We are moving to Dalian from the US this coming July. The furnished apartment we will get is said to come with a television. Could someone give me some information about what this might actually mean? Would it be only local over-air broadcasts? Would it be cable, and if so would Chinese cable TV provide anything other than Chinese programming? Are there any English-language broadcasts?
We are playing with the idea of using a SlingBox to watch TV on our computer. Does anyone have any experience with that? We are not TV addicts by any means, but it would be nice to see some English-language programs once in a while. Thanks in advance for your help!
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Hi Steve.
When you get here you can buy a tv box and then a card which enables you to get some English TV (RMB600 ones for the box and a card for a little pay every month).
For example you will have three movie channels (star movie, cinemax, HBO) and further ESPN, BBC, discovery channel, NGC, CNBC, AXN and some others.
The "normal" tv only has Chinese broadcasts.
Roel
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Sligbox will be spotty at best. Internet service in China is 1 or 2 meg for downloads. And that's being very generous. I watch The Daily Show on the internet and half the time, usually more, it's "buffering".
There is a Korean Satellite service that provides Skylife (it's like DirecTV in the US). It has 120 or so broadcast and music channels. Installtion is about 800 RMB and you have to pay for the entire year up front (about 2 or 3K RM. And your apartment has to face south. This is technically not legal in China as you are receiving foreign broadcast directly. But you will see a lot of dishes on the side of buildings in Dalian. It does carry all the standard US channels (CNN, Discovery, Bloomberg, etc.)
Or you might just want to settle for Chinese cable.
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hi steve,
you dont need to worry about the english TV in dalian.
there are 3 options here.
1st (the best way) is cable, without installing any thing, just buy a "special STB box", connect it to cable, there are around 60 channels in it, including ebglish speaking channels like star movie, cinemax, HBO,ESPN, BBC, CNN, discovery channel, NGC, CNBC, AXN. The signal is good & reliable, this box is different with normal STB box for local people here, you can either apply it with your passport (coz this "special STB box" is not openned to Chinese passport holder), or you can buy it from the some market, ofcoz illegally, as Roel said, it will cost you around 600RMB.
2nd, is the satellite. still you need to apply for the permission to install it from the landlord and permission to watch it with you passport.
disadvantage: lots of installation work and poor signal during the bad weather.
3rd, internet TV (maybe the sling TV?),
disadvantage: deponds on the network, you need to get used to "buffering..........."
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there is another option for internet TV if you are only watching news and sports programmes, after working hours.
There are p2p web-tv sites like www.tvants.com which can be download in english (although designed by Taiwanese of CHinese I am not sure) There are not less than 80 stations, mainly CHinese programmes from CHina Hk or Taiwan, but if you are no TV Junkie, BBC, CNN, ESPN, Fox are all there....Have fun....
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Albert
Coltsfan
. And your apartment has to face south. This is technically not legal in China as you are receiving foreign broadcast directly. But you will see a lot of dishes on the side of buildings in Dalian. It does carry all the standard US channels (CNN, Discovery, Bloomberg, etc.)
