Help keep C band subscription alive

[tvropro]

All those currently subscribing to the 4dtv through NPS (or even SRL) lets let them know we want them to try harder to get us the master feed's, new receiver and such. I was speaking with NPS today and the CSR said that we can send suggestions and comments to the CEO Mike Mountford direct at: mmountford@allamericandirect.com

I think we should give him encouragement and support with suggestions on how to make c band better for us. So lets do our part and let him know were here and want him to make things better. Maybe if he see's enough support it will motivate him to get going.

Only send him positive e-mails not any kind of bs. Lets let him know we at satellite guys are behind him and making it better for the subscribers.

 

[kb2kir]

I reluctantly canceled my SRL sub last night after 4 months. I set up a system that is part FTA for the PR nets and 4DTV for the other channels.
The wife could not go without FX, and I was forced back to the pizza pan
(Oh the humanity).
When I was on the phone, I said that if they made some of the premium channels available
they would have my and others support. I will also send an e-mail to Mike.
Joe

 

[oldford]

I'd be much more interested in 4DTV if the STB was newer. I've looked at the programming and it appears to fill my needs, but I'm nervous about the apparent old tech in the box.

Regards, E

 

[ikki]

Here is a different thought on the matter. If Motorola refuses to play well with others maybe an investment in another type of encryption system with a company willing to manage the end user subscriber accounts.

Take G3 for example, if he is already paying to reuplink them whats it going to hurt to switch to a different type of encryption like Irdeto.

Other options exist.

 

[tvropro]

Here is a different thought on the matter. If Motorola refuses to play well with others maybe an investment in another type of encryption system with a company willing to manage the end user subscriber accounts.

Take G3 for example, if he is already paying to reuplink them whats it going to hurt to switch to a different type of encryption like Irdeto.

Other options exist.

I agree, they could use a receiver already made that takes a CA card. If they used Mpeg 4 they could do wonders with the bandwidth available on even 2 transponders. I suggest you e-mail Mike with your suggestion.

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

After I change the 922 battery I'll sub if I don't mess up the 922. I thought that I already changed it but it must have been the VC+ module that I did the mod on. Waiting on a battery to show up to do the 922 mod.

 

[Anole]

we ARE talking C-band:

As an outsider, I keep a finger lightly on the pulse of 4D, and here are the best ideas I've seen! - :up
Perhaps you could do something like was tried on Ku with the 410 receivers? (shame that didn't pan out)

I've never seen Motorola show any interest in being leader or advancing 4D.
I suppose if someone came along with lots of money, they could play nice (?).
So, Irdeto (anything but Nagravision) might be an attractive alternative.

If you want to present this as a viable alternative, you have to solve all the problems that will come up:
- how do you move a BUD with a STB? (maybe use just one bird? [99°w?] )
- how do you move the feedhorn servo on old BUDs? (maybe just go voltage controlled?)
- how do you get a guide? (most existing STBs have some such capability from their hack-incarnations)
- today, mpeg4 seems the way to go, possibly S2, . . . and receivers exist.
- blind scan not required! (cheaper)
- how many transponders would it take to carry all the proposed channels in HD? ('cause SD is dead; it just hasn't fallen down, yet!)
- by staying on C-band, you get weather reliability that doesn't exist on Ku nor on Ka bands.

I'm sure there are other considerations.
I suggest ya come up with a unified solution and present that!



great ideas:

Here is a different thought on the matter. If Motorola refuses to play well with others maybe an investment in another type of encryption system with a company willing to manage the end user subscriber accounts.

Take G3 for example, if he is already paying to reuplink them whats it going to hurt to switch to a different type of encryption like Irdeto.

Other options exist.

I agree, they could use a receiver already made that takes a CA card. If they used Mpeg 4 they could do wonders with the bandwidth available on even 2 transponders. I suggest you e-mail Mike with your suggestion.

 

[madmadworld]

i smell antitrust money

did NPS or any of the others take anyone to court over not dealing with them ?
if i was a lawyer i smell antitrust money.

 

[Corrado]

I thought the 410 idea 2 years ago was a spring board but lost appeal when HITS moved over to C band. The idea was a good alternative to other options out there at first but probably ran out of steam. Many were shocked it happened at all. Driven by a dwindling supply of other DCII capable receivers.

I even had my father setup while it was Ku for about 6 months. I wonder what it's current subscriber base count is after 2 years???

The down side was still the old recycled technology and 10 year old equipment. With C band many people just don't have the room for a big dish. Unlike the hobbyists that we are, most people just want to turn it on and not play with it.

Although, I hope someday we see a C band revival with new HD boxes and offerings. It really does come down to the $$ and things need to show a profit. Motorola manufactures boxes for Shaw that are generations newer than our aging 4DTV equipment. Voom was too early but the idea was so good Charlie Ergen took them out of the picture.

In any event, I'll run my obsolete 4DTV boxes until the last DCII signal leaves the air. I thought that about analog and that's still around here and there after all these years. BTW my VCII is still in just in case.

 

[tvropro]

I just found out from NPS that Mike is working on a petition for not only distant networks for Dish network and C band but also to get access to channels such as ESPN again. I hope this ain't hype because this could be a mildstone for C band if he pulls it off. Lets cross our fingers.

 

[madmadworld]

being nice

I just found out from NPS that Mike is working on a petition for not only distant networks for Dish network and C band but also to get access to channels such as ESPN again. I hope this ain't hype because this could be a mildstone for C band if he pulls it off. Lets cross our fingers.

that's nice
but so they never took them to court ?
them being time warner,turner and the like.
i ask here because you seem to be the one who knows the most about cband sub's.
being nice has seem to have gotten them to this point.

 

[tvropro]

I don't know all the details. This is what I was told by a NPS CSR that seems to know what is going on when I spoke with them on the phone. He gave me this website to go to, MyTVRights.com I didn't read it all in depth but anyone can go there and find out more.

 

[Newbie_McNoob]

that's nice
but so they never took them to court ?
them being time warner,turner and the like.
i ask here because you seem to be the one who knows the most about cband sub's.
being nice has seem to have gotten them to this point.

Turner seemed cooperative when it came to selling subscriptions to smaller programming providers.

I thought it was Disney/ESPN and Fox Sports that didn't want to be bothered with the little guy.

In any event, at least Cisco is coming out with a new consumer level MPEG-2/MPEG-4 HD receiver. It would be nice if NPS or another big dish provider could negotiate to resell subscriptions to the PowerVu master feeds. They don't even need to do any R&D into a new receiver because the receiver already exists.

 

[madmadworld]

Turner seemed cooperative when it came to selling subscriptions to smaller programming providers.

I thought it was Disney/ESPN and Fox Sports that didn't want to be bothered with the little guy.

In any event, at least Cisco is coming out with a new consumer level MPEG-2/MPEG-4 HD receiver. It would be nice if NPS or another big dish provider could negotiate to resell subscriptions to the PowerVu master feeds. They don't even need to do any R&D into a new receiver because the receiver already exists.

gotta link ?
their site looks like just cable boxes.

 

[Newbie_McNoob]

gotta link ?
their site looks like just cable boxes.

I need another post before I'm allowed to post URLs.

The receiver is the D9865
It does 4:2:0 MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 SD and HD
DVB-S QPSK and DVB-S2 QPSK/8PSK
FTA DVB and PowerVu decoding

Downsides are no blind scan, no 4:2:2, no polarizer or dish mover control, and no DisEqC or USALS support. So it would need to be slaved to another receiver.

Granted it might not be the box that saves C-Band, but it's a step in the right direction in that it can give us back some master feeds in HD. Unlike Motorola, who only wants to deal in commercial satellite receivers now.

 

[Newbie_McNoob]

Sorry for the double post. I couldn't post URLs until I had 3 posts.

MPEG-2/MPEG-4 Receivers/Decoders Data Sheets - Cisco Systems
Should be the second one on the list, the D9865 Satellite Receiver.

 

[Kb Cool]

Unlike Motorola, who only wants to deal in commercial satellite receivers now.

And cisco does?

 

[Newbie_McNoob]

And cisco does?

Looks like it. Their D9865 has connectors for home use like RCA jacks and HDMI.

While Motorola's new DSR-6000 has BNC and terminal jacks and is made to be housed in an equipment rack.