Upcoming Change to Digital Format

[texasclaw]

Am I to understand that C-Band BUD owners must have 4DTV in the near future and that we will be no longer able to get Digital channels without it? If so, what will happen to my FTA Digital channels that I currently get? Help!

On The Border Of Texas

[elgemcdlf]

I have not heard of anything. Are you sure you are not confusing digital with Ku? I know many channels are moving to Ku band. They are digital channels. I know of nothing special about my 922 that would make it able to view something any other receiver could not as long as that receiver was DCII, C, Ku capable. Where did you get this info?

Steve

[wejones]

Originally Posted by texasclaw

Am I to understand that C-Band BUD owners must have 4DTV in the near future and that we will be no longer able to get Digital channels without it? If so, what will happen to my FTA Digital channels that I currently get? Help!

On The Border Of Texas

For free non subscription stuff, I think it's more the other way around. I think you'll see less and less DCII stuff and more and more fta DVB stuff. As the analog stuff goes digital, it seems that most is either going DVB or going into some internet protocol. Since there are more and more people with little KU dishes, I'm guessing that it will be more likely to find things FTA on C band than Ku, because C-band almost doesn't need encryption anymore with so few big dishes to worry about, but that's just a guess. Of course the subscription stuff is likely headed mainly to the DTV/Dishet side.

[elgemcdlf]

Well there is enough of us with big dishes out here to keep at least a couple programming companies in business From my experience anyone out there who thinks a switch to DVB from DCII is a good thing just needs to stop by my house sometime. Bring your best DVB equipment

The quality from my DSR922 flat blows away any DVB I have seen. That includes audio and video. Rain fade? What is that? In the worst of storms I might get a few sparkles. I will be honest I have yet to see any DVB HD but I would bet a DSS200 would do the same to DVB HD. That includes any MPEG2 channels for a straight up head to head comparrison. Not to mention I do not see any hacking of DCII. There was in the early days but let's get for real here Dish Network seems to be the #1 on the hit list.

I believe the main reason for the switch from C to Ku is due more about HOA's denying usage of a big dish. By making a switch to Ku it provides competition for Dish Network & DirecTV in the programming arena. The only piece missing is a DCII CAM for the FTA CI receivers. Let's see, small motorized dish with DCII sub programming. Inexpensive receivers (comparred to a DSR922) now I see a package that is set to do straight up competition to Dish Network and DirecTV.

Most of what I have found in FTA is still the same as it was years ago. Channels come and go. Equipment comes and goes but there has always been a good selection of channels. Everything is suppossed to go digital soon but not sure of the federal mandate on year. They even have government programs to help you buy the equipment to switch over. They say it is to free up freq.s for radio usage. Two way radio not music

There is talk now of ultra HD which I could never imagine being any good at all except via big dish or OTA antenna. I remember when Speed was a clear channel on C band. Sub now but in it's place The Outdoor Channel. To truly get the good channels available out there in English you need a big dish as they are on C band. I am speaking DVB here. As a matter of fact C band is loaded with FTA channels.

Yep die hard big dish here working on starting a farm All those pretty dishes

[tdti1]

First off the big networks that are leaving analog C-band are going to digital C-band, though many are using DCII megapipe (not compatible with 4dtv) or they are using SA's power vu there is no consumer unit that can sub to these feeds.

Channels that have left analog or the older type DCII that the 4dtv can't get, NPS and SRL have made a deal with a company called HITS http://www.hits.com/ they supply rural cable co's and use the older DCII tech like our 4dtv's do, so this is why you have channels on 4dtv Ku-band on Galaxy-4, since we can't get the master feeds anymore.

A good quality DVB receiver on a good quality channel will look better or the same as a 4dtv channel, some feeds look much better, other feeds that can't be seen with any dvb receiver on the market in the usa look better than a dvd, the HD feeds also blow away ota and 4dtv HD, many feeds are on both c/ku band.

C-band is still the freq that most broadcaster use, many raw feeds and smaller broadcasters use Ku-band, or a mix of both, there are also a few big nets using ku to distibute there feeds.

If you have a big dish c/ku 4dtv and a slved dvb receiver are the best combo you can have.

Maybe sometime in the next year or two big dish users will be able to get programming from http://www.auroras.tv/index-home.html NPS is working on a deal with them.

[texasclaw]

Steve asks where I got that info from? Numerous representatives from NPS acll me at all Hours of the day and night telling me that I need to switch before I loose all my channels. I currently purchase my analog channels (6) from All Things Digital (They buy from NPS and sell different combinations). Even though I repeatedly tell NPS that I have no need for what they are offering, they still call back repeatedly.

My original questions was answered by all the responses to my query.

Thanks Mucho

[rainman]

oh yeah the wonderful salesman ploy.LOL

[tdti1]

Originally Posted by texasclaw

NPS acll me at all Hours of the day and night telling me that I need to switch before I loose all my channels.
My original questions was answered by all the responses to my query.

Thanks Mucho

It would be a good idea to upgrade soon, I am shocked anyone is still broadcasting in analog, it will all be gone soon out with the old in with the new.