From another site.I don't like it but this looks genuine.
'Here is a C&P from Tony Dunnett in New Zealand. He understands and knows what it takes to start something like Free DBS. EB'
Quote:
"The A to Z of launching a multichannel satellite service.
1: With out a solid cornerstone funder or access to finance or credit line any talk of launching a Digital DTH satellite service is merely wishful thinking.
So we take it that Free DBS has enough funding to seriously consider launching its DTH service.
2: The first item on the list is satellite capacity the questions are:
A: How much capacity is required
Answer: This is dependent on how many channels and whether the service will be Mpeg 2 or Mpeg 4 and SD or HD.
B: This also depends on the transponder bandwidth. Some higher power DBS satellites payloads are 27 MHz, Some BSS are 36 MHz or even 54MHz.
If the transponder capacity is 27MHz the maximum symbol rate would be 22,500 M/s if the FEC is ¾ then the usable data for encoding will be approximately 31 M/bits with an IRD threshold of approximately 5.2dB.
If 36MHz then the maximum symbol rate would be 30,000 M/s if the FEC is again ¾ the usable data for encoding would be approx 42 M/bits with an IRD threshold of 5.2dB.
If 54MHz the norm is to split the transponders into two 27MHz half transponders and our encoding calculation for 27MHz applies. However there is normally a 3 to 4 Db reduction in EIRP due to two services sharing the transponder.
Given the above its time to calculate a link budget for the down link coverage area. Normal service availability for Optus over New Zealand is calculated as being 99.99% which will reduce the service availability by eight hours per year. Pan Am Sat published similar figures.
The next issue is which satellite will provide the most comprehensive and advantageous coverage over the continental US “Conus”What Capacity is on offer and what is the price per MHz per month. Given the fact that Free DBS claim to be launching with twenty channels. They would require two 27 MHz transponders each providing 31-34 M/bits of usable data. If 27 MHz and Mpeg2 DVBS was used each individual channel would be under 3 M bits if ten channels were allocated apart from the video encoding each channel would require a minimum of 128 Kbits for stereo or 286Kbits for high quality stereo.
At 36 MHz full transponder could realize 42 M /bits allowing 3.5 M/bits per channel and either 128k or 286k for audio encoding. Any Pay channels would require more data deductions as each channel which is CA is required to contribute.
What size dishes would be required in any specific region, what are the rain fade margins for specific regions? How will this affect the service availability?
Where the uplink should be situated to gain the maximum uplink advantage.
What size should the uplink be?
Does one lease uplink time from an established uplink operator or look for a teleport or uplink which has reached its expiry date.
Does the uplink site have satellite access to the US domsats?
Does the uplink site have access to terrestrial services such as fiber or microwave?
Are the High Power Amplifiers TWTA’s .Expanding a DTH network using TWTAs is easy Carriers can be added without installing additional amplifiers as long as the system operates within the power and linearity requirements of the TWTA.
This method is more flexible than the traditional approach of adding a new KPA for each added carrier. And, it provides flexibility in the link for changes in power and linearity requirements per channel with up to 1250W at Ku-Band, 750W at DBS-Band.
In our case in New Zealand we were using a C band uplink and cross strapping to a Ku down link spot beam centered on New Zealand. Although our TWTA’s were 700 W we only required 200W of power to run a 36 MHz transponder.
OK so they have addressed satellite capacity and an uplink facility they can now broadcast color bars on however many channels they elect to fire up as demonstration that they are not full of S_ _T.
Now comes the interesting part,where is their play out center going to be. Ideally it should be as close to the uplink as possible. Distributing multiple channels across the country to a Florida uplink via microwave or fibre optic cable is adding expense which is not necessary if some thought is exercised in where the play out center is to be located.
A lot of teleports have play out facilities which they lease out on a daily, monthly or contract rate. YOU pay them to put your channel programming onto a server ready for play out. Again this is not a cheap exercise given the amount of in house channels promised.
In our case we had a mix of pass through and in house compiled channels. The pass through channels out numbered the in house channels. Even to compile one in house channel with programme rotation every 24 hours “same programme line” up in two 12 hour blocks was a night mare. Let alone twenty. Telecom NZ had two in house compiled channels and a staff of nearly thirty to run the operation.
When automating multichannel playout, many solutions are available. Broadcasters design, configure, implement and operate multichannel playout in as many different ways as manufacturers design, develop, sell and install multichannel playout systems.
Multichannel playout is normally a custom designed solution. The users could be a terrestrial station with two, three or more HD / SD channels. It can also be a satellite delivery-to-home system (DTH). Cable and IPTV systems are also known as multichannel operations in which many many channels originate from one facility.
Uplink facilities and master control service providers add yet another dimension to automated multichannel playout as previously highlighted. Many broadcasters are consolidating by combining their production, news, traffic, sales, programming and engineering operations in the same facility to save on costs
In our case the 15.5m uplink facility was which we named “Auckland Teleport “was 5km away from the production /play out / programme gathering and studio facility.
Carlaw Park housed the uplink while our Newton Road facilities housed 18 dishes, a three camera studio, and full master control center, post production, programme gathering ,compilation and play out .
Most of the channels originated from a multitude of satellites serving the Asia /Pacific Rim. These were play through channels which entered the facility and were provided a dedicated Satellite receiver before being routed to individual MPEG 2 encoders. Each bank of eight was routed into a MPEG2 multiplexer where all the encoder outputs were combined into one aggregated MPEG 2 transport stream.
We allocated eight channels at a time into a multiplexer which consisted of thirty two encoders each compressing a specified channel from a multitude of inputs to Asynchronous Serial Interface, or ASI, data format which carried an MPEG Transport Stream through out the entire system. The last multiplexer in the chain also carried the Scrambler which was connected by Ethernet to the CA server.
The Scrambler had dual ASI outputs which consisted of one FTA and one with full encryption. The encrypted ASI feed was routed to a Tandberg Re multiplexer which converted our multiplexed ASI input into ATM Asynchronous Transfer Mode cell-based signal which out put was single mode fiber with a total capacity of 155Mbits.
This fiber link travelled 5 km to Auckland’s Sky Tower where the 155 M bits ATM signals were separated and distributed to three Tandberg media converters which provided an ASI input to three Comstream QSPK modulators which provided a 70MHz signal which provided up conversion to the specific unconverted final 12GHz Frequency which was amplified via an NEC HPA and sent in the vertical polarization some 278 M above the down town streets of Auckland City.
All this was doable, and technically we could do almost anything on either the MMDS system which acted as a link to the satellite uplink which accessed the NZ ku spot beam.
We made full use of the facilities we had access too , time and time again we showed the big boys up.
This Free DBS group, seem to be in fantasy land. The very last item for me prior to transmitting a signal to NSS5 was to go through a very comprehensive “Line UP” procedure with New Skies. This started off in Singapore and we were handed over to New Skies MCR in the Netherlands where we were instructed to access the satellite and beam on. We were instructed to use reduced power and transmit just a carrier “Clean” then we were gradually allowed to increase our power to that of our operational usage 200w.
There are 10001 issues that need to be addressed before one starts worrying about Logo’s and copyright issues. These are issues that are addressed with in a days work. As for an uplink adviser. It would seem that this group is akin to a rudderless ship thrashing around in high seas.
I honestly do not think they have any idea of the scope of what they propose let alone how they are going to string it all together and make it work. As I previously stated we made a very respectable movie channel out of public domain movies and programmes such as Box Office America, Celebrity Bites and Holly wood minutes.
This type of venture can be undertaken by individuals who have the credibility to attract a corner stone funder who is willing to take the risk. However I do not see any credibility here what so ever.
Look at this web site
Ziln - New Zealand's Internet Television Network they have done what Free DBS are claiming they’ll do. Ziln has done it in the time Free DBS have been making claims of testing and talking to Uncle Charlie and Aunt Doris .
It does not matter that Ziln are a web based internet service; they have successfully launched a multichannel platform. The staff numbers are under 10 to provide a multichannel platform that provides a variety of interesting channels.
That’s my spin on the latest “press release” from Free DBS. “Guys stop dreaming and get real”.
