Understanding FTA & Codes

[Malamute]

FTA  = Free To Air

What is it and how does it work and trying to understand what the codes mean.

I use //www.lyngsat.com mainly but you can goto //www.satcodx.com and get all the same info as from the first site.

What do SR, FEC, VPID, and so on?

Freq. GHz   C-Band 3-4 GHz
                   Ku-Band  10-12 GHz
SR      Symbol Rate
FEC   Forward Error Correction  sample  1/2 1 byte for main siganl and 2 bytes use for correction   7/8 7bytes for signal 1 for correction.

VPID  Video Program Identification
APID  Audio Program Identification
PCR/4DTV  digital transmission/ rec. must be synchronize with signal
SID   Service Identification   use on digital transmission only
NID   Network identification   "    "     "           "                 "
TID   Transponder Identification  ""   ""     ""                     ""

When you goto lyngsat and look at the satellite list of programing you will see lots of numbers, they numbers are needed and you program into your recevier in order to watch that channel.  


Also there are many encryption methods use, here is alist of some of them::   4:2:2, Betacrypt, CLI, Coatec, Conax, Cryptoworks, Cryptoworks+Viaccess, DMV, EurocryptM-M/S2-S2, IRDETO + Mediaguard or Nagravision or Videoguard, Leitch, Matsushita, MDE-2, MDS, Mediaguard + Viaccess or Cryptoworks, Nagravision, NDC, NDS, NTL, NTL2000, Power Vu + Nagravision, SiS, Starcrypt, Syster, TV/Com, VC2+, Viaccess + Conax or Mediaguard, Videocrypt + 1,  Videoguard.  They are just some of the different one out their.

I thought of a saying:  "If you like surfing the NET you'll love surfing the Sats"

I'm still learning myself and Todd will start very soon, if you love watching and looking for wild feeds then this system is for you, but its not for evrybody, I'm sorry to say this, but its true.

Because they are wild feeds they are at different times during the day and night and different days of the week.

Malmaute

                       Free TV Rocks:rock:

[Todd Wiedemann]

Great post, Malamute ...

Very informative, exactly what I had hoped for in this forum.

Is it possible for you to take some screen shots to illustrate what it takes to program your receiver as well as some guide / channels shots showing what it's like to 'surf' the satellites ??

[Skipjack]

This section is very interesting...

What sort of equipment is needed to get FTA?

 I once looked into getting a BUD a few years ago and grabbing, but I realized most of the stuff out there is digital these days making the old analog BUD's useless.

However, this sounds different.  Could you post a list of what's all involved for a noob like myself?

[Todd Wiedemann]

Hey, Skip ...

I recently ordered this system. It's all you really need to surf the FTA spectrum.

Please keep the questions coming; it'll promote more answers !! We are all still learning here !!

[tazman]

Hi guys,  Tazman here.  Hope everyone had a good turkey day.  I did.

I came across this in a long winded way by searching some other forums and following a lot of links.  Its the Integra it912s STB.  It does FTA and OTA all in one box AND IS AN HDTV Decoder for BOTH FTA mpeg2_DVB and OTA broadcasts.  It has DVI, VGA , YPP, S-VIDEO and composite video outputs.  Also has analog, coaxial and fiber out for audio.  Also does video scalling.  Here is the link for this product.  http://hdtvmax.com/   .  All searches I've done so far keep bringing me back to that web site.  Unfortunately I have not found any other vendor of this receiver yet, nor a price on it as yet.  Iwill keep looking.  Maybe I will drop these guys a line and see what they sell it for.  It's advertised as a consumer product.  I got a warm fuzzy feeling after reading this review  http://hdtvmax.com/reviewpete.htm  .  I'm still serious about FTA, but will more than likely wait untill spring before a purchase is made.  By the time I make up my mind on just what I'm gonna buy it will be below ZERO out and I'm not gonna fiddle around climbing my tower to mount a SAT dish.  Let alone set it up.  I also tried to find out as much as possible about the TwinHan FTA card I could, but when it came to the software things got very vague.  My main concern since I'm doing everything as of right now with a computer is, will their software do full sceen mode like Cyberlinks PowerDVD does.  It wouldn't do me any good if their software only displayed TV in a window.   Reason being I have my vga output going through an RBG to YPP transcoder box and then to my Denon AV and then to my KF60XBR800.  My Haupaugge Cards YPP goes directly to my set.  I just thought I would throw in the extra stuff about my setup so others would understand what I'm using and working with.  The real reason I wrote this reply is to let you guys know about the Integra reciever.:wave:

Have a safe Holiday

Tazman

[StarvingForHDTV]

Tazman,

Thanks for the information on that STB.  It looks promising.  Please let me know if you end up with it.

Starving