VP1020 and tuning of DigiCipherII xpndrs

[dblackia]

My VP1020A refuses to lock to any transponders that send DigiCipher II streams. Does anyone know why?

And I'm not talking about DVB decoding; just looking for a lock on the QPSK signal from the transponder - assuming it is QPSK. I can attempt decoding in software (as is the way this card works anyway), if the card will just lock and send the bits. Or is there something in the card itself that makes it ignore anything but standard MPEG TS? I already know how to get it to send an entire transponder's stream for DVB, and have also received IP packet streams.

BTW, I'm wanting to receive the FTA DCII video and audio streams up there, nothing encrypted. They do exist - for instance on AMC-3 (87W).

[dblackia]

Oh well, I found the answer to my own question. The short answer is, DCII commonly uses slightly different flavors of QPSK modulation so it's the exception where a DVB-oriented "plain" QPSK receiver will be able to even lock to a DCII signal.

Here's where I found it:
http://www.coolstf.com/mpeg/#dcii

[wejones]

Originally Posted by dblackia

BTW, I'm wanting to receive the FTA DCII video and audio streams up there, nothing encrypted. They do exist - for instance on AMC-3 (87W).

There is really VERY little up there, except for music channels that are not encrypted. I'm pretty sure that the signals on AMC-3, by which I assume you mean the PBS channels, are all encrypted. I know that the main PBS-X is encrypted. Yes, you can view those channels free with a DCII receiver because they are in FP mode, which is really encrypted but there is a public key ( I think I've said that right, as it's really over my head ).
But, as I think you've found from your other post, without extra hardware, or an expensive commercial receiver, you aren't likely going to be able to read any of the DCII signals.