Digital World Cable Satellite Console Forum - View Single Post

chrome307 · 26th July 2005, 20:54

This took me ages to type up !!

Hope it's of use to members here!

EURO SATELLITE TV

Common Questions – and the answers you need!!

What are the different types of receiver?

Free-To-Air

Receivers can only pick up TV channels which are not scrambled. As there are thousands of these out there, you won’t be short of anything to watch.

Common Interface

Receivers can be upgraded to receive scrambled channels, if you find you want a particular foreign TV service.

Conditional Access

Receivers have extra hardware which allows you to insert a viewing card for scrambled subscription TV channels.

Can I use my PC or MAC to pick up satellite TV?

Yes. There are several makes of digital TV receiver card or USB device for PC users, which can tune in satellite TV and display it on your monitor, make recordings to your hard disc, and receive high speed internet-by-satellite.

MAC users are currently limited to Elgato’s EyeTV300, a Firewire based external tuner. PC and MAC users have the advantage that their software can be easily upgraded to the latest broadcast video formats such as MPEG 4:2:2 and high definition TV. You can even do it yourself.

How can I get more than one satellite?

You can have more than one dish, or have up to four ‘offset feed’ LNB’s on the same dish, but at most these can only be for satellites within 10-15 degrees of each other.

A motorised dish will provide a greater selection of satellites form across the whole sky. Users of small dishes up to 90cm can use a simple DiSEqC 1.2 motorised mount. Dishes of 1m and above will need a more powerful and complex 36V motor drive.

We have recently seen some radical new dish designs such as the Cybertenna and Force Frontier, using unusual materials and shapes, which enable a fixed dish to pick up 10 or 15 satellites within a 40 degree arc. Even greater improvements are expected.

What size of dish am I allowed on my house, and how many can I have?

Current planning regulations state that every home is allowed a single dish up to 90cm diameter. In conservation areas this may be reduced to 60cm diameter or dishes may be banned altogether (although this may infringe your human rights under EU law). Larger dishes are only allowed if you apply for planning permission.

These regulations are under Government review and we expect an announcement later in 2005.

In practical terms, if you have a large dish and don’t ask for planning permission, you’ll only land in hot water if your neighbours report you to the Local Authority. Take care when siting the dish, using chimney breasts and eaves to disguise it – if possible ask for your neighbours blessing – and you shouldn’t have any trouble. There are several ‘dishes’ around designed to be discreet: the Globedish, the Cubsat and flat panel dishes are all more bearable – and you can paint your dish with non-metallic car paint to match the brickwork.

What are DiSEqC and USALS?

Digital Satellite Equipment Control is a standard created by Eutelsat for receivers to select between LNBs and control motorised dishes. A DiSEqC compatible receiver sends pulses at 22 kHz, along the LNB cable to control a DiSEqC switch or motor.

Mini-DiSEqC switches can select between two LNBs, DiSEqC 1.0 is used for up to four LNBs, DiSEqC 1.1 for up to 16 LNBs, using two sets of pulses. DiSEqC 1.2 uses the pulses to instruct a ‘smart’ monitor to move East or West, or go to a preset position.

USALS (also known incorrectly as DiSEqC 1.3 or Goto X) uses an even smarter mount which can find any position in the sky based on a single reference bearing and the user’s longitude and latitude.

How can I get encrypted channels?

You’ll need a viewing card and the hardware to use the viewing card, either built into your receiver or with a conditional access module.

What are pirate viewing cards?

Pirate viewing cards are blank cards programmed with the keys for one or more subscription TV channels or packages (usually obtained on the internet). It is not illegal to own or produce viewing cards for personal use, but all activities relating to commercial production are illegal.

What is a Conditional Access Module?

A Conditional Access Module (or CAM) contains the technology needed to unlock encrypted subscription TV channels, using a viewing card. A CAM may be built into a receiver, or a separate unit the size of a credit card. CAM’s are available for most types of encryption, except the VideoGuard system used by Sky Digital.

What is a Common Interface?

Receivers with a Common Interface (or CI) can accept external CAM units of any kind, giving the user a broad flexibility.

What is a Magic CAM?

Magic CAMs, Joker CAMs and Global CAMs contain the software for several types of encryption, for use with viewing cards containing keys to disparate packages. Most retailers maintain that these CAMs should be legal.

What are Feeds?

Broadcasters often use satellite links – ‘feeds’ – to transfer programming from remote locations before broadcast. Feeds may be unedited, containing bloopers and footage unsuitable for broadcast. Many are unencrypted, although sports feeds are becoming rare, and broadcasters are moving to the technically superior MPEG 4:2:2 format.

What about analogue?

Germany still broadcasts around 60 analogue TV channels on Astra 1 to satisfy the millions of analogue TV users over there, and France continues its analogue Secam broadcasts of the national TV channels at 5 degrees West. Analogue signals are a rarity on other satellites, as digital broadcasting is vastly cheaper than analogue, and the receivers are cheap enough for anyone to upgrade.

What about high definition?

HDTV programmes can only be picked up using a dedicated Hi-Def receiver.

26th July 2005, 20:54	#7 (permalink)
chrome307 DW Top Poster ++ Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: London Posts: 714 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0 Thanks: 2 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post View My Homepage	General Information about Satelittes This took me ages to type up !! Hope it's of use to members here! EURO SATELLITE TV Common Questions – and the answers you need!! What are the different types of receiver? Free-To-Air Receivers can only pick up TV channels which are not scrambled. As there are thousands of these out there, you won’t be short of anything to watch. Common Interface Receivers can be upgraded to receive scrambled channels, if you find you want a particular foreign TV service. Conditional Access Receivers have extra hardware which allows you to insert a viewing card for scrambled subscription TV channels. Can I use my PC or MAC to pick up satellite TV? Yes. There are several makes of digital TV receiver card or USB device for PC users, which can tune in satellite TV and display it on your monitor, make recordings to your hard disc, and receive high speed internet-by-satellite. MAC users are currently limited to Elgato’s EyeTV300, a Firewire based external tuner. PC and MAC users have the advantage that their software can be easily upgraded to the latest broadcast video formats such as MPEG 4:2:2 and high definition TV. You can even do it yourself. How can I get more than one satellite? You can have more than one dish, or have up to four ‘offset feed’ LNB’s on the same dish, but at most these can only be for satellites within 10-15 degrees of each other. A motorised dish will provide a greater selection of satellites form across the whole sky. Users of small dishes up to 90cm can use a simple DiSEqC 1.2 motorised mount. Dishes of 1m and above will need a more powerful and complex 36V motor drive. We have recently seen some radical new dish designs such as the Cybertenna and Force Frontier, using unusual materials and shapes, which enable a fixed dish to pick up 10 or 15 satellites within a 40 degree arc. Even greater improvements are expected. What size of dish am I allowed on my house, and how many can I have? Current planning regulations state that every home is allowed a single dish up to 90cm diameter. In conservation areas this may be reduced to 60cm diameter or dishes may be banned altogether (although this may infringe your human rights under EU law). Larger dishes are only allowed if you apply for planning permission. These regulations are under Government review and we expect an announcement later in 2005. In practical terms, if you have a large dish and don’t ask for planning permission, you’ll only land in hot water if your neighbours report you to the Local Authority. Take care when siting the dish, using chimney breasts and eaves to disguise it – if possible ask for your neighbours blessing – and you shouldn’t have any trouble. There are several ‘dishes’ around designed to be discreet: the Globedish, the Cubsat and flat panel dishes are all more bearable – and you can paint your dish with non-metallic car paint to match the brickwork. What are DiSEqC and USALS? Digital Satellite Equipment Control is a standard created by Eutelsat for receivers to select between LNBs and control motorised dishes. A DiSEqC compatible receiver sends pulses at 22 kHz, along the LNB cable to control a DiSEqC switch or motor. Mini-DiSEqC switches can select between two LNBs, DiSEqC 1.0 is used for up to four LNBs, DiSEqC 1.1 for up to 16 LNBs, using two sets of pulses. DiSEqC 1.2 uses the pulses to instruct a ‘smart’ monitor to move East or West, or go to a preset position. USALS (also known incorrectly as DiSEqC 1.3 or Goto X) uses an even smarter mount which can find any position in the sky based on a single reference bearing and the user’s longitude and latitude. How can I get encrypted channels? You’ll need a viewing card and the hardware to use the viewing card, either built into your receiver or with a conditional access module. What are pirate viewing cards? Pirate viewing cards are blank cards programmed with the keys for one or more subscription TV channels or packages (usually obtained on the internet). It is not illegal to own or produce viewing cards for personal use, but all activities relating to commercial production are illegal. What is a Conditional Access Module? A Conditional Access Module (or CAM) contains the technology needed to unlock encrypted subscription TV channels, using a viewing card. A CAM may be built into a receiver, or a separate unit the size of a credit card. CAM’s are available for most types of encryption, except the VideoGuard system used by Sky Digital. What is a Common Interface? Receivers with a Common Interface (or CI) can accept external CAM units of any kind, giving the user a broad flexibility. What is a Magic CAM? Magic CAMs, Joker CAMs and Global CAMs contain the software for several types of encryption, for use with viewing cards containing keys to disparate packages. Most retailers maintain that these CAMs should be legal. What are Feeds? Broadcasters often use satellite links – ‘feeds’ – to transfer programming from remote locations before broadcast. Feeds may be unedited, containing bloopers and footage unsuitable for broadcast. Many are unencrypted, although sports feeds are becoming rare, and broadcasters are moving to the technically superior MPEG 4:2:2 format. What about analogue? Germany still broadcasts around 60 analogue TV channels on Astra 1 to satisfy the millions of analogue TV users over there, and France continues its analogue Secam broadcasts of the national TV channels at 5 degrees West. Analogue signals are a rarity on other satellites, as digital broadcasting is vastly cheaper than analogue, and the receivers are cheap enough for anyone to upgrade. What about high definition? HDTV programmes can only be picked up using a dedicated Hi-Def receiver.