FTA channel in MPEG4 and HD format

be236 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-20-2006, 01:28 AM

Hi,

I went here:

http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/United-States.html

And saw that HBO and HBO West has the "F" listing with MPEG4 and HD format after I went to that sat listing.

Since this is a FTA signal, what do I need to get this? My FTA fortec receiver lists MPEG2 only. Do I need to get an FTA receiver that supports MPEG4 and also HD as well?

rainman · #2 (**permalink**) 10-20-2006, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by be236

Hi,

I went here:

http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/United-States.html

And saw that HBO and HBO West has the "F" listing with MPEG4 and HD format after I went to that sat listing.

Since this is a FTA signal, what do I need to get this? My FTA fortec receiver lists MPEG2 only. Do I need to get an FTA receiver that supports MPEG4 and also HD as well?

yeah to receive ir you will need a receiver that will do hd not many made unless you use a computer card,

elgemcdlf · #3 (**permalink**) 10-20-2006, 07:36 AM

QualiTV make such a box but it is pricey (IMHO). I believe it can be had for $650.00 or in that range. I do not remember if this was a MPEG4 unit but is HD. There are some companies out of Europe (translated may not work with our electic system) that do MPEG4 also out of Korea. But again you are getting pricey for a couple channels that may leave FTA at any time. I would buy a 4DTV receiver and sub.

For roughly $525.00 you could buy a DSR922 with a years sub to HBO which would get you 24 movie channels not just 1

and you will have it for all year BUT the DSR922 is designed for use with a "regular" dish. It does do lnbf's but I believe it would have to be a standard linear lnbf. HBO, Cinimax, etc are all offered on X4 (Ku side of G4 which I believe is now G16) and can be subbed to. The cost is a bit higher than doing the C Band sub but if you only have a little dish for Ku you would be locked into X4 subs.

You will also need to locate a DCII module which should not be that big of a problem.

rainman · #4 (**permalink**) 10-20-2006, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elgemcdlf

You will also need to locate a DCII module which should not be that big of a problem.

I think you mean a vcII module Steve.

wejones · #5 (**permalink**) 10-20-2006, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rainman

yeah to receive ir you will need a receiver that will do hd not many made unless you use a computer card,

And even most computer cards don't do 8PSK and MPEG4, so these wouldn't be easy. I'm not sure what hardware you'd need for these.

be236 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-20-2006, 12:22 PM

D'oh.. I thought it was too good to be true to see HBO listed as "F." Heh... Why arent there many FTA receivers that can do MPEG4 and/or HD? Is the technology too expensive to put into these boxes?

wejones · #7 (**permalink**) 10-20-2006, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by be236

D'oh.. I thought it was too good to be true to see HBO listed as "F." Heh... Why arent there many FTA receivers that can do MPEG4 and/or HD? Is the technology too expensive to put into these boxes?

For HD, there are options. I'm guessing that consumer receivers will do MPEG4 when there is more demand. 8PSK, I don't know much about. I know some people experiment with some hardware available on ebay, but apparently this only does certain modes, and in general you need better signal and more expensive equipment to lock the more popular modes, so this may be out of range for most of us for a while. Right now you need equipment more expensive than I can afford to play with this stuff.

be236 · #8 (**permalink**) 10-20-2006, 01:20 PM

Hi,

Since you two are Pros and Experts, hehe... I am guess you must have a bunch (5-6) dishes mounted at your houses? heehh...

I've got three (Direct TV--no longer use 18", BUD 10ft, and this new FTA dish, 80cm). hehe...

wejones · #9 (**permalink**) 10-20-2006, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by be236

Hi,

Since you two are Pros and Experts, hehe... I am guess you must have a bunch (5-6) dishes mounted at your houses? heehh...

I've got three (Direct TV--no longer use 18", BUD 10ft, and this new FTA dish, 80cm). hehe...

The pro/expert thing means nothing. Only how much time one spends posting. Since I'm retired, I have lots of spare time.
I have one DTV dish that's subscribed, and 2 DTV dishes that I point to various DBS sats when there is something FTA to watch/listen to. Have a very warped 6' BUD, which I had hoped to set up as a fixed dish tuned to either AMC3 or IA6-Ku, but the darn thing is apparently so warped (partly due to it filling with water and freezing, cracking the ribs..... plus the fact that I rolled it like a wheel across my rocky yard to move it from one place to another), that it doesn't seem to pick up Ku anymore. Although it's possible that the feed is broken, or perhaps it filled with water too, as I left the thing outside for a few years aiming up. One of these days, I'll mount an lnbf on the thing to see if I can pick up anything. Anyway that dish isn't being used right now.
My other two dishes are a 10' Bud and a new 90CM.

Have a bunch of receivers hooked up to these, although I thought I had one less today. My Fortec ULTRA suddenly stopped giving out LNB voltage for a while today, when I hooked it up to an LNBF I hadn't used for about a month. Not sure why, but after fooling with it for about an hour, the thing came back to life. It's possible I have a bad coax.

be236 · #10 (**permalink**) 10-20-2006, 04:48 PM

I was thinking one day to switch out my C-band LNBF with a dual C and Ku band LNBF... I think it's quite expensive... Also , is this hard to do?

Setting up the LNBF on the 80cm dish system was easy, just one component..but looking at my BUD feedhorn, etc.. it looks quite complicated (I had pros install this many years ago)...

Also, just curious... but can I use my DTV dish and LNB to pick up that N1 sat at 91W (currently its pointed at 101w at the dTV sat), since that LNB has circular polarity and using my Fortec system?

Andrew

wejones · #11 (**permalink**) 10-20-2006, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by be236

I was thinking one day to switch out my C-band LNBF with a dual C and Ku band LNBF... I think it's quite expensive... Also , is this hard to do?

Setting up the LNBF on the 80cm dish system was easy, just one component..but looking at my BUD feedhorn, etc.. it looks quite complicated (I had pros install this many years ago)...

Andrew

It shouldn't be to difficult to switch feeds. You probably have a C/Ku feedhorn on there now, not an LNBF, and if so you just move all the wires from old to new, although you'll need a new coax. A C/Ku feedhorn with LNBs is quite expensive though. A C/Ku lnbf is cheaper, but can't vary polarity. Your analog receiver SHOULD be able to handle either type, but you should check first.
Another thing to check is whether you dish is really Ku compatable. If the dish is prior to 1990, it may not be, but if it was made after that, and has holes that you can't put a pencil through, it's probably OK, provided that it hasn't warped over the years. You might check it out first by experimenting with the Ku lnbf from your little dish. You might strap it along side of your C band feed, and see how well the dish works.

be236 · #12 (**permalink**) 10-20-2006, 10:01 PM

It's kinda scary... I dont want to touch that feedhorn, cuz if I mess up, I will lose whatever C-band stuff I had and it's too expensive to get another pro to fix it for me (a few hundred bucks service call I would imagine)...

I guess the only way I can get circular sats is to get that dual LNB that supports both circular and vertical polarity... and even then will my fortec system support that lnbf type?

elgemcdlf · #13 (**permalink**) 10-20-2006, 11:53 PM

Bill is 100% correct. The Pro or Expert listing is relative to the number of posts you make here. As to currently in operation equipment my list is in my signature.

be236 · #14 (**permalink**) 10-21-2006, 02:27 AM

Well, I was wondering, since I have a DTV 18" dish and its circular LNB. Can I take that DTV LNB and put it on my 80cm dish to pick up those circular sats? (saves me from having to buy a circular LNB)...

rainman · #15 (**permalink**) 10-21-2006, 06:34 AM

yes it would work for circular sats.

be236 · #16 (**permalink**) 10-21-2006, 11:10 AM

Cool.. I'll give that a try.