English Language Television

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  • #185315
    drbobmellen
    Member

    Can someone tell me the extent of English Language Television. Is Satelite available at a reasonable cost? Is HBO availabvle in English? Thanks much

    #185316
    Andrew
    Keymaster

    1. There is cable TV/internet service from Amnet There are hundreds of channels available and certainly dozens and dozens of English language channels which you can see at You can see their price list at

    2. Amnet’s major competitor is CableTica which you can see at And you can see their TV Guide at and the geographical areas they cover at

    3. Cable TV is NOT available in many parts of the country in which case you may need to go for Direct TV for which I can not seem to find a site.

    Scott Oliver – Founder
    WeLoveCostaRica.com

    #185317
    jmhardy
    Member

    I’ve done a lot of research into this as I have the same issue. Direct TV is available in C.R., but it’s programmed out of South America and has very little English language programming, and certainly few if any of the US TV networks.

    You can also use Dishnet down there and get a lot of the same programming you would get in the US, but you need a pretty large dish — 2.4 meter to 3 meter — to be able to receive it. If you go this route, you’re actually receiving off the same satellite that feeds the US. You don’t get ALL of the Dishnet channels, but you can get all the major networks and key channels like CNN (Regular CNN, not CNN International), etc. That dish will run you somewhere around $2000 installed (maybe a little more depending on where you are and how the dish needs to be installed) but the monthly programming AFTER that is exactly the same as what you would pay Dishnet in the US.

    #185318
    DavidCMurray
    Participant

    All the foregoing replies are accurate. You can get DirecTV Latin America from Argentina with just a few English-language channels. The cable companies, which may or may not serve your area, carry some English programming. You cannot receive DirecTV from the U.S. in Costa Rica. It’s been tried.

    In some, but not all, areas, you can receive the Dish Network signals from either satellite #119, or #110, or #61.5 (the high definition source). You can go to Dish Network’s website and see what channels are included in which programming packages and which are broadcast from which satellites. If you want the programs from two satellites, you’ll need two dishes.

    Most of the interesting programming is included in the America’s Choice 200 package plus the broadcast channels from New York City. You cannot, however, receive PBS. And you can receive the premium channels — HBO, CineMax, etc. I’m not sure about “pay-per-view”.

    Costa Rica is at the very border of where the earth’s curvature blocks the view of these satellites, so you have to check with one of the two companies providing the hardware and enrollment to see if you’re in an area that can be served.

    The larger the dish the better the reception. Dr. Dish claims that his 3.0 meter model is better than anything else on the market. SunSat says their 2.4 meter dish is as good. It’s less expensive. Both companies will provide tuners (which you can buy on e-bay), dishes, installation, and enrollment as a paying Dish Network customer.

    You’ll need a U.S. credit card account which Dish Network can debit, and a U.S. telephone number which someone will answer when Dish Network calls and say that you’re not at home. The Costa Rican vendors will provide you with a New York City physical address which you’ll need to qualify for NYC broadcast programming.

    #185319
    dognlap
    Member

    Is there any way at all to get PBS, which is half of what is good on television? It does not look like anyone offers such a service?

    #185320
    DavidCMurray
    Participant

    The only source of U.S. programming at the present time is Dish Network. DirecTV from the U.S. is not accessible in Costa Rica.

    You can get the New York City local broadcast channels from Dish Network _with_the_ exception_of_PBS_. All the local broadcast channels are carried on Dish Network’s signals across the entire spectrum of their service. That is, the NYC broadcast channels are technically available in Los Angeles, for example, but Dish Network locks out LA subscribers from seeing them. The LA subscribers get the local LA channels.

    With respect to PBS, Dish Network uses a different broadcasting technology called “spot beam”. Basically, it’s a very narrow beam that is aimed at just the local PBS market. So, for instance, the New York City PBS station’s signal is broadcast by Dish Network in a way that NYC subscribers can receive it but not (say) subscribers in Jersey City. No spot beam is aimed at Costa Rica.

    So, the short answer is “No”.

    #185321

    Amnet has the following English (or some English) language programs:

    5 CNN
    9 ESPN (Spanish)
    12 Bravo Home & Health (Span)
    18 MENU OF PROGRAMS http://www.AmnetCable.com
    22 Cosmo (movies)
    25 AXN
    27 Universal
    28 Animal Channel (Eng/Span)
    30 MTV
    31 Sony Entertainment
    32 E News
    40 CineMax
    41 HBO
    42 CineCanal
    43 Fox
    44 WB
    45 Hallmark
    46 Discovery (Spanish & English)
    47 A&E (Spanish)
    48 People/Arts
    58 Travel & Living (Spanish)
    59 Euro . . . (British)
    61 HGTV
    62 Food Channel
    63 CNN
    64 CNBC
    65 HGTV (English & Spanish)
    68 ESPN
    69 ABC
    70 CBS
    71 NBC
    72 VA
    73 Fox News
    75 FX
    76 Arts
    77 TNT
    98 MP

    Last time I checked (over a year ago before I moved), CABLETICA had:
    3 Cinecanal (movies
    5 WB
    12 SCHEDULE/TIME
    14 Fox
    15 HBO
    16 CineMax
    17 Sony (old sitcoms/dramas) – Mon. 10pm Joan Arcadia
    23 CBS
    24 TNT
    25 Headline News/HN
    26 ESPN (Spanish)
    28 A&E
    29 Animal Planet (Spanish)
    30 Hallmark (old dramas)
    31 Disney Kids (Spanish)
    32 E
    35 Universal (old dramas/movies)
    36 AXN (old movies)
    38 Speed (old sports, Sitcoms)
    41 Travel Living (pm) / Music,
    43 Exclusive (some English?)
    52 Fox News
    54 CNN
    58 NBC / CNBC
    59 FOOD TV
    60 HGTV
    61 MTV
    62 Nuevo – Latin Music?
    64 TBN Spanish?
    70 ABC
    71 Shows City Views

    Vicki – The List Making Junkie!

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