C-Band Dead?

[dazzling]

I don't get the FTA stuff, I have paid for subscription services for the past few years (several members were very helpful when I set up my dish again). Last night, just after 7:00 EDT, my TV went blank and I got the message that a subscription was needed for this service.

Today I called my provider (who had charged my cc for 3 mos. of service when I had requested 1) and got a recorded message stating that "Effective immediately, XXX Company is permanently closed and can no longer offer service. Your television will be shut off shortly."

I have sent a letter to my cc company for a refund of the charge. In the meantime, I called another provider (Skyvision Satellite) and was told that as of the "end of the year", 4DTV will be gone. He didn't seem to have an answer for what I could get to replace what I will be losing. (I have no access to cable (not that I'd want it) and, since I'm in Canada, I don't want the small dish services since I can't get the programming I want.)

Anyone have a suggestion? It saddens me to think that my 6 mo. old 58" plasma TV is sitting here blank and may be so in the future.

 

[mr3p]

I don't want the small dish services since I can't get the programming I want.

Anyone have a suggestion? It saddens me to think that my 6 mo. old 58" plasma TV is sitting here blank and may be so in the future.

Before anyone can give you a meaningful suggestion, can provide some idea of what sort of programming you want? What channels are you looking for or did you have?

 

[dazzling]

Spike had already been removed, but we miss that one quite a lot. SyFy is a must, BBC America, NatGeo, Chiller, Sleuth, Comedy Central, DIY and TVLand are the ones I can give you off the top of my head. (My husband would have a much longer list, but he's not here just now.)

We don't watch any sports, so we don't subscribe to those or any movie channels.

Thanks!

 

[Hermitman]

Respectfully, I would like to know what the "XXX" company is? If they're out of business, it would nice to know who not to call for programming. Good luck.

 

[dazzling]

I wasn't sure if it was okay to post a company name or not.

It is Satellite Communication Source from Waterloo, Ontario.

 

[jaray]

dazzling, right now, if you don't want to sub to Canadian DBS programming, the only stable platform with a relatively known future (take that one lightly) is the DSR-410 programming from Skyvision which only works on that specific receiver AT THIS TIME.
There is lots of talk about the 4DTV continuing on in the new year in a different capacity which is still being worked out. But again, if you look at the amount of talk about it here, its clear that there is no definite plan as to how it will come about.

Others here might be able to put it in better words than me.

Of course there is always the true FTA stuff, but for every day general television viewing habits it just doesn't cut it as a single source for many people. We just don't have it good enough here in Canada in that we can put up a good OTA antenna and receive quite a bit of descent programming, and HD to boot!

 

[navychop]

When the dust settles after the new year begins, I suspect many FTA & C-band types -and I know I'll be roundly castigated for posting this- will have to start looking at pizza dishes, depending upon what programming they consider essential.

Maybe 4DTV will be around in some form, and maybe it won't require too much customer modification of their equipment. But a shrinking market is a shrinking market. Sometimes a small market has the advantage of being under the radar and not worth being crushed. Sometimes it means it's not worth serving.

There's lot's to read on this in the various forums under FTA. Motorola is unloved, as is Mr. Ergen and NPS. You might find a few minutes reading to be quite illuminating.

 

[dazzling]

Thanks for the input. About 75% of what I watch can be found online. It's the other 25% that I will miss. Looks like I have some reading to do.

As far as pizza dishes go, I actually had one for several years before it was decided that it was no longer "gray" and I took it down. I still have the system, so maybe I'll give that a go if what seems to be expected with 4DTV happens.

 

[dazzling]

Oh, and I really have to say that I was not impressed with the way Satellite Communication Source signed me up for 3 mos. (when I expressly stated 1 mo.) and then "went dark" 10 days later. I'm sure they must have known it was coming.

 

[chapelrun]

Another option

Where is you C-Band dish pointed? - - - and is it on a motor?

Many feeds and True FTA are still up on C-Band - - - in fact I am in the process of setting up a 10 footer just to get feeds, S2 stuff and FTA.

C-Band is definitely not dead and reports of its death are greatly exaggerated!!

May want to look at "The List" to see just some of what is available for both C-Band and KU band.

SatelliteGuys.US_TheList - TheList

 

[gmd63]

The way I read it 4DTV (920 & 922 receivers) May very well be in use after New Years. At least programming that you can get with these receivers. Tests with them has been going well.

See earlier post by tvropro:

YES! 4DTV on W5 almost certain
This was posted at Sat forums concerning the W5 use of our 4DTV's. This reply is from Del Jose head man at Skyvision.

Thank you for contacting Skyvision. Yes - it will work with the 920
and the 922. We have successfully been able to receive the guide and
programming on both of these. We still have some bugs to work out but the
fix is there. Once we finalize all the issues, we will be sending out
emails on the details. Keep in touch. Thanks.

Del Jose

satelliteguys link posts:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/4dtv-discussion/221283-yes-4dtv-w5-almost-certain.html

 

[Auric]

Call your credit card company & have them take that charge off . It's illegal to charge you for a service & not provide.

I had an on going battle with a high speed satellite internet provider, for 3 months. Every month they promised to take the charge off. They gave me a new case number every month, & recharged my card every month.

I made one call to my credit card company & the problem was solved. I was a happy camper again

 

[tvropro]

The way I read it 4DTV (920 & 922 receivers) May very well be in use after New Years. At least programming that you can get with these receivers. Tests with them has been going well.

See earlier post by tvropro:

YES! 4DTV on W5 almost certain
This was posted at Sat forums concerning the W5 use of our 4DTV's. This reply is from Del Jose head man at Skyvision.

Thank you for contacting Skyvision. Yes - it will work with the 920
and the 922. We have successfully been able to receive the guide and
programming on both of these. We still have some bugs to work out but the
fix is there. Once we finalize all the issues, we will be sending out
emails on the details. Keep in touch. Thanks.

Del Jose

satelliteguys link posts:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/4dtv-discussion/221283-yes-4dtv-w5-almost-certain.html

Yes the use of the 4DTV will be around for programming on W5 in 2011. So if you like W5's offerings, you will have to reset your receiver (master clear) to take the Comcast data stream (EMM) once the current one shuts down at years end. Once done it will receive W5's programming like a DSR-410.

At this point we don't know if they will be able to add the current generic and certain other satellite maps. These issues will have answers by commencement date I'm sure. First week of January will prove interesting for 4DTV-ers.

 

[Corrado]

Unfortunately the holidays fall on the weekend this year to complicate matters. Unless they iron out the details beforehand, Monday January 3 2011 will no doubt be a busy day for Tim at SRL.

 

[tvropro]

What will probably happen is Motorola won't shut off the current data stream till at least Monday the 3rd. Then Skyvision, SRL and Comcast's ACC will get their final rollout going to allow the 922's and 920's to swap EMM providers. We probably will not be able to subscribe with using the new EMM for a few days at least.

 

[Lone Cloud]

If recent observations continue, pizza diish won't last. With the widespread installation of fiber optics, it's hard to see how any satellite provider, True FTA or subscription, can survive.

Remember, to put a satellite into service, it has to be designed and fabricated. It has to be launched on a rocket and placed in an exacting orbit in the Clarke Belt. It has to be maintained in that orbit and it has a lifespan which means it needs to be regularly replaced.

Compare that to creating a tv website and then broadcasting over an existing fiber optic network. The internet/fiber optic system costs peanuts to start, in sharp contrast to the tens of millions it probably costs to be a satellite provider.

I think satellite continues in some form.. If I were the government for example, I would want to be able to reach the nation by alternate methods. But if the government does not intervene I don't see how the satellite model thrives.

 

[jaray]

tvropro, you mentioned "current generic and certain other satellite maps".
What are generic maps?
Do you just mean sat location info so these 4DTV receivers will still be able to be used for dish movers in addition to W5 programming?

Yes the use of the 4DTV will be around for programming on W5 in 2011. So if you like W5's offerings, you will have to reset your receiver (master clear) to take the Comcast data stream (EMM) once the current one shuts down at years end. Once done it will receive W5's programming like a DSR-410.

At this point we don't know if they will be able to add the current generic and certain other satellite maps. These issues will have answers by commencement date I'm sure. First week of January will prove interesting for 4DTV-ers.

 

[whatchel1]

If recent observations continue, pizza diish won't last. With the widespread installation of fiber optics, it's hard to see how any satellite provider, True FTA or subscription, can survive.

Remember, to put a satellite into service, it has to be designed and fabricated. It has to be launched on a rocket and placed in an exacting orbit in the Clarke Belt. It has to be maintained in that orbit and it has a lifespan which means it needs to be regularly replaced.

Compare that to creating a tv website and then broadcasting over an existing fiber optic network. The internet/fiber optic system costs peanuts to start, in sharp contrast to the tens of millions it probably costs to be a satellite provider.

I think satellite continues in some form.. If I were the government for example, I would want to be able to reach the nation by alternate methods. But if the government does not intervene I don't see how the satellite model thrives.

Fiber isn't going to take over nearly as fast as many try to make people think. It will take a long time to cover all of N. A. In fact the roll out has slowed down a lot. Also it will take many years for rural areas to get fiber as not enough people per square mile same a cable doesn't cover those areas either.

 

[tvropro]

tvropro, you mentioned "current generic and certain other satellite maps".
What are generic maps?
Do you just mean sat location info so these 4DTV receivers will still be able to be used for dish movers in addition to W5 programming?

Generic maps are the ones like CA.CF,CG,CE. They are used to get channels that are not mapped into the 4DTV by Motorola. They can be lots of fun when master cable feeds go ITC. From what I have heard so far is unless Sky/SRL can get Comcast to add these when we will need to do a master reset to get on Comcasts EMM for W5 next year they will be lost. If thats the case I won't do a master reset or sub to W5's Comcast EMM. I really hope Mike Kohl requests this to happen and be included. Otherwise I think some feed searchers (like me) will probably not participate in the new setup. I for sure want my Generic Maps They hold more water than subscription programming, especially now that I have DirecTv. I really don't need W5 for my cable fix anymore.

 

[ronhof]

Is there a post somewhere in this site where this mapping of a 4DTV receiver is explained? If so, would someone please 'splain how to get there? I hate to ask a question that has probably been answered to death already.

Seems that we've already lost most of what we subscribed to through NPS, so I'm looking at a little crummy replacement to my wonderful BUD. NPS is pushing Dish Network hard, and while they look to me to suit my needs better than Direct TV, I don't want to subscribe through NPS, as they were/are a pain to deal with, with me. Any suggestions along that train of thought?