Final stage

Word has reach the Future Lifestyle offices that the Astra 2E satellite has reached its final destination in readiness for the big switch over.

The countdown is on....

Now it is just a matter of time before the "Freeview" channels will be lost from our screens in southern Spain. There is no definite date for the switch, but rest assured the engineers will have a timetable that they have to keep to. Once the last few tests are completed they will migrate the channels over, our best guess will be in the next two weeks sometime.





Don´t miss out

There is going to be a panic as people wake up one morning to find there is no BBC, ITV etc. Some people have "heard it all before" and will only react once they are convinced the channels are gone and not coming back or are just slow to react to the situation. 
There are a number of companies offering similar systems up and down the coast a majority of them IPTV based. Although the wise amongst us have been stock piling the boxes needed there is going to be a high demand for these boxes as the panic sets in....

So what to do.

Firstly Do you have internet? ok good.. what download speeds are you getting??.. not sure?? click this link to find out. try this a few times throughout the day as it will fluctuate in peak times... You want to be getting around 2.5mb download speeds. One solution we offer needs as little as 0.8mb to watch TV, however we recommend the extra leg room to allow for fluctuations and  internet browsing at the same time.

I have no internet or the speed is below your recommendation?

Future Lifestyle have teamed up with Servifone to provide fast reliable internet. Installation for the WiMax system is quick and causing little or no disruption. They also offer cheap international calls as well as a host of other services.

I have internet, so what now??

Contact the Future Lifestyle sales team to discuss what solution suits you best based on your needs. We will then book your install in to ensure that you don´t miss out. 

email : sales@futurelifestyle.es or call +34 952 830 936

Let the (OLED TV) battle commence

LG has launched a 55in (140cm) OLED TV – so the battle begins for the next-generation of high-quality screens.

OLED which means organic light-emitting diode is more energy efficient than LCD (liquid crystal display) and plasma-based alternatives.

LG's model will go on sale in South Korea first with other markets, including Europe, to follow later this year.

LG and Samsung announced they would be producing OLEDs last year, but its LG that is first to the shops.

OLED screens were first showcased at last January's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, but until now neither company had managed to get a product to market.

The 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels) OLED television will sell for 11 million won (€7,800). Analysts said the technology was unlikely to become more affordable until at least 2015 - but that this latest release was more about cementing LG's position as a market leader.

OLED screens have been touted as the successor to the popular liquid crystal displays (LCD).

The technology allows for the display of darker and deeper blacks, and can be made thinner than competing display methods.

Smaller OLED screens are already part of our everyday lives. Samsung uses the technology in its smartphones, and Sony's PlayStation Vita handheld console also utilises the thin, light technology.

The prediction of many is OLED screens will allow for the development of a new generation of "bendy" gadgets, some of which we may even see this year.

 So what is 4K and do I need it?

Another technology, known as 4K, has also been given a lot of attention from manufacturers.

Dubbed "Ultra HD", 4K offers 8 million pixels per frame - four times the resolution of 1080p high-definition displays - making it particularly well suited for extra large screens. 110in (279cm) models.

Existing 4K TV sets are LCD-based. But according to some purists, OLED offers a richer quality display so might be the better option for 55in screens.

The CES show in Las Vegas will start shortly and this is where a lot of the big boys set out their stool for the year. Unfortunately Future Lifestyle are not attending this year (dam and blast!!....). But we will be bringing you the best bits and the things that we believe will make it into our lives in the coming years.

Satellite news, am I going to lose out?

We have recently found out that the new satellite commissioned to carry the BBC, ITV, Ch4 and Ch5 signals has been fitted with a UK Spotbeam. 

So what does this mean exactly? Well let’s not get too technical here and keep it to the points you need and want to know.

So why are they changing satellites? Like any technology satellites have a shelf life and the current satellite was due to be decommissioned early next year.

What is a spot beam? Much like a spot light in a theatre, a satellites spot beam will highlight only one area of the “stage” and not flood the whole area.

Predicted UK Spotbeam footprint

 What will happen to my TV channels? That´s the million € question really. Until the satellite is in place and transmitting no one can be a 100% sure. For UK residents the transition should be seamless and will not notice the changeover. However for people living outside the UK the signal may be weakened or lost altogether. Viewing some channels (BBC ect) may no longer be possible. 

Why are they moving to a spot beam? Well to be honest its pure speculation on our part, as you can image there is no official word as officially UK TV is not available outside the British Isles.

Firstly there are broadcasting rights, copyrights and territories. Program are produced and are paid to be shown in certain territories. They are unhappy that people are getting to view their hard work for free.

Also, as we all know in the UK we pay the licence fee for BBC TV and radio programmes to be made and broadcast. People outside the UK are not liable to pay the licence fee, which when you times the £145.50 fee by these people works out to be a pretty penny.

When is this going to happen? No fixed date has been given, but the satellite is already in the air and over the next week will be slowly moving into position. Then it will be broadcasting test transmissions for a short while before the switch over.

What next? Future Lifestyle with our team of satellite engineers will be carrying out signal tests once the satellite is in position to see the effect of the signal. We will report back our findings and post them on our Facebook page and blog. 

What are the alternatives?  With the growth of online content and internet enabled devices such as TV´s, games consoles and media centres, IPTV is going to become best way to receive English speaking entertainment.

At Future Lifestyle we have been great champions of IPTV and online content in general. You become the chief executive of your own TV station, watching the programs or movies when and where you want. One thing that has plagued the residents of Marbella is low internet speeds, however that could be about to change (read our fibre optic rumour blog).

We are always looking forwards so that we can bring our clients the latest home technology solutions. From the latest flat screen TV´s to complete home automation systems we can help you every step of the way.

Have a look at the services we offer on our website and “like” our Facebook page to keep up to date with all our latest news and offers.

What a Whopper!!!!

In the war of “my TV is bigger than yours” Sharp has been winning in the LED/LCD TV category. Producing screens of 80 and 90-inch , but now a favourite of Future Lifestyle, Samsung is making a stand with its new 75-inch ES9000 series TV (UN75ES9000), which was unveiled in New York recently.

The new Samsung UN75ES9000 has the thin bezel-less design that we like and incorporates LED Edge-Lighting, along with Micro-Dimming, 2D and 3D compatibility (four pairs of glasses included), and extensive Smart TV features (both internet streaming and DLNAcontent access), supported by a built-in dual core processor.

In addition the ES9000 also has a built-inSkype-compatible camera for video phone calling, as well as support for gesture and face recognition control (mmmm not so sold on as yet) and voice recognition.
Another innovative feature of the new screen is Sound Share which provides Wireless Bluetooth streaming from compatible portable devices.

In the States the 75-inch UN75ES9000 is priced at $9,999, and is expected to be available in August (US).

But the festure that really caught our eye is the new gesture-enabled Angry Birds App, taking the most adictvie game to a whole new level... worth 10K just so you can play a game... maybe..

To read the Official Samsung Announcement click here