Sky birthday

It was 20 years ago today, 6pm on Feb 5 1989, that Sky Television first went on air with a portfolio of 4 channels, broadcasting from Astra’s debut satellite at 19.2 deg East. Sky kicked off with 4 pay-TV channels, although viewers could also see a handful of German channels.

Rupert Murdoch had announced his plans for Sky Television in June 1988, but all depended on the launch of the first Astra satellite. That went well on Dec 11 1988, and after a few weeks of technical tests and trials, transmissions went live on Feb 5 1989.

Sky Television, in the shape of a single free-to-air channel, had been on air over Europe since 1978 – and losing a fortune of cash. It went through various versions, and ownerships, most importantly as ‘Satellite Television UK Ltd’ and with backing from Brian Hayes, formerly of Thames TV. By any measure in its early days it could be considered an illegal service given that it was using a highly dubious licence to operate which allowed it to beam a signal from Finland to Malta – although in the process it could be picked up by all the European cable head-ends under the low-power satellite’s (ESA’s Orbital Test Satellite 2) footprint. Later Eutelsat’s very first 1F1 service at 13 deg East carried the signal.

Murdoch bought the near-bankrupt Sky channel in 1983 and poured cash into the venture, losing every penny. The losses would continue. At the time of the launch on Astra the UK had an estimated 263,000 satellite homes, and only a handful of speciality DTH dishes. Set-top boxes came from Amstrad and Cambridge, and were basic in their functionality. Amstrad’s initial ‘Fidelity’ set-top box was supplied as a push-button model for the “8 channels that you can view today”. Sky’s 4 channels (Sky Channel, Eurosport, Sky News and Sky Movies) were initially totally free to air because reliable encryption methods started charging subscription fees in the winter following its 1989 launch.

The early months were problem-filled. Sky couldn’t keep up with demand! Dishes, and set-top boxes were in extremely short supply, and costs at Sky meant that Murdoch’s investment was losing £2m a week. Worse, a rival outfit British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) was chasing Sky’s tail with its own 5-channel system. The two rivals agreed to merge in November 1990, with BSB having lost close to £2bn. In March 1992 BSkyB reached operating profit for the first time, and the following year (May 1992) signed the English premiership to an exclusive contract. By the end of 1992 it had 2m subs. Today’s number is 9.24m, and many more if cable and IPTV connections are included.

New Sky Cards will replace current cards

Rumour has been around, but soon the official announcement will happen. Sky current blue-yellow house cards will be replaced with a new version smartcard. Cardsharing will no doubt be addressed with the new version of card and only time will tell if cardsharing UK English cards will cease, or if there will be a fast fix for the newer card.
Freesat or free-to-view or ‘freeview’ type satellite cards will need replacement as well as subscription cards. In time this means older cards, ex-subs or non-sky purchased/registered cards will be shut down. A boom of new orders for those selling sky abroad will happen soon. Will the orders be for the new sky card, or for new freesat equipment that doesnt use cards? Sky subscribers will get new cards sent to registered addresses, but what about those such as in Spain, who subscribe through agents -they will likely have to pay once again to obtain a new Sky subscription.
Those who are sharing Sky by illegal means….. will they now subscribe legitimate, or will they opt to stick with freesat?
PH

What is cardsharing?

Q. What is cardsharing?
Hopefully this thread will help complete beginners to understand more.

Cardsharing, card shares, ‘sharing’ and ‘CS’ are commonly used to describe the method of using a smartcard (or cards) over a network. In practical terms an original legitimate subscription card could be used in a receiver; then another box that is in another room, or even a thousand miles away, could access the smartcard via ‘local network’ or ‘internet’ to clear channels that the subscription card allows.

So no sharing needs to be involved, its purely access to a remote card that isnt actually plugged into your own card slot, that we refer to with the phrase ‘cardshare’.

This method has existed for many years and not new, even though the majority of people have not heard of it. Talk of ‘sharing’ is banned on many forums and a taboo subject due to its obvious possible illegal uses.

Cardshare or card-over-network is not illegal per se, but it is the use of the method that can be against Uk and international law and generally everyone in the Uk wants to ask “so how do i get free sky?” which is just direct illegal discussion that could lead to the closure of any Uk forum. Teaching someone directly how to ‘steal’ is also a prosecutable offence, so posts are often removed for safety of the helpful members too.
##Lets make this clear, cardsharing has nothing to do with Sky branded equipment whatsoever, but yes the method does work with Uk smartcards so we cannot condone anyone wishing to use cardshare information to commit crime##

Q. So what do I need?
Firstly you need equipment that is networkable, such as Dreambox and similar linux based satellite products. These receivers have ethernet connection in the same way as computers do, and have ability to use developed software to send and receive information.

Over the years of development many versions of software have evolved and names such as Newcs, Cccam, Mgcamd, Gbox, Newcamd and others have gained popularity due to their ability to network-share. Legal practical use has allowed the subject to expand and even top brand names like PACE, Amstrad, etc, now use the idea to develop new hardware for the future. Legal benefit to networking is you are able to pay for an encrypted package and then watch with a receiver of your choice in your own home and no longer need to keep taking the card in and out and forgetting where it is etc, or use a favourite machine that doesnt have a supported cam/cardslot. ‘Grey area’ use also includes using over the internet too, because if you PAY for subscription and then watch a channel in your holiday home whilst your card remains at home, how can you be committing a crime? Its not piracy or theft because you are legally paying for the privilege to watch.

Q. How does it work?
For receivers to communicate over a network they need to be configured. Firstly a box needs to know where the card will be located. This hardware holding the card is known as the ‘server’ or ‘cardserver’ or ‘host’ and relates to whatever equipment physically hosts the smartcard. Other receivers without the smartcard directly inserted are known as the ‘clients’.
Standard computer based IP address format is used for real-world location, which acts like telephone numbers for internet connectivity in the same way our pc’s work all over the world. So 1 box knows where another is by direct IP number etc.

Each of the software cams mentioned (Gbox, Cccam, Newcamd etc) use ‘protocol’ or language that is specific to that product. Some cams are able to ‘talk’ to others, but this can be limited so usually each receiver will keep the same software cam. However, this part is where different development has taken place to give wider suitability and capability.

Eg. As example we will use ‘Newcs’ as the card server on a machine we’ll call ‘North’. So a machine running this software hosts an original subscription card. Now Newcs ‘talks’ in newcamd protocol, meaning it can communicate with other receivers with software speaking the same digital language.
1 satellite receiver we’ll call ‘East’ uses Mgcamd as its soft-cam. This receiver will be set as a ‘client’ and does not have a card.
Another satellite receiver we’ll call ‘South’ uses Cccam as its soft-cam This receiver will also be configured as a client to ‘North’.
A 4th receiver we’ll call ‘West’ and this also uses Cccam and is configured as a client to ‘North’.
>>So this example is nice and simple, all 4 satellite receivers would be able to view channels that the subscription card in receiver ‘North’ allows. Mgcamd and Cccam are both popular and both able to communicate with Newcs so all is well.

This is the point ‘shares’ can become more complex and the ‘sharing’ description more relevant. What happens if South has a different subscription card in its slot that would be good to allow the other receivers to access? Well this means that South will be a Server as well as a client. Using the same soft-cam makes things very easy, it is a simple process to add a line of numbers into West to make it a client, and add a line of numbers into South so that allows West the access. At this point in the example, the result would be that North and East only clear Card1 channels, but both South and West equipment clears Card1 channels and Card2 channels too.

There are options for North & East, its not as complicated as it seems, its just a process of configuring each receiver again and all being on a protocol that each box understands, but sometimes trying to imagine 50 or 100 receivers is a harder task. The point to make is that the method is the same and its not really relevant how complicated it can get, cardsharing is all about the possibilities.

Finally, modern cardsharing can be about paying for access to a share, or splitting costs of a subscription between friends etc. This is where the line is crossed and something legal becomes a criminal offence. Discussion of the technique on this forum allows us understanding and allows progress with multi-card & multi-client development but you will not find details of commercial servers here. If you want to break the law just to get free or cheap access to Uk Tv channels then you need your favorite search engine to help you. Additionally you should always be aware of scammers who abuse the private message function of forums to find new and gullible clients.

Freesat

For many years, satellite television in the UK has been synonymous with one company:  Rupert Murdoch’s Sky.

And because of encryption contracts and proprietary software, anyone hoping to record television programmes on a media PC has been out of luck, with some main channels such as Channel 4 locked up using Sky’s encryption system.

However, all that changed in May with the launch of Freesat, a new service backed by the BBC and ITV that promises free channels * including all five terrestrial services * free high-definition content and easy-to-use features such as an electronic programme guide (EPG).

But beyond all the fanfare that surrounded Sky’s first ‘free to air’ competition, what has really changed with the launch of Freesat and, more importantly for PCW readers, does the new service mean that satellite reception on the PC is a more practical proposition than it has been in the past?

In this feature, we’ll look at what Freesat really is, and find out how it’s changed not just standard TV viewing, but also the landscape for PC owners who are thinking about using their computers to record and watch digital television. For a deeper look at the practicalities of receiving Freesat on a PC, take a look at this Hands On Performance column.

Amid all the publicity Freesat received when it launched, there has been some confusion. For example, one PC satellite tuner company claimed compatibility, only to have Freesat state the opposite; some stores have been caught refusing to sell equipment without installation, so it’s worth explaining exactly what it is before looking at the technical side of things, and what it means for PC users.

First, there aren’t any new satellites; none of the broadcasters own one. The most popular satellite broadcaster in the UK, Sky, rents its transponders from SES Astra, and all the channels you can receive on a Sky box are broadcast from Astra’s cluster of satellites at 28.2° east of due south; the cluster is collectively known as Astra 2.

Freesat not only uses the same cluster, but also the same transmissions * with a couple of exceptions. There’s no ‘Freesat satellite’ or ‘Sky satellite’ * just Astra 2. That means if you have a dish set up for Sky, it will also receive Freesat. So, what’s different? And what’s the point?

Throwing off the shackles
One of the main reasons for the creation of Freesat * and the approval of the idea by the BBC Trust * is to ensure that after the switchover to digital-only transmissions, the core BBC and ITV channels are still available, even in areas that won’t have terrestrial Freeview coverage.

But doesn’t Sky do that already? Well, yes, but Sky’s ‘Freesat from Sky’ service isn’t guaranteed to last forever, and relies on the proprietary Sky box and the issuing of access cards.

By running Freesat on a non-profit basis, the idea is that the main terrestrial broadcasters won’t be entirely in the hands of a competitor * and will be able to launch new services more easily. That includes services to take advantage of the Ethernet RJ-45 connector that’s mandatory on every Freesat box: this can be used for a return path on interactive services and for delivering video content via the internet.

So, for example, your broadband link could be used for voting in competitions and to deliver BBC iPlayer content to your TV, via a Freesat box, which is something that should be available later this year.

It’s the desire to offer features such as these * plus a few other extras such as fixed channel numbers, beloved of broadcasters * that means Freesat had to create a box specification of its own, rather than just tell people to use standard ‘free to air’ satellite receivers, which are popular in many other countries. For more about the technical side of the system, check out ‘Inside Freesat’ below.

Freesat and your PC
Obviously, what has appeared in the shops so far is Freesat receivers, but the new service also has some potential implications for those who want to receive satellite TV on their PCs.
One of the most significant is simply the lack of encryption; all the channels on Freesat are broadcast in the clear, including Channel 4 and * from sometime later this year * Channel 5; see the Freesat website for the full list.

Previously, both these channels relied on Sky to provide encryption and regionalisation and, although they were free in the sense that you could use a Sky box with a £20 one-off ‘Freesat from Sky’ card to receive them, a standard PC satellite card wouldn’t be any use (although some Linux-based PVR software could emulate the necessary Sky decryption software with a card reader).

Channel 4 is now broadcasting on Freesat, along with E4, More4 and Film4, and with Five coming soon, those who can’t get Freeview but want to build their own PC-based video recorder will find that doing so has become a lot simpler.

Eagle-eyed readers of PCW’s website will recall Hauppauge claiming its satellite product was suitable for receiving Freesat, only for Freesat to claim otherwise. So, what’s the story? It’s actually a little in between.

Freesat has a logo, and a specification for its receivers and a licensing programme. You can’t put the Freesat logo on something, or call it a Freesat receiver, unless it meets the specifications * and as explained in ‘Inside Freesat’ below, that includes some elements such as the interactive MHEG software, or software that understands the Freesat broadcast EPG, which you don’t get in the box with a PC tuner.

But if you put a satellite card in your PC, since all the channels are transmitted as standard DVB-S free-to-air broadcasts, you’ll be able to tune into them. You won’t get the ‘red button’ interactive stuff or, usually, the programme guide either. However, you’ll still be able to watch them. It’s not true, as some websites have claimed, that only Freesat receivers will receive the programmes.

There are a few things to be aware of. For example, at the moment, ITV HD is broadcast as an interactive data stream, rather than as a standard channel, so most software may skip past it when you tell it to scan for channels (see ‘ITV HD on your PC’ below for details). And since some software comes with tools to grab an EPG from the internet, you won’t need the one that Freesat broadcasts.

At the moment, all you need is a tuner card or USB module that supports the DVB-S (Digital Video Broadcasting * Satellite) standard, but we recommend you opt for one that can handle the newer DVB-S2 standard instead, as channels including BBC HD have indicated that they may move to this in future since it’s a more efficient way of broadcasting.

And if you’re prepared to forgo Windows in favour of the Linux-based MythTV media centre package, work’s already under way * thanks to some clever reverse engineering * to decode the Freesat EPG data. It’s also possible to decode some of the interactive elements, which means if the BBC iPlayer on Freesat is delivered as a ‘red button’ MHEG application, it might be possible to make it work on MythTV too.

But before you install MythTV, it’s important to realise that Freesat support is still experimental. According to David Matthews, who created the EPG patches, there’s quite a lot of work to be done and there are a lot of rough edges.

High definition
Besides the basic free-to-air channels, one of the other selling points for Freesat is high definition (HD) without a subscription. Technically, you can now receive BBC HD with a standard HD satellite receiver, a PC Card (see our ‘Satellite TV through your PC’ feature) or a subscription-free Sky HD box. But with the latter being fairly expensive without a contract, the majority of people viewing HD in the UK have tended to be Sky subscribers. And that’s one thing Freesat hopes to change.
That said, the HD offerings are limited to BBC HD, which should have increased from its four hours a day to around nine by the end of the year, and ITV HD, which launched with the start of Euro 2008 and is planning to show selected films and sports events over summer.

Like BBC HD, it uses the H.264 codec, so you’ll need a powerful PC or a graphics card with H.264 support to get the best out of it.

That’s it as far as HD goes * Channel 4’s HD service is still tied to Sky’s encryption, but may appear later, but both broadcasters and Freesat are being cagey about what channels will appear and when (beyond confirming Five), and there should be around 200 channels by Christmas 2008.

The bulk are likely to be ones you can pick up with a PC Card, added to the EPG * the need to co-ordinate some work with Sky means it can’t be done overnight.

What next?
So far, there aren’t any firm plans for a licensed PC solution for Freesat, but it has not been ruled out either. In the meantime, unless you buy one of the official receivers, the most important change that Freesat has brought about for PCW readers is that it’s finally possible to buy a cheap satellite card for your PC and record all the main five channels, as well as most of their digital spin-offs.

With a little effort and Linux software like MythTV, it will even be possible make your own satellite PVR, and use an internet EPG to schedule recordings.

For those who have to pay Sky £10 a month to record on a subscription-free Sky+ box, it’s potentially very attractive. And it’s likely too that at least one of the Freesat PVRs * probably the Humax model, due this autumn * will allow you to transfer standard-definition programmes across to your PC.

Even if you don’t plan to buy a dedicated Freesat box, one thing’s clear * satellite TV on your PC is now much more straightforward in the UK, and that has to be good news.

ITV HD on your PC
Since ITV HD isn’t broadcast as a channel, but as an H.222 data stream, you may need to tune it manually in your PC’s tuner software. These are the details you’ll need: Eurobird 1, Frequency 11426 Horizontal, Service ID 10510, Video PID 3401, Audio PID 3402, PMT PID 3400, PCR PID 3401. See this Hands On Performance article for more details of suitable DVB-S cards.

Satellite basics
If you have a satellite dish already and want to add a PC Card or Freesat receiver, it’s not quite as straightforward as splitting a terrestrial TV aerial.

At the end of your satellite dish arm is the Low Noise Block downconverter, or LNB. This shifts the frequencies of broadcasts, then sends them along the cable to the tuner in the receiver. And, unlike a TV aerial, it’s not passive; it has to be set to high or low band, and vertical or horizontal polarisation by the receiver. Therefore, two tuners on the same LNB would be forced to watch channels in the same band and polarisation.

For each tuner to have complete choice of available channels, it needs its own LNB and connecting cable. You can buy a dual-LNB, which is one unit to mount on the satellite arm containing two independent outputs, and quad- or octo-LNBs with four or eight outputs. A twin-tuner PVR needs two connections, so on many installations, a quad-LNB is the standard, which allows for additional receivers.

For more options, a quattro LNB has four fixed outputs – one for each combination of band and polarisation – and is used with a multiswitch. These work a bit like a TV aerial amplifier, allowing for many outputs – 12, 16, or more – and look at the signal from the tuner, connecting that tuner to the appropriate signal from the LNB, which give full channel choice on every connection. A fifth input on most multiswitches also allows them to be used to pipe terrestrial TV around the home.

Inside Freesat
Freesat’s technical specification is largely based around the requirements of its electronic programme guide (EPG). To coexist with Sky’s systems, there had to be some cooperation with the broadcaster, which leases some of the transponders, and some changes to the way data is sent to receivers.

The DVB standard includes ‘Service Information,’ or SI, which carries EPG data. But because Sky has its own SI being carried on the transponders used, Freesat had to slot its data alongside this.

Each element of the data stream in digital broadcasting has a packet ID (PID), and to coexist with Sky, Freesat’s data had to use non-standard PIDs, which is one reason existing free-to-air receivers won’t see it.

Another is that the text is compressed (fully deciphering that compression is at the core of the work needed for MythTV to see the EPG).

As well as basic EPG data, Freesat is broadcasting metadata that indicates which programmes are part of a series, which enables recorders to automatically record the whole set, as well as track changes to schedules and resolve clashes.

In addition to the EPG data on the channel transponders, there’s a full EPG broadcast from the Eurobird 1 satellite – at 28.5° east, it’s close enough to Astra 2 so that the dishes will pick up both.

Interactivity is based on an enhanced version of MHEG5 1.06, the system used on Freeview. The additions allow for the mandatory Ethernet port to be used as a return channel by interactive applications and for receiving IPTV streams.

HD-capable boxes must support the H.264 codec and DVB-S2, but it’s not mandatory on SD models; the word from Freesat is that all boxes must have Ethernet and IPTV services will be available on all receivers “where technically possible”. At PCW, we’d recommend an HD box just to be sure that you’ll be able to receive H.264 content via the internet too.

Besides the technical requirements, Freesat also mandates some interface issues, such as the minimum number of channels shown on the EPG and the fact that the Genre selection screen is always shown when you enter the guide, resulting in two button presses to get to the listings – unfortunately, this is one of the most annoying and, frankly, bonkers user-interface decisions we’ve seen in a while.

Within those specifications, however, there’s scope for manufacturers to change things around, so that on-screen displays and the keys used for some functions will be different. That means while Freesat boxes won’t have the uniformity of Sky receivers, nor will they have the annoyingly huge differences found among Freeview boxes.

Back 2 basics….

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]]Satellites in Space[[

TV broadcast satellites are placed in orbit directly above the equator at a height of around 36000km. They travel through space at the same speed the earth's rotation - so to us on the ground the satellite appears to be stationary. This is known as a geo-synchronous (or geo-stationary) orbit.

Ground controllers fire on-board jet thrusters occassionally to keep the satellite in the specified position in space. This is the major factor in determining the 'life' of a satellite, as onboard fuel does eventually run out.

In Europe the orbital location of a satellite on the Clark Belt is given by the number of degrees to the East or West of due South (for example: Astra 1 = 19.2°E, Hispasat = 30°W). This is the Azimuth.

]]The Clarke Belt[[

The idea of geo-stationary satellites was first suggested by Arthur C Clarke in an article written for Wirless World magazine in October 1946.
The region in space occupied by these satellites is commonly referred to as 'The Clarke Belt'

]]Getting signals to and from the Satellite[[

Television and radio programme signals are sent from the various originating studios to an Earth up-link station. From there the gathered 'bouquet' of programmes is transmitted into space using a dish aimed at the orbiting spacecraft. This is known as the 'up-link'. The frequency is about 14GHz (in Europe)

The satellite receives these signals, amplifies them and transmits them back towards earth on a different frequency. This work is done by a transponder. This 'down-link' operates at about 11GHz (in Europe), in the so-called Ku microwave band).

A group of satellites in the same orbital position (such as Eutelsat's 'Hotbird') may have a combined total of more than 70 transponders. A transponder rebroadcasts 1 analogue TV channel or as many as 14 digital TV channels (this depends on the digital compression techniques used:- lower compression = less channels = better pictures).

This kind of broadcasting is known as DTH (Direct-to-Home broadcasting).

Each satellite has a massive array of solar cells. Some satellites are cube-shaped and have huge wing-like solar cell arrays extending from the main body, while others are cylindrical and have their entire surface coated with solar cells. The cells convert sunlight into electricity to operate the satellite, providing power for the transponders and to maintain the charge on the standby batteries for the times when the satellite is in the shadow of the Earth.

The satellites used for radio and television broadcasting are not usually owned by the broadcasting companies.
Broadcasters lease the technical facilities from the satellite owner. In Europe the two major satellite providers are Eutelsat and SES-Astra.
The earth stations required to send the programmes up to the satellite (called the 'up-link') are provided by a variety of organisations in many many different countries. Some of these are commercial organisations (eg BT in UK) and some are government agencies (eg national PTT authorities).

]]The Footprint[[

This is the actual signal strength map (or Footprint) of the Astra 1G and 1H satellites (as published by the owners of the satellites, SES-Astra). Both 'birds' are located in the same orbital position in space at 19.2°E.

The antenna on the satellite directs the signal down to a specific land area. Just as the beam from a flashlight gets wider and weaker over distance so does the satellite radio signal.

Contour lines on the map show the required dish size for satisfactory all-weather reception.

]]Tuning into Satellite TV and Radio[[

To tune in to satellite TV some specific receiving equipment is needed.

The most obvious item is the dish. The dish is the antenna (aerial). It works like a curved mirror to collect, reflect and concentrate the radio energy from the satellite and focusses it into the throat of the LNB (Low Noise Block).

The LNB amplifies these very weak signals and converts them to a lower frequency (from about 11GHz down to less than 2GHz), the so-called intermediate frequency. This signal travels along the coaxial cable to the Receiver unit in the home.

The Receiver (often called the set-top box, STB, or Digibox etc) performs all the electronic signal processing that is required to recover the TV signal. In addition it sends power and control signals up the cable to the LNB. The Receiver is connected to the TV set either by an antenna (aerial / RF) lead or SCART cable. Operation of the receiver and channel selection is normally done with an infra-red remote control unit.

This basic principle of getting the satellite TV signal is the same whether an analogue or digital system is being used. However, the electronic processing of digital and analogue signals is very different indeed.
Digital signals comply with the DVB-S (Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite) protocol. Look for the DVB logo. For an analogue signal, the signal strength is very important, but for digital reception as much care must be paid to maximizing signal quality (the higher the quality number the less bit-rate errors the receiver will have to cope with).

]]More Dishes, More Satellites[[

For a greater choice of programming it is possible to 'look' at several satellites. This can be done by using a motorized dish or a combination of several fixed dishes and LNB's.

To use multiple dishes a simple switching system called DiSEqC (Digital Satellite Equipment Control™ - developed by Eutelsat) is all that is needed, but the receiver must be DiSEqC compatable. The DiSEqC switch is usually fitted near the dishes and a single cable feeds to the Receiver. The Receiver box sends control signals along the cable to the DiSEqC switch to automatically select the correct combination of dish/LNB and satellite.

Upgraded versions of the DiSEqC protocol allow for control of motorised dishes (DiSEqC 1.2 and 2.0).

A different type of motorized system is the horizon-to-horizon (H-H) method. Here an electrically operated screw-jack pushes and pulls the dish which pivots on a special mounting bracket. This makes the dish accurately follow the position of the satellites along the Clark Belt. Receivers incorporating this type of motor drive will usually have 'Positioner' included in the name/description.

For even greater flexibility LNB's are available with single, dual, quad or octo (8) outputs. Each output is totally independent from the others. This allows multiple receivers (living room, bedroom, kitchen, etc) to connect to a single dish/LNB.
If 'looking' at two closely spaced satellites (eg Hotbird [13°E] and Astra-1 [19E°]) it is possible to use one dish and two LNB‘s mounted on a special extension arm. The dish and one LNB is focussed on the weaker of the two satellites. The second LNB is moved along the extension arm until a satisfactory signal from the second, stronger satellite is received (this picture shows a single output LNB ‘looking’ at Hotbird and a quad output LNB ‘looking’ at Astra-1 – note that one output from the quad LNB is not in use).

]]Pointing the Dish[[

To receive a strong and reliable signal in all weathers the dish must be pointed directly at the satellite.
Select a position where the path to the satellite is clear and unobstructed (for example a tree without leaves in winter will cause no problem - but in summer virtually no signals will get through to the dish).

"Pointing the dish" means setting the Azimuth and Elevation correctly.

* Elevation is the angle between horizontal and the satellite in orbit on the Clarke Belt.
(In the UK this ranges from about 21° in the far north of Scotland to about 27° in the south of England [for Astra 1]).

* Azimuth is the position (east or west of south) where the satellite is located (19°E, 1°W, etc).

* Skew (or polarization offset) is the final little tweak required to get the strongest possible signal from the satellite. Instead of having the LNB fixed vertically in it’s holder, a few degrees of clockwise (right) or anticlockwise (left) twist from the vertical is applied to compensate for the position of the satellite being either east or west of due south (in the northern hemisphere). The skew applied in northern UK for Astra-1, 19°E, is 10° clockwise. This increases to 16.5° for viewing Astra-2 at 28°E

]]Satellite Transponders[[

See 'SatTV_Transponder' diagram below.
Transponders are interleaved using opposite polarity

Adjacent transponders are transmitted with alternate polarity. This allows more transponders to be used within the frequency band(s) allocated to satellite DTH broadcasting. The LNB is capable of switching between signal polarity, ie. Vertical and Horizontal.

Each transponder on a satellite has a typical bandwidth of 27MHz.
A single analogue channel will occupy this whole space. Up to 14 compressed digital TV channels can be fitted into the same space.

Symbol Rate represents the data rate (typically 27500Kbps) - see below.
FEC is the Forward Error Correction factor inserted by the broadcaster. The data stream can include TV, Radio and/or computer data.

]]Encryption (Scrambling)[[

The television and radio programmes which can be watched by anyone with a basic receiver are known as Free-to-Air (FTA).

Many broadcasters charge a subscription for their programmes, and to prevent unauthorized viewing the signals are scrambled (encrypted). There are several digital encryption systems – for example Cryptoworks, Conax, Irdeto, Mediaguard, Viaccess, etc. In Europe the majority of the few remaining analogue encrypted channels are beamed towards Scandinavia. These services use the MAC TV standard, and the scrambling system is Eurocrypt.

To unlock a channel the viewer needs a Receiver with a Conditional Access Module (CAM) that matches the encryption system being used. On payment of a fee the programme provider will supply the viewer with a viewing card containing special codes (called keys) to unlock only the subscribed channels. Copyright and other legislation normally does not allow the purchase and viewing of programmes in one country which are intended for another country (for example: it is not permitted for viewers in Spain to watch encrypted programmes ‘aimed’ at the UK by SkyTV).

Some Receivers are dedicated to one television network and one encryption system (for instance in the UK, SkyTV can only be picked-up on a receiver with an embedded (built-in) Videoguard CAM). In this case the subscriber’s viewing card is linked electronically to one specific receiver.

Many Receivers are available with a common interface (CI). This is a single or double ‘slot’ into which one or more CAM’s can be inserted. Once the CAM is in the receiver the necessary viewing card is inserted into the CAM.

The CAM has been designed to have the same physical format as a PCMCIA Card (which are extensively used in lap-top computers (Modems, etc)).

For the satellite enthusiast a wide range of experimental CAM’s are available (Magic Module, Reality, Dragon, Matrix, etc). Many operate on several of the encryption systems.
There are a few Receivers on the market which have an embedded programmable CAM (so-called UCAS – Universal Conditional Access System). These Receivers usually have at least one additional slot for another CAM.

What about dish, what stage are you at, what stage do you want to go?

=Stage 1= Sky type, small fixed dish.

=Stage 2= Larger fixed dish, possibly with added lnb‘s to receive more than 1 satellite cluster. Monoblocks can receive ‘Hotbird & Astra1′, but arms can hold several lnbs for reception of Astra2-Astra1-Eurobird-Hotbird for instance.

=Stage 3= Larger dish with added motor, for ability to move to face each satellite cluster.

=Stage 4= Multiple dish setup. More than 1 dish, more than 1 size, more than 1 of the options above.

=Stage 5= Even larger dish(es) to gain more than standard common sizes with the above options included.

The bottom line is that the bigger the dish then the more reception & channel choice will become available, but adding more lnb‘s or motor importantly gains the extra satellite positions you need.

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What option of receiver suits you?

=Option 1= Sky Digibox & freesat receiver.
Obviously the most limited receivers, but made to be user-friendly & simple.

=Option 2= Free-to-air satellite receivers.
Limited in function, due to maybe not having card slot or no Conditional Interface (CI or CAM) slot, no firmware patch or ability to add ‘keys’.

=Option 3= Patchable free-to-air box. Just a cheap option that has support to provide a ‘patch’ to open additional channels.

=Option 4= Receiver with card slot and/or CI slot, with or without patch abilities.
The Technomate range is the most popular that fits into this level, with great support and a large range to suit everyones needs.

=Option 5= Specialised budget receiver. Usually offering extra channels that other rivals do not offer.
Many of these special receivers will provide access to a cardshare type server to give access to more choice, or they perhaps give the latest hack which may not be long lasting. Support may not be as long lasting but immediate function is above that of other receivers on offer.

=Option 6= Linux type, or networkable receiver.
Most popular examples would be the dreambox dm500, the Eagle, and technomate tm9100. These types have the ability to be networked to other receivers and cards to gain more. This category is expanding with some patchable receivers (such as Technomate) gaining support for networking ~maybe with the use of a pc & software.

=Option 7= Networkable, with cardslot, CI, special extra support, dual tuners, pvr ‘plus’ capabilities, basically any or all of the above.
Dreambox lead the way, but the more the receiver can offer tends to result in the less user-friendly the machine becomes. You have to find a balance that suits you, so instantly going for the top level just doesnt suit everybody and its the reason why limited function Technomates are equally as popular as full function Dreambox type satellite receivers.

Where to start with English Satellite Tv ?

Firstly for simplicity, what level are you, what level do you want to be?

=Level 1= Receive free uk channels only.
This will suit many uk viewers, gaining all the mainstream channels plus more multichannel choice than freeview. Free-sat-from-sky ; freesat ; non-branded service free-to-air reception are your choices.

=Level 2= Free channels plus Sky Digital.
The most common form of satellite tv reception in the uk. You simply pay monthly subscription to gain more channel choice, with various levels of cost to suit. Almost everyone will be familiar with this level but the high majority will perhaps not realise it sits at such a low level in the ‘satellite reception’ scale, with no clue that there are many many more satellites broadcasting in our skies.

=Level 3= Free channels from the Uk, plus other free channels from satellites broadcasting in Europe.
This is where larger dishes become relevant, with perhaps the option of a motorised dish. A small ‘sky-type’ dish can be used to aim in other directions but its just not going to gain much. You really need a dish upgrade to reach this level. Feeds and foreign language channels can be of interest, but this stage is usually temporary and becomes the route to higher levels of satellite tv.

=Level 4= Multi-satellite free channels, plus the ‘clearing’ of some premium channels with ‘keys’ or ‘firmware patch’ or ‘softcam’.
This tends to be the start of a hobby, and not just about watching tv. Constantly changing keys and available emulations mean channels come and go, and many find it more fun to follow changes than the telly content they originally wanted to watch! Either way this method of watching content without paying for it is illegal, but many choose this method because the choice is phenomenal, with great movie, sport and full hardcore content which cannot be found with uk subscriptions.

=Level 5= Additional added hardware.
If you realise that things regularly change you realise the need for ‘motors’ as it means you can easily move to the latest place of fashion. Motorising your dish isnt compulsory but its the biggest gain for least amount of money. To gain even more channels than just those available by latest keys or firmware patches there are usually addons manufactured and sold for commercial gain. These include items like pirate smartcards, multi-encryption cams such as the Diablo, and special receivers that offer more than others. The biggest problem with buying the extra hardware is that there’s no guarantee on how long it can offer the extra ‘hacked channels’.

=Level 6= Additional added subscriptions.
So you have all the hardware but want more channel choice. The option here is to add subscription to premium channels. Many foreign subscriptions are just not expensive when compared with those in the Uk. You do sometimes find it cheaper to officially pay to clear channels rather than keep buying the latest commercial hardware as in ‘Level 5′ above, or at least the stability of clearing those channels is worth the cost of the package. Not everyone wants to ‘pirate’ tv content so this is the next best way to get the extra choice and pay copyright. Additionally at this level you can also add an official sky subscription to the mix if that suits your needs & budget.

=Level 7= Cardshare networking methods.
Although this can be implimented as early as ‘level 2′ it does sit as the top level method to gain most choice. It is totally illegal to ‘share’ a subscription with anyone over a network but that is what this method is all about. An official subscription card (or pirate smartcard) can be ‘shared’ to many people at the same time, so that all those connected are able to view channels. Expand this to more than 1 official subscription and everyone gets everyone else’s subscriptions, and added with multi-satellite reception and you can easily understand why its the current top level. All the channels working, no channel loss when keys/encryptions change, just minimum cost for maximum gain.

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