Newbie alert!

[tigersat49]

Hello Satellite masters!
I have been reading this site for quite some time, and admiring the knowledge here.
I know next to nothing about satellite but I am in a situation where I need to ask some questions. If there is a newbie section, I am happy to post there, just let me know.

Basically, I have been subscribing to cable for years, and now I just bought a house and have to make a decision. I have the option of getting cable/internet/phone from the big provider, or getting dish network, or direct-TV, or installing a mac-mini on my TV, or getting a pansat or other box, I just don't know what I should do!

I am pretty well decided that I will get cable internet, because it is just the fastest. At least I can decide on that. As far a phone goes, I like to have a landline for the fax, so I don't mind getting an internet/phone package. It's the cable TV that kills me.

The cable service has offered me a $139 deal for a year, that includes super high speed internet, phone and cable with all channels and movie channels. That price will jack up to near $200 once the first year is over, but no contract as far as I know.

I am trying to get TV Japan. That channel is only available on dish network in my area, and costs $25 just for that one channel which is a very high price in my opinion.
I called dish network and spoke with them, also I have read many forum posts, and I get conflicting reports. Some seem to love it, others hate it. If the price is too high, I guess that I will forget about TV Japan and just try to get the most channels and highest quality for the best price.

I guess what I'm asking for is some guidance from you all who really know what you are doing. Is DishNetwork a worthwhile investment, or should I invest in a Pansat box and try to get FTA savvy? Or is cable even still a good choice?

I know that everyone is different, but if the technology is there, I don't want to spend $150+ per month, I just can't justify the cost anymore. Thank you for your opinions, links and any advice. Thank you so much in advance!

 

[USDownlink]

Based on what you have said, and where you are coming from, my "professional" opinion is you can completely forget about FTA.

TV Japan is simply not available FTA, and you are not speaking like a television or technical hobbyist.

It pains me to say what I've said so far... I hope others will pop in with a better solution for you. If you want the "most channels ... highest quality for the best price", you can't beat a regular ol' antenna. High Definition for free. Two thirds of your requirements! Most channels? Well, you're probably going to have to pay for some consumer service.

Best of luck to you, and welcome! Any way you go, you're going to find satelliteguys has the resources you need, so stick around, eh?

 

[AcWxRadar]

The cable service has offered me a $139 deal for a year, that includes super high speed internet, phone and cable with all channels and movie channels. That price will jack up to near $200 once the first year is over, but no contract as far as I know.

Tiger,

I assume that you mean the price per month in this case for telephone, internet and cable. If it is a price per annum, then it would be a no brainer! LOL!

After the first year, $200 per month is still not too bad of a price. I don't know what the cable TV service quality is like, but High Speed DSL internet and telephone service AND cable service at that price might just be quite competitive.

I pay $45 for cellular telephone service and $49 for Wild Blue internet over satellite alone, with no cable or satellite TV service other than FTA.

I don't watch that much TV, so I WON'T pay for a subscription as it would simply go to waste. If it were not for this hobby of FTA, I wouldn't need the internet. But, you almost must have a telephone. My cell phone is important to me because of my commute to work and for emergencies, but I might be able to get by without that, too.

What I am saying is that all of these are luxuries. You must define which ones you truly want (or need) the most.

However, I would definitely take FTA over the cable TV service in my area any day. For free, I get better programming, better news and some sports than my Mom or my brother does for $60/month.

I think you could find at least one or two Japanese channels on FTA, although the specific channel you mentioned earlier may not be in there.

When I retire, I just might turn off my telephone service, throw the phone in the river, sell my TV and sign off the internet and live in a quaint log cabin in the woods somewhere in Alaska (uhmm.. no, too cold in winter... maybe Wyoming or Montana).

Well, maybe Missouri, Arkansas or Florida... Hmmm. I haven't decided just yet. Maybe Australia???

RADAR

 

[Tron]

It is important to emphasize that FTA is, for most people, not going to be a suitable replacement for cable or pay satellite TV service. It is, in fact, not a "service" at all. It is the reception of "in the clear", or ITC, channels from various satellites across the sky. Most of these channels are not up there for home viewers; They are up there for cable headends and broadcasters to use. The majority of what we, as FTA hobbyists, are receiving is intended for broadcast professionals. The channels that most TV viewers will want, such as Discovery, the various premium movie channels, Disney, the "Superstations", etc., are almost always encrypted. Sometimes they are not, and its great when we run across freebies like that. But normally, the ITC signals consist mostly of religious programming, foreign programming, or esoteric content. There are also plenty of wild feeds, which are usually news or sports related. These are fun, and are the main reason why many are involved in the FTA hobby.

 

[AcWxRadar]

It is important to emphasize that FTA is, for most people, not going to be a suitable replacement for cable or pay satellite TV service.........


These are fun, and are the main reason why many are involved in the FTA hobby.

And to this I must agree, FTA is a pure "HOBBY" and not meant to take the place of paid subscription services. It is purely a devotion to the interest in knowledge and challenges and experimentation that provides the end user (you and I) with the rewards. This hobby is why we gather here on this forum to discuss it all.

FUN and FRIENDS!

RADAR

 

[Sadie]

If you can get a suitable high speed internet connection I would take a serious look around and see what is available from Japan in the way of internet TV, it maybe the cheaper or free way to go.
I would try a Japanese version of Google, of course it will help if you understand Japanese. you may find you can get the rest of what you need over the air with an antenna.

 

[madmadworld]

I don't watch that much TV,
RADAR

what ? lol

 

[AcWxRadar]

what ? lol

Absolutely! I usually put in a DVD and watch the opening theme from the movie and then turn it off, that is all I need, you can tell most of the show by the opening theme music anyway. The rest of the time, I am chatting with you all, I am at work, fishing on the river, drinking beer or mowing grass (Oh, once in a while I try to sleep, too).

LOL!!!

 

[madmadworld]

you pulling my leg

Absolutely! I usually put in a DVD and watch the opening theme from the movie and then turn it off, that is all I need, you can tell most of the show by the opening theme music anyway. The rest of the time, I am chatting with you all, I am at work, fishing on the river, drinking beer or mowing grass (Oh, once in a while I try to sleep, too).

LOL!!!

i want to believe you. but knowing it's you.
as my dad would say: you pulling my leg?

dual tuners
15 coolsat boxes LOL


sorry back to Tiger
but you said
I have been reading this site for quite some time.
how long ?
and what interests you ?

 

[AcWxRadar]

i want to believe you. but knowing it's you.
as my dad would say: you pulling my leg?

My Dad always said "Come here and pull my finger". HA!

You are good to suggest that we get back on track of the OP's topic, however. We kinda got off the topic here, but it is always good to interject some humor and a little lighthearted discussion from time to time.

Tiger, I am hoping that this makes you feel comfortable and at home.

RADAR

 

[delta_charlie]

Hi all, I have just a little to add. NHK is available FTA on Intelsat at 58 W but it is on C-Band so not very practical for someone just getting into FTA.

A couple of notes on phone service, if you are going to get broadband then you might want to consider VOIP phone instead of plain old telephone service (POTS) Vonage in the biggest and most known but there are others other there and some have really good pricing.

The cost saving on the VOIP phone can help offset the cost of the broadband.

Got to run, DC

 

[tigersat49]

Thanks!!

Wow thanks everybody, this forum is very welcoming to newbies, much more so than some other forums I frequent. Thanks for your explanations and help. I am glad to be on-board.

First off I appreciate the help in understanding FTA a bit better. I just got off the phone with dish network again, a pretty infuriating call, one of the smugger CRs I've spoken with, I hate that. I know he has nothing to do with the service itself, but it's a hard call to sign a 2 year contract sight unseen. I try to avoid contracts when I can.

I know very little about satellite and TV programming but a little bit more about the internet.
The suggestion from sadie, to google the japanese programming, was very good. In fact, I am able to get a lot of the programming online and stream it for free.

One thing I wanted to ask you all, is about one of the machines I saw in the reviews section. I forget the name, but it allowed you get satellite, but also to pop in a USB or SD card and watch movies, and it also allowed you to type in a URL.

I have thought about the Apple TV, or getting a Mac Mini on top, or Pansat Satellite receiver, (I saw that Coolsat seems popular on this forum as well) but I would prefer to just get one box that will allow me to do everything that I want rather than having a huge stack of components.

My last paragraph shows where my big dilemma lies right now...I am not sure if I should only focus on the Internet, or if I should add Sat capability to learn about FTA. Is there a box that will allow both at the same time? By this I mean, that I can add Sat access, and plug in an ethernet cable, and access both? (Sorry...already asked that...but it's been on my mind a lot!).

I am looking for a digital hub, that will also function as a DVR, but that I don't have to pay for monthly, and that I can use to get free channels FTA, and online.

If anyone has found solutions like this, I would LOVE to hear about them. If anyone has modified a mac mini for this I would be interested too (is there a way to add sat capability to mac minis?). I am a big apple person so that would be nice, although I am not opposed to trying out a new machine if everyone really recommends it.
I am especially looking right now at the Elgato EyeTV Hybrid. Apparently this USB card can receive HDTV free signals, but you need an antenna. Is this the same as FTA?

Thanks so much everyone in advance. Apologies for all the questions and stream-of-consciousness writing.
tigersat49

 

[delta_charlie]

---cut---
I am looking for a digital hub, that will also function as a DVR, but that I don't have to pay for monthly, and that I can use to get free channels FTA, and online.
---cut---

Hi, a HTPC (Home Theater personal computer) with a PC-DVB card can do this. You might want to jump over to the PC-DVB forum and check it out.

Another interesting this is the HTPC with PC-DVB card can do more then just DVB satellite. You will be able to view 4:2:2 and HD feeds if you install the correct codecs.

BTW - It does not take that much of a computer if it is setup correct. Mine is running XP Pro, 2 GB ram and only a dual core 1.6 CPU. it does MPEG2 HD feeds of football and auto racing at full camera panning speed with no hint of choppy video. Let me know if you have any questions on the setup.

The only problem with the HTPC is they tend to be much harder to setup and sort out. I think you are still going to want a DVB receiver for blind scanning and to help setup the dish. They are also excellent for trouble shooting dish or switch problems.

Hope this helps, DC