FTA over Phillips Direct Tv Reciever?

[scottfree]

I was at my brother's house today and his Direct Tv had been shut off due to nonpayment but he was recieving a bunch of fta channels. How can he be getting them? We watched TBN, NASA, and RFD networks and he says he gets a bunch more.

[wejones]

Originally Posted by scottfree

I was at my brother's house today and his Direct Tv had been shut off due to nonpayment but he was recieving a bunch of fta channels. How can he be getting them? We watched TBN, NASA, and RFD networks and he says he gets a bunch more.

Are you sure that this wasn't a case of a PIRATED DTV box? Ie perhaps he was stealing service and they fixed the signal so he couldn't receive channels anymore, but for some reason is still getting a couple???
I don't know about the other channels, but NASA-TV is NOT FTA on the DTV satellite. There are some channels that aren't encrypted, such as the channel 100,200, etc which have prevues, so they might be considered as FTA, although you can't view them with most FTA receivers.

But NASA is definately encrypted on the DTV 101 sat, so unless DTV was making these things available to people who recently lost their subscriptions, which I find doubtful, then I think there is something fishy going on there.

Now, that being said, NASA-TV IS FTA on the Dishnet sats, and you can use a DTV dish/lnb to receive that sat. So it is possible that he was using a regular FTA DVB receiver to receive a couple channels on Dishnet that happen to be FTA at the time. (not many, but occasionally some, besides NASA and GOL).

But if he was receiving these things on a DTV receiver, something is fishy. Only thing I can figure is that it sometimes takes receivers a while before it figures out that it isn't subscribed to things, but I think this type thing is on the order of minutes, so if you were watching for very long, then I don't think that was the situation.

[Iceberg]

If its shut off for non payment, there are some "unlocked key" channels like preview chanels, RFD TV, Nasa, and religious stuff that do show up free.

I did a DirecTV dish install for someone about a week ago and we used an old unscubscribed DirecTV box to aim the dish and there were a few channels on there (mainly religious)

On a Dish Network box that was subscribed, you get preview channels, CCTV9, Nasa, Angel One, Sirius preview. Use to get more like those knockoff shopping channels and all the PI channels from 61.5/148 but Dish nuked those.

[wejones]

Originally Posted by Iceberg

If its shut off for non payment, there are some "unlocked key" channels like preview chanels, RFD TV, Nasa, and religious stuff that do show up free.

THanks. Interesting. Before my response, I tried with two of my old DTV receivers that aren't being used anymore, but these channels didn't show up, but they were not receivers that were shut off for non-payment, they were receivers shut off because I switched to other receivers. One of these receivers was dead on one polarity though, so I may not have been receiving the polarity with the free channels, or perhaps my receivers have just been off too long, and it's a timed freebie.

EDIT: just repeated the experiment with old receiver. Was working, but was turned off. Was getting signal, but wouldn't display any channels. So it must be either a time limit, or limited to the non-payment receivers like you said, and not receivers turned off for other reasons. Definately not like the preview channels though, because they are not encrypted. Interesting.

[scottfree]

Thanks for the input guys. I have an old dish network reciever and thought I might set it up for my Dad if it picked up some free channels. He has been wanting to get an FTA setup so he can watch ABN during the winter when it's hard for him to get to church. He live way out in the country and the snow is overwhelming sometimes. Anyway he thinking of ordering a setup from www.adventistsat.com/ for $199. I don't know if it's a good setup or not. Might be a cheapo that only gets their stations.
What do ya think?

[elgemcdlf]

Originally Posted by scottfree

Thanks for the input guys. I have an old dish network reciever and thought I might set it up for my Dad if it picked up some free channels. He has been wanting to get an FTA setup so he can watch ABN during the winter when it's hard for him to get to church. He live way out in the country and the snow is overwhelming sometimes. Anyway he thinking of ordering a setup from www.adventistsat.com/ for $199. I don't know if it's a good setup or not. Might be a cheapo that only gets their stations.
What do ya think?

Looks like Sadoun's basic stationary kit on sale now for $170.00 normally $179.00. Since you are using Sadoun's site for info I would think only right to purchase from him especially since it is the same system and less expensive. That system does not move so you will have to pick a sat and once aligned that will be the only one available unless you realign on another.

It will receive other channels but only channels from the sat you are aligned on.