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SAT-Usenet 15/97

SAT-Usenet 
15/97
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- SPECIAL EDITION: BRITISH DIGITAL-RECEIVERS

Re: British Digital Satelite Recivers (Ray Woodward <raymondw@airtime.co.uk>,
26.02.97 08:46)

In article <33168c98.752279@news.btinternet.com>, Martin Bishop
<Martin.Bishop@btinternet.com> comments :

>Can you pease answer a question that has been on my mind for a while
>now. I have a motorised satelite system and with the sale of the new
>digital satelite recivers that go on sale at the end of this year,
>would I be able to recive stations that are already in the digital
>format but not scrambled i.e. The Music Factory, Live TV and The
>Parliment Channel. Or will these recivers be made that they will only
>be able to pick the Astra Satelite Systems.

As I understand it, a digital receiver for the English market will only
acknowledge the existence of English channels.

A digital receiver for the Dutch market will only acknowledge the
existence of Dutch channels, a unit for the Italian market will only
'see' Italian channels etc etc.

However, as the digital satellite world is new and still evolving, I
wouldn't be *too* surprised if someone eventually brought out a unit
that would acknowledge different countries channels.

But, TTBOMK such a receiver is not yet around - at least for the
domestic viewer.

Re: British Digital Satelite Recivers (chris.muriel@analog.com (Chris
Muriel), 26.02.97 11:36)

Martin.Bishop@btinternet.com (Martin Bishop) wrote:

>Can you pease answer a question that has been on my mind for a while
>now. I have a motorised satelite system and with the sale of the new
>digital satelite recivers that go on sale at the end of this year,
>would I be able to recive stations that are already in the digital
>format but not scrambled i.e. The Music Factory, Live TV and The
>Parliment Channel. Or will these recivers be made that they will only
>be able to pick the Astra Satelite Systems.
>Martin A Bishop
>Airdrie, North Lanarkshire Scotland
>e-mail: Martin.Bishop@btinternet.com
  All current consumer market Digital Boxes were made
  such that they would only officially work on the digital
  bouquet for which they were sold -complete with
  appropriate smartcard & Conditional Access Module (cam).
  However,the German "D-Box" ,sold for the Kirch DF1
  multiplex of channels,with the relevant software,can receive
  other channels,both SCPC & MCPC.
  To do so you have to go into a "Secret menu" via the remote
  (Radio,99,Radio,Menu) & then enter all sorts of parameters
   manually  -like the actual (L-Band) IF frequency,Symbol Rate,
   Bandwidth & FEC parameters.The box can't store multiple
   setups AFAIK but it's ok for the DX-er who doesn't mind
   going through this procedure for each set of channels at the time 
   he wants them.Not for Mr. Average Consumer,though.
   It's a bit like people who insist/prefer to use plain DOS for
   all their PC work rather than cleverer Windoze packages.
   Go to one of the D-Box sites on the web for more info +
   look at the Doctor Dish Archive of Q & A's for more info.
   The D-Box is in fact a variant of the Nokia 9500
   Multimedia Terminal -info available on Nokia www site.
   For BSkyB digital,the spec. still isn't fully finalised -much
   to the anoyance of its potential manufacturers.Sky keep
   asking for little changes to it.They haven't yet placed a firm
   contract with anyone either!!

   Chris Muriel,Manchester.

Re: Some questions about the dbox in the UK... (chris.muriel@analog.com
(Chris Muriel), So 18:09)

jake01@globalnet.co.uk (Bob Jacobs) wrote:

>I have been reading posts in this group about the dbox & have also
>checked out a several web sites devoted to it. However, would someone
>please answer the following questions?

>1) How many  unencrypted channels can be received in the UK on a 90cm
>fully motorised dish in the south of England (ie which can be moved
>from 63 east to 53 west)?
  There's stacks of them -too numerous to mention here.
  Look at some of the D-Box www sites & you'll see lists of
  channels in the clear (with PID info where necessary).
>2) Some web sites give "PIDs" for the various channels. I take it this
>is number you would enter into the dbox to decode the channel. Does
>the dbox store these PIDs on a channel-by-channel basis? If so, how
>many channels is the dbox capable of storing?
 AFAIK you can't actually store these - which is a bit of a pain.
 An alternative is to write macros on a laptop pc & connect to
 D-Box via serial port.The channel info,including PID's can be
 stored in the macros.
>3) Is the dbox easy to set up? Are the instructions in English?
 Fairly easy but you **only**  get German info.
>4) What sort of picture quality are most of these channels giving on a
>90 cm dish?
 You'll get good pictures on 16,10 & 13 degrees Eas + 27 West & maybe
some others too.A universal LNB is desirable for best
 results (costs 25 to 35 UKP)
>5) If any UK people out there have bought a dbox, would you say that
>the #400-#600 you have spent on it has been worthwhile?
 Yes,if you like playing around with new technology.
  No if you just want a couple of remote control button
  pushes to achieve simple channel changing.
>Thanks!
 Hope this helps...
  Chris Muriel,Manchester,UK
>Bob Jacobs
>Ramsgate, Kent, England.
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