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SAT DStv Amendment 96.11.19

WELCOME TO SAT-MIDEAST !
A news release from Cairo, Egypt, located at 30.3 North - 31.15 East
____________________________________________________________________
WHAT YOU'LL FIND HERE:
- Satellite and Transponder Observations in C- and Ku-Band,
- Commented from the Middle Eastern perspective.

WHAT YOU DON'T FIND HERE:
- Astra, Eutelsat Superbeam and Skandinavian Reports.
- D-Box Info, DF-1 Reports and daily Feed Listings.
____________________________________________________________________
DStv REPORT (96.11.12) AMENDMENT:

- SCPC - Symbol Rates
- ARABSAT Info
- ORBIT Update
- Tips & Tricks
- ASIASAT 2

PANASAT IRD
-----------
The PANASAT 520-D IRD is capable of receiving both SCPC signals and low
symbol rates, but the present used software version does not! Similar to
the earlier D-Box phenomenon.

ARABSAT EXPANDS, http://www.arab.net/arabsat/
---------------
Arabsat, the satellite organisation of the Arab League, has signed a
contract with France's Aérospatiale for the construction of a new Direct
Broadcasting Satellite, aiming at a launch by Arianespace within two
years. The spacecraft called ARABSAT 2-BSS1 will be used for
broadcasting digital TV in the BSS band, using a total of 6,200 Watts of
power. It will reportedly be co-located with ARABSAT 2A (26°E). The
satellite will have an operational lifetime of 15 years.
(C) Copyright 1996 by Sat-ND, http://www.sat-net.com/pck/

ORBIT NETWORK, http://www.orbit.net/
-------------
In between I received an E-Mail from ORBIT-Roma, correcting me in my
believe that their txm on INTELSAT 705, 18 West are in MPEG-2. They are
not! It's still plain MPEG 1.5, however a change is planned for 1997.
There has been some misleading info on this subject lately and a number
of magazine and publications are still carrying this misinformation.

ARABSAT 2A, 26 East, SATCO-DX: http://www.satcodx.com/a2a.html
----------
DStv transmissions from Arabsat 2A where tuning on txpr 3, 12.563 GHz,
H, does not automatically lead to reception, even when the digital
signal is recognized.

Ghassan Tabet from Lebanon gave following explanation, a usuful tip and
some reception reviews:

The problem is simple, ART are transmitting the same data stream as on
the PAS-4 satellite. This would not work with the Pace 500 nor the
Panasat 520 IRD's because the index table (channels list) contains the
frequencies, symbol rate and fec of each channel. So the receiver will
look for 11.649 GHz instead of 12.563 GHz. What you see is the index
table of the stream. They will fix this problem soon when ART officialy
launches on Arabsat 2a. They will need to broadcast 2 different streams
: one for Pas-4 and one for Arabsat 2A. You can make make however the
PANASAT work on Arabsat 2A, here is how :

TRICK 17:  
- Tune in to ART parameters :Freq.:12.563 GHz - Symbol Rate: 19638 -
FEC: 7/8
- Switch from TV Services to Audio Services
- An error message will appear: "E65 No Audio Services"
- Wait a few seconds, you get an error message saying: "No Signal"
- As soon as you get this message hit MENU then EXIT, and repeat 3-4
times
- Then you get again the message "E65 no audio services" or "Unknown
Service"
- Now switch to TV service
- The picture will appear for the selected channel

ASIASAT 2, 100,5 East, SATCO-DX: http://www.satcodx.com/
---------
Viewers with access to Asiasat 2 should try the : 
European Bouquet: 4.000 GHz - Symbol Rate: 28125 - FEC: 3/4
STAR TV: 3.700 GHz - Symbol Rate: 28100 - FEC: 3/4
STAR TV: 3.900 GHz - Symbol Rate: 28100 - FEC: 1/2

The Pace IRD, while not 100% DVB compatible, will have no reception.

STRONG DVR
----------
The STRONG DVR receiver uses the same software as the Pace and PANASAT
(same menus), but its Symbol Rate is capable of going below 15000. 
In fact, I have received WTN and APTV from Hot Bird and Asiasat 2
(Symbol Rate 5632 - FEC: 3/4) and KRAL (Turkey) from Eutelsat 2f3. (C)
Ghassan Tabet, Lebanon

RECEPTION REVIEW
----------------
My own testing during the last days allowed me to tune, following
Ghassan Tabet's tips, the 1stNet programming on Arabsat 2A. From the Hot
Bird 1 DStv transmissions I was only able to tune in to the Telepiu
package on Txpr 4, 11.283 GHz, V, Symbol Rate 27500 - FEC 2/3 and Txpr
7, 11.345 GHz, V, same rate and FEC, where all channels, including the
20 DMX channels, were recognized, only the correct smartcard was
missing, in order to descramble the programme contents. All of the other
digital txm on the HB 1 could not be received due to the relative low
signal strenght supplied.

RECEIVED with the PANASAT 520-D IRD
-----------------------------------
PAS 4	H	11.649 GHz	19638	7/8		1stNet/ART & Showtime DStv
PAS 4	V	 3.716 GHz	20600	3/4		Multichoice DStv
ARABSAT	H	12.563 GHz	19638	7/8		1stNet/ART & Showtime DStv
HB-1	V	11.283 GHz  27500	2/3		Telepiu DStv
HB-1	H	11.345 GHz	27500	2/3		Telepiu DStv

The 1stNet/ART/Showtime package does not carry any Audio Channels at the
time.
The MCM Euromusique txm is free on air, e.g receivable without
smartcard.
The M-Net txm contains the K-TV programming as a shared broadcast.

COMMENT
-------
Kenneth R. Donow wrote:
Thanks so much for that excellent report on Digital Satellite Television
in the Middle East. I appreciate the care and concern you give the
topic.

Best regards,

Henk C. Room
____________________________________________________________________     
Send relevant infos and creative comments to: hcroom@intouch.com

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