Telewest's French channel - any good? Need a channel for learning French.

Vaughan wrote:
If you're already with Telewest and you want other digital channels
as well as the French one then you may as well stay with them. To
get the French channel you need to be on the top package which costs
17.50 per month i.e. 210.00 per year.

If you have no need of the other pay TV channels in the package and
you're happy with the digital channels you can get on Freeview or
even on Telewest's 'free TV' package then, as others have suggested,
an FTA satellite setup would be the way to go.

That sounds like extremely good advice. I would only add that if
you're not already with Telewest and are thinking of signing up
*primarily* for TV5, then note that the channel line-up is entirely at
their discretion and they could drop TV5 at any time. Making your own
satellite arrangements would give you much more choice of
French-speaking channels and not leave you subject to Telewest's idea
of what's worth providing.

"tenby" wrote in message
ps.com...
Hi I'm learning French and want a French TV channel.

Ideally, I want French subtitles (designed for deaf French people)
since this is great for learning when the words are too fast to follow,
but you still want to try and understand in French.

Sky have such a French channel that looks pretty good for learning.

But I'm with Telewest (phone and broadband) so it's easiest to go with
them.

I believe Telewest do have a French channel you can sign up for.

Can anyone tell me anything about it?
Do you get an option for French language subtitles?
Anything worth watching?

cheers if you can help

tenby

Sans blagues, TV5 c'est chouette !
There is plenty of crap programs on the main french channels such as tf1,
france 2, france 3, Etc. but as others have mentioned, TV5 has a great mix
of the most interesting french language programs.

Bon courage, I'm glad I don't have to learn it !

Vaughan wrote:
tenby wrote:
Hi I'm learning French and want a French TV channel.

Ideally, I want French subtitles (designed for deaf French people)
since this is great for learning when the words are too fast to
follow, but you still want to try and understand in French.

Sky have such a French channel that looks pretty good for learning.

But I'm with Telewest (phone and broadband) so it's easiest to go with
them.

I believe Telewest do have a French channel you can sign up for.

Can anyone tell me anything about it?
Do you get an option for French language subtitles?
Anything worth watching?

cheers if you can help

tenby

If you're already with Telewest and you want other digital channels as well
as the French one then you may as well stay with them. To get the French
channel you need to be on the top package which costs 17.50 per month i.e.
210.00 per year.

If you have no need of the other pay TV channels in the package and you're
happy with the digital channels you can get on Freeview or even on
Telewest's 'free TV' package then, as others have suggested, an FTA
satellite setup would be the way to go.

Even if you had to pay an installer you'll probably get a fixed dish system
pointing at Hotbird and Astra 1 for around 200.00 all in. Then you'll have a
multiplicity of French channels to choose from, as well as lots of other
interesting foreign stuff, and the cost will be a one off.

The French channel on Telewest (TV5) is very good and there's loads to
watch - like you I use it to improve my French and they do have a superb
range of French films and TV progs which are taken from French domestic
output. Their current affairs progs are also very interesting and a useful
counterpoint to the pro-USA, pro-Israeli slant we seem to have on British
TV.

TV5 is also free on Hotbird. French Subtitles are normally burnt into their
films but you can also get their Teletext service which carries subtitles.

Thanks all of you for your responses.

The fixed dish option you mention does sound like the best option!!

I'll probably go with that idea.

When I visit Brittany, which I do every year, i get very enthusiastic
about learning
but with just my weekly French evening class I start to find it a bit
difficult.

I can only spend about one month a year out there.

I live without a tv at the moment, i think it's mostly a big waste of
time.

But keeping me in touch with another culture and helping me learn
another language, and preparing me for some quality time next summer,
that could be worth the trouble!

tenby

Thanks all of you for your responses.

The fixed dish option you mention does sound like the best option!!

I'll probably go with that idea.

When I visit Brittany, which I do every year, i get very enthusiastic
about learning
but with just my weekly French evening class I start to find it a bit
difficult.

I can only spend about one month a year out there.

I live without a tv at the moment, i think it's mostly a big waste of
time.

But keeping me in touch with another culture and helping me learn
another language, and preparing me for some quality time next summer,
that could be worth the trouble!

tenby


Don't forget that there is a LOT of French radio up there inc all the
main State broadcasters as well as most all commercial ones.


And German as well, and most all of that is free to air....
--
Tony Sayer