Help--Directv dish for FTA

[17chips]

Hello-
I'm new to this and don't know much.
I have Directv with international dish.
Also have a fortec star lifetime ultra reciever.
Can I use this reciever with the directv dish to get FTA Channels ?
What do I have to do ?
Thanks for ANY help.

[pmb1010]

You will not be able to get FTA with the smaller Directv type dish.

YOu will have to run 2 dishes, and 2 coaxes back to your tv set, and the 2 separate receivers.

The new dish will need to be 80cm or bigger
Free to air (FTA) Satellite Dish Offset Prime Focus Fortec Star Winegard KTI Patriot

That will get you what you need. If you want to see more that one satellite automatically, think about an H-H motor to move the dish to differnet satellites.
Motorized combo Satellite Dish with HH Motor, LNBF, Offset Prime Focus Fortec Star Winegard KTI Patriot

[wejones]

Originally Posted by pmb1010

You will not be able to get FTA with the smaller Directv type dish.

YOu will have to run 2 dishes, and 2 coaxes back to your tv set, and the 2 separate receivers.

The new dish will need to be 80cm or bigger....

I'm not familiar with the DTV "International Package", but it was my impression that it was the channels found on G3C Ku, which means that they must have supplied him with a dish big enough to receive regular linear Ku. So I'd guess that his dish WOULD be compatable. If that's the case, he should be able to receive the CCTV Chinese channels just by "T"ing off the DTV receiver with a DC block.

[pmb1010]

Dont they simply redistribute the ethic signals on their own satellites?
So it would be a Directv signal in itself.
Thats why I answered as I did.

I guess I should keep quiet on pay for sat services... never had them.

[wejones]

Originally Posted by pmb1010

Dont they simply redistribute the ethic signals on their own satellites?
So it would be a Directv signal in itself.
Thats why I answered as I did.

I guess I should keep quiet on pay for sat services... never had them.

You may well be right, like I said, I'm not familiar with how the DTV International package works, but they have about 80-90 channels on G3C, the majority of which are foreign, and several of those are Asian, several are European, and I've never seen those channels listed in their regular lineup, so I just assumed that that's where they were distributing that package, but I could easily be wrong. They also have duplicates of several channels that are in the regular DTV lineup, and there are some music channels among those channels. I just don't see any reason for them to uplink all those channels to a sat right next to their regular sat if that's where they were going to put them.

I guess that 17chips could answer the question by describing the size of his dish, and the appearance of his LNBF? Or perhaps the DTV web page might describe what hardware is necessary for the International package.

EDIT: I just went to the DTV web page, and I can't find any mention of special equipment for the International package, so hopefully 17chips can tell us.

EDIT-2: I just did a Google, and found a document:
http://www.directv.com/images/Direct...g_Packages.pdf

which is info for bars and restuarants, but it indicates that the DirecTV "International Dish" is a 36" dish. This sounds like they ARE getting the international channels off G3C . The 36" dish should work fine for FTA with the Fortec Ultra, however if it remains aimed at G3C, the only FTA channels are the CCTV and maybe the religious thing that's with the RTN mux, I think. Of course if the dish is put on a motor, one could use it for any sat.

[Iceberg]

Directv has one transponder on 95 for Ethnic channels (TP15). The "Int'l Dish" is a 36" dish that has a KU LNB and a DBS LNB (for 95 & 101 respctivelly).

So yes if the OP wants to get CCTV, he could use that dish. Or if he doesn't use it for DirecTV, it can be aimed at any KU satellite

[wejones]

Originally Posted by Iceberg

Directv has one transponder on 95 for Ethnic channels (TP15). The "Int'l Dish" is a 36" dish that has a KU LNB and a DBS LNB (for 95 & 101 respctivelly).

So yes if the OP wants to get CCTV, he could use that dish. Or if he doesn't use it for DirecTV, it can be aimed at any KU satellite

I think your "one transponder on 95" is a bit low. I assume this is based on what's shown in Lyngsat? There are a bunch of active transponders that aren't shown on Lyngsat. DirecTV has about 10 North American transponders (ie not Brazilian transponders) on 95. Transponder 15 listed above only has 10 of the 60 some channels listed when you click on the Lyngsat "Package" button, and I think they left out a few channels that are part of the package.

[Iceberg]

point being if he has the Int'l dish for DirecTV it will work on KU Band

[reho33]

Some people told me that KUIL on AMC4 (101.0) is so strong that they have been able to get it with an 18" dish. I might even try that when the weather breaks. I also heard that some music transponders that are not DSS can also be received via 18" dish as there is less " information " in the signal than video, etc. Although I might be wrong. It's kind of like getting C band with a 4' dish