British Expatriate Network

Looks like we're off back to the US in a few months.

One of the big things that hindered me in settling there last time was the lack of British TV (BBC America is NOT a substitute!), but I think I've come up with a fairly ingenious solution... I'm thinking of buying a Slingbox, connecting it up at my mum's place in London, and then using that to get British TV (the one they sell in the UK has a built-in Freeview tuner). Means I can get all the BBC and ITV channels, plus a few others, over the internet.

Has anyone had any experience with the Slingbox, specifically, how well it works internationally?

http//forums.british-expats.com/viewtopic.php?t=21503&highlight=slingbox

http//forums.british-expats.com/viewtopic.php?t=20797&highlight=slingbox

Here's a couple of old threads that might help.

I have a work colleague and his father lives in hong Kong, he has a slingbox fri his father to watch all the baseball games (god knows why) and it works pretty well.

So what British TV are you desperately jonesing for?

I'm not sure I could live without my regular doses of Doctor Who, Life On Mars, Top Gear, QI, Buzzcocks, Later With Jools Holland and Eastenders.

Still, there's always torrent sites and Amazon.co.uk - the second series of Life On Mars came out on DVD a couple of days after the series finished. :)

I am in with RussinNJ here lol

Have thought about getting it for my sister so I can watch Brit TV and sky lol

MMMM get a life perhaps.
go out sometimes enjoy some of the things life here has to offer .

I miss some of the things i did and enjoyed in back in the UK of course.
but i wouldnt let a few tv programs be the premium to decide where I should live .

Sky TV? The network that's mainly american imports?

/perhaps I'm missing the point

The UK version of the Slingbox contains a Freeview tuner, so you can get most of the main channels straight off the bat without having to worry about Sky, etc. The only problem is that, at the moment, there's no way to record from a Slingbox - you have to watch what it transmits live. So, on the east coast, you'd have to be around at 2.30pm/3pm to watch Eastenders (fine if you've got teh intarwebs at work though). :lol:

Nevertheless, if/when we move back, we're leaving a Slingbox with my mum for when we just can't do without British TV! :D

And yep, Sky has all the US imports, but with about half the ad breaks! :lol:

Just an update to anyone who's interested... I've got the Slingbox up and running now, and it works GREAT! It was a bit of a hassle to set up, in regards to router and firewall settings, and also installing the right remote control codes for the Sky box at my mum's house, but, now that's done, it's brilliant. The picture's great, you've got an on-screen Sky remote, and it's even acceptable quality when viewed at full-screen. I thoroughly recommend it, and I shall be using it rather a lot after the move (10 days to go).

Don't you hvae to watch what your Mums watching? Get ready for Songs of Praise and endless gardening shows. )

Very cool Russ - tempted to do something like that myself although probably not until some sort of DVR facility is included.

Be useful just for sports events that get blacked out over here and then they expect you to drive 70 miles and pay $20 cover charge to watch.

There's more QI, Mitchell and Webb Look, Room 101, Buzzcocks and stuff like that on youtube than you can possible get through. Watching Sean Lock and Bill Bailey on QI kept me sane in the US. As did just watching stand-up of Ross Noble, Rhod Gilbert, Tommy Tiernan and stuff like that.

I saw Sean Lock years ago on Newman & Baddiel and live when they toured to Plymouth. Wondered what he was up to lately.

Yeah Sean Lock does all the comedy panel shows. It seems he and Frankie Boyle are never off tv.