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W
Last reply · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion
Hi: I live in the 18327 area code and am looking to get international channels and perhaps, the HD Pack channels from E*. For the international channels, I'm primarily interested in movies, entertainment and sports. I also like the idea of finding wild feeds and just scanning the satellites to see which channels are currently up. I've been doing my research, but am unsure of which path to take and was hoping you all could give some advice. Here's what I'm considering:

Purchase either the CaptiveWorks CW-600S or the Pansat 6000HXC along with a 90cm (35") Dish, STAB HH-90 Rotor and Invacom QPH-031 Quad LNBF.

Subscribe to DishNetwork, DirecTV or GlobeCast for some paid foreign channels. I'm not interested in DishNetwork's or DirecTV's other channels (with the exception of the HDPack on DishNetwork and NFL Sunday Ticket on DirecTV), I'm very happy with my Cable system (probably shouldn't say that here).

Here are my questions:

1. Can I even get the HDPack if I only subscribe to foreign channels on DishNetwork?

2. Will the dish and LNBF I have listed above be compatible with DishNetwork, DirecTV or GlobeCast?

3. If I go with GlobeCast is it even worth it to purchase the FTA system above or should I just stick with their equipment (I'd prefer to have the ability to scan other satellites, but am not sure how much I'll be able to get and if it's worth the extra expense)?

4. Which of these packages of channels is "better" and are there any channels listed that I shouldn't bother with (yes, I know this is subjective, but I'm looking for opinions from others who have watched these channels just to hear their thoughts):

DishNetwork: Arabic Enhanced Pack, TV5/Trace TV, Set Max, RAI International, Kino Polska, TV Globo Internacional, RTPI, TVCI

GlobeCast: A1 Plus, DUNA TV, EuroNews, Pink / Pink Plus, Romanian Satellite TV Channel 1, Setanta Sports, Tele 5, WORLDVIEW, DFH, ASC Flix, ASC Xtra, KISB

DirecTV: Jadeworld, SBS, TamilDirect, SELECCIÓN EXTRA, RussianDirect, Setanta Sports

5. I'm leaning towards the CaptivaWorks FTA system along with DishNetwork if I can get the HD Channels. Any reason why this wouldn't be a good idea?


Thanks in advance for the help and for such a great website!
8 Replies · 2521 views
W
Thanks for the replies, but of course, your answers raise a couple of additional questions:

1 - Why a separate dish for DishNetwork/DirecTV? And if I used a separate dish for them there would be no need for the Invacom QPH-031 for the FTA dish, correct?

2 - Why the Fortec over the Pansat 6000? I thought someone might suggest the Pansat over the CaptiveWorks, but I wasn't expecting the Fortec suggestion.

Also, why do almost all of the FTA receivers only have RCA or SVideo outputs? What type of picture quality can I expect (I currently have a Samsung 50" Widescreen HDTV)? Why don't the receivers use a better output (HDMI, DVI or at least Component)?

Thanks again.
PSB
PSB
1/ Some people in your family may get upset if you move the dish and they lose their DBS programing. Other wise one motorized dish and the QPH-031 LNBF will do it ALL.

2/ I have installed MOST of the receivers out there and I still prefer the Fortec over most! They are also GOLD sponsors here :)

FTA picture quality varies A LOT. Some broadcasters are cheap and do not pay for much bandwidth so the picture can be a little like a picture on an older computer. then there are some channels with better quality the the DBS providers!
Z
ok, i have a question, since this thread mentioned DFH ane the other thread that taled about DFH was closed due to hacker cognatation which not what my intentions are,,what specifically is DFH, and what can a legal un-messed with DFH dvb recvr be used for??sub only and from who, what do get?thanks
G
Also, why do almost all of the FTA receivers only have RCA or SVideo outputs? What type of picture quality can I expect (I currently have a Samsung 50" Widescreen HDTV)? Why don't the receivers use a better output (HDMI, DVI or at least Component)?

Thanks again.
Picture quality varies with different FTA receivers (as has already been mentioned) no current FTA receiver that I am aware of has HDMI or DVI output. Some do have Component, but, there are different opinions as to how good the video quality is. If you are wanting HD programming for your HDTV, you should look into a package from either Dish or Direct TV and use one of their HD receivers. I recently saw a very nice HD demo at a Best Buy that was using a Direct TV HD setup and it was really nice. I was really drooling over the 72" Mitsubishi HD TV it was running on along with a couple of others that did 1920 X 1080P ..........fantastic picture!! ( the 72" Mitsusbishi "only" did 1080p)
I would go for an HD package from one of the two providers I mentioned if it were me. The FTA box is fun for other stuff, but, if you want good HD that's the way to go. Unless, you like playing with a pc. Then you can get a PCI DVB-S Sat Card and watch some really nice HD stuff on PBS HD.
grusome
R
Why not get a FTA setup and lock on to IA5 for international channels, there's more foreign channels than you would ever need. You can get a motor later.
rdel

Fortec makes a good unit:up

http://www.lyngsat.com/ia5.html
Tron
Most (all?) of those foreign channels on IA-5 are Globecast channels, trouble is some of the ones he may want are scrambled. Thats why he may need the Globecast subscription. Unfortunately, one must use Globecasts receiver (ugh) instead of a standard FTA box with a card slot addon...
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network
0 Replies · 0 views
dishstaller
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in TV Shows
Don't know if any of you have watched this series yet, it would be interesting to see if you feel this review was accurate. It was very humorous to listen to however.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tsDO3y8I2c
2 Replies · 98 views
KAB
KAB
What a "pile of slop" review! I liked the show.
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Y
What a "pile of slop" review! I liked the show.
If the review is like the article, oi! Eighteen paragraphs into the review and... all they've done is not really talk at all about the actual thing they are reviewing.

Halfway into the "written" review, I know more about how the writer "thinks" than I do about what they are writing about. I understand their politics, their self-overestimated understanding of film, their inability to be funny.

Takes about 22 paragraphs to get to one that starts "Anyway, the story kicks off...". Talk about Slop! 😂
K
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in TV Shows
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.
91 Replies · 3659 views
K
I'm sure I will watch at least the first episode but I am not optimistic.
Here i am over a year later and just finished season 1. Not great but not as bad as I was expecting. Did not care for the barefoot captain stuff but overall ok. Actually looking forward to see what they did for season 2.
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MikeD-C05
Here i am over a year later and just finished season 1. Not great but not as bad as I was expecting. Did not care for the barefoot captain stuff but overall ok. Actually looking forward to see what they did for season 2.
Yeah, the foot stuff was just nasty. I kept thinking of how dirty her feet would get traipsing around shoe-less. Funny, I love being shoe less at home and never wear shoes indoors in my home for long, but seeing her laying on all her furniture with her bare feet hanging out just kind of grossed me out.
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harshness
I kept thinking of how dirty her feet would get traipsing around shoe-less.
Where would this "dirt" come from? Dead skin and dandruff?
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MikeD-C05
Where would this "dirt" come from? Dead skin and dandruff?
There would still be dirt ,dust in the future I am sure. So walking around the station like she did she would get stuff on her feet. I am sure the robot vacuum is still going to miss stuff, with all those different alien species running around there.
harshness
There would still be dirt ,dust in the future I am sure.
Where is it going to come from -- specifically?

Why do you think cleaning technology won't improve in the next few hundred years? HEPA filtration was invented as part of the Manhattan Project.
MikeD-C05
Where is it going to come from -- specifically?

Why do you think cleaning technology won't improve in the next few hundred years? HEPA filtration was invented as part of the Manhattan Project.
I don't know, but I still don't like her walking through the station or the academy with out her shoes. It looks unprofessional and very "hippy like" for someone of her status and I personally don't get off to feet, so there is that. ;)
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osu1991
I don't know, but I still don't like her walking through the station or the academy with out her shoes. It looks unprofessional and very "hippy like" for someone of her status and I personally don't get off to feet, so there is that. ;)
Stay out of my office. I rarely have shoes or socks on in the office. My office and business is at home though :clapping
MikeD-C05
Stay out of my office. I rarely have shoes or socks on in the office. My office and business is at home though :clapping
Say, I don't wear socks or shoes in my house either. But for a captain in Star Fleet it looks bad to be walking around the academy with no shoes. Gives off 1960 Hippie vibes.
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Jimbo
Gives off 1960 Hippie vibes.
You say that like it's a Bad thing or something ... :biggrin
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long_time_Dish
Well, look at the way she sat in the Captain's Chair. I didn't say the show should have been called "Captain Chair-Whore" for nothing...
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primestar31
Say, I don't wear socks or shoes in my house either. But for a captain in Star Fleet it looks bad to be walking around the academy with no shoes. Gives off 1960 Hippie vibes.
star trek GIF by HULU


Just sayin...
MikeD-C05
You say that like it's a Bad thing or something ... :biggrin
For a whole generation of adults it was in the 1960s and 1970s.

All In The Family Nostalgia GIF by Sony Pictures Television
All In The Family Singing GIF by Sony Pictures Television
harshness
Females wearing any clothing is unthinkable on Ferenginar.
long_time_Dish
Females wearing any clothing is unthinkable on Ferenginar.
Was never a huge of the Ferengi-centric episodes in Trek...
Scott Greczkowski
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
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....
68605 Replies · 2677785 views
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sdfntx
Gondoliers, Shakespeares, Overseers, Playboys and Bums - Norman Greenbaum
Bobby
I Wish I Was Eighteen Again - George Burns
harshness
I Wish - Stevie Wonder
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EatMyVolts
Lonesome Road -- The Wonder Who?
long_time_Dish
Lonesome Loser - Little River Band
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dishstaller
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
Love this guy's channel. Looks like Walmart has thrown in the towel when it comes to conventional car batteries.

I bought a new AGM battery from Walmart about a year ago, it is already needing replacing. I thought about just buying a regular battery but from what I've read, that might not be a smart move. Might check my Forscan program and see if I can change the battery type from AGM.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awe7kY5nvdU
15 Replies · 126 views
harshness
When you need a battery, you need a battery.

If you can wait, new technologies are on the not-too-distant horizon.

You're probably doing something wrong if you're only getting a year out of an AGM battery. Heat and infrequent charging both significantly reduce lifetime.
Jimbo
The guy in the Video, REALLY needs to TAKE a Breath ...
If he'd Slow down, you could figure out What he's testing and on what. :(
harshness
If he'd Slow down, you could figure out What he's testing and on what.
You can't view his videos passively.

I appreciate this approach to videos that take an hour to deliver a fraction of the same data.

Now, if YouTube were required to flag the AI "reviews", that would really be something.
dishstaller
You're probably doing something wrong if you're only getting a year out of an AGM battery. Heat and infrequent charging both significantly reduce lifetime.
Huh? How can I be doing something wrong.....I took out the original battery, that was 6 yrs old and put in a new one.....kinda hard to screw that up. I figure it was just a bad battery....it happens.


The biggest takeaway I got from this video was the Walmart batteries only had something like 85% of battery life left even though they were brand NEW. The ones from O'Reilly all tested 100% of life left.
Jimbo
Huh? How can I be doing something wrong.....I took out the original battery, that was 6 yrs old and put in a new one.....kinda hard to screw that up. I figure it was just a bad battery....it happens.


The biggest takeaway I got from this video was the Walmart batteries only had something like 85% of battery life left even though they were brand NEW. The ones from O'Reilly all tested 100% of life left.
And the Walmart ones mostly had very little warranty.

My last AGM (using now) I got from O Rielly's, its the Super Start ... I got the Platnium, they had several to choose from.
TRG
TRG
Huh? How can I be doing something wrong.....I took out the original battery, that was 6 yrs old and put in a new one.....kinda hard to screw that up. I figure it was just a bad battery....it happens.


The biggest takeaway I got from this video was the Walmart batteries only had something like 85% of battery life left even though they were brand NEW. The ones from O'Reilly all tested 100% of life left.
I've been buying my batteries from AutoZone. I avoid Walmart whenever possible.
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dishstaller
I appreciate this approach to videos that take an hour to deliver a fraction of the same data.
That's the way I feel about it.
I hate those videos where they show themselves slowly opening up the box and unwrapping it.
His videos are probably the fastest pace test videos on Youtube.
T
He sounds like he's trying to sell me a pocket hose.

I just had to replace a car battery this week and thought I'd look into LiFePo4. Amazon has plenty of them, but all have top posts and only one 'also' has side connections (Group 75).Then I read that they're really lousy in the cold. So, an AGM, but again, almost nothing with side terminals instead of top. In researching that, I read that most mfrs in recent years have dropped side terminals and gone back to the old top posts, which is surprising to me since those are more corrosion-prone, cause the battery to need more space and are generally more hazardous. Finally I just threw up my hands and bought a regular lead-acid at Sam's Club. They had a Group 75 "Duracell" with side terminals only. It was virtually the only such battery with side posts on their shelves
arlo
Had a Die Hard in my folks cellar for over 6 years. Pulled it out, slapped it on a charger for a day. Put it in my 'Cuda and drove it around for a week of my vacation. Next year, the same. But my dad kept it topped off for me.It was a mid 80's battery in early 1990.

Flooded acid batteries like a float voltage of around 13.5-13.8 voltage.
AGM needs a float of 14.2 volts. So if you slap an AGM in where a flooded was. It never gets a full charge.
"Why do they die so fast?" Question answered. There are folks who sell voltage regulators for alternators that are designed to boost float voltage for AGM batteries.
The other way around? Flooded will gas-off a little at 14.2 volts. But seems to tolerate it pretty good.

Lithium car/bike/atv batteries. After 3 batteries in my Harley. The OEM flooded and two AGM's (before the 14.2 volt float requirement to let them live was learned). I bought a lithium for it. 4 year, no gripe warranty after having it tested by an approved store.
The thing started like Thor himself sent a bolt from the sky. Except......try to start it around freezing? Nope. Needed a heating pad.
And I usually like to park it around events in the evening with the parking light on. Looks cool like that.
We could traipse around for a few hours no worries. Hop on, fire it up, and go putt around.
Lithium? A Dakota Lithium at least. The BMS shuts it right down if it discharges below <something>.
Come back. Parking lights off. Won't start. And you know the rest. But it lasted 6 years. A lot better than 'new every two'. And the fact that powersports batteries are warranted for six, maybe nine months. Ludicrous.

I called Noco. Asked all of the right questions. Great warranty. Save some bucks ordering directly, faster service that the wally world alternative.
They addressed (or claimed over the phone) that the shut down was addressed. Sure. The BMS keeps it form being damaged. But if it is shut down because it does become low. Shut down any load (key on, parking or headlights left on) for 10-15 minutes and you get a second try to start your rig. Not a bad thing if it really works. Right?!

Exide, Interstate? Be very afraid. They ain't what they used to be. In Florida my '70 Cutlass had an Interstate (early 90') that lasted 6 years until it dropped its plates at an intersection and boiled over. In Florida, mind you. The last Interstate.....done in 2. Guys down there would suck out the acid and put water in shortly before the warranty ran out. Make it to the auto parts, get them tested. And get a new one pro rated. No more pro rating.
You can't beat an Odyssey. Napa, AC Deco (the better ones). Yup.
The mom and pop Car Quest only sells Die Hard. For a reason, the old man says. So they convinced that a Die HArd Platinum was the hot ticket for me. l will see. Stand by!

You can't cut Mr. Project Farm down. He does great tests of all sorts of things. Not sponsored and pressured to slap a little sugar on his comparisons and reviews. Compared to the Brits and Aussies with their constant overzealous and same sounding (Dave from EEVblog) rant. I like P-Farm a lot. Of course I like AvE (Boltr) too.
Reminds me to beware when wearing shorts around the garage vice.


Opinions may vary.
TRG
TRG
Pub Member / Supporter
· posted in The Chit Chat Club
I collect and play vinyl records regularly. A friend of mine told me about a record stash located inside an antique mall. So naturally I had to go go check it out.

records.webp
0 Replies · 22 views
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Van
Van
Last reply · posted in What's Cooking?
Who says dinner or lunch has to be the only good meals of the day?

Honey butter grits with scrambled eggs and grilled boneless pork ribs on flakey biscuits washed down with cranberry juice.
6632 Replies · 379973 views
dfergie
Speaking of waffles, I'm going to put my mini waffle iron on stove so I'll remember to make waffles in the morning... Had some last week, been awhile.
dfergie
Dos cackleberrys over easy on top of 2 corned beef hash patties fried in skillet... Chocolate milk.
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TRG
TRG
Cold morning today, only 32 degrees. Fired up the oven and made cinnamon rolls (from a tube) and a pot of coffee.
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TRG
TRG
2 egg burrito with bacon and a side of hashbrowns. Coffee.

1645.webp
TRG
TRG
Breakfast Quesadillas. Grilled flour tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, hash browns, chopped green chile, cheddar & Jack cheese and bacon. Coffee.

q.webp