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Hello all, new to FTA here but very interested.
I do not know where to begin, hopefully someone can point me in the right direction and answer some general questions.
I have seen some high bitrate programming, specifically NBA finals last week, at a colleague's house and I was stunned. I am drooling over the idea of watching high bitrate HD programming at home in my theater, 100" screen. I really want access to these high bitrate HD network feeds, and the ability to record shows and sports onto my PC so I can then use networked PCs around the house to watch the recorded shows. What kind of setup would I need to do this, specifically what type of dish and pci tuner card?
I have a clear view of the southern sky from the roof of the garage behind the house.
No clear view from backyard, dish would have to be roof mounted, on garage.
I would like to keep the dish as small as possible for obvious reasons
What network feeds with a very high HD bitrate will I be able to access?
Is it only network channels that have these high bitrates I desire? or are there other channels, or direct feeds of sports events as well?
Is a smaller dish size able to reliably receive these high bitrate signals?
I am most interested in the aspect of maximum image quality without dropouts.
I do not know where to begin, hopefully someone can point me in the right direction and answer some general questions.
I have seen some high bitrate programming, specifically NBA finals last week, at a colleague's house and I was stunned. I am drooling over the idea of watching high bitrate HD programming at home in my theater, 100" screen. I really want access to these high bitrate HD network feeds, and the ability to record shows and sports onto my PC so I can then use networked PCs around the house to watch the recorded shows. What kind of setup would I need to do this, specifically what type of dish and pci tuner card?
I have a clear view of the southern sky from the roof of the garage behind the house.
No clear view from backyard, dish would have to be roof mounted, on garage.
I would like to keep the dish as small as possible for obvious reasons
What network feeds with a very high HD bitrate will I be able to access?
Is it only network channels that have these high bitrates I desire? or are there other channels, or direct feeds of sports events as well?
Is a smaller dish size able to reliably receive these high bitrate signals?
I am most interested in the aspect of maximum image quality without dropouts.
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2557 views
E
Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately it may be quite difficult to convince the wife to let me put a 6+ foot dish on the roof.. any tips in this department? 
TheTechGuru, that sample looks incredible, exactly what I am looking to do, what kind of dish and pci DVB-S2 tuner card did you use?
And there is no way I can accomplish this with a 1.2m dish? I think that would be much easier to convince the wife to install as it would be hardly visible from the deck or backyard, only seen from the side yard.
Thanks again for the replies, this is a very helpful forum
TheTechGuru, that sample looks incredible, exactly what I am looking to do, what kind of dish and pci DVB-S2 tuner card did you use?
And there is no way I can accomplish this with a 1.2m dish? I think that would be much easier to convince the wife to install as it would be hardly visible from the deck or backyard, only seen from the side yard.
Thanks again for the replies, this is a very helpful forum
M
if you are "allowed" a 1.2m dish like you say then just tell her its 1.2m.....install it when she is at work or away....is she going to go up and measure it?....lol....its easier to ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission....lol....
Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately it may be quite difficult to convince the wife to let me put a 6+ foot dish on the roof.. any tips in this department?
TheTechGuru, that sample looks incredible, exactly what I am looking to do, what kind of dish and pci DVB-S2 tuner card did you use?
And there is no way I can accomplish this with a 1.2m dish? I think that would be much easier to convince the wife to install as it would be hardly visible from the deck or backyard, only seen from the side yard.
Thanks again for the replies, this is a very helpful forum
if you are "allowed" a 1.2m dish like you say then just tell her its 1.2m.....install it when she is at work or away....is she going to go up and measure it?....lol....its easier to ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission....lol....
What kinds of shows does she like?Unfortunately it may be quite difficult to convince the wife to let me put a 6+ foot dish on the roof.. any tips in this department?
What does she watch now, and via what method?
If you have no satellite nor cable, perhaps your FTA hardware will be the only game in town. (?) - :up
Maybe some medium-bit-rate shows she's not currently seeing would still be attractive to her?
(just don't tell; don't rub it in)
That'd be great for PBS.!. - :up -
PS:
Also, a perforated or mesh dish is less noticeable than a solid.
Especially a white solid dish.
See the two in my signature; they're the same size, yet one blends in and the other stands out.
B
Nice, you have a bunch of questions as you should.
One answer to your first question is to find a channel on one of the satellites that she will like to watch and tell her that once you install the dish the programming will be FREE. A mesh dish also minimizes the visual impact. A dish can be painted to blend in with the background also. I have found this to work very well for me. It took me a while to get even tentative approval to install a 6'.
On to your second question the Prof cards are doing the S2 signals pretty well for less than $150 and another company TBS makes some nice cards.
Third question 1.2M dish? A 1.2M is considered experimental only on C-band and not recommended for beginners. The best place for a beginner to start is at 8'. I will probably get some flak on this, but the 8' will get a bunch more signals than a 6' with few problems. A 6' can do very well if a lot of time is spent "tweaking" and fine tuning the reflector and feed. the "cat's meow" of the hobby is a quality 10' or greater like the Birdviews that Linuxman has for a VERY good price in the classifieds. One good thing about the birdviews is that they have an ultra rare Horizon to Horizon motor that is highly sought after. If you want a motorized setup you will need a way to control the motor such as an older receiver or a V-Box or G-Box controller.
WELCOME TO THE FORUMS and hope to see some of your BUD success stories posted here soon!
Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately it may be quite difficult to convince the wife to let me put a 6+ foot dish on the roof.. any tips in this department?
TheTechGuru, that sample looks incredible, exactly what I am looking to do, what kind of dish and pci DVB-S2 tuner card did you use?
And there is no way I can accomplish this with a 1.2m dish? I think that would be much easier to convince the wife to install as it would be hardly visible from the deck or backyard, only seen from the side yard.
Thanks again for the replies, this is a very helpful forum
Nice, you have a bunch of questions as you should.
One answer to your first question is to find a channel on one of the satellites that she will like to watch and tell her that once you install the dish the programming will be FREE. A mesh dish also minimizes the visual impact. A dish can be painted to blend in with the background also. I have found this to work very well for me. It took me a while to get even tentative approval to install a 6'.
On to your second question the Prof cards are doing the S2 signals pretty well for less than $150 and another company TBS makes some nice cards.
Third question 1.2M dish? A 1.2M is considered experimental only on C-band and not recommended for beginners. The best place for a beginner to start is at 8'. I will probably get some flak on this, but the 8' will get a bunch more signals than a 6' with few problems. A 6' can do very well if a lot of time is spent "tweaking" and fine tuning the reflector and feed. the "cat's meow" of the hobby is a quality 10' or greater like the Birdviews that Linuxman has for a VERY good price in the classifieds. One good thing about the birdviews is that they have an ultra rare Horizon to Horizon motor that is highly sought after. If you want a motorized setup you will need a way to control the motor such as an older receiver or a V-Box or G-Box controller.
WELCOME TO THE FORUMS and hope to see some of your BUD success stories posted here soon!
TFLEV
Time for another AWESOME video from TFL Electric Vehicles!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-wAFhIJCSk
Direct YouTube Link - How Far? The 2026 Subaru Trailseeker Takes On Toughest Mountain Range Test!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-wAFhIJCSk
Direct YouTube Link - How Far? The 2026 Subaru Trailseeker Takes On Toughest Mountain Range Test!
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1 views
Staff member
Pub Member / Supporter
Cutting Edge
The TPN Map Excel Presents all DIRECTV Channels:
Understanding the TPN Map
Making Sense of the TPN Map Display Conventions
National (50-States or wide/NAT+PR beams)
Local (Local-Into-Local or narrow/Spot beams)
Local (Local-Into-Local or narrow/Spot beams)
Additional tabs provide:
OTA the (Over-The-Air) Database
VOD (Video On_Demand) Records
Offline Records
Engr Records
Net Decoder a graphic presentation of all satellites and transponders
VOD (Video On_Demand) Records
Offline Records
Engr Records
Net Decoder a graphic presentation of all satellites and transponders
Domestic Satellites
@99W...... D11, D14
@101W.... D16
@103W.... D12, D15
@110W.... D5
@119W.... D8
@99W...... D11, D14
@101W.... D16
@103W.... D12, D15
@110W.... D5
@119W.... D8
Understanding the TPN Map
Making Sense of the TPN Map Display Conventions
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940151 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Cutting Edge
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
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2678044 views
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2QtsO2mlXM
Direct YouTube Link - This Web Vulnerability Shook the Tech World
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2QtsO2mlXM
Direct YouTube Link - This Web Vulnerability Shook the Tech World
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
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Lifetime Supporter
I know HipKat said that they were working on conversions but we got the official news yesterday right from Dish that starting next month all DMA's will be on the western arc, and all customers will be assigned to that. That's gonna mean a lot of customers around here aren't gonna get Dish unless there are exceptions. Too many mountains and trees.
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Unfortunately, I don't think my social proximity to Charle Ergen provides any special perks. Maybe if Foxbat, Jr. were to marry his daughter…have charlie buy you a new house
S
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that would be one hell of a convoUnfortunately, I don't think my social proximity to Charle Ergen provides any special perks. Maybe if Foxbat, Jr. were to marry his daughter…
.
The title was to catch everyone's eye lol! But it is a thought I've been having as I dev a Roku app for a client. You see many MAAANY years ago I got really interested in cable TV channels and even chatted with a regional carrier, Insight about what it took to get a channel number. It was surprisingly easy although prohibitively expensive.
You could petition, reserve a high channel number, they monitored performance and if they liked you, you'd get lower channel number overtime and cut into ad overlays.
Roku has a similar setup. Make an app, if it has a strong, original linear component you could get channel assignment on The Roku Channel.
As mixed as my feelings are on the current media landscape, I can't help but feel a little excited interest when I scope out the apps in the Roku store.
You could petition, reserve a high channel number, they monitored performance and if they liked you, you'd get lower channel number overtime and cut into ad overlays.
Roku has a similar setup. Make an app, if it has a strong, original linear component you could get channel assignment on The Roku Channel.
As mixed as my feelings are on the current media landscape, I can't help but feel a little excited interest when I scope out the apps in the Roku store.
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69 views
Season 2 order already in hand:
'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' Renewed for Season 2, Tatiana Maslany to Guest Star in Season 1
I've not been optimistic about this show based on what I've read so far. Seems to be aimed at a younger audience. Interesting though that Tatiana Maslany will have some sort of role.
'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' Renewed for Season 2, Tatiana Maslany to Guest Star in Season 1
I've not been optimistic about this show based on what I've read so far. Seems to be aimed at a younger audience. Interesting though that Tatiana Maslany will have some sort of role.
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Why are ViP922s So rare? like its crazy how ebay has none, i checked everywhere, also, i got a ViP222k now, which is actually activated!
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1124 views
I remember this in the news too...
www.nbcnews.com
$14,000 spent on rented rotary phone
A widow rented a rotary dial telephone for 42 years, paying what her family calculates as more than $14,000 for a now- outdated phone.
www.nbcnews.com
That is a misnomer. In the old days you subscribed to telephone service. That included the telephone line and one telephone. An extension cost $1 a month extra. So that $14,000 over 42 years was for the service not the leased telephone. There is no way they paid $28 a month for 42 years for a leased telephone.I remember this in the news too...
$14,000 spent on rented rotary phone
A widow rented a rotary dial telephone for 42 years, paying what her family calculates as more than $14,000 for a now- outdated phone.
S
me either. sometimes it seems like things disappear when they start changing sh*t around
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
So...DirecTV advertises the Choice package with 95+ bonus channels for Satellite customers. You don't want 90+ of the 95...
Excluding PPV, premium networks, infomercial, shopping, religion, and non-English programming, there are 7 channels on satellite that are not on streaming:
NFL Network, MavTV, FE TV, Free Speech, NASA, INSP, and Pursuit. I'm pretty sure a couple of those are public interest that they have to carry to meet an FCC quota on satellite.
I hope they get called out for this advertising because that is ridiculous. One big network, NFL, will probably get added to streaming when their next agreement comes up, and the rest are likely very low viewership.
What about streaming, what do you get extra with the Choice package that isn't on Satellite:
Two stations - one of which is an internet TV - Fox Weather, and Heros & Icons (a diginet). Nothing special here to look at either.
If they cleaned up a couple of their agreements, added a few public interest stations to streaming, they could probably have their lineups match. It's close now, if you take out all the garbage on satellite that they earn money on. If they can sell infomercials on satellite, why can't they on streaming, seems like a miss. A bigger miss, including those stations in the "bonus channels just for satellite customers." Pretty sad marketing right there.
Attached is a comparison sheet of satellite vs streaming for the three main packages if anyone is interested.
MOD EDIT: See Post #3 for an up to date list of what channels are available on sat but not on streaming/internet, see Post #21 for an up to date list of what's available in the app for streaming customers, but not for sat customers.
Excluding PPV, premium networks, infomercial, shopping, religion, and non-English programming, there are 7 channels on satellite that are not on streaming:
NFL Network, MavTV, FE TV, Free Speech, NASA, INSP, and Pursuit. I'm pretty sure a couple of those are public interest that they have to carry to meet an FCC quota on satellite.
I hope they get called out for this advertising because that is ridiculous. One big network, NFL, will probably get added to streaming when their next agreement comes up, and the rest are likely very low viewership.
What about streaming, what do you get extra with the Choice package that isn't on Satellite:
Two stations - one of which is an internet TV - Fox Weather, and Heros & Icons (a diginet). Nothing special here to look at either.
If they cleaned up a couple of their agreements, added a few public interest stations to streaming, they could probably have their lineups match. It's close now, if you take out all the garbage on satellite that they earn money on. If they can sell infomercials on satellite, why can't they on streaming, seems like a miss. A bigger miss, including those stations in the "bonus channels just for satellite customers." Pretty sad marketing right there.
Attached is a comparison sheet of satellite vs streaming for the three main packages if anyone is interested.
MOD EDIT: See Post #3 for an up to date list of what channels are available on sat but not on streaming/internet, see Post #21 for an up to date list of what's available in the app for streaming customers, but not for sat customers.
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31915 views
Supporting Founder
Pub Member / Supporter
Apple Fall Hardware Event takes place today, September 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET. It marks the debut of new CEO John Ternus and the expected reveal of Apple's first foldable phone.
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1488 views
. can we say over priced garbage!!!