Most people don't know what FTA satellite TV is

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...Looking at FTA status in Europe, such proliferation was mostly sponsored by governments of multiple neighboring states for geopolitical reasons. And its hardly repeatable in NA conditions, unless major interest groups would see it useful for them to such a degree that it worse serious investment and effort. ;) ...

So then, some governments made it possible for CNN, Comedy Central, Food Network and MTV to be aired for free on european FTA?

I still don't understand european FTA...
 
If you understand who pays for broadcasting Russia Today here, then its easy to figure out who pays for CNN and other representative of US culture and policy channels outside the NA reception zone. ;) You right however, researching European FTA is worth pursuing, probably more for those who would expect to benefit financially most from any changes to current status quo. I don't think however that for FTA fans such research though interesting would be useful to conduct, as there isn't much we can do anyway to change things.
 
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Claude, I am amazed at how much misinformation was in that post.

You have nicely summed up why people don't get into fta satellite. If you are newly interested in satellite tv then you go to a satellite tv store. If you walk into one of those havens of satellite expertise they will tell you that "There is no programming that intrests people" and fta stbs only exist, "to steal programming from DISH Network." The reason that they tell you this is because these satellite retailers only sell contracts to dish network or directv. I can remember how discouraging it was trying to get started in fta with nearly no local sources. There were once local sources for ku and c-band satellite but they became Dish installers.

You do not have to spend $300 to get started in satellite. You need a $25-$35 used box from ebay and an old superdish (or something similar) found free locally.

Likewise you do not need a $200 antenna for ota. If you are having trouble you can build an antenna for less than $10 and get a pre-amp from ebay for another $10. To my knowledge there is no such thing as a "digital" tv antenna there are only tv antennas.

All of that information can be found on this site which is what makes this site so valuable.

Unfortunately while you are wrong about the cost you are correct that most people still are not interested in the content. This is why I suggested a box which can stream media as well as tune ota and fta. People would buy it to watch internet media and then you could offer the ota pvr and the satellite as add ons. These would actually be built in already but you would be selling the hard drive, pre-amps, dish, and lnbfs to enable them.

Im 100% correct on costs, because that is what I would charge someone if they came into my office and wanted a true legal FTA setup.

The typical un-educated customer is not going to do their own installation, and they are not going to know enough to know what to look for on ebay.

Alot of the stuff on ebay has pirate software, and is not programmed to pick up the FTA satellites. There are many cases where you need to reflash the receiver, and the typical customer is not going to know enough to go online, fine the correct file with the origional factory firmware to bring that $25 Ex Pirate Ebay receiver back to origional factory condition.

As far as Primestar Dishes, Im a dealer and I don't even know where to get my hands on one, anything I get my hands on will be new from the distributor.

Not trying to put down FTA satellite, but as hobbyists you see things differently as the typical customer. I deal with thousands of customers a year, and I know that the typical customer will not go through the hassle of setting up a FTA system.

Now as far as a streaming set top box, thats a good idea. The only problem is that it has to be wifi, becuase not everyone has an eithernet connection behind their TV, or will run the cable or pay someone to run an eithernet wire behind their Tv.

But for something around $100, you take 5 minutes to setup on a wireless network would sell. Look at how many people are buying these new DVD players with Netflix and You Tube built in.
 
Another area that is hurt even more is computers. Linux and Open Source software IMHO is the only way to go. Much cheaper, more choices, more versatility and stability. An entrepreneur with large capital and able to handle a long ROI could eventually make a fortune selling computers preconfigured with Linux. They'd need a huge publicity campaign, provide top notch support, a good Internet presence, and some brick and mortar outlets. You can have a plug and play product. You make your money on support.

I agree with the Linux analogy, I too use Linux and I think it is more reliable than Windows. I still use both Windows and Linux (Ubuntu, Easy Peasy and Linux Mint). When it comes to the support role model for Linux. Red Hat is the leader and they make a good amount of money with support. For the home user, it seems Ubuntu is the leader of the Linux OS'.

Some look at Linux as a grassroots and geek hobbyist effort, FTA might be viewed that way to some. Both are not mainstream in this country, yet in Europe and other parts of the world...Linux and FTA have taken root in a big way.

Some may not be aware of this, but in some countries (like Russia) there open source mandates . Russia's example is that schools and other governmental agencies must use open source software or pay for the proprietary software themselves.

Free Software for All Schools in Russia

"The Minister also noted that by 2010 it is expected that the number of computers in schools will reach a million. According to Schegoleva, after three years of school will be able to make a choice: pay royalties to use software products, buying them at their own expense, or go to the domestic free software."


Major Linux countries include Brazil, France, Germany.

open...: Now Brazil Goes Big on the GNU/Linux Desktop

French police: we saved millions of euros by adopting Ubuntu

Microsoft loses big deal in munich - The Inquirer




FTA is big in Europe (and elsewhere) and this despite already established DBS Pay providers like Sky and such.

So why there and not here...money, organization and political reasons for both Linux and FTA. Microsoft is well established here, so is Apple, Direct and Dish is well established here.

I am not blaming those companies for keeping out competition from FTA (and Linux). But the "machine" or "establishment" as one would call it...seem to "favor" those companies ...read between the lines..if you will.

Both Linux and FTA have a lot in common.

FTA, ,,,you buy the system it is yours...no subscription fees. You have to install it yourself and tweak and maintain it...unless you want to pay for support (install or servicing)

Linux...you install it yourself...unless you want to pay for support or buy a machine with it already on it.

Advantages

FTA..no subscription fees and you can see things on it that your local cable/satellite company could not provide. Many free channels...free to watch.

Linux..no malware or virus issues, free upgrades and thousands of free programs ..free to download.

Disadvantages

FTA..cannot get all the channels that you would want to watch, not that well known to the consumer.

Linux..cannot run some Windows based programs even if you use Wine, Linux is not that well known to the average consumer.
 
Dear all.

I'm interested to get FTA Service (receiver & Dish) but I'm new to that; i don't know which is best regarding the price & the coverage.

I'd like to watch arabic & russian TV in addition to the american TV.

I appreciate so much your help if you can guide me through that.

here is my email alfredlamee@yahoo.com
 
Alfredlamee, you should probably remove your e-mail address from open forum, as spambots may collect it. You have come to the right place to ask about FTA, and we will help you right here in this forum.

As for FTA, it is important to understand what it is (and what it isn't). It is not really a "service" like Dish or DirectTV. FTA involves using a satellite dish installed by the user to receive in-the-clear (unencrypted) channels from various satellites. There is no monthly charge, as these signals are free for the taking. There is plenty of arabic television, especially on the satellite at 97w, and Russia Today is there as well. You should have no problem receiving these from Florida. The only cost would be the initial cost of purchasing the dish and receiver (the sponsors are a good place to shop), or you could even find a discarded dish 30 inches or larger that will work. Click this link to see if anything interests you. Channels in red are scrambled, and therefore not receivable FTA.
 
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Alfredlamee, you can also check this site to sort by language:
FTAList.com - Lists by Language

You'll quickly see why tron suggested aiming at 97w.

For receivers the current favorites on this forum seem to be the azbox and the visionsat but there are alot of other less ideal but functional choices out there. What is your budget? Claudes post of $300 is pretty accurate for a new setup but I see a few old pansat 2500s on ebay for $30 shipped. Ad a free dish network superdish found on your local freecycle website and a length of cable and you are in business. One of the connections on the superdish will work for 97w.

Roam this website a little and then come back and ask more questions. Check out the Review, and FAQ sections. Use the search function to find out more if someone mentions something you are unfamiliar with.

Welcome to the site!
 
Alfredlamee

Start your own separate thread, and many people will help you to navigate thorugh the process. This thread is on a different topic. ;)

Btw, this thread and his question clearly show, there should be "Introduction to FTA" and "Converting to FTA" threads in the FAQ section.
 
LOL. What computer "parts" did you try to buy where they required you to buy a windows license?

Hard drives and main boards. I guess they thought I was stupid or something.
They were little mom & pop type computer stores that tried that nonsense on me. (mom seemed to be glaringly absent though)

I ended up going to Circuit City to get the stuff I wanted without hassle.

BUT, another time I went to shop for a laptop and they told me the same thing, I can not buy a laptop or any computer without windows on it. I told them I don't like, want or need windows and they called me a pirate.

I was so mad I went home and bought a used laptop off of ebay for a lot less, wiped it out and installed a free copy of Linux on it. No grief from anyone for doing it that way.

I just won't buy a new pc any more if they are going to force me to buy a tack on product I do not need. :mad:

It's stuff like that that drove me to take my money elsewhere. And I'm laughing at them now for losing out on a sale. They *could have* had my money in their pockets.
 
BUT, another time I went to shop for a laptop and they told me the same thing, I can not buy a laptop or any computer without windows on it. I told them I don't like, want or need windows and they called me a pirate.


You might find it of interest that Italy is now starting a class action against pre installed Windows. And yes you can buy a computer with no Operating system, they are called "White boxes", you can buy them on E-bay and Major Geeks as well as some computer refurbish shops.

I could go on about computers and so on...but I am getting off topic...
 
Amazing responses, thank you all.

Ok, let's get back on track here and get some solid answers to the question:

I have read and heard from people who use true FTA satellite systems that their relatives, friends, neighbors, etc. never heard about Free to air television. Or even considered it on their shopping list.

Can you imagine the joy people will have from learning and using FTA satellite TV?
The educational, mechanical, and entertainment aspect is priceless. Nevermind, the overall savings on monthly access fee

What can we (the forum members and sponsors) do to make FTA more popular amongst the masses?

[ENTER YOUR POSITIVE CONSTRUCTIVE ANSWER HERE] ;)
 
Advertise to specific audiences, with different advertisements for each audience.


Christian market > Church, Christian rock concerts, Christian websites, newsletters, outreaches, retreats..etc..


Alternative talk radio listeners (patriot community)> Forum boards, newsletters, radio programs, gun shows


Ethnic market > Newspapers, newsletters, food markets, corner stores, radio shows, church, mosque, place of worship.


Hobbyist market > Hobbyist magazines, Communications and Ham magazines, hamfests, Linuxfests, Linux and computer magazines.
 
What can we (the forum members and sponsors) do to make FTA more popular amongst the masses?

Embrace the fact that this is a hobby and provides niche tv channels.

How do you make a hobby popular? Can you find the person who marketed scrap booking as a hobby? That person is a friggin' genius.

People watch satellite for:
Sports feeds
News/weather feeds
Religious channels
Foreign language channels
To tinker with electronics.

Find where people interested in these things are and form a national or personal presence. Attending Ham shows is a well known example of how fta sellers nationally target the electronic tinkerers. Talking to your minister would be an example of how I've tried to promote the religious aspects of fta personally. My brother's church which is also a christian school has a 1 meter dish on it.

When many good channels were on 123 and 125w, Nagra 3 was coming out and the digital ota transition was happening I was gearing up to buy used equipment cheap and resell it. A lot has happened since then to make that less feasible.
 
If you understand who pays for broadcasting Russia Today here, then its easy to figure out who pays for CNN and other representative of US culture and policy channels outside the NA reception zone. ;) ...

The Russian government state owned news agency http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIA_Novosti"][U]RIA Novosti[/ pays for Russia Today....

The US has http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_of_America"][U]Voice of America[/. Russia has Russia Today and then some...

If I understand your jist, you suggest the US government subsidizes CNN and other US media outlets in non-US markets, ostensibly to further some socio-political agenda or the like..

As politely as I can say it, ..... BULL.

IMHO, this inferiority complex people have about the dominance of US media and marketing is simply bogus. The French can bash McDonalds, but it doesn't make their alternative products any more desirable.

I don't care for McDonalds, but this is my arguement.... Please reply back...

If this is true, we need facts... This can't continue... (calling your bluff)

Dee, they thought they saw you coming... Silly mom and pop clowns were trying to bully you.

I would have told them to pound sand. I have built literally dozens of PC's from individually bought motherboards, hard drives and processors. Buying a Windows license is in no way, shape or form a requirement....

(But if you want one, buying a motherboard, hard drive or significant part of a PC system usually qualifies you to buy a cheap OEM license...) :idea: :devil:
 
Lobby politicians for "Freesat" type service.

Until or unless we have a good selection of decent channels available on one Ku band sat like the old G10 had, I can't see FTA satellite TV being much more popular than it is.

The FreeSat service in Europe is a good example of what we need. Check out the channels offered, it's like basic cable, or better.
 
You suggest the US government subsidizes CNN and other US media outlets in non-US markets, ostensibly to further some socio-political agenda or the like..

As politely as I can say it, ..... BULL.
"Voice of America" mostly targets audience in "unfriendly regions", at times aiming as some say to destabilize local regimes. ;) In friendly regions US needs positive cultural presence, and a set of icon US outlets is used for that. These outlets you mentioned are just minuscule piece of what's spent around the world year after year to further...whatever is claimed to be in "sphere of national interests", depending on how it's interpreted by the rulers of the day. Money for this has been lately borrowed from hard working Chinese in exchange for "world and largest market stability" promise. ;)

Btw, if you ever been in France, they have quite elaborate cuisine, far superior to their international Junk Food outlets offering, but a bit costlier. They also cherish slow pace in taking food and wine, no rush. In fact, even Chinese Buffets in Paris offer a lot finer and more sophisticated food choice than in NA. Did you try Chinese food in Paris? :rolleyes:

This is Off topic here, so I'm out for good on this.

Welcome back, Dee! I thought, you're gone to Australia to setup a motorized dish ahead of wedding schedule. :)
 
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Many people don't want a larger dish needed for KU band FTA and even larger for C band FTA. If a flat dish or perhaps a smaller dish could someday be used to receive FTA satellite, I believe it will become more popular.
 
Most people don't know what OTA is

Hi all, I think most people don't know what OTA or FTA is. What if you combined both? Make a short DVD demo of what can be received on both OTA and FTA. Show the required equipment and how it is used. Show some HD sport feeds too! Ever been to a Best Buy - rhetorical. I find it amazing they have no OTA equipment for sale. Now if we could convince the manager of one of the Best Buy stores to allow a small display in the store of a OTA and FTA setup complete with a Ku dish, and OTA antenna with the DVD above playing on a small HD TV and with brochures on the display I think you might get some interest. If you can't get Best Buy to play maybe try HHgreg. Just some thoughts, DC
 
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