QUESTION 1. (Actually a whole series of related questions)
(We are asked this question several times a day - It is our most frequent question.)
Can I get the BBC and the ITV and Channel 5 on a free to air receiver?
Can I get the BBC, and ITV and Channel 5 on one receiver?
Can I use a freesat card with Sky + or Sky HD receivers?
Can I use the hard drive record facility in a Sky + without subscribing?
Can I use any other PVR (CI receiver) on Astra 2 like a Sky + or Sky HD?
Can I get Sky and other satellites as well on one receiver and on one dish?
Can I use a Sky Digibox for other satellites?
How big a dish do I need for Sky?
Can I receive two different Sky channels in different rooms.
Can the CI digital receivers be used for Sky TV and what channels can I receive?
Can I get Sky and other satellites as well on one receiver and on one dish?
Can I control two Sky Digiboxes through the TV eye system?
Problems with a Sky mini dish? Is it big enough?
Can I use a Sky + but use only one cable from the dish (e.g. using a splitter)?
ANSWER 1.
These are the most common questions that we receive. Many every day – wish people would read the FAQs first.
Here are the answers,
BBC 1 and 2 and 24 hour news, ITV and 50 to 100 other free channels are all on the 28E Astra 2 satellite.
They can be received on a cheap free to air (fixed) receiver. Prices start at £69.95
see.
www.satellitesuperstore.com/bbc.htm
These channels can also be receiver on any motorised receiver as motorised receivers work
with all free to air channels in the sky.
Channels 4 and 5 are scrambled channels. They need a Sky Digibox and either a Sky subscription.
or a "Freesat card" from Sky. This is a one off payment and then the Sky Digibox works on the Channels 4 and 5.
A Sky digibox can be ordered from
www.satellitesuperstore.com/skydigibox.htm
Some people are often unhappy about needing a card for the Channels 4 and 5. Please do not ask us about that.
Direct your questions to Sky Television or Channels 4 and 5. It is nothing to do with us.
A "Freesat card" cannot be used with a
Sky + or Sky HD as Sky will not permit the use of the recording system
without at least a minimum subscription. Check with Sky for details of all Sky HD charges
Since the activation of a card or a
Sky + or Sky HD box requires a phone call to Sky, it is then
that they will deny access to the record facility without a subscription.
Also note that only a Sky box carries the Sky program guide that provides a large amount of program listing detail.
There are other single tuner and twin tuner PVRs that are not controlled by Sky.
See
www.satellitesuperstore.com/twintuner.htm and
www.satellitesuperstore.com/harddrives.htm
They will work on all free channels including the BBC and ITV etc. on Astra 2 and on other satellites
but note that although they do have an electronic program guide (EPG) it is not the same as the Sky EPG
Using a T Rex cam programmed with 3rd part software it is possible, in theory, to run a Sky card
in a CI receiver or CI PVR single or twin tuner receiver - BUT from time to time the card
needs to go back into a Sky box to keep it turned on and so whilst a CI receiver with cam can
be used alongside a Sky box, maybe in another room, it can't be used instead of it
or the card will not stay on. Update - there are now a couple of receivers that will run a Sky card
and the card stays on. Neither of these receivers are twin tuner PVRs, but one of them
will take an external hard drive via a USB lead.
A
Sky + or Sky HD needs a twin LNB and a second cable if you are to record one channel and watch another.
See
www.satellitesuperstore.com/skylnb.htm and See
www.satellitesuperstore.com/twinlnb.htm
All our Sky + receivers are supplied with a 4 out mini dish LNB included in the price.
Sky have their own box of tricks for their scrambling system and a Sky Digibox is needed for Sky Television.
A Sky box will also work on the free channels on Astra 2 but is not much good for free channels
on other satellites. For other satellites you need a free to air receiver or a Common Interface receiver
(also called a CI receiver – works on free channels as well). More info on this below.
Motorised receives are also CI receivers and work on all free channels as well. So all receivers of any
type will work on free channels like the BBC (providing the dish you have is the correct size)
There are two reasons why a Sky receiver is not ideal for use on other satellites than Astra 2.
1. It has preset frequencies, FEC and symbol rates. So if a channel on another satellite happened to
have a frequency, symbol rate, and FEC the same as one of the Sky channels,
then that channel on another satellite will work, however, since you cannot infinitely vary
the frequencies, symbol rates and FECs in a Sky Digibox like you can on all CI receiver,
then most channels will not work.
2. You may have difficulty storing channels in a Digibox if you move it from one satellite
to another. It is likely to forget the extra channels that you have tried to store.
The size of the dish depends on where you are. In most of the UK a Sky zone 1 45cm mini dish
is OK but does not work well in bad weather. In Scotland a Sky 60cm Zone 2 dish is used.
(A standard 60cm dish is best in the UK anyway for all-weather capability) From other parts of
Europe dish sizes vary and are detailed on our site at
The caravan page
or from the satellite provider themselves. Links to them are at
www.satellitesuperstore.com/links.htm
The question about 2 channels and two or more rooms is really two questions.
For 2 channels at once you need two receivers, two subscriptions and a twin or 4
out LNB on the dish and an extra cable from dish to second receiver.
To extend Sky TV to two or more rooms you need a UHF distribution system in your home.
Or a wireless video sender system. These are detailed at
The Sky accessories page
Also see
advice page 3 about getting Astra 2, Astra 1 and Hotbird all on one fixed dish.
It would be possible to control two Sky receiver through the TV eye system is one was a standard
receiver and the other a Sky + as the handsets use different frequencies, although extra cabling may be required.
Alternatively, one box could be controlled through a TV
eye and the other a video sender. See
The Sky accessories page
A standard 45cm Sky mini dish is at least 10% too small to do the job. The balance was to make it as
environmentally friendly as possible. In the North / Scotland a 60cm zone 2 dish should be used.
In all areas a 60cm is a better bet and since mini dishes have their own type of LNB / fitting the
wide choice of standard LNBs cannot be fitted.
The best solution is a standard dish like the Triax TD 54 or TD 64. The 54 will be fine for all areas
in the UK except the north of Scotland where the 64 is a better bet.
Another excellent solution is the clear transparent 60cm dish
see See
www.satellitesuperstore.com/fixed-dishes.htm
All will provide far better "all weather" capability especially in the winter. See the
fixed dishes page.
Sky + with a single LNB? No. Read question 20 below. Sometimes when we answer
this question on the phone it is then asked in 6 or 7 different ways in the
hope that asking in a different way will mean it is possible! it is not.
A twin LNB and two cables are required.
It is probably very worthwhile to read FAQ No 2 below, the Freesat question, if you want to receive
UK channels without a subscription.
QUESTION 1b
Can the CI digital receivers be used for Sky TV and how many other
channels in the sky are available?
ANSWER 1b.
In simple terms is best to consider that there are two types of digital satellite TV.
1. Sky Digital. Sky has it's own box of tricks just for 28 east and most channels are scrambled.
A Sky system includes BBC 1 and 2 BBC 24 hour news, Sky News, (free channels),
Channel 4, ITN, Sky movies, etc.
2. Common Interface Digital (CI). This covers the vast majority of everything else in the sky.
At present there are about 30 main satellites in the sky (of which the Sky Digital satellite at 28 E is
only one). On these many satellites there are about 4000 digital channels from probably over 100
program providers (Sky TV is one program provider). These program providers use about 6 or 7 scrambling
systems and the
"decoder" is called a CAM. (Conditional Access Module) Maybe about 20 or so providers
use the same CAM and others use different ones. An estimate would be that about 400+ of these 8000 or
so channels are not scrambled and are "in the clear". The rest need cards. Common Interface digital
receivers usually have two CAM slots. The card slides into the CAM and the CAM slots into one of the
two slots under the flap in the satellite receiver. Some CI receivers are for fixed dish use. Either a
fixed dish pointing at one or two satellites (e.g. Astra at 19E and Hotbird at 13E). Others have a built
in positioner
for controlling a motorised dish. Some also contain an analogue section.
Many enthusiasts have a motorised CI digital receiver and a Sky digital as well. this covers just
about everything. All of these products are on our site and can be found from the links at the
top of any page or from our main
catalogue contents page
QUESTION 2 FREESAT.
I am considering purchase of a satellite FTA HD receiver.
I would request your assistance in choosing such equipment to use primarily with Freesat but also
to receive other available FTA transmissions. Whilst reviewing this subject on the Freesat sites
and other related for a there seems to be confusion about reception of various Freesat channels.
Some recipients report that all can be received, including ITV HD and the ‘red button’ channels,
whilst using an established FTA HD box.
I would like to try this option, possibly with a PVR addition but am unsure of which one to go for.
I wouldn’t like to spend several hundred pounds only to find that I can’t receive all the Freesat channels.
Can Freesat receivers be used on other satellites? Can standard receivers be used for Freesat?
I would welcome your input to this subject.
ANSWER 2.
The new Freesat service on 28E.
The new Freesat boxes can be connected to a standard Sky Mini dish or any dish pointing at Astra 2 at 28E
although a standard 60cm dish does work better. Or the clear transparent 60cm dish
This service will include standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) programs.
Freesat is a new UK service and have a new dedicated electronic program guide (EPG) that is only suitable for
28E and like a Sky receiver, provides detailed channel listings.
The EPG details program listings in advance and is considerably more detailed than in free to air, or CI, SD and HD
standard receiver.
Dedicated Freesat receivers,
The HD Humax box is £149.95 and free delivery – In stock.
The the Grundig HD box is £149.95 and free delivery – In stock.
(The Grundig box works on 12V and 240V – compact unit)
see www.satellitesuperstore.com/free.htm
Freesat receivers are not really suitable for any other satellite than 28E. They only have auto scanning on 28.
That means every transponder would have to be scanned manually on every satellite. This could take a day to do
just one satellite.
Accessing new channels in the menus is not easy and requires a number of button pushes every time.
Standard free to air and CI type satellite receivers.
Standard receiver do work on all free to air channels.
There could be an issue with the "red button access" used on Freesat receivers and ITV may not work on some
standard receivers. There are no issues with getting all Freesat channels on the
Technomate 6900
HD receiver.
Standard receivers are available in high definition and some are twin tuner PVRs (like a Sky plus or Sky HD).
They let you record one channel and watch another. Pause live footage etc.
See the
Topfield 7710 HD receiver
Standard definition (non-Freesat epg) boxes but with twin tuner PVRs are at
www.satellitesuperstore.com/twintuner.htm.
Also single tuner HD boxes with optional external hard drives are available - see
www.satellitesuperstore.com/technomatehd.htm
and
www.satellitesuperstore.com/kathrein.htm
All of these models are very up-market and have many more features than a Freesat box. They work on many satellites.
Dishes in the UK,
If you don't already have a satellite dish or would simply like to receive many more channels, we would recommend
the use of a 60cm dish for the Freesat service. Either a solid black dish or a clear transparent one.
See
www.satellitesuperstore.com/fixed-dishes.htm
Why not get 3 or 4 satellites all on one fixed dish - see
www.satellitesuperstore.com/3satsystems.htm
Also check out the clear transparent 60cm dishes on the
Transparent satellite dishes page.
QUESTION 3
I need to get Arabian channels or Indian channels etc. etc. etc.
i.e. Questions about channels. What equipment do I need?
(also see the next series of questions.)
ANSWER 3.
We need customers to do a bit of research themselves before asking the question, what equipment do I need
to receive a particular channel. If may be covered in the series of questions about channels below, but
If not you need to go to
www.lyngsat.com
This web site
provides information on every channel in the sky. We need to know which satellite the channels
are on that you are interested in. www.lyngsat.com will help you find this out. Once you know the
satellite it should be easy enough to advise you on what equipment you need.
QUESTION 4.
Can I get channels from the USA?
ANSWER 4.
There is very little American TV in the sky. Usually a few news channels.
It is very unlikely you would find a sport channels. To understand this you have to consider the Physics.
The Earth is round, not flat and microwaves (like light) travel in straight lines. Satellites above the
States are beyond our horizon. Only if US channels are relayed onto European satellites would we be able to
see them. This mainly seems to happen with free channels. Mostly news, however,
Fox Sport and Fox News are available in the clear from Pas 3 at 43 West. This requires an 88cm dish,
LNB and Wall Mount (from the UK,) See
the dishes page
and a digital receiver See
the free to air receivers page.
QUESTION 5.
I am British and I have moved to America.
Can I see British TV in America?
ANSWER 5.
This is not possible. The reasons for this are to do with the laws of Physics.
The Earth is round not flat and microwaves (like light) travels in straight lines. Satellites
above our horizon are beyond your horizon. Only if UK channels were to be relayed onto US satellites
would you be able to see them. You are in a better position to find that out than we are.
QUESTION 6.
I have an appartment in Spain. What do I need to receive Sky TV?
ANSWER 6.
We now have a web page about this very subject. Go to the
"Getting Sky in Spain page."
You need a Sky Digibox, a card and a dish kit.
DISH SIZES IN SPAIN.
Dish sizes need to be quoted to receive every channel. Smaller dishes can be used and since
some channels are more powerful than others, the small dish will work on a percentage of
channels but not all of them. The BBC and the ITV are the weakest channels, and so unless
the dish is big enough to receive every channel, it will not be big enough to receive
the BBC and the ITV (although many other Sky channels could be received with smaller dishes)
In addition it is important to note that there are 2 beams aimed at Spain. The north and
the south beam. The BBC and the ITV are not on the south beam but many Sky channels are.
The south beam can be received anywhere in Spain on an 80cm dish. To find out which.
channels are on the south beam go to www.astra.lu where you will you can research
what each beam carries on the Astra satellite. The North beam carries every channel.
As far as the north beam is concerned, customer feedback over the last year has provided
the following information on dish size recommendations.
Costa Brava 1.0m. Madrid, 1.2m Southern Spain and Portugal 1.6m. Alicanti (weak spot) 2.4m dish
Close to Alicante 1.8m dish.
All we can do is relate to you customer feedback. It is your responsibility to check
yourself with people in that area as we cannot guarantee the accuracy of these recommendations,
Feedback from Gran Canaria.
Problems getting the BBC and other low power Sky Channels?
Our Solution worked. The customer had a large Channel Master dish.
We advised the customer to get a Channel Master matched feedhorn and 0.3 dB Invacom LNB on his
Channel Master dish. All channels now working great. (He replaced a 40mm 0.6dB Grundig LNB with
The new feedhorn and C120 LNB). See these items on the
LNB page.
QUESTION 7.
Can I get French TV?
ANSWER 7.
The old French analogue TV channels like France 2, TF 1, etc. are available from 5 degrees West in digital
in the clear. This requires an 80cm dish (and LNB) from the UK - east coast although bigger dishes may be
needed in the south west. See
the dishes page
M6 is no longer in the clear on 5W in digital but is in the clear on 7E but this would need a second dish.
Too far across the Sky for a bracket on one fixed dish so a motorised dish is needed to receive both
satellites on one dish. (The problem is, it is not possible to buy an analogue only receiver any more.)
To receive English channels as well as French channels from 5W and 7E you would also need a dish pointing
at 28E and so once again a motorised dish may be needed if a Sky mini dish is not already fitted.
There are a number of free to air French digital channels on the Hotbird at 13E and a small number on
Astra 1 at 19E. French channels that are scrambled are also available from Astra 1 at 19 east and the
Hotbird at 13 east. Providing a card and CAM are added the CI digital receiver will also work on these
scrambled digital channels. To do this an Astra and Hotbird dish of 80cm is required.
See
the dishes page Also see the French AB sat card for about
15 channels on 13E at
the adult cards page. Since one of the French channels is an adult channel,
the card is on the adult cards page but the other 14 channels are not adult channels.
There is a mix of good channels. Worthwhile checking it out.
UPDATE - Many french channels are still in analogue and are free on the 5W
satellite. We now sell brand new analogue receivers for this
satellite and channels.
QUESTION 7b
Do you sell the French AB Sat package card
for French channels?
ANSWER 7b.
Yes we do. Channels on this card include, Moteurs, AB1, Action, RFM TV, XXL (adult), Anamaux
ONYX, Chasse & Peche, Musique Classique, Escales, La Chaine Histoire, Mangas, Encycopedia
Satellite information - Via Access - Hotbird at 13 E Freq 11.681 Pol. H S.R. 27500 FEC ¾
Dedicated classical music channel, A world of interesting documentary channels, Dedicated French motoring channel See,
www.satellitesuperstore.com/digicards.htm
QUESTION 8.
Can I get Russian TV?
ANSWER 8.
Information on Russian channels - customer feedback
Hi,
I have bought an Xtreme receiver from you back in October for use in Cyprus to watch Russian TV
(NTV+ package).. At the time you were not aware what combination I would require of card / cam.
I can confirm the receiver picks up FTA and pay channels from Eutelsat W4 on a 1.8m dish,
and with the proper subscription card and Via Access cam v2 the system works well.
I hope this helps should you need to sort out any Russian customers...I
can get the cards for £100 ( incl. 3 months subscription, then £20/month)!!
Update July 05
I'm just writing to you to tell you how pleased I am with your system.
I notice on your website the FAQs include how to receive Russian language channels but your
only answer refers to reception in Cyprus.
To receive free to air Russian (and Ukranian) language channels in the UK I'd heartily recommend
your two satellite transparent dish system - just point it at Hotbird 13E and Sirius 5E instead of
Astra 19E and Hotbird 13E. I used a professional installer (he charged £80) but he described it as
one of the easiest installations he'd ever done despite never having had a request for Sirius before.
Hotbird will give you 7 free to air Russian language channels including Ch1 ORT, RTR Planeta, RTR Sport,
Music Box RU and Euronews. On its Europe wide footprint Sirius adds another Russian
channel Moskva Okrytki Mir and Enter Film (with has a choice of Russian and Ukranian soundtracks) and 7
other free to air Ukranian Channels (including TRK Ukraina) many of whose programs are in Russian.
Sirius also has a Nordic footprint for which an 85cm dish isn't really large enough from the UK but
I've found the one free-to-air Russian language channel on the Nordic footprint (Baltic Music Channel)
has acceptable reception in all but the worst weather conditions.
Regards,
Ken
QUESTION 9.
What do I need to get Italian channels?
ANSWER 9.
Italian channels are mostly on the Hotbird at 13E. This needs a Hotbird system.
e.g. Choose the model of Technomate receiver you want on the
Techomate page and lower
down the page you add a Hotbird 80cm dish kit to complete the system. If you intend to fit it yourself,
you will also need some installation items (that an installer would normally bring with them),
cable, F connectors, coach bolts and plugs, clips and a meter. See the
installation equipment page
If you buy a free to air receiver you will get Ria 1, Ria 2, Ria 3, which most of the time are
free to air unscrambled channels and a number of other free channels from Italy. If you think you
might add a official card in the future the Technomate 1500 CI + or the 1000CI might be a better bet.
All of these items are very good quality receiving What Satellite awards and yet the prices are low.
QUESTION 10.
What do I need to get German channels?
ANSWER 10.
German channels are mostly on the Astra 1 at 19E. This needs an Astra system.
e.g. Choose the model of Technomate receiver you want on the
Techomate page and lower
down the page you add a Astra 1 60cm dish kit to complete the system. If you intend to fit it yourself,
you will also need some installation items (that an installer would normally bring with them),
cable, F connectors, coach bolts and plugs, clips and a meter. See the
installation equipment page
If you buy a free to air receiver you will get Sat 1, Pro 7, and many more, which most of the time are
free to air unscrambled channels from Germany. If you think you might add a official card in the future
the Technomate 1500 CI + or the 1000CI might be a better bet. All of these items are very good quality
receiving What Satellite awards and yet the prices are low.
QUESTION 11.
Can I watch 2 Sky satellite channels at once?
ANSWER 11.
To watch a particular channel in several rooms is not a problem and only needs one receiver.
The TV eye / cable / amps system as per
the Sky accessories page carries the signal
round the house with full control from every room.
However, to get one channel in one room and a different channel in another requires 2 receivers
(and 2 cards). People think this is in some way different to terrestrial TV but it is not. The reason
you can e.g. watch the BBC and record the ITV is because you have 2 receivers (tuners). One built
into the TV and one built into the VCR. (the laws of Physics for terrestrial also apply to satellite)
Also each receiver needs a signal from the dish and so a twin LNB must be fitted to the dish and a
second cable to receiver number 2. To have all this distributed around the house also needs the TV eye
system mentioned above. Then one satellite channel can be viewed in one room (and controlled) and a
second channel in the other room. If one receiver is a standard receiver and the other a Sky Plus,
the 2 remotes are different and will only control the appropriate receiver If a Sky Plus is used,
however, a 4 output LNB must be fitted and 3 cables as a Sky Plus needs 2 LNB feeds as it is also
able to record one channel while watching another. The 2nd receiver allows a 3rd channel to be watched
in another room. (May not sound simple but it works great.) Also Sky let you have the second card
at a discounted price. Since the second card has on it the same as the first card, if the main card
is a full package, the second card is very good value.
To do all this on a motorised dish, Use a 4 output LNB. One output for the CI digital motorised receiver,
2 outputs for the Sky Plus, and one output for the second standard sky receiver. Using a motorised dish
and a mini dish is better however as only this way can you watch one satellite on one room (e.g. Sky)
and another satellite in another room (e.g. Hotbird) as with a motorised dish,
it can only point one way at once.
QUESTION 12
Is there a twin LNB for a sky mini dish?
ANSWER 12
A Sky mini dish has a special fitting LNB. A 4 output LNB is available but not a twin. see the
Sky LNBs page
A standard 40mm twin will not fit on. The dish could be replaced with a Triax TD 64 (not expensive)
the dishes page and You could fit a twin 0.5dB LNB
see
the LNB page This is a better option
anyway as a Sky mini dish is only just big enough and a 60 cm offers all weather capability.
The TD 64 60cm dish is therefore also an upgrade. An inexpensive wall mount is also required.
(Also see dishes page)
QUESTION 13.
I've just been told by a Sky installation man that
we cannot have a Sky dish as the only place we can get a signal
is in the corner of the garden which is not acceptable to us.
We would prefer a dish on the house but suffer by being on the
south side of a hill just below some woodland. Do all satellites
send signals from the southern horizon or is there an alternative?
We are not that interested in hundreds of channels, nor in a
subscription to Sky but would like to improve our signal,
which at the moment is coming over the hill to us and so is poor
and without Channel 5 (no great loss). Can you help?
ANSWER 13
Sorry but you cannot alter the laws of Physics. Micro waves are electromagnetic radiation.
Just like visible light, they travel in straight lines and will not go through solid objects.
Use the space at the bottom of the garden. Some people do not have this option. You are lucky.
Appearance is an attitude of mind. In the USA the bigger the dish you can put in the front
garden the better. Status symbol! We suffer from British disease. i.e British reserve.
You could always paint it green to match the garden. Ordinary car spray will be fine providing
a thin single coat is put on the reflecting surface and it must be matt or it will reflect
light and heat as well as the signal. The heat will burn through the feedhorn cap and let
the spiders in. THEY BLOCK THE SIGNAL - use matt paint. Car primer is ideal.
Alternatively you could use a clear transparent dish. See clear dishes on our
dishes page
They are also very good for conservation areas.
ANSWER 13b
See above answer - "paining a dish." Below is the 1.0m Andrews (Channel Master) dish.
QUESTION 14.
Can I paint a satellite dish to match
the brick or stone work or garden?
ANSWER 14
This is answered in the previous question / answer above.
QUESTION 15.
Can I have satellite TV without putting a dish on my house?
I live in a CONSERVATION AREA - will it work through glass?
ANSWER 15
Yes it will but it must point south. There will be a small amount of atenuation through glass
but a 60cm dish is big enough for Sky TV even through glass. You could consider a transparent dish
see
the dishes page and the dish could be set
up in a porch, a greenhouse, a room in the house through a south facing window. (A clear dish
will not block as much light). You could even put it in a shed pointing through south facing window
or pointing through the door of a shed pointing south and simply don't close the door of the shed!
QUESTION 16.
Dear Sir, Do you supply adult cards to my country?
I think the customs might confiscate it.
ANSWER 16.
We are an international mail order company and supply direct. We regularly supply cards to
your country without problems. We use a fast international courier. Usually TNT International.
The cards can be found on the
adult cards page
We prefer to "kick start" the card by turning it on and starting the years subscription
before it leaves here. That is a good way to test the card is OK before sending it.
Also check out shipping details on the
cards shipping page
QUESTION 17
What does a "blind search" mean?
ANSWER 17
To explain this it is necessary first to know what normal searching is.
To scan in a digital channel the Frequency, (and polarity, symbol rate, and FEC) must be entered
into your receivers "install" menu system. This is called scanning a channel (or to be exact
scanning a transponder) manually. (Digital channels are compressed and when one transponder
is scanned from one set of frequency data, up to 10 channels can appear from the one scan.)
A big satellite like the Hotbird at 13E has more than 1000 channels and so that means there
will be at least 100 transponders. That means at least 100 sets of frequency data would have to
be entered one at a time manually just on this one satellite.
All receivers will allow you to enter frequencies manually one at a time but the also
offer an automatic scan. That means that by simply selecting the Hotbird (for example) in the menu
and selecting auto scan, the whole of the Hotbird (in theory) can be scanned in.
So how does the receiver do this? What happens is that before the receiver leaves the factory,
it is loaded with software. This software is mainly it's operating system but, in addition
it also includes 100s of sets of frequency data that the manufacturer has prepared for you.
This data is collected from the satellite providers and other reliable sources and is usually
accurate AT THE TIME IT IS PREPARED. However satellites are constantly changing, channels move,
sometimes change frequencies, disappear, new channels appear etc. and so the frequency data is
changing all of the time. The 100 sets of frequency data put in for you, just on the Hotbird
first of all assumes the manufacturer found it thoroughly and accurately in the first place
and secondly is likely to have changed by the time the new receiver hits the streets.
To correct this problem manufacturers release new software on a regular basis. This
new software may well include - improvements in the operating system - fixes for "bugs" or errors
in the operating system. (Digital receivers are exactly the same as a computer. They are
driven by software and no software ever released is perfect as it is written by humans and
humans make mistakes) The operating system in a receiver (just like the Windows operating system)
is constantly being "fine tuned" and improved) - also embedded in the software will be the latest set
of "channel data". All the known frequencies from every satellite so that the auto scan will work.
On some receivers upgrading the software can be done "over the air" via a particular satellite.
Other receivers have to be upgraded by picking up the new software from the manufacturers website
and using (usually) a lead called a null modem lead, the receiver is upgraded via computer.
Either way, a receiver should be FACTORY RESET to clear all scanned in channels before new
software is put in as the old channel list will corrupt the new software and the operating system
will be screwed up. That is how a normal receiver works. For the vast majority of customers interested
in TV channels, this is fine. Upgrading the software once every 6 to 12 months would be the norm.
However, feed hunters have more demanding requirements. Now for Blind Searching.
This is a more thorough search. Instead of using an embedded set of data (that can go out of date)
the receiver scans EVERY possible frequency, polarity, symbol rate and FEC in the whole of the Ku band.
The big disadvantage with this approach is that it takes much more time. Instead of looking
at selected frequencies, all frequencies are searched. Instead of a standard scan on a big satellite
taking 5 to 10 minutes (standard scan) a blind search on the same satellite could take hours
or even letting a receiver search all night might be needed - just on one satellite.
It was therefore necessary to come up with a compromise alternative. Often called the
"Power Scan". Here the receiver has an internal data base of channel (transponder) frequencies
and a standard scan is done, but then a blind search is done on all of the frequencies not covered
by a standard scan. This approach can reduce scanning times for a big satellite to 30 to 40 minutes
In our experience, however, we are all relying on the manufactures software to be clever enough to
do this complicated operation and often the power scan is not clever enough and new frequencies
can be missed. It is however more thorough that a standard scan. Clearly the power scan also
benifits from regular upgrades from the manufacturer as it relies on channel data to improve
scanning speed.
It is now worth considering the history of the blind search receiver as sometimes I hear people
say things like "my cheap fixed receiver finds more than my expensive motorised receiver"
The very first blind search receivers were pure blind search and were very slow. We sold one
called a “Coship”. In addition, it only stored 1500 channels. Motorised enthusiasts used it as
a searching tool. They connected it to their motorised receiver via a LNB loop through
facility, or by fitting a twin LNB and extra cable, “scarting” the motorised to AV 1 on the TV and
the blind search receiver to AV 2. The Hotbird (for example) could be scanned (maybe overnight
for a big satellite) and then the data studied. Any new channels or feeds would than be noted
down and entered into the motorised receiver manually. The Coship would then be cleared
of all channels (factory reset) and then moved on the the next satellite to start a new blind scan
Many feed hunters still work this way. More inexpensive "no frills" blind search models came out
and later the power scan was introduced.
Manufactures found that by "tweaking the software" on many standard receivers (including motorised)
a power scan (combination of standard database scan and blind scanning) could be included as
a new additional feature. Very recently some "no frills" (budget) blind search receivers came out
that were "hardware blind scanning" rather than software blind scanning. This increased
the speed of the blind scan and a big satellite like the Hotbird could be scanned in around 15
minutes. The motorised enthusiasts now tend to use a hardware blind scan receiver
like a
Tehnomate 4100D or a
Fortec star free to air or 5100
as a tool to update the data in their motorised receiver. At the moment
the feature packed
Manhattan 500 and 550 is the main 36 volt motorised receiver that includes
a good blind searching power scan feature but it still falls short of a dedicated hardware blind scan
receiver for the ultimate in blind searching capabilities. Blind searching is only a little
over a year old since it started. We have come a long way in that time and improvements are
continuously being developed. There are still "bugs" in the software of all receivers
(as there is in all software products)
Since 1998 when the digital satellite receiver started to be introduced in quantity, manufacturers
have made good progress and continue to do so.
Read a review of the Manhattan ST100 receiver.
Even if you want a different model, this review is worth reading as
it deals with the 70 software, the superb blind search and the features,
that are common to all Plaza models.
QUESTION 18
What do I need for internet via satellite?
ANSWER 18
The most common internet access from satellite is from 19E using www.europeonline.com
This requires a 60cm dish and wall mount. See
the dishes page
Otherwise please note that we do not give support on Internet via satellite or
computer related products of this type.
QUESTION 19
I do not live in the UK.
How much will your products cost in my currency?
ANSWER 19
All countries have different currencies and if you order from a web site outside of your
own country you should check the exchange rate to find out how much you will be charged.
We don't know what the cost is in other peoples currencies. There are 100s of different
currencies in the world. The way you find out is to contact your credit card company.
Exchange rates vary on a daily basis and from one provider to another and so the only way
to know exactly what you will be charged on the day of ordering is to ask your credit card
company what they are going to charge you. They will apply the exchange rate, set by them,
on the day you ring them.
QUESTION 20
Can I use a splitter to split the signal from my dish
to two satellite receivers?
ANSWER 20
A splitter will not work Splitters do not do what people think they will do.
If you split the signal but the main receiver is then in control of the band and the polarity.
So - the second receiver only gets the channels that are on the same band and polarity as the
first receiver. That is about 25% of the channels But then if you change channels on the first
receiver to a channel on a different band or polarity, the second receiver then
also goes to the same band and polarity as the main receiver and goes to no signal
of the channel you were watching.
i.e. a different 25% of channels starts working.
The only solution is a twin LNB or a second dish and another cable. Twin LNBs are
at
the LNB page. Cable at
the install page
QUESTION 21
I live in a listed building and we are not allowed to put up a dish.
What are my options?
ANSWER 21
Ways of putting up a dish when you are not allowed to put one up.
1. In a greenhouse. Signal works through glass. Read the FAQ about this.
2. Build a shed in the garden with the door pointing south. Don't shut the door.
3. Point a transparent dish through a south facing window. See the caravan
dish kits at
the caravan clear dishes page. they are ideal for this. The clear dish does not block the light.
What is the most important to you. Having a dish in a (maybe spare) room or watching Satellite TV? Up to you.
If you e-mail us,
We receiver well over 100 e-mails per day and we do try to answer them.
On a busy day it may be that the answer will be in the evening as often we catch up with mails from a
home computer. If the phone is ringing every few minutes during the day,
answering e-mails may be delayed.
There are some mails we will respond to with a "set answers",
If the mail is covered by an FAQ, you will directed to the FAQs on these advice pages.
If you require support on a product you have purchased from us and have not
included an invoice number we will ask for it before providing support.
If you have bought a product elsewhere, you should contact that company for support
and not us. We look after our customers, not other peoples.
There are some e-mails we will not answer.
E-mails that are not in English are immediately deleted.
Answering 100s of e-mails takes time and working out what "text language" all means is something
we do not have time to do. We only answer questions in English. Text language
e-mails will be deleted.
We are a SATELLITE company. Questions about aerials, or cable (e.g. NTL) will not be answered.
We do not sell products for cable users. Contact your cable provider.
We do not provide advice on “internet via satellite.”
We do not provide advice on satellite computer cards.
We do not provide advice on "card programming" or card programmers.
(Questions from the USA) We do not provide advice on systems to unscramble US channels.
If you would like advice about receiving a particular channel, you must state which
satellite it is on (there are over 4000 channels in the sky) and include where you live (which country)
if we are to advise on dish sizes etc.
If you are asking several questions and e-mails are going back and forwards
between you and us, you must include all of the e-mail history below from the previous e-mails.
You cannot expect us to remember your exact circumstances from one mail
to another. We rely on the history to be able to remember your circumstances.
Many companies simply do not answer their e-mails. We try to answer all of ours with the exception
of the categories above. If you send a mail and it is not answered
it may have been accidentally deleted. This can happen as we receive (as I am sure you do)
large amounts of junk mail every day and it is possible that a genuine mail may be accidentally
deleted among the junk mail. If you think that has happened please send it again.
We do try to answer all genuine e-mails.
