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J
joeysules
Last reply · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion

Need Help Getting Started With FTA

Hi Everyone, Long story short, I hate the cable company and looking for a alternative that does not come with a monthly bill. I started reading about FTA and dont know where to start. All i want is TV with some channels-sports would be nice. I am in Massachusetts Usa, and would like to know what reviver and dish i should buy to start with. Any idea on what or how many channels i would get? I tried reading the forum,but there was a overload of info.Thanks for your help!!!:)
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J
joeysules
Hey thanks for the quick reply.This is the exact info i needed to get me started. Thanks Satellite guys!!
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FaT Air
FaT Air
I'll clarify a bit: DVB= Digital Video Broadcast, S= first generation, S2= Second generation. if you see 4PSK that's DVB-S. 8PSK is DVB-S2, or may be shortened to S2. (there is a scheme where 4PSK can be Second generation, DVB-S2.) MPEG-4(H-264 or AVC) usually infers an HD receiver is required. (Check the receiver specs)
Another thing that's utmost important, is your LOS. (Line Of Site) Are you able to see the satellites you're interested in? Satellite Finder / Dish Pointing Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com will draw a green line, from your position, to the selected satellite. Zoom in, and check the "show obstacle" box. place it's marker on the green line on a potential obstruction and it will output the height where it will be a problem. If the obstruction is lower, no problem.
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M
Mikey11
i think the best stater/basic system would be a 36-39 inch dish with motor and an openbox s9/10 HD receiver....that is assuming you have an HD TV....although setting up a motorized dish will be very complicated for a beginner....
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stanleyjohn
stanleyjohn
I started out alittle more than a year ago with a setup similar to what Mikey above described and since that added a motorized 6 footer for the c-band.Really gotten addicted to this hobby.
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Phottoman
Phottoman
Welcome to Satguys.

Even whats been stated can be overwhelming to a beginner, so let me try to simplify even that stated above.

You'll need a dish that is at least 30 inches (36 inches would be better). Look around your neighborhood, if you see one that is tilted, or you see one at a house that also has a dishnet or directv dish, you might get lucky, ask if they would like it taken down. If you want a dish quicker than finding one already up but unwanted, look at the gold sponsors listed at the top of this and every page, they can set you up/

You'll need a LINEAR LNB, not the one's you find on dishnet and direcTv, those are circular. Again, look to our gold sponsors for your first LNB, then later you can add to that with more LNBs as you get more addicted to this hobby.

You'll need a receiver. Look on eBay for a SIMPLE receiver that will get you entry into the hobby. I started with a complicated receiver but found that you can find inexpensive receivers on eBay that will and can get you started. These can be found for around $25 to $50 plus shipping. If you find one you like, ask here in this forum and people will come out of the walls to tell you their experiences with that particular receiver.

Check out satfinder dot com and look at your site, this will give you a great idea what satellites you can receive. You will need a south facing area to place your dish.

Most receivers (I could probably say ALL receivers, but some one will correct me) will receive both KU and C Band satellites, so you can start with a smaller KU band dish, then later, if space permits you can add to your dish (collection) as needed.

I would start with a stationary dish, then as you get accomplished in finding satellites, add a motor to your dish and see what that will open up for you.

So, dish + LNB + receiver = instant addiction to a wonderful hobby.

Do NOT expect to find all that you had on cable with FTA. It just AIN'T gonna' happen, but FTA will open a wonderful world of TV that you haven't been aware of until you get there, so enjoy what you find, chat about it here and keep reading, it will become clearer to you as you experiance the fun of aiming your dish and pulling in signals from places you never knew existed.

Photto
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cpdretired
cpdretired
Supporting Founder
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum

Dish Offers

Several Dish offers showed up today in my account. Once you choose one the rest are removed. Offers were Showtime, Starz, AMC and others.
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B
bnewt
Just checked my account and it shows mgm+ at 8.00 per month, but that has red line drawn thru it and shows 0.00 per month. But it doesn't say how long this lasts,...... 1 month, 3 months, forever. I called customer service to get an answer, and they said nothing like that exists. Should I add the offer or not? Already paying them too much, but want to take advantage of something free.
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Almighty1
Almighty1
This is what I see when it comes to offers on My Account on the Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus and dish.com:

AMC+ 50% off for 3 months (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)
AMC+ Free for 3 months (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus and dish.com)
AMC+ 1 month free (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)

Cine y Entretenimie 50% off for 3 months

DOGTV 1 month free (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)

DISH Movie Pack 50% off for 6 months (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus and dish.com)

DOGTV 50% off for 6 months (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)
DOGTV 1 month free (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)

Gallery First Month Free (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)

Heartland Pack 50% off for 6 months (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus and dish.com)

Mexico y Mas 50% off for 3 months (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)

MGM+ $0.00/Month not saying how long (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)

Multi-Sport Pack 50% off for 6 months (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)

Netflix Standard with Ads, $7.99/month credit toward Netflix Standard with Ads ($.99) month with 24 month DISH commitment
(Only on My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)

Outdoor Pack 50% off for 6 months (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)

Paramount+ with SHOWTIME 50% off for three months (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus and dish.com)
Paramount+ with SHOWTIME 2 months free (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)

Playboy TV 50% off for 6 months (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)

Republica Dominicana 50% off for 3 months (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)

STARZ 50% off for 3 months (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)
STARZ $1.99/month for 2 months (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus and dish.com)

Sudamerica y Mas 50% off for 3 months (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)

UP Faith & Family 1 month free (My Account Hopper 3 with Hopper Plus)
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S
slow_poke_pete
bnewt said:
Just checked my account and it shows mgm+ at 8.00 per month, but that has red line drawn thru it and shows 0.00 per month. But it doesn't say how long this lasts,...... 1 month, 3 months, forever. I called customer service to get an answer, and they said nothing like that exists. Should I add the offer or not? Already paying them too much, but want to take advantage of something free.
Click to expand...
look again mine says free for 1 month
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Almighty1
Almighty1
slow_poke_pete said:
look again mine says free for 1 month
Click to expand...
Not for me, mines has no mention of how long aka the offer period and the Terms and conditions the $0.00 is good for. All I see is one can lose $5.00 if you decide to remove it before day 31 after you add it to the account.

1792131071109.webp
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S
slow_poke_pete
Almighty1 said:
Not for me, mines has no mention of how long aka the offer period and the Terms and conditions the $0.00 is good for. All I see is one can lose $5.00 if you decide to remove it before day 31 after you add it to the account.

View attachment 194817
Click to expand...
wonder why it says that
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Almighty1
Almighty1
slow_poke_pete said:
look again mine says free for 1 month
Click to expand...
You have a different offer that is free for a shorter timeframe which is different than the one that I and bnewt saw without defining the promotion period as I sent the question to DISH Care via Facebook Messenger and this is the response I got back 20 minutes ago.

1792177553912.webp
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T
Therm
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum

Am I the only one that hates what Dish did to their mobile app?

I thought I would come here and find lots of complaints about the update to the dish anywhere mobile app, but am not seeing any. It used to look just like the desktop webpage. Now you can no longer filter by sports channels or movie channels. Plus that they made it look like a big button telephone and you see fewer channels in the screen which requires more scrolling. Yes I realize you can look at sports then select which sport you want to look at, I just liked being able to see all sporting events in the guide with all other channels being filtered out. Am I alone in the wilderness on this?
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Juan
Juan
Not alot of dish customers any more
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Foxbat
Foxbat
I'm not a big fan of the new layout, especially on my Apple TV. It used to look like the old Guide layout on the Hopper 3, but they changed parts of that, too.
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dishstaller
dishstaller
I really dislike change for the sake of change
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dishdude
dishdude
I like the new look, it's a lot cleaner. I'm using it on one of those Onn streaming devices when I travel.
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Foxbat
Foxbat
Supporting Founder Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in Internet Television (IPTV) Discussion Forum

New Apple TV 4K released, plus other Apple Home devices.

Apple has finally released their Apple TV 4K with built-in Siri and a microphone so it can respond to your queries even if you don't have the remote. It also increases in price, to $299. I had been planning on updating my current Apple TV 4K streamers, but that's $600 for the two of them, and that's a pass at this point.

At $299, it had better come with 256 GB of Storage, Gigabit (or better) Ethernet, the latest HDMI tech and standards, and one year of free Apple One. But it probably won't…
www.apple.com

Apple TV 4K

Apple TV 4K. New Siri AI and hands-free control. Stunning picture and immersive HomePod surround sound. Works with your Apple and smart home devices.
www.apple.com
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Ronnie-
Ronnie-
Meh. The 4Ks I have will do everything that these do that I need them to do.


Which that's most tech these days for anything released the last four to five years.


It's honestly a testament to how good the previous gen Apple TVs were and are.
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navychop
navychop
Ronnie- said:
It's honestly a testament to how good the previous gen Apple TVs were and are.
Click to expand...

Don't tell them that. They'll adopt planned obsolescence.
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navychop
navychop
Outside of gaming, would Joe Sixpack notice any difference?
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KAB
KAB
navychop said:
Outside of gaming, would Joe Sixpack notice any difference?
Click to expand...
Not a bit. IMO, Apple's are slow to boot up. Time is about the same with 1st gen and 3rd. Roku runs rings around them in that department. I only reason I stuck, is the Apple infrastructure, which has it's definite advantages. But $300 is a deal breaker. Later, Apple!
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S
slow_poke_pete
navychop said:
Don't tell them that. They'll adopt planned obsolescence.
Click to expand...
they all do that anyways.. ever notice your cell phone slows down when you come up for an upgrade.. :what. apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while
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ncted
ncted
slow_poke_pete said:
ever notice your cell phone slows down when you come up for an upgrade
Click to expand...
No. Makes me wonder if that is Apple or the carrier. I am on pre-paid, so I never get "an upgrade." I still have my old iPhone 11 Pro as a second line, and it runs iOS 27 just fine. My iPhone Air, which is still a current model, doesn't really seem that much faster in regular use. It is better in other ways, and worse in some ways than the 11 Pro (size), but performance really isn't a big differentiator, especially since I replaced the battery in the 11 Pro. If I had gotten enough storage when I originally bought the 11 Pro, it could still be my primary device with no issues.
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ncted
ncted
KAB said:
Not a bit. IMO, Apple's are slow to boot up. Time is about the same with 1st gen and 3rd. Roku runs rings around them in that department. I only reason I stuck, is the Apple infrastructure, which has it's definite advantages. But $300 is a deal breaker. Later, Apple!
Click to expand...
Yeah, they boot up a bit slower than Roku, but the OS does a lot more, so it makes sense. How often are you booting them up that is a differentiator? Aside from OS updates, mine are on all the time. I will say the ATV4K is generally quicker than the Roku Ultras I have, when it comes to launching apps and responsiveness, not that the Roku is sluggish.
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navychop
navychop
slow_poke_pete said:
apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while
Click to expand...

What software? For iPhones? I tried to buy some image s/w IN THE APPLE STORE! They had none, and could not offer ANY s/w for iPhones
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TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network

This Week in Space 232

Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4Edq2eavsQ


Direct YouTube Link - This Week in Space 232
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
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TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Tim Cook, Elton John & King Charles: A Royal Tech Event

Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!


View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oRVxjGm0qtE


Direct YouTube Link - Tim Cook, Elton John & King Charles: A Royal Tech Event
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
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TFLEV
· posted in TFLEV

Watch the New Tesla Roadster Jump, Fly and Barrel-Roll in Mid-Air!

Time for another AWESOME video from TFL Electric Vehicles!


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyF_RH1m0mc


Direct YouTube Link - Watch the New Tesla Roadster Jump, Fly and Barrel-Roll in Mid-Air!
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TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network

The Apple HomeView

Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!


View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0k5iT-OlpdE


Direct YouTube Link - The Apple HomeView
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
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osu1991
osu1991
Pub Member / Supporter
Last reply · posted in TV Shows

Frisco King - Paramount Plus


View: https://youtu.be/RHYQYYm5jLM?is=cwxm9t1efsWNl6yy


December 18, 2026 Paramount plus
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Howard Simmons
Howard Simmons
osu1991 said:

View: https://youtu.be/RHYQYYm5jLM?is=cwxm9t1efsWNl6yy


December 18, 2026 Paramount plus
Click to expand...

Another Tulsa King spin off.🙄
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dishstaller
dishstaller
Howard Simmons said:
Another Tulsa King spin off.🙄
Click to expand...
But.....if you like Tulsa King....looks like you would probably like this as well. I don't mind spin-offs as long as they don't involve a sassy niece who moves from the big city :rolleyes:
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TheRatPatrol
TheRatPatrol
Last reply · posted in TV Shows

NCIS

Anyone else watch this show? Any guesses as to what was in the box Gibbs gave to Abby that was on her desk? It look liked it was glowing.

I also heard that someone was leaving the show at the end of this season. Any guesses as to who thats going to be?
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Jimbo
Jimbo
Jimbo
Jimbo said:

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BIdMzUBHvjw?feature=share
Click to expand...

Howard ...
You don't like Tony, or Tony as the Director (he's only been there for 30 seconds now) or you don't like NCIS ?
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Howard Simmons
Howard Simmons
Jimbo said:
Howard ...
You don't like Tony, or Tony as the Director (he's only been there for 30 seconds now) or you don't like NCIS ?
Click to expand...
Tony as the director.🙄
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Jimbo
Jimbo
Howard Simmons said:
Tony as the director.🙄
Click to expand...
Would you rather have LaRoche ???
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dfergie
dfergie
I liked this episode and a toned down Tony...
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Howard Simmons
Howard Simmons
Jimbo said:
Would you rather have LaRoche ???
Click to expand...
No. Bring in someone new.🤔 Tony is not serious enough for me. Parker is too close to the team and Tim is too young to take over IMO.
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Jimbo
Jimbo
Howard Simmons said:
No. Bring in someone new.🤔 Tony is not serious enough for me. Parker is too close to the team and Tim is too young to take over IMO.
Click to expand...
I don't think Tim and Tony are that far apart in Age ...

Remember what Tony said to Tim when they first got back together ...
Tony said: I am the New Tony, Tim .... (something to that effect)

Tony has changed, he's been running his Security Business ... I'm sure he has grown up.

Give it time ... your judging the New Tony from the old Tony.

It sounds like Tim won't be around the Team much longer either.
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dishstaller
dishstaller
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in Movie Talk

Trailer for new Jim Caviezel movie Ghost Soldier

Might be worth a watch when it comes out. Looks like typical big corp against the little guy movie BUT....there is a reason this plot type is so oft repeated, it draws audiences.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-f9OGsKHd4
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dishstaller
dishstaller
BTW, I noticed right after I posted this that someone else had already mentioned it....sorry for the duplicate thread. Still looking forward to seeing the movie.
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