I concur with the majority, me no pay. This is a hobby for me to find free tv, with a limited hardware cost but zero monthly bill.
Would you pay subscription for a satellite transponder listings?
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I'd pay a reasonable monthly fee for access to a constantly updated, mostly automated database with every satellite listing every active transponder frequencies. I understand that the equipment required to accomplish such a feat would be expensive and keeping all of it maintained and running smoothly is not something that can be or should be done for free. All the various hobbyist websites have outdated lists that haven't been touched in months or years. It would seem that Lyngsat still doesn't know that NBC is on AMC-1 for example.
Some of us don't have unlimited resources with dozens of dishes scattered about so we can go scanning every satellite in five minutes. The thrill of the chase is fun and all but sometimes I just want to be able to watch my high bitrate feeds of rare material without spending hours trying to find it first.
I don't pay for pizza because the quality on pizza is garbage and the prices are high. A $10 monthly or cheaper automated list of unencrypted material on every bird in the sky would be more valuable to me than DirecTV or Dish's expensive, over-compressed trash.
Some of us don't have unlimited resources with dozens of dishes scattered about so we can go scanning every satellite in five minutes. The thrill of the chase is fun and all but sometimes I just want to be able to watch my high bitrate feeds of rare material without spending hours trying to find it first.
I don't pay for pizza because the quality on pizza is garbage and the prices are high. A $10 monthly or cheaper automated list of unencrypted material on every bird in the sky would be more valuable to me than DirecTV or Dish's expensive, over-compressed trash.
In 2005 we created an automated system in cooperation with Twinhan which provided updates each 1/4 hour for all DVBS C-band and KU band satellites between 58w and 180w. Never took the information public for the reason that Scott gave. Built up a tremendous database and used it internally for some projects, but felt that the exposure from listing the "hidden" services would be detrimental to the hobby and to our participation and support of the hobbyists and forums.
If you create this service, make sure to carefully guard the gates so the information is not put "in the faces" of uplinkers. Be aware that in the past, memberships of these hidden signals forums were often infiltrated and the information misused.
If you create this service, make sure to carefully guard the gates so the information is not put "in the faces" of uplinkers. Be aware that in the past, memberships of these hidden signals forums were often infiltrated and the information misused.
More than the money, I hated the paying deadline every month. It was always pressure for half the month as the billing date approached. I already have plenty of stress at work and don't need more.
when I did subscribe, I watched maybe a dozen channels out of the hundreds offered. Now I don't have any deadlines, I pay for new equipment when I feel like it, and my enjoyment in viewing is the same.
Paying someone to do what you describe would wreck the advantage in FTA for me.
No thanks. Do it myself.
when I did subscribe, I watched maybe a dozen channels out of the hundreds offered. Now I don't have any deadlines, I pay for new equipment when I feel like it, and my enjoyment in viewing is the same.
Paying someone to do what you describe would wreck the advantage in FTA for me.
No thanks. Do it myself.
Part of the joy of FTA is to personally discover ITC network channels that are not listed or discussed anywhere on the internet. While before I depended on a list, I now only use a list to see what is public knowledge.
I used to get a magazine back in the C-Band analog days. I can't remember the name.... "OnSat" Mignt be it.....Could be thinking of something else But I do remember it. That was a TV guide for the C-Band enthusiest. Something like that would be nice. It had all the feeds listed for the Shows that aired, Transponder info that would allow one to easily find wild feeds without scanning empty birds. It was a real time saver. That all said, the feed info didn't change that much. I only bought one every few months and only for the feed info. Something similar to that would be nice. People that fear things will vanish because the info is published to me is simple parinoia. The magazine I am trying to remember published that info every month and stuff still was in the clear. Don't get me wrong here I am not attacking anyone, Just making a point that the operators know all to well that some people get their signal, or can get their signal as long as it is not scrambled. If it was a worry of theirs, everything would be scrambled to begin with. The thousands of us that do this kind of thing are few in comparrison to the millions in this world. For the most part, it simply don't pay for them to scramble everything. Something like the magazine (That I still can't remember the title of), would be nice. But I don't think there will be enough intrest to make a buck at it. Declining sales was the reason that magazine is not being printed anymore. Have a great day!
Orbit / Sat Entertainment Magazines
There were Orbit and Satellite Entertainment magazines. The only remnants of these I can find are here: Satellite Orbit owner and Satellite Orbit subscription. The value of these magazines is that they used to be for sale on my local supermarket newsstand even here in Canada. I first discovered that C-band existed and wanted to become involved with it by seeing those magazines. It's tough to beat the exposure offered by magazines in a public place like that.
There were Orbit and Satellite Entertainment magazines. The only remnants of these I can find are here: Satellite Orbit owner and Satellite Orbit subscription. The value of these magazines is that they used to be for sale on my local supermarket newsstand even here in Canada. I first discovered that C-band existed and wanted to become involved with it by seeing those magazines. It's tough to beat the exposure offered by magazines in a public place like that.
I dont see what magazines has to do with this question as it is not a magazine. The magazines never carried everything that was up there only stuff that was regularly up there... like you always knew you could watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortunes on T5 every night at 7PM. 
Hello again,
Taking into account the previous comments and to keep the industry onboard the publishing of data could be delayed by 24 to 28 hours. This would keep occasional use and feed broadcasters happy (as this would not compromise them), and feed hunters would still have the buzz of finding a new service and being able to verify what they found the next day or so. Useful information on permanent services I believe would be of value to professional installers. I am also considering the addition of time stamped simplified static spectrum plots (something that is missing from other information sites) which could further assist installers in identifying satellites.
Any further comments are most welcome.
PP.
Taking into account the previous comments and to keep the industry onboard the publishing of data could be delayed by 24 to 28 hours. This would keep occasional use and feed broadcasters happy (as this would not compromise them), and feed hunters would still have the buzz of finding a new service and being able to verify what they found the next day or so. Useful information on permanent services I believe would be of value to professional installers. I am also considering the addition of time stamped simplified static spectrum plots (something that is missing from other information sites) which could further assist installers in identifying satellites.
Any further comments are most welcome.
PP.
You've just eliminated the ONLY thing that made this idea possibly worthwhile: immediacy. This is a bad business idea if it is to be based on subscriber fees. Listen to what your potential group of customers are saying. Work on a new idea.
I believe that you are under the misconception that satellite installers are typically trained as technicians. Most satellite installers are only installers, trained to quickly install one system type and move on if they have an issue.
The chances of a technician performing service on a satellite system is slim. Unfortunately most satellite installers would have no clue how to use this data that you are proposing. Most (if they have a meter) have absolutely no clue how to use it beyond checking a few transponders that they were told to verify.
We assist hundreds of installers each day and I can honestly say that only a small percentage of them would even have a clue as to how to use a constellation or spectrum snapshot to identify a satellite. Next step would be to get any of them to prepare for the job in advance have downloaded any reference information to simplify their job.
The chances of a technician performing service on a satellite system is slim. Unfortunately most satellite installers would have no clue how to use this data that you are proposing. Most (if they have a meter) have absolutely no clue how to use it beyond checking a few transponders that they were told to verify.
We assist hundreds of installers each day and I can honestly say that only a small percentage of them would even have a clue as to how to use a constellation or spectrum snapshot to identify a satellite. Next step would be to get any of them to prepare for the job in advance have downloaded any reference information to simplify their job.
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