The Sky Doctor Frequently Asked Questions

Questions and answers to common questions about our services.

Below you will find a list of frequently asked questions in regards to the services we provide. If you have any questions that are not answered here or anywhere else on the site, please contact us via our contact page.

"What is Freesat?"

Freesat is a free to air digital satellite television joint venture between the BBC and ITV.

"How long does it take to install a Sky/Freesat satellite system?"

It depends whether you live in a townhouse/villa or an apartment. All circumstances are different.

If you live on the ground floor, for example in a new apartment block, we would normally install the dish out of the way, on the roof in a communal area. The cable would be run into the internal conduit and through to your apartment which involves pulling it through with fish-wire, opening cabinets up, gaining roof access from the community, getting keys for the cabinets, etc, etc, which can take a bit of time, alternatively you could live in a finca in Alhaurín, that would involve putting the dish on the chimney, or on the strongest part of the house, external cable down and drilling through to where your equipment is.

You could have Sky HD and other boxes as well which means multiple cable runs into different parts of the property! So typically 1 1/2, to 2 hours for a basic install or longer for a more involved one.

One thing for sure, only the best equipment is used and the installation that you receive will be second to none. We try to involve you in telling you what we are doing and we give you the options on where you would like your dish installed; where you would like the cable to be tacked; if you would like your television moved, etc. It is the little things that matter - the detail! As it is YOU the customer that will refer us and in the 13 years that we have been here 1000's of YOU cannot be wrong!

"Can I bring any equipment over from the UK?"

Yes your TV will work fine with Sky/Freesat as it will work with the scart or HD sockets. If it is a fairly new TV and a named brand it should work for the local Spanish channels as you can choose the country that you’re living in on the menu installation page but it is advisable to check first. Failing that you would need a modulator chip inserted but most modern LCD/Plasmas/LED TVs will have the country code for Europe in their menus.

You can also bring your Sky box, Sky Plus or HD box over as well but email or phone us first as only 30% of models will work with the weaker signals that we receive in the Costa del Sol.

It is sometimes better to be safe than sorry. We supply the correct model boxes which we always have in stock. If you have brought a box from the UK and it goes wrong, you have got no way of getting it back quickly to be repaired or swapped over for another one. Whereas if you purchased equipment from us and it is within the guarantee period if it went wrong we would aim to be with you in 24 hours to replace with new, to put your mind completely at rest.

"What is sky plus?"

Sky Plus is a digital video recorder and satellite receiver all in one. It enables you to record and store programmes so that you may watch them another time a bit like a VHS video player. You are also able to pause and rewind live TV and like a video recorder, record one channel whilst watching another. You can even record two channels at the same time whilst watching another channel or watching something you have pre-recorded.

"What size dish do I need for Freesat/Sky?"

We have tested virtually every dish on the market for their strength of signal, versatility, ease of use, weight ‘which is important’, build quality and design, all down to the basic nuts and bolts, so you don't have to!

Basically as is with a lot of things in life, 'size and quality' matters. We only use 2 makes of dish, which are the most expensive, unfortunately for us, but you can guarantee they don't move in the wind which we get a lot of on the Costa del Sol and they give you perfect reception all the time. For a Freesat system a 1.2 metre will suffice and for Sky a 1.3 metre or 1.5 metre is recommended as a lot of channels are on weak multiplexes. It also depends on your circumstance, where you live etc. When you book your installation you will be asked lots of questions to ascertain what would be the best bespoke dish/system for you.

"Error message "No satellite signal is being received"."

If you are receiving this error message and have already re-set the set top box then the dish may require re aligning by The Sky Doctor. This can only be done using a special piece of equipment called a spectrum analyser or signal meter.

"Will all Digiboxes work in Spain?"

Most Digiboxes will work in Spain with a few exceptions. Please check with us first if you are in any doubt at all.

"I have problems with my Digibox."

If you find that you get the message on your screen ‘Searching for listings’ or if you have just a blank blue screen then try unplugging the Digibox from the mains, leaving it for around 20 minutes and then plugging it back in. Sometimes a build up of static in the box can cause this and by turning it off for 20 minutes and then re-setting it can clear this fault. You may also wish to ensure that all cabling is firmly in place and that all cables have a good connection.

"Is the Freesat service that launched in the UK in 2008 available in Spain? Can it be upgraded to Sky?"

Yes it is and it works fine. There is also what we call a free to air satellite system which is effectively all the free stations that you get with a satellite dish. Sky has their own Freesat service which gives you even more variety of channels for a one off payment. Only the Sky Freesat can be upgraded as it is the only receiver compatible with a Sky card.

"I live on an urbanisation and my president is saying that I am not permitted to install a satellite dish."

By EU law and the freedom of information act, your president must allow you to install and have access to satellite TV. Inform him that this is your right under EU law and that if he does not accept this then please consult your lawyer.