Do My parents have FTA?

[equium]

My elderly parents asked for my help and I came here for advice. Their lives pretty much revolve around watching TV (they're in their 80's and not very mobile). They only watch OTA Spanish/Mexican and Satellite Portuguese TV through a STB. My question is about their Satellite setup. they had it done by a local person so I don't know much about it. They are worried about the upcomming digital conversion of the OTA broadcasts.
Here is what they have:
Toshiba television connected to rooftop antenna for OTA reception
Topfield TF4000fi Satellite receiver (connected to the TV's rear video input)

From what they showed me, they press the video button on their remote to switch to the TV's rear video input which will connect them to the Topfiield STB. They NEVER change the channel on the STB. (They didn't know that they could). I changed the channels on the STB and there were only 8 channels programmed along with their Portuguese channel that they only watch. They have already purchased an analog to DTV converter, but I don't think they need it.

My questions:
Can I program the STB to receive the local spanish broadcasts they normally watch OTA? If so, would it be in their time zone (PST)?
I need to make this transition as easy for them as possible. Like I said, they are not that mobile and don't have much other than TV and family visits.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for reading
--Danny

 

[pro96]

Can I program the STB to receive the local spanish broadcasts they normally watch OTA? If so, would it be in their time zone (PST)?

What exactly do you mean by "can I program" ?

What service provides that Portuguese channel that they are currently receiving?

 

[Wescopc]

Can you tell us about what size the dish is ie is it 18" or more like 30-36". On the Topfield remote is there a button labeled "info" or something like that? If so press it when you are viewing a program - and tell us what it says. We are here to help, but first we need a little more information.
Bob

 

[equium]

Thanks Pro96 and Wescopc. I don't know what service provides the portuguese channel. What I meant by "can I program"? I think what i'm trying to say is "can I add channels (services).

My mother pointed out the dish on their roof and it was 30-36 inch size range.

Sorry for not having that much info. My parents live 2 hours away from me. My mother waited until I was leaving from a visit yesterday to drop this bomb on me. lol. I will be giving this my full attention on my next visit.
Unfortunatly, they don't have the remote to the STB. My mother told me the local installer did not leave it with them to avoid confusion. I gather he's a local, portuguese installer that caters to the portuguese community. I can appreciate his thought about taking the remote with him, but now I'll have to get it from him.
Thanks for the help. I'm going to keep researching. I've been living with cable so I'm not familiar with DVB. I plan on spending a day at my folks to get them set up. I'm trying to avoid installing the digital converter box they have if they don't need it. I have to keep this as simple as possible.
again, thanks for the help.

 

[Inno]

Well first and foremost you will not have to alter the Topfield receiver when the switchover happens, it's already set up and is already digital.
With the digital to analog box you will be able to connect to the OTA antenna and pick up what ever is available in their area.
TV Fool is a good site which will tell you what is available based on their location. Punch in their zip code and it will come up with a list for you. Having said that, it WILL be a little more complicated to operate as you will need to use the remote from the converter box to switch the OTA channels but it will get them whatever local channels are available in digital after the switch.

edit: I looked up that Topfield receiver and came to the conclusion that it's not just a basic receiver. Dual inputs and PVR functions are available........it probably cost them more than a more basic model would have. Although if they pay a monthly fee for their Portuguese programming maybe it is necessary.

 

[jayelem]

Chances are that they're watching RTPI on AMC 4 or even TV Cancao Nova on Galaxy 19, we had an RTPI Fan on the forum .... Where are you ?

Well any ways as stated by Inno above me you're ok ..... and the converter box will still help them with the spanish channels available OTA in

 

[avg1joe]

Once you identify what they have been watching, you might look at what they could be watching and how to get it. The first step is getting the remote to fully use the receiver.

Check the below site to see which satellites have Spanish or Portuguese channels. See if you can match this with the channel they are currently watching. Then check to see what other channels they might like to watch and setup the system so they can with the remote.

FTAList.com - Lists by Language

 

[equium]

Inno: They don't pay a monthly fee for any service, which leads me to believe that what they're watching through the STB is FTA.

Jayelem: I didn't pay close attention to what they were watching. My mother asked me to look at her setup after I loaded up my kids in the van so I was pushed for time.lol. I'll get over there soon and check things out. They live in Manteca, CA.

avg1joe: Thanks for the idea of looking for other channels (services). As soon as I get a remote, i'll be able to play with it. Thanks for the link to the lists by language.

I found out the guy that installed their system is based about 2 hours from their place, so I may have to order a replacement remote before I get started. I'll keep ya'll posted as to my findings

I just wanted to add that I appreciate the kind responses and assistance from this forum.

 

[MikeinBaja]

Inno: They don't pay a monthly fee for any service, which leads me to believe that what they're watching through the STB is FTA.

Jayelem: I didn't pay close attention to what they were watching. My mother asked me to look at her setup after I loaded up my kids in the van so I was pushed for time.lol. I'll get over there soon and check things out. They live in Manteca, CA.

avg1joe: Thanks for the idea of looking for other channels (services). As soon as I get a remote, i'll be able to play with it. Thanks for the link to the lists by language.

I found out the guy that installed their system is based about 2 hours from their place, so I may have to order a replacement remote before I get started. I'll keep ya'll posted as to my findings

I just wanted to add that I appreciate the kind responses and assistance from this forum.

You may want to call and talk with the guy who installed the system before you do anything. If nothing else, he should be able to give you the skinney on what they have now and the potential impact from conversion (if any). Might save you some chasing around if it turns out they are not affected.

Just an idea.