Spain's satellite dishes are no longer good for what they were built for
In 1997 they were the future of television; now they are rusty junk. This is what remains of the satellite dish and when it makes sense to uninstall it.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The satellite dish, from the future of 1997 to the rusty antenna
In 1997, subscribing to Canal Satélite Digital was the equivalent of touching the future: going from five channels to dozens, choosing the language and having cartoons 24 hours a day. Three decades later, that same dish pointed at Astra survives on rooftops, rusted and connected to nothing. The underlying question is whether such an object still has any real use or is pure dead weight.
There is nostalgia with a date attached: the leap from 5 channels to dozens. But the ecosystem that made it possible has evaporated. The commercial offering that justified the satellite dish has moved to the internet and streaming platforms; what is left of satellite, for the average Spanish viewer, is German channels, teleshopping and the odd foreign free-to-air channel. In other words, very little.
Some argue the dish can still be repurposed for something, even if for dubious ends: decoders with modified firmware to access the old pay-TV offering, or more esoteric uses such as UFO detection. Another, more pragmatic camp bids it farewell with humour: as a paella pan or a wok. It is the perfect epitaph for a technology that was once a household pride and ended up as kitchenware.
The discussion does not solve the owner's dilemma: uninstall or keep. If the satellite adds nothing you do not already get through cable or fibre, the rational decision is to take it down and clear the rooftop. But let no one be fooled: the paella pan is far from the best option.
In 1997, subscribing to Canal Satélite Digital was the equivalent of touching the future: going from five channels to dozens, choosing the language and having cartoons 24 hours a day. Three decades later, that same dish pointed at Astra survives on rooftops, rusted and connected to nothing. The underlying question is whether such an object still has any real use or is pure dead weight.
There is nostalgia with a date attached: the leap from 5 channels to dozens. But the ecosystem that made it possible has evaporated. The commercial offering that justified the satellite dish has moved to the internet and streaming platforms; what is left of satellite, for the average Spanish viewer, is German channels, teleshopping and the odd foreign free-to-air channel. In other words, very little.
Some argue the dish can still be repurposed for something, even if for dubious ends: decoders with modified firmware to access the old pay-TV offering, or more esoteric uses such as UFO detection. Another, more pragmatic camp bids it farewell with humour: as a paella pan or a wok. It is the perfect epitaph for a technology that was once a household pride and ended up as kitchenware.
The discussion does not solve the owner's dilemma: uninstall or keep. If the satellite adds nothing you do not already get through cable or fibre, the rational decision is to take it down and clear the rooftop. But let no one be fooled: the paella pan is far from the best option.
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (48 replies).
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