Sex on Satellite - Frequently Asked Questions (v3.4)
(Last updated June 2002 by john@sexontv.co.uk)What is this FAQ about?
This FAQ is designed to answer frequently asked questions about the reception of pornography on satellite TV throughout Europe. These questions have been raised in several places such as web forums, via Email (to the author) and Usenet groups. Please address any comments/corrections/omissions or praise to john@sexontv.co.uk. If you want to contribute to this FAQ please email the same address.
Where can I get the latest copy of this FAQ?
It will be posted to news://alt.satellite.tv.europe. The latest version will be kept at http://www.sexontv.co.uk/faq.htmVersion History
V3.4 - June 2002 - Update to Question 6 (Intimo TV)
V3.3 - May 2002 - Rewritten:Q1, Updates to Q2, Q4, Q6, Q8, Q18
v3.2 - Question 2 completely rewritten, updates to 8, 11, 18 (Feb 2002)
v3.1 - Question 2,3 and 4 updated (October 22nd)
v3.0 - Questions 7,8,13 and 18 updated
v2.9 - Questions 7,8,13 and 18 updated
v2.8 - Q6(clear broadcasts), Q18(Sexviewtv)
v2.7 - Questions 5,15, 13 and 17 updated
v2.6 - Various minor corrections and updates, March 2001
v2.5 - Updated (Q2, Q8, Q14), New Q16 has now been added.
v2.4 - Dec 23rd, Q15 updated, Q16 added
v2.3 - Oct 19th, Various updates, channels added to Q13 and AdultX news added
v2.2 - Various amendments
v2.1 - August 4th - Q9 update, thanks Sateuro for this new service.
v2.0 - July 28th - Q14 and 15 now added. Minor corrections. Q4 CAMs, bit expanded
v1.0 - July 21st 2000 - FAQ launched
CONTENTS
1. How can I receive non-sky porn programmes on my Sky Digital Satellite Receiver (a.k.a Sky Digibox)?
2. How do I receive hardcore/softcore channels with my old analogue/Sky satellite receiver?
3. What hardcore channels are available with D2Mac?
4. How do I receive hardcore channels using a REAL digital satellite receiver (not a Sky Digibox)?
5. What is a CAM?
6. Are there any Free-to-air hardcore porn broadcasts?
7. What is Proscription, and why are some hardcore channels proscribed in the UK?
8. Are pirate cards available for any of the hardcore channels?
9. Where can I find up-to-date listings of the programmes that are on the hardcore channels?
10. Where can I find reviews of hardcore porn movies?
11. Where can I find update listings of softcore porn programmes on UK satellite and TV?
12. What pornography is available on Sky Digital?
13. What "pay" hardcore channels can I receive using a digital satellite receiver? (not a Sky Digibox)?
14. Is it illegal to own hard-core pornography?
15. Which channels show Gay pornography?
16. Are there channels that show extreme S&M, torture, r*pe , an*mal sex etc etc.
17. If I subscribe to a PPV soft-core movie on Sky Digital, does the name of the film or channel appear on my bank statement?
18. What hardcore channel would you recommend?
MAIN
1. How can I receive non-sky porn programmes on my Sky Digital Satellite Receiver (a.k.a Sky Digibox)?
The ITC (Independent Television Commission) does not allow broadcasters to transmit anything stronger than standard 18 certificate material from the satellite that you Sky dish is pointing at. Even if you decide to move your dish, foreign broadcasters DON'T transmit subscription hardcore porn using Videoguard ( the proprietary scrambling system used by the Sky Digibox) so you won't be able to subscribe to porn channels such as UltraBlue, SexView et al. using your Digibox.The Sky Digibox will receive some channels on other satellites, which sometimes show soft porn programmes, for example RTL2. (Update: more recently there have been reports of harder soft core programmes appearing on NoZap Tv). To receive other satellites you’ll need to move your minidish to point at the other satellite and then back again afterwards. Don’t do this unless you are completely confident that you can realign it again properly. Instead of moving your mini-dish you could connect up your Digibox to an old Sky dish (if you have one), but whether this will work will depend on the age of your dish and LNB.
What channels you can receive will be limited by.
a). Location/weather conditions (the mini-dishes are small so don't always work with other satellites that tend to be lower power than the Sky Digital satellites)
and
b). Technical details of the channel broadcasting. For some reason, the Sky digiboxes can only have the symbol-rate set to 22,000 or 27,500 and another setting the FEC (forward error correction) can only be set to the values ( 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8). Quite why - only BSkyB knows. The upshot of this is that you digiboxes will ONLY work with certain channels (http://www.lyngsat.com, has a good list of all channels and their technical details and a chap called Chris has put together some very useful pages at http://www.btinternet.com/~c.vowles/Sat/SkyExtra2.htm which give some more info about adding foreign channels to a Sky Digibox and he also gives a list of channels that can be received with a Digibox.
The other factor to bear in mind is that some people have reported that if you switch between satellites using a Sky Digibox some models "crash" and need a reset (Digiboxes were only designed for BSkyB broadcasts, so I guess they get a bit confused :-)
Personally I don't recommend using a Digibox for viewing signals from other satellites. I suggest that you buy a REAL satellite receiver for this (see Question 4).
2. How do I receive hardcore/softcore with my old analogue/Sky satellite receiver?
You used to be able to hook up a D2MAC decoder to an old-style Sky Analogue receiver to receive Canal+ and TV100 (using pirate cards), but these channels have now moved to digital.With an analogue receiver you can still receive Softcore programmes, channels like VOX, Kabel 1, RTL2 , ARTE and others show erotic programmes sometimes. An enterprising chap called Claus posts a guide called FTA Nudity News regularly to alt.satellite.tv.europe, there is a link to this at the Google Usenet Archive
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=FTA+Nudity&hl=en&scoring=d
You can find tuning details for the analogue channels at the excellent web pages run by Ross at http://www.analoguesat.co.uk/ .
3. What hardcore channels are available with D2Mac?
None. The channels TV1000 and Canal+ showed hardcore porn but these channels have shut down. They've gone digital.
4. How do I receive hardcore using a REAL digital satellite receiver (not a Sky Digibox)?You will need
* A digital receiver
* A plug-in CAM to add to the receiver or built in CAM (see question 5, if you don't know what a CAM is)
* A dish pointing at the appropriate satellite
* A Subscription card
CAM or decoder: You will need a plug in CAM or built in CAM which matches the channel that you want to watch.
For example;
* Satisfaction Channel Television (SCT) broadcasts using the Viaccess and Irdeto formats
* XXL broadcasts using the Seca and Viaccess formatsSo if you buy a Viaccess CAM you will be able to use a subscription card for Satisfaction Channel Television, XXL or Ultra Blue. Further details about these channels are available at http://www.sexontv.co.uk.
Or to put it another way
Viaccess is used by - SCT, XXL
Irdeto is used by - SCT,
Seca is used by XXL
Dish: The satellite dish must point at the correct satellite for the channel that you want to receive. The size of dish that you require depends on your location and the strength of the signal. "What Satellite" magazine includes a section at the back called "Guide to Euro Analogue Channels", this describes what size dish you need for the channel you want to receive. If you have an old dish it’s always worth trying it to see whether it works with your chosen channels BEFORE spending money on a replacement
If you want to receive broadcasts from more than one satellite you will need to move your dish using a motorised system. Steerable dishes are beyond the scope of this FAQ, please consult you satellite dealer for further advice. You could of course manually realign your dish every time you want to receive a different satellite. But believe me this gets tedious after a while, and could be potentially dangerous, depending on where your dish is!
Card: To buy a subscription card checkout the adverts in What Satellite or in the newsgroup news://alt.satellite.tv.europe.
Digital Receivers: You need a digital receiver, which come in three flavours for pay-tv;
- Those with a built-in CAM and recently some receivers have been surfacing that have more than one built-in CAM
- Those with CI (common interface) slots for a plug in CAMs
- Those with a built in CAM and CI (common interface) slots for a plug-in CAM
For example the Humax 5300 has a built in Viaccess CAM, but has two slots for plug-in CAMs as wellYou may ask, why do I need more than one CAM? Well different broadcasters sometimes use different encryption systems and these often need different CAM's.
Footnote: There are exceptions, some ingenious people have found ways of getting certain CAM's to work with more than one encryption system but these are used with pirate cards, so are beyond the scope of these document :-)
5. What is a CAM?
A Conditional Access Module is the electronic circuit in a digital satellite receiver, which decodes "scrambled" broadcasts (in conjunction with a subscription card). There are a variety of scrambling systems e.g.: Viaccess, Irdeto, Seca, Conax, Cryptoworks etc... You will need a CAM that matches the scrambling system that your broadcaster is using. There is no such thing as a single CAM that will work with all formats .
Physically there are three types of CAM.
1.) Proprietary CAMS - These are usually removable, but they come in a variety of sizes. The CAM is usually designed for a specific receiver.
2). Built-in CAMS – A built-in CAM forms part of the circuit board of the receiver and cannot be removed.
3). CI (Common Interface) CAM slot – Receivers with this feature have a standard socket which will take any CI compatible CAM. The plug, socket and electronics are standard across a range of receivers and CAMS. The system is a common standard, which has been agreed by most satellite receiver manufacturers.
All CAMs have a slot in the front, which accommodates a subscription card. Some receivers have no CAM and thus no slot for a subscription card, these are called Free-to-air receivers (FTA). They only receive broadcasts that don't need a subscription.
6. Are there any Free-to-air hardcore porn broadcasts?Yes.
Canal+ at the satellite position, 27w broadcast a hardcore programme free to air every night for over a year, but since the end of 1999 they have been encrypted using an unknown scrambling system :-(. On occasion if a channel is experiencing technical problems is may broadcast some hardcore porn in the clear, but this is rare.AND More recently NoZap TV (on the Astra satellite) have been showing free-to-air hardcore. In addition Canal 47 on Hipasat show hardcore in amongst telephone sex ads. On the same satellite Intimo TV have been showing hardcore films at weekends such as the Butman and the Rocco series, picture quality so far has been excellent.
7.What is Proscription and why are some hardcore channels proscribed in the UK?
If the Independent Television Commission (ITC) decides that a channel that can be received in the UK is transmitting "unacceptable" material it can ask the Government to proscribe it. Usually "unacceptable" means hardcore material that would not be given a BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) certificate. Once the channel is proscribed it is then illegal to supply equipment or cards to receive the broadcasts, it also becomes illegal to advertise or promote the channel or to even supply TV listings.
For more information about this subject I recommend Dave Taylor excellent article in the May 2000 (page 17) issue of What Satellite. Dave also has other useful info about this subject at his web site, http://www.melonfarmers.co.uk.UPDATE: The whole process of prescription has gone very quiet of late, the recent liberalisation of hardcore pornography in the UK, especially with regards to importation, has probably made the government give up on this archaic practice. Hurrah!
8. Are pirate cards available for any of the hardcore channels?
Yes. There are pirate cards are available. But aside from the moral arguments against using such cards the European Union recently introduced "anti-pirate" legislation. This has made it more difficult to openly sell pirate cards (and related equipment) or distribute information about satellite hacking. This has certainly made some suppliers wary and many have stopped advertising equipment that could be used for receiving broadcasts without an official subscription.
Although update codes for pirate cards have so far been readily available, the only real way to ensure that you will get continuous reception of porn channels is to subscribe. If nobody bought official cards these channels would close down through lack of income. On the other hand some people argue that channels have been pirated in the past because they showed poor quality films or too many repeats/adverts. In addition no hardcore porn channel allows the viewer to pay a month at a time, they want all your money up-front (120-180GBP). This hardly inspires confidence in the channel, especially as these channels have a reputation of going bust/getting proscribed on a regular basis. Perhaps they are afraid of viewers cancelling their subscription when they find out what the channel is like? Anyhow before you subscribe, check the channels reputation on newsgroups. How about offering monthly subscriptions guys?
9. Where can I find up-to-date listings of the programmes that are on the hardcore porn channels?
Shane Carrington provides complete listings for all the hardcore channels at http://www.thesatzone.co.uk. There are various reasonable rates for different levels of information including an adult porn news service. A very useful which I subscribe to myself.
10. Where can I find reviews of hardcore porn movies?
There is a superb site full of numerous (US) porn movie reviews and other fascinating adult film related material at http://www.rame.net
11. Where can I find update listings of Softcore porn programmes on UK TV and satellite?
http://www.sexontv.co.uk . I have recently re-introduced the regular program guide, which will now be updated on a monthly basis with "Highlights" updated more frequently (hopefully).
12. What pornography is available on Sky Digital?
There is only softcore channels on Sky Digital. Although some channels claim that their content gets harder "after encryption" you are unlikely to see anything stronger then you can legally buy or rent from your local video shop i.e.: Certificate 18. None of these channels show hardcore porn as they are subject to ITC regulation. For more details check in the "weekly" section at http://www.sexontv.co.uk
13. What "pay" hardcore channels can I receive using a digital satellite receiver? (not a Sky Digibox)
The following channels are available on a subscription basis in most European countries
- SCT/RCT
- XXL
- SexView TV
- UltraBlue
- Spice Platinum
For more details about these channels, see http://www.sexontv.co.uk
Some other channels also broadcast hardcore porn programming intended for audiences in a particular country or region. Details of these can be found also be found at http://www.sexontv.co.uk
14. Is it illegal to own hard-core pornography?
That depends on where you live. In the UK it is legal to OWN hardcore pornography unless it involves minors or animals. Note: This does not constitute legal advice
15. Which channels show Gay pornography?
There are several channels that show gay movies, such as the French Kiosque and Spanish Taquilla channels but these are aimed at audiences in these countries only. The RCT (Rainbow Channel Televison) channel shows male and female gay porn and is currently packaged with the "straight" channel SCT on a combination card16. Are there channels that show extreme S&M, torture, r*pe , an*mal sex etc etc.
NO and I think its highly unlikely that any channel ever will
17. If I subscribe to a PPV soft-core movie on Sky Digital, does the name of the film or channel appear on my bank statement?
I spoke to Sky about this and the they say that the film or channel name will not appear on your bank statement and it will either say Sky Subscription Services or the name-of-a-company ltd, depending on which company owns the channel. A viewer has confirmed that with TVX, the name of the channel does not appear on your bank statement (thanks to Ross from Ayr for this info).
18. What hardcore channel would you recommend?
XXL has been around for a long time (in porn channel terms) and because its part of a general French entertainment package its more likely to stay around. The channel has quite "vanilla" tastes and so won't appeal to everyone. There are other channels such as UltraBlue and SexView (who do reply to to e-mail queries about their programmes, often within 24 hours). At the moment I am not a subscriber to any channel so I can't make a recommendation.HOWEVER I'm open to offers if any/all the hardcore channels want to provide me with free "review" cards :-)
LEGAL STUFF
All information contained in this FAQ is provided "as is." All warranties expressed, implied or statutory, concerning the accuracy of the information of the suitability for any particular use is hereby specifically disclaimed. While every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this FAQ, the authors’ assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
This FAQ may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety (including this authorship, copyright, and permission notice), provided that no charge is made for the document itself and that the author's written permission is obtained first
This document copyright 2002, john@sexontv.co.uk