
Rai 2 
Rai 3
Rai 4
Rai 5 
Rai Movie 
Rai Premium 
Rai News 24 
Rai Storia 
Rai Sport 
Rai Gulp 
Rai YoYo 
Rai Scuola 
Canale 5
Italia 1
Mediaset Italia 2
Rete 4
La5
La7
TV2000

These are just a selection of what is available and what’s more you will have access to lots of Italian Radio Stations and if you want other languages from Europe it is possible to receive channels from other countries as well.

What If I Want to Watch Sky Italia?

Sky Italia is a Pay TV Service much the same as Sky UK. Although Sky Italia transmits from the same Hotbird Satellite as Tivù Sat you will require an Official Sky Italia satellite receiver and take out a subscription to view the channels. Italian Tivusat satellite receivers are Not compatible with Sky italia. The process of setting up a Sky Italia account in the UK is a little more complicated but we are able to supply and set up Sky Italia for you.

If you wish to view Sky Italia we can arrange two different options for your subscription. One is via a monthly subscription directly to Sky Italia via Bank Transfer. For this method you will require your Italian Tax Code, a copy of id such as Identity Card or Passport and an Italian Bank Card for monthly payments.

If you are unable to produce these details we are able to provide a complete paid for package that lasts a year. This requires the full subscription to be paid in advance but does not require Italian details.

Much like Sky UK Sky Italia provide many packages including Sports and Movies. Please contact us for package pricing.

It is important to note that Sky Italia as is Tivù Sat is for domestic purposes only and must not be used in commercial premises such as bars cafes pubs or hotels.

Can You Help With Italian Satellite TV Dish Installation?

If you are moving house or starting a new installation then we can help with a satellite installer to install a satellite dish for you and set everything up for you.

If you’re an existing customer you will already know me but if you are a new customer my name is Andy and for 26 years Years I worked for The Satellite Shop in Tunbridge Wells Kent. In those 26 years years I have made friends with hundreds of Italian customers that I have helped with installing and looking after their Italian TV for them.

If you live in Kent Sussex London or Essex then I will put you in touch with one of our old installers from The Satellite Shop that I can not recommend enough for their service.

If you live anywhere else in the country then I have a hand picked list of Installers that I personally recommend and trust to look after you. I only use installers that are experienced and trust worthy. After all my reputation relies on them as well.

What If I Can’t Have A Satellite Dish?

In some circumstances it is not possible to install a satellite dish. This may be because you live in an apartment block or you have trees or another obstruction that blocks the satellite signal. What can you do then?

In these situations it may be possible to stream the channels via an IPTV box which provides Italian Satellite TV without a Dish. The problem with IPTV devices for Italian TV is that the service is not provided by Tivusat and thus is not official and as such may not be as reliable.

It is possible to source IPTV boxes for Italian Channels but only the Free Channels nothing that is Subscription Based or Pay to View. Italian Tivusat Satellite Receivers are always our 1st and preferred choice but if you have no other choice please contact us to see if any other options are available.

I hope my guide has been of some use to you but of course if you have any questions or queries we would love to here from you.

Just call 0333 006 4588 or email andy@satshop.uk

Or click the contact us button below and fill out the online form .

Regards Andy SATSHOP