Coolsat 8000hd OTA Channels

[duchen]

Last night, I decided to scan in local channels into my Coolsat 8000 HD TS Combo. Frankly, I wondered what the point was to have a "signal in" for OTA channels since you need to hook an antenna or cable to the box anyway. So, I decided to "test" it out.

I split the signal, hooked up the antenna to the TV and the Coolsat, and scanned in local channels on the Coolsat. Much to my surprise, I was able to receive the digital feeds for television stations serving the West Palm Beach area (Fox; NBC and CBS; I still need to scan for others); I live in Miami-Dade County. Meanwhile, (at the same time) I was not receiving these stations on my outdoor antenna.


So, if you have a Coolsat 8000HD and want to try to receive the signals from "the next town," it might be worth the effort. Scan for both free and scrambled channels; one local channel here ("My 33") scanned in as $crambled even over the air. (It obviously is not scambled over the air).

 

[Mr Tony]

weird.....I know all of our locals here in Minneapolis come in...and I'm too far away from any other locals

 

[techno935]

Can't wait til I can get an 8000 HD. This is gonna make things soooo easy.

Does it allow custom channel numbering in the case for the locals and the satellite channels?

Example: Channel #'s 2-69 reserved for OTA and the rest for satellite I would imagine right? Starting with 70 on up.

 

[Mr Tony]

Does it allow custom channel numbering in the case for the locals and the satellite channels?

nope.

Example: Channel #'s 2-69 reserved for OTA and the rest for satellite I would imagine right? Starting with 70 on up.

nope. That is one flaw with the 8000. It scans them in order but it doesn't label the channel numerically in order. Here is what I mean

First I scan my locals and they log in as 0002,0004,0005,0009,0011 etc. If there are subchannels it logs them as the channel number too. This is obviously if the locals map them to the legit channels

Then I scan G10 and 11720 has channels 0001-0016. Then 11800 also scans 0001-00017. 12104 scans as channel 0001...catching my drift here...it logs the channel as what the SID is. IA5 gives me a variety of channel numbers and Dish 119 logs them as 101,213,262

so when I get done, I see something like this
0001 KUWF (11800 G10)
0001 KLRA (1170 G10)
0001 SNG (12104 G10)
0002 KTCA (local PBS)
0002 KTCA HD (local PBS subchannel)
0002 WNYI

etc

so I say sort by network...then it logs them in order by TP and satellite.
locals
11720 G10
11800 G10
etc
then whatever satellite I have in position 2 which in my case is 87W So for 87W those PBS channels they log as 0011-0019

its really goofy but easy to work around. Obviously the software right now caters to the one eyed people. I wish they would fix that to log them in ascending order

 

[duchen]

Tonight's results

When I switch to the locals, I go to the "Sorting" menu and sort by "Network." That puts the channels in order. The locals are assigned their correct designation.

When I switch to satellite, I go to the "Sorting" menu and aort by transponder. That makes it easier.

The box lets you change the designation for channels, but it is a pain.

As for locals, tonight I was getting tiling on West Palm Fox 29; a good picture on West Palm NBC Channel 5 and nothing on West Palm CBS Channel 12. (To clarify, I receive all the Miami-Dade and Broward signals.

Obviously, atmospheric conditions affect reception.

I should add that the box only receives the digital signals. I can get the analog signals through the OTA antenna in any event, but with snow.

I am about 70 miles from West Palm. I do not know where the antenna farm is.

Ice is right @ the box; it has some bugs. I am not sure why, either. The Traxis custom numbers channels (at least on each satellite).

 

[Tron]

Can you export the channel list from the 8000 to Channel Master? Would you then be able to sort and label them properly and then send the list back to your STB?

 

[Mr Tony]

no you cannot export to CM sadly

There is a channel editor for the 8000 but it sucks rocks. I have never been able to change anything (edit) then reload in the box

 

[duchen]

Weaknesses of the Unit

There are a few "weaknesses" with the box.

I had to have my first box replaced; since it was my first box FTA and I had no idea what I was doing or what was wrong (or even what proper internet location to go to to ask;the only ones I had found on my own were obviously questionable), I kept (in my ignorance) asking the Coolsat repair folks if it was a softwear issue (since I was getting C band FTA, but no KU FTA channels at all even though I was receiveing KU FTA). I stressed that I only wanted legal channels, but they reacted to the question with apoplexy.



I sent the unit back twice and they determined it had an electrical problem and replaced it (VERY GOOD THAT THEY STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT!). (No current to the lnb meant no KU channels; the 4DTV was powering the lnb on the C band channels, which is why I received those).

The current unit is obviously updated.

The drawbacks I see are:

1. No blind scan;

2. The problem decribed by Ice so eloquently above;

3.You cannot turn off the "No Audio" indicator if you get a backhaul in Dolby E (which it does not decode) or there is no sound;

4. My unit freezes up sometimes and I need to shut it off in the back and unplug it for awhile and let it re-load the softwear. (Sometimes it does this on its own while I am watching).

5. The unit only has @ 31 satellites in the active menu; if you want to save channels on additional satellites, you have to "double up" by saving channels from two satellites under one name (I use "NIMIC 1", for example, to save locations on various backhuls, White Springs etc.)

6. They are using the older names for the satellites;AMC 2 for example, is designated as AMC 16; Galaxy 16 is designated as Galaxy 4. It takes a little learning time to associate the names with the charts.

On the positive side, the high def picture is great and if you have a blind scan already, you can live without it. And,it boosts local television signals.

My problem now is getting AMC 2 and AMC 3 KU, but that is not the Coolsat. It is most likely alignment of the BUD.

Neither the Coolsat or the Traxis get anything on AMC 3 and I only get feeds on AMC 2 sometimes. Maybe it is because I split the feed from the BUD to run it to the Coolsat and the 4DTV and then I use as a Diseq switch for the Coolsat.

I plan to experiment by hookng the KU lnb directly to a unit and bypass the diseq switch to see if that is the issue; probably not, since I get other KU channels. AMC 2 is desireable to me b/c of the backhaul feeds.

Still, I think it is an alignment issue because I am not getting the 4DTV digicipher channels on AMC 3 either.

 

[Mr Tony]

5. The unit only has @ 31 satellites in the active menu; if you want to save channels on additional satellites, you have to "double up" by saving channels from two satellites under one name (I use "NIMIC 1", for example, to save locations on various backhuls, White Springs etc.)

it doesn't even have enough for the whole clarke belt for most people (61-148)....but on the bright side you can change satellites in the list and it will stil lstore the channels

6. They are using the older names for the satellites;AMC 2 for example, is designated as AMC 16; Galaxy 16 is designated as Galaxy 4. It takes a little learning time to associate the names with the charts.

go to transponder edit
scroll to the satellite
hit red button and change to edit
change satellite name

I did that with a few satellites (G11, G4)

My problem now is getting AMC 2 and AMC 3 KU, but that is not the Coolsat. It is most likely alignment of the BUD.

must be alignment because I get both no problems

 

[techno935]

This isn't good. I don't wanna destroy or hijack this thread, but why would Coolsat build this box for that purpose?

Don't they have a disclaimer on their website about no malware? They should really fix this issue. That's BS. I wonder if the other HD boxes fix this issue.

 

[duchen]

Did you get that HDTV?

BTW: Hockey is terrific in HD.

They make some nice smaller HD sets and the prices are coming down. Some 19" sets can be used as computer monitors as well as TV's.

 

[duchen]

Malware?

What is malware?

 

[techno935]

hackware

 

[duchen]

You missed my point..

The point of my post is that I did not understand what my problem was. I was not receiving unencrypted KU band channels. However, I was receiving C band unencrypted channels. Given I was new to FTA, I did not think it was a hardware issue because I received C band. So,I thought that the KU band softwear was missing from the box because I had no idea what I was doing.

When I mentioned to the Coolsat people it might be a softwear issue, they did not even want to hear the word. The Coolsat folks told me they only deal with hardware issues.

They took the box back and ultimately replaced it because of a hardware problem; the box was not outputting current to the lnb.

I can see there is a factory softwear update in the new box because (for example) the graphic is different when it asks me to save a channel.

When I mentioned earlier the unit "reloads softwear," what I meant was when it freezes and the unit is unplugged and then plugged in again a little later, it re-boots. When the box re-boots, the unit identifies the version of the factory softwear installed before it turns back on.

As for the "No Audio" part of the story, there are MPEG backhauls broadcast in HD with sound that cannot be heard. I was told in another thread it is Dolby E. The picture is FTA, but there is no sound.

There is no hackware or malware associated with this story.

 

[Mr Tony]

yep the dreaded "no audio" can ruin a good backhaul

 

[techno935]

I got your point, I was pointing out what Ice said earlier about the 8000 HD sort of catering to the "other" market.

What I was getting across as well was the fact that these boxes should be built for us and not for them. It's a shame because I thought Coolsat was an anti-hack company.

 

[duchen]

I did not read his comment that way

I didn't read his comment that way. I thought he was just being critical of the 31 channel limit because it only covers part of the arc.

I think you are being too harsh on Coolsat. They may have wanted to be first to market with a consumer HD receiver and they anticpated selling to a market of people who already have "workhorse" SD receivers. Since there are not many HD channels yet, they may not have seen the need for a menu with a significant number of satellites or blind scan. They may also have tried to keep the cost (and price) down.

Despite the flaws, it really is a good unit and I am glad I bought it.

 

[Mr Tony]

I got your point, I was pointing out what Ice said earlier about the 8000 HD sort of catering to the "other" market.

the only reason I said that was because when you scan a Dish satellite (like 119) the channels are logged by their SID which instead of being 1,2,3,4 they are 101, 213, 262 (Dish 101, NASA, Angel One)

Thats all I meant...there is no way to change it to 1,2,3,4,5

 

[Mr Tony]

I didn't read his comment that way. I thought he was just being critical of the 31 channel limit because it only covers part of the arc.

exactly. If you are KU only you are OK
72,74,79,83,85,87,89,91,93,95,97,99,101,103,105,107.3,111.1,113,116.8,121,
123,127,129
Thats 26
now add Dish
61.5,110,119,129,148
and you're at max..

if you have C-Band you're screwed

I think you are being too harsh on Coolsat. They may have wanted to be first to market with a consumer HD receiver and they anticpated selling to a market of people who already have "workhorse" SD receivers. Since there are not many HD channels yet, they may not have seen the need for a menu with a significant number of satellites or blind scan. They may also have tried to keep the cost (and price) down.

I think the option was blind scan or OTA and they went that way

Despite the flaws, it really is a good unit and I am glad I bought it.

ditto. Seen many hockey games this past season in HD

 

[duchen]

Techno is a A Good Gator!

Still, its good that Techno was upset at the thought.

Since I have C band, I have to be judicious in my selection of satellites to scan into the Coolsat.

I have only scanned 1 Dish satellite (119) and only out of curiosity because it spot beams only the Miami TV stations in the clear. There are channels that scan in on the radio side, but I have not listened to them. 61.5 and 148 are outside my BUD's limits anyway.

I did not know that there are FTA channels on those satellites. I have not checked out 110, but maybe I will see what's there with the Traxis.

The irony of my inability to get AMC 2 is that I am a Gator also and their backhauls are there (according to the backhaul group).