direct tv/ dish network in the UK??

[skillz2fx]

IS THERE ANYWAY THAT I CAN RECEIVE DIRECT TV OR ANY OTHER US SAT TV IN THE UK? i'M CURRENTLY STATIONED IN THE UK AND I'M GOING CRAZY CUZ I CAN'T WATCH "REAL" TV. ALL I NEED TO KNOW IS WHAT I NEED TO BUY!!! THANKS IN ADVANCE.

[scooper]

NO !! AND QUIT SHOUTING !! Your "problem" is that even the DirectTv slot (101w) is below the horizon from London.

[Jacob S]

Maybe you can rent it on dvd's or buy the tapes.

[MarkA]

Get Sky Digital. It has a better channel and programming selection than the American DirecTV or DISH Network. I wish I could get it here. It has many American programs on many of the channels.

Update - In case it helps you I looked up the Sky channel lineups for digital service:

Here is the Family Pack at £16/month

Family Pack

Entertainment

Sky One (Sky One Eire)
UK Gold
UK Gold 2
Living
Granada Plus
Challenge?
Bravo
Paramount Comedy
Sci-Fi Channel
Discovery Home & Leisure
Discovery Home & Leisure + 1hr
Granada Men & Motors
Sky Travel
UK Style
UK Style +
UK Drama
Hallmark
QVC
E4
Play UK
UK Food
ITV2
Discovery Health

Sport Channels

Sky Sports News
British Eurosport
British Eurosportnews

News and Documentaries

Discovery Channel
Discovery + 1hr
Discovery Travel & Adventure
Discovery Sci-Trek
Discovery Wings
Discovery Civilisation
Discovery Animal Planet
Discovery Animal Planet + 1hr
National Geographic
National Geographic + 1hr
Adventure One
The History Channel
The History Channel + 1hr
Biography
UK Horizons
UK Horizons + 1hr
Sky News Active (Sky News Eire)
Bloomberg
CNBC
Fox News

Music and Radio

MTV
MTV Base
MTV Hits
VH1
VH1 Classic
MTV2
MTV Dance
The Box
Kiss
Q
Music Choice (10 Channels)
Kerrrang!
Smash Hits
Magic
The Saint
Big Blue
TalkSPORT
Villain
Rampage

Kids

Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network Plus
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon Replay
Nickelodeon Junior
Fox Kids
Fox Kids + 1hr
Discovery Kids
Trouble

Nonsubscription channels

BBC1
BBC2
BBC Choice
BBC News 24
BBC Parliament
BBC Four
CBBC
Cbeebies
CNN
Channel 4 plus S4C and S4C2
Channel 5
BBC (Radio 1-3, 4FM and LW, 5 Live, 5 Live Sports Extra, World Service, Radio Scotland, Radio Wales, Radio Ulster, Asian Network
Classic FM
Classic Gold
The Mix
Planet Rock
Core
Virgin Radio
Capital Gold
Xfm
Youthfm.com
Heart FM
WRN Euro Max

If you subscribe to Sky World + Family at £37/month, add:

Sky World

Movies

Sky Premier (5 screens)
Sky Movie Max (5 screens)
Sky Cinema (2 screens)
Disney Channels

Sport

Sky Sports 1
Sky Sports 2
Sky Sports 3
Sky Sports Extra

[scooper]

Sky Digital looks like a pretty good deal to me.. most of those were the "American" TV channels the original poster was asking about.

[MarkA]

Oh it is. Sky World + Family works out to about $60, and while you get less channels than you would here for that, IMHO, you get a lot better programming selection because you get most of the American shows, and you also get all the excellent European shows which that guy should give a chance...

[skillz2fx]

I did give it a chance and European programming is not that good. And the American shows that your speaking about are all old and at least one season behind. The only thing that is new and up to date on Sky is CNN. Also the movie channels are all old movies as well. And as for the sports channels, all they play is soccer, cricket, and sometimes rugby. I guess you would have to see it for yourself and make your own opinion. I'm just stating the facts.

[MarkA]

"I did give it a chance and European programming is not that good."

I think some of it is excellent

"And the American shows that your speaking about are all old and at least one season behind."

Most shows are a season behind, yes

"And as for the sports channels, all they play is soccer, cricket, and sometimes rugby."

All I like to watch is football, football, and sometimes football (in case you don't know, the proper name for soccer is football - we just call it soccer because we have another game named football)

"I guess you would have to see it for yourself and make your own opinion."

I have, many times, when staying with relatives over there. Especially now with the digital service, it's great. IMHO, far better than what we get here in America

If that's not your opinion, there is a small bit of hope:

You're not (AFAIK) below the horizon for 61.5 degrees west (Sky Angel, DISH Network HD, internationals, some PPV).

BUT, you are out of the footprint.

BUT, within a few years, you may NOT be out of the footprint, as Sky Angel plans on putting up another satellite with a footprint aimed at portions of Europe and Africa. I belive this will include the UK, so you'll be able to receive America (and AFAIK, the world)'s largest Christian TV service. But that's not yet.

[PeterB]

And its "Christian" TV. So unless he gets "Born Again" i doubt it will be of interest. :D

[johnsmith22]

I think "when in Rome do as the Romans do" applies here, I would love to be able to get UK news programmes like BBC World and Sky News whnever I want to watch them but they arn't available on Dish 24 hours a day so its tough luck! Be thankful for small mercies that Sky provide a large quantity of US originated programming, a much larger proportion than the proportion of UK programming you will find on Dish.