Is Ku Band the future for FTA?

[rjc3895]

Chark Harder mentions on his "For The People" website that

"We are at the beginning edge of a new technological revolution. It’s called, “Free To Air” DVB Television. It won’t be long and there will be little dishes on the roof of every home and looking out the window or on the deck of condo’s and apartments. At the present time the entire system to pick up this new revolution only costs $200.00."

Is Chuck right?

I know that C-Band has more programming, but Chuck seems to believe that we will start seeing more and more Ku Band. Is it possible that some of those channels on C-Band will move to Ku? Should I look to find an old BUD that somebody is willing to part with (although I really don't have a good spot for one)?

I'm interested to see what others think about this. I thought this thread could eveolve into a good FTA discussion

 

[ken2400]

Yes and No. Not enought chans on one Sat for the average Joe. It might if two sats were close enought? Don't forget this is not a pay monthly thing like cell phones and DTV/Dish Network so there is no big add campain pushing it.

Chark Harder mentions on his "For The People" website that

"We are at the beginning edge of a new technological revolution. It’s called, “Free To Air” DVB Television. It won’t be long and there will be little dishes on the roof of every home and looking out the window or on the deck of condo’s and apartments. At the present time the entire system to pick up this new revolution only costs $200.00."

Is Chuck right?

I know that C-Band has more programming, but Chuck seems to believe that we will start seeing more and more Ku Band. Is it possible that some of those channels on C-Band will move to Ku? Should I look to find an old BUD that somebody is willing to part with (although I really don't have a good spot for one)?

I'm interested to see what others think about this. I thought this thread could eveolve into a good FTA discussion

 

[carload]

The C-band dish itself is impractical for a high percentage (a majority?) of US households. Even where it can be installed, it's a very high upfront cost, especially including a 4DTV receiver.

On the other hand, Ku-band dishes can go almost anywhere, thanks to the FCC under-a-meter rules. I set up my own Ku-band system for less than $200. For a lot of interesting free programming, the price is right.

Will C-band channels move to Ku? Maybe eventually, but slowly. In most cases, the intended audience for FTA C-band already has a C-band dish installed.

Acquire an old BUD without a place to put it? Whaddaya gonna do, store it in your closet?

 

[carload]

Not enought chans on one Sat for the average Joe.

I don't know. I think there's enough on G10R to justify a one-time $200 setup. If I really wanted particular foreign content, IA5 has a whole lot of channels. And for an extra $100 or so, I could hook up a HTH motor and get all those birds with one or two good channels.

Anyway, I don't think FTA is about the average Joe. You'll never find ESPN or Cartoon Network. The receiver will never be as friendly as Dish Network or cable. Beloved channels will suddenly vanish or move. But for hobbyists or folks with a particular mindset, the price is right.

 

[PSB]

I see FTA KU band satellite just getting bigger and bigger, just as it has become in the UK and Europe where even the BIG players (BSKYB...BBC.....) have a FTA service! Everyday on my travels I see more and more KU dish on peoples homes, I agree that it will never compete with pay satellite and cable service but for many people a motorized FTA KU system and a digital off air antenna is all the TV and radio they need to stay entertained. I think its worth it just for the digital network channels alone, not to mention the feeds and international channels.........

 

[mkm4]

Will C-band channels move to Ku? Maybe eventually, but slowly. In most cases, the intended audience for FTA C-band already has a C-band dish installed.

There is no reason for them to move. The c-band satellites aren't going anywhere. There probably wouldn't be any cost savings on the transmitters side either, unless they are switching from an analog signal to a digital signal.

 

[iXneonXi]

heck, some are moving back to c because its cheaper. Oh and espn does show unscambled fta. but who needs espn when you can get tons of college games on weekends? If i were to start i'd get somebody's old dual band (6-7 footer) and use both. Just incase a favorite channels moves b/t bands i'd still be able to get it. (i'd still pay for my local cable because like said before, you aren't going to get the same channels) Ku seems really nice for a person who travels the country in a mobile home and doesn't want to pay a satellite television provider. (heck right now who would when gas is so high)

 

[Diamond Jim]

[QUOTE Oh and espn does show unscambled fta.[/QUOTE]


Where is the location of the ESPN unscrambled FTA feed?

 

[iXneonXi]

well i don't know if i should post it here but i'm looking for it i know i saw it. it was only one channel though i'll see if i can find the site that said it.

*google espn feed fta.
http://www.dbstalk.com/archive/index.php/t-32012.html <there's one with a topic about espn on some other forum. Not all stuff espn broadcasts is encrypted but a good deal is. The ones that aren't u can watch.

 

[tdti1]

I know that C-Band has more programming, but Chuck seems to believe that we will start seeing more and more Ku Band. Is it possible that some of those channels on C-Band will move to Ku? Should I look to find an old BUD that somebody is willing to part with (although I really don't have a good spot for one)?

Find a spot with a big dish and a c/ku feed setup you have it all. I would get no dish under 8.5ft though. And C-band will always be used by the big time companys like hbo and all. New c-band satellites go up all the time. Here is what you can get with a big dish. http://www.lyngsat.com/america.html in the usa/canada if you add a 4d here are some channels you can get at a much lower cost and higher quality than dish or dtv plus many wild feeds and free programming. http://www.4dtv.com/Xcel/xcel.htm

 

[truckracer]

future of ku band

I see KU band as being very bright. However I have to say that a lot of free to air channels are not really meant for the household viewer. Some are some not. Much of what we see on c-band and KU band is just simply not scrambled. Not scrambled because stations with lower budgets won't or can't afford to spend the extra $$$$$ on encryption enabled mpeg-2 encoders. The straight up dvb mpeg-2 are a lot cheaper. Satellite transponder rental is already astronomical in price per hour. Rates vary between 1200.00 and 2000.00 dollars per hour depending on the bandwidth purchased. The more satellites that fail, the more shortage is generated utilizing the old supply and demand situation. Satellite utilization is at an all time high and is still proving more cost effective than a lot of terrestrial networks.

C-band will never go away. Simply put - overcrowded microwave bands, we need all of the frequencies and bands we can get as it is. Billions of dollars already invested in c-band infrastructure of major networks. KU is catching the overflow and soon after that KA band will pick up the slack. A few new birds already have KA band payloads. One day you may watch free to air channels on a 10 inch dish with KA band.

While I love C-band (the pioneer of TVRO) or DTH programming it is a legend in american entertainment technology. I remember being about 12 years old and seeing all those big "west virginia wildflowers" sprouting up in people's yard. That big round beheamoth pointed at the moon that could bring in so many tv channels that when you were surfing you could not even remember where the good ones were. Even the days before the Cable Act of 1984 when HBO and premium channels were in the clear. Believe it or not it was all in the clear. If you had a dish you could pick it up.

When I got my sg-2100 dish motor when I flipped to another channel on a different satellite it brought back memories waiting for the dish to position its self on the next bird. My friends used to come over that had (plain old cable tv) and say "wow- they can pick up everything". So c-band will always bring fond memories to me and I hope it never goes away, I don't think it ever will unless Big Brother allocates its usage to some other purpose and enough bandwidth can be squeezed out of the upper K bands.

 

[carload]

It's true that most FTA content is not designed for the hobbyist viewer. (Exceptions include religious content and foreign-subsidized foreign language.) But most broadcasters have no reason to care whether hobbyists pick it up.

IMHO, one of the best part of FTA right now is the wealth of broadcast stations. These folks almost certainly don't care if an extra few hundred viewers tune in to watch Bell & Howell Alarm System ads; their business model is (almost?) all advertising-based.

The problem that might come is when other parties start caring. Recall the reason why C band channels became scrambled -- not because ESPN wanted it scrambled but because huge cable operators demanded it. My guess is that program syndicators and sports leagues would be the ones to force more Ku-band scrambling, if anyone ever does.

 

[iXneonXi]

Hrm, (new word) KA band... 10 inch dish. Gyroscope. Tons of channels in a mobile home while on the road. Neat idea.

 

[PipeDream]

Over a year ago it was Chuck Harder's mailing that introduced me to FTA. I consider Chuck a smart man. After thinking about it awhile I got a Fortec Lifetime. And later, I just had to have an Ultra. Here in the N.E. Ozarks we are in the fringe area of any TV reception. St. Louis channels are not dependable, always snowy...if we can get them at all. I really like my FTA system: 30" dish, Lifetime & Ultra, and SG2100 motor. The People's Network and classic movies alone make it worth it to me. But there is much more!

Why do the networks broadcast to rooftop antennas? Don't people who view FTA drink Coca Cola? Drive Ford pickups? Use VISA? If enough people buy systems, why couldn't advertising be the driving engine for KU Band? Instead of a local reach, they would have a worldly reach. People spend $200 for a good rooftop antenna, add an amplifier or motor to turn it...then FTA cost is a viable option.

People in my area never heard of FTA. At the local Rat Shack the guy tried to sell me DN TV. I told him I had FTA.

"What's That?" he inquired.

After giving him some info he said that sounded good and he had to look into it.

Thinking about it awhile, yesterday I decided to write a little "Introductory" article for our local Bread & Butter paper:

Free-To-Air Satellite Systems


by John Boy -f3



Free-To-Air (FTA) satellite systems are great for receiving some free TV stations in fringe reception areas like ours here in the xxxxxxx area. I’ve had mine for about a year now and like it a lot.

If you have internet access, www.lyngsat.com/america.html maintains a list of the satellites and what can be found on them, encrypted or unencrypted. Most are foreign languages but some are english.

On satellite IA6 there are a few free channels of interest: Fox News Channel, ABC News Now, South Asia World, and perhaps Dr. Gene Scott on the University Channel. Satellite AMC4 has The Peoples Network (Which airs a lot of old classic movies, some quite good), KUIL (A Fox Channel from Beaumont, Texas), and KVGN (NBC from the Virgin Islands). AMC3 has some PBS channels. G10 has a good mixture of Fox, UPN, ABC, and WB channels. And there seems to be an abundance of spiritual programming.

The thing is, channels may come and go. Since they are free, there is no guarrantee. But if any of the channels above are of interest to you it might be worth looking into. A good FTA receiver with a 30” dish and LNB can be had for around $200. Add a motor for another $100 and you are set to scan the skies from your sofa. Just make sure the receiver has a “Menu”, a “Blind or Power Scan” feature, and USALS compatibility.

Since these receivers, as of yet, are not available retail here: w w w.sadoun.com is a dealer and also has a help forum offering instructions to help get you set up. Who knows, if these receivers catch on maybe more networks will think about broadcasting on KU-Band.

 

[iXneonXi]

LOL. I wrote pretty much the same sheet for my mom.

 

[PSB]

Hey Pipedream WE have a forum here at SatelliteGuys.US for FTA MPEG-2 and we help people get set up.............you forgot to mention us!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : )

 

[iXneonXi]

Still dreaming about a gyroscopic dish 10in receiving free nationwide ka band stuff. Imagine if tons of channels moved to that.

 

[ken2400]

I would like to start messing around with the KA band. Where can I get LNBF and receivers to start working it?

Thanks
Ken

I see KU band as being very bright. However I have to say that a lot of free to air channels are not really meant for the household viewer. Some are some not. Much of what we see on c-band and KU band is just simply not scrambled. Not scrambled because stations with lower budgets won't or can't afford to spend the extra $$$$$ on encryption enabled mpeg-2 encoders. The straight up dvb mpeg-2 are a lot cheaper. Satellite transponder rental is already astronomical in price per hour. Rates vary between 1200.00 and 2000.00 dollars per hour depending on the bandwidth purchased. The more satellites that fail, the more shortage is generated utilizing the old supply and demand situation. Satellite utilization is at an all time high and is still proving more cost effective than a lot of terrestrial networks.

C-band will never go away. Simply put - overcrowded microwave bands, we need all of the frequencies and bands we can get as it is. Billions of dollars already invested in c-band infrastructure of major networks. KU is catching the overflow and soon after that KA band will pick up the slack. A few new birds already have KA band payloads. One day you may watch free to air channels on a 10 inch dish with KA band.

While I love C-band (the pioneer of TVRO) or DTH programming it is a legend in american entertainment technology. I remember being about 12 years old and seeing all those big "west virginia wildflowers" sprouting up in people's yard. That big round beheamoth pointed at the moon that could bring in so many tv channels that when you were surfing you could not even remember where the good ones were. Even the days before the Cable Act of 1984 when HBO and premium channels were in the clear. Believe it or not it was all in the clear. If you had a dish you could pick it up.

When I got my sg-2100 dish motor when I flipped to another channel on a different satellite it brought back memories waiting for the dish to position its self on the next bird. My friends used to come over that had (plain old cable tv) and say "wow- they can pick up everything". So c-band will always bring fond memories to me and I hope it never goes away, I don't think it ever will unless Big Brother allocates its usage to some other purpose and enough bandwidth can be squeezed out of the upper K bands.

 

[iXneonXi]

Get a gyroscopic dish so it is always pointing perfect south. Mount it on ur care and put an 8 inch tv inside. FTA on the go
Just dreamin.

 

[mkm4]

I would like to start messing around with the KA band. Where can I get LNBF and receivers to start working it?

Thanks
Ken

A normal receiver sould work. The LNB cost about $295 a piece. There are three kinds. You'll probably need all three and there isn't anything to get yet.
You can get them here if you want.

Are you sure that you just want to mess around?