Watching 2 independent film channels via satellite

Hallo,

I am buying Satellite this weekend and I have found some info about two channels I would like to have..

Anyone have experience (if yes than, from which satellite and for how much?) with receiving any of this two channels here in Munich?:

1.The Independent Film Channel (www.ifctv.com)

- The first channel to break away from the box office formulas and feature riveting independent movies, documentaries, animation, shorts, exclusive originals, and coverage of all the major independent film festivals. 24 hours a day; all unedited and commercial free.

&

2.Sundance Channel (www.sundancechannel.com)

- A channel devoted to the spirit of the film festival of the same name; The Sundance Channel is the TV network of independent film in the U.S.. The Sundance Channel is part of the Showtime networks, and is available on all major satellite providers. Sundance provides a number of great films that are unlikely to be seen on other channels and this included documentary films. Every Monday night they premiere a new documentary film. If you live in a area with limited access to independent films, this Channel can be your belated life-line to the world of documentary films. Highly recommend for all type of films including docs.

Or can someone advice another; similiar Satellite Channel ? Arte is in French and German only, isn't it?

some related links:

http://www.films42.com/links/links.asp#INDEPENDENT

http://www.documentaryfilms.net/television.html
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/1-25-2006-87322.asp
http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/program...sp?NetwID=50217
http://www.lyngsat-address.com/gk/IFC-Inde...lm-channel.html
http://www.lyngsat-address.com/ss/Sundance-Channel.html

http://www.satellite911.com/html/channels.htm
http://www.plugincinema.com/plugin/useful_links/

no clue about getting them- but i love those channels! watch them heaps back home!

Those channels feature on DirectTV and Dish networks in the US along with many cable networks. Your own links describe the satellite parameters - none with any illimunation over Europe, I'm afraid. In other words, no chance of getting them on any satellite system here. ARTE is French and German, so no help there.

FilmFour comes close to your needs for offbeat movies, but that's part of the Sky offering, so costs much more money, requires a subscription and is unlikely to be available on any locally bought equipment, unless Grinner is involved. A quick search of this forum will provide information on what can be received here, which for English language material is limited to mainly UK resourced services. With the exception of AFN (only for bona-fide military and consular officials, although there are back-doors), there are no US channels in the 'pure' sense available here...

thanks for quick and informative answear YorkshireLad6...
what a pity! those channels seems to be so great ! anyway; thing good is that there are still
some alternatives:
Missing Image - http://www.toytowngermany.com/munich/missing_image.html
&
FilmFour (thanks for the tip)..

P.S.: Can you desribe what do you mean by "back-doors" ? :-)

just a rumour, but i have heard that filmfour maybe going free to air. cant confirm though...

that rumour has been floating around for ages Gideon. They reckon they make more money on the advertising due to increased viewers than they recieve on the subscription if they go free-to-air. The timing will be dictated by their current contracts with Sky.

What YL6 means is that there are folk leaving the military/embassy and illegal selling off their subscriptions.

but i think they mean it this time, there was an interview in "broadcast" magazine about it. i go t the e-mail not the interview though...

It isn't rumor anymore. The termin is known already.. This is what I have found on their
webpage:

___________________________________________________________________________

Changes at FilmFour

We are going free-to-air, this means the new FilmFour service will soon be available to everyone with digital TV

When will FilmFour go free-to-air?
July 2006.

Why is FilmFour going free-to-air?
It is Channel 4's ambition to widen its digital offering, so that a greater range of programming is available within digital homes.

Over the years we have developed a strong and valuable film channel, which we feel should be available to as wide an audience as possible. We are therefore making it available to everyone with digital TV.

I’m currently a FilmFour subscriber, what happens now?
Nothing, FilmFour continues as a subscription channel until July 2006 and you will continue to receive all your FilmFour channel(s) in the same way.

Will it still cost the same until July?
Yes. It will stay at £7 a month for Sky digital subscribers and £6 a month for other providers.

When will I stop paying?
The channel will stop being a paid-for channel in July 2006. You will continue with your normal subscription payments until then.

How will I be informed about the change?
All FilmFour subscribers will be informed by their digital TV provider. If you have any specific queries relating to your billing then contact your digital TV Provider.

From that same website:
This might mean it's not actually Free-to-Air" in the accepted sense, but actually "Free-to-View", i.e soft-scrambled and needing a Sky Digibox and suitable Freesat card...

but wouldn't this mean that they WILL be broadcast in the clear?

technically yes as FTA and FTV are two specific terms used to avoid confusion. but it could FTV without really being a problem to any viewers.

we could play the broadcast delivery abreviation game...

PPV
PPC
IPPV
VOD
NVOD
FTA
FTV
DTH
DTT

etc etc

I'm not disputing it's highly likely, but it is by no means certain when they mention FreeSat which might imply soft encryption. For folks in the UK who all have subsidised Digiboxes and FreeSat cards as pretty much the only alternative to Sky on Satellite, they think that Channel 4/five are "free-to-air" (because the pay no sub) when we all know they are not free to air in the accepted sense that any old digital satellite receiver can receive them.

i see what you mean. I just assumed that together with the rest of the sentence it meant that it was FTV in the real sense, ie also available to people with non-sky digital boxes. (ie "We are going free-to-air, this means the new FilmFour service will soon be available to everyone with digital TV").