FTA Free To Air Receivers FAQ

With so many receivers on the market today the choices are not always clear. Every reciever is different with features inherent only to those models. It is up to the end user to decide which digital satellite home receiver is best for them.

Over the last year there have been many innovations in the free to air market. With the death of many card driven systems for the popular US television market rose a new technology called Free To Air. Since its inception there have been numerous quality digital satellite dish manufacturers such as Viewsat, Coolsat, Captiveworks, Sonicview, Pansat, Dreambox, Neosat, Ivision, Buzz, Extremeview, Traxis, Coship, Fortec, Neusat and Orasat to name the popular ones.

Almost all new FTA DVB boxes on the market today can handle 3000-5000 channel storage in on board memory which enables super fast channel switching. A popular misconception with these new units is many people figure they can only view one satellite with them. This is a myth as these new receivers are capable of scanning multiple satellites off multiples LNB's allowing a vast amount of channels.

What is Free To Air?

Free To Air (FTA) satellite channels are digital television channels that are not encrypted or coded by the network service provider and don't require any subscription. These channels are broadcasted free of charge by the network provider and can be picked up with a Free To Air Receiver.

Why do I need a Free To Air Digital Satellite Dish System?

FTA provides unlimited free television programming. Most popular is foreign language and multicultural programming from overseas countries or TV stations.With FTA, there is never a subscription fee unless you subscribe to a provider for the latest file updates and patches for you receiver.

In order to receive an FTA signal you need an unobstructed view of the southern sky, a 30 inch size dish, dish mounts, compass, free to air receiver and RG-6 cable with the proper ends. To get the proper coordinants for your area you can visit or Satellite Locator here to find your proper dish angles.

How do I choose a Free To Air Digital Satellite Dish Receiver?

By using our free FTA receiver reviews at Receiver World you will gain plenty of knowledge about which unit is right for you. Choose from the most popular and reliable systems on the market today. You will learn about each units features, strengths, weaknesses and ease of use to help you make the right decision when purchasing. Feel confident with the knowledge about Free To Air to make the right choice.

What International Channels can I receive?

For a complete list of International and Multicultural programming you can view the complete list here.

What size Dish do I need?

While standard 18inch dishes will work you may be plagued by weak signal strength depending on your location. For optimal signal we recommend a 30inch dish.

I want a dish, who do I get one from?

While there are plenty of places on the internet that offer Free To Air receivers at competitive prices we recommend a reliable vendor with one of the longest track records in the FTA business. You can visit their website here.

Do you offer support?

No. We only offer objective reviews on FTA receivers. We do not offer any type of support whatsoever. It is up to the individual or purchaser to obtain their own support for future receiver upgrades, flashes and fixes.