With the end of the HU we are seeing a trend of people migrating from DTV to FTA. So in the interest of saving some bandwidth let's see if we can answer some of the FAQs of FTA:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. What is FTA???

A. FTA stands for 'Free To Air' which is the type of receiver that some clever code writer named Al7bar was able to modify to emulate the DN (dish) stuff without the CAM (Conditional Access Card). This box will receive MANY satellite signals that are free and with modification, some scrambled channels.


Q. Does work on DTV signals???

A. NO these systems do not work on DTV at all. DTV cards can not be emulated completely the way DN and BEV can.


Q. Are the FTAs difficult to set up???

A. That depends on how technical you are. If you have problems setting the time on your VCR then the FTA stuff is not for you. Once you have a satellite signal, you must search for the channels and put them in order. The guides do not work and the channel number will not be assigned correctly. IE DN channel HBO 300 may be displayed on the front of the box as channel 13.


Q. I hear that the FTAs are Bullet proof, is that true???

A. This is NOT THE CASE!!! While the FTA has made it thru many of the previous ECMs, as of this writing they are currently down (both BB and Fortec). I am sure that there will be a fix for the systems soon. However, with the FTA becoming more mainstream you will see more ECM activity aimed at the FTA systems. (Keep in mind that you can still get the FTA channels)


Q. What is better Black bird or Fortec (silver bullet)???

A. That depends first off of what bird (satellite) you are trying to view. As of this writing, blackbird will decode BEV AND DN, while the Fortec will only get DN. The next consideration is how technical are you. The BB (blackbird) is fully programmed and ready to decode right out of the box, the Fortec will require reprogramming before it can decode any scrambled DN signals. However, I would not base your decision strictly on 'ready to go', there will be many ECMs to come and reprogramming the box will be required to keep it receiving scrambled channels.


Q. I hear the BB will grab the decryption keys for you, is that true???

A. As of this writing, the BBs with software rev. 4.0 will automatically get the keys to decrypt the scrambled channels. With the foretec you have to enter the keys using the remote. This will most likely change in the near future, and the Fortec will most likely be able to auto-grab keys as well.


Q. Is the Silver bullet a good box???

A. The silver bullet is just the Fortec with the modified software already loaded on it. I would not pay more then you would for a Fortec and what you think your time is worth to reprogram it. Keep in mind that you will need to upgrade it when the ECMs come...


Q. How hard is it to reprogram the FTA boxes???

A. Reprogramming the boxes is done with a 9 pin straight through RS-232 cable (pins 2-2 & 3-3), not a crossover (pins 2-3 & 3-2). And the proper up loader and modified code. I think we will be better off with a step by step how to program in each section to avoid confusion.


Q. Can I use the same dish and LNBs that I already own???

A. That depends on what you already own. DTV and DN LNBs can be used with the FTA boxes to get DN and BEV channels. They will even get some Free To Air channels as well. A single dish pointed at one bird with one cable will work great. However, if you want to receive more then one bird at a time it gets a little more complicated. The easiest way is with a dish 500 without the internal switch or two single dishes and a DiSeqC Switch. We might even need a section just on switches and LNBs just to keep the straight.

Original posted by DSStroyer

DVB-S/FTA FAQ's Original posted by Wag

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I posted these FAQs in another thread a few weeks back. I have edited them (again) due to many questions and have added some (more) additional information. I will try to keep them up to date as time passes.

Here are a few FAQs about DVB-S (the S stands for satellite) PCI cards, DVB-S set top receivers, FTA (free-to-air), other (pay) satellite programming, dishes, LNBs, Diseqc switches, and Horizon-to-Horizon motor systems.

A DVB-S PCI card is a complete satellite receiver built onto a PCI card that you can install in an open PCI slot in your computer. They do work and they work quite well once you get the software set up properly. The currently available software is still in it's developmental stages and is a little crude in some ways. Also, at this point the available software is not very intuitive and the setup is not at all self-explanatory, but things are improving rapidly. A plus is that most of the available software is freeware, but as such, none of them are very well documented. Inexperienced computer/software users should stay away from DVB-S PCI cards. DBV-S cards are more useful to the satellite hobbiest than the casual free TV viewer. People who don't like to read should also stay away from DVB-S cards.

DVB-S satellite PCI cards fall into two basic categories;

SS1 (or hardware) type cards (SkyStar-1 & Nexus-S...currently $200 to $285US) which have on-board MPEG2 hardware decoding and a built-in high quality TV video output (so you will NOT need a TV output on your computer's video card).
CPU usage is very low with the SS1 so it only requires a minimum 400mhz computer but you must have at least a 250 watt p/s because the DVB-S PCI cards use a lot of power (so this eliminates a lot of old PII Dells, H.P.s, IBMs, and Compaqs because many of them came with only a 100-150 watt p/s). Other requirements include an 8mb video card with DX/DD capability and at least 128mb of memory. SS1 type cards are the easiest to set up and get working properly and output a very high quality picture but they are more expensive to purchase.

and...

SS2 (or software) type cards (SkyStar-2, VP-1020(A), VP-1030, Nova, & others...currently $75 to $135US) which use the computer's CPU for software MPEG2 decoding and requires a 32mb or better video card with an integrated TV video output and DX8.1/DD capability (SS2 type cards do not have a video output on them).
The SS2 also requires a minimum 1000mhz computer but experienced users recommend a 1.6ghz or above because of the CPU's software MPEG2 decoding (and a 3ghz Athlon XP or better for HDTV reception, there are issues with the P4's multi-threading). I also recommend a 350 watt p/s, 256mb of memory, and a video card that has an on-board hardware MPEG2 decoder chip (reduces the CPU load) and a high quality TV video output decoder (most video cards with TV outputs are not so good in this area). The video output quality is completely dependent on the video card itself, not the DVB-S card. HDTV setups will require an HDTV output capable video card. SS2 type cards are cheaper to purchase but a lot harder to set up and get working properly. Also keep in mind that this lower cost is offset by the higher computer requirements and associated cost.

D*sh HDTV will require a different type of software DVB-S card altogether, an 8PSK type card. The 8PSK cards are not yet available for sale.

One BIG advantage to running a DVB-S/computer setup is that you can record with it and schedule the recordings (like TIVO). You are only limited by the size of your hard drive as to how much time you can record, figure roughly 1gb per hour of recording time. The files saved are the unadulterated (but decrypted) MPEG2 digital data stream as it comes off of the satellite and unlike TIVO you can burn your own DVDs, SVCDs, or VCDs using these files. Since not all MPEG2 files are created equal, you will need to convert the file into either a DVD compliant form (with a program like DVD Patcher) or SVCD/VCD compliant form (with a program like TMPGEnc) before burning them to a disk.

Most traditional DVB-S set top receivers will only receive the FTA satellite channels, not D*sh or B*V, because most of these boxes are not capable of decrypting the encrypted data stream. I don't know how the new all-in-one set top boxes like the BlackBird will work out in the long run because the decryption software that it is using is programmed into the box's firmware, boxes like this could soon become a major headache to keep running (if not completely unusable for some people). It is also rumored that the code that is being used in these boxes could be easily ECM'd (Update; it already has happened). There are also a couple of other cheaper set top DVB-S boxes available (Fortec Lifetime, Pansat) that have recently been hacked for D*sh, but you will have to reprogram the firmware in these boxes yourself and they have the same drawbacks as the BlackBird as well as a few other drawbacks of their own. I personally recommend that you save your money and invest instead in a DVB-S PCI card/computer setup, you will be much better off in the long run.

BTW, There are two other kinds of DVB PCI cards and set top receivers, DVB-T (terrestrial) and DVB-C (cable). These are not used for satellite reception.

For fixed dish DVB-S setups you will need either a 2-into-1 or 4-into-1 Diseqc switch to access multiple satellites using multiple fixed dishes and/or LNBs, this switch is what you use to tie the multiple LNB's together. For most satellites and locations you can use any DSS (except the oval HDTV dish), B*V, D*shNet 300, or compatible dish and circular type single or dual LNB to receive D*sh and/or B*V with a DVB-S PCI card or set top receiver. You can also use a D*shNet 500 dish if you use two early style legacy separate circular LNBs (the two individual LNBs that use an external switch, not the type with two LNBs built into the same housing with an internal switch, SW21 switches are not compatable with DVB-S). To receive FTA (free-to-air) satellites and channels, in many cases you can use these same dishes, but you will need a different type of LNB, a linear type LNB (not circular, like D*sh/B*V/DSS use). Also, depending on where you live, you may need a larger 24" (60cm) dish to get a good enough signal. You may need an even larger 36" (90cm) dish to receive some FTA satellites because a few satellites use lower power transponders or because you may be living on the fringe of a particular satellite's signal footprint.

The motorized dish systems (Horizon-to-Horizon or H-H motors) are much more complicated to set up (hardware and software), more expensive, can freeze up in cold weather, need regular maintenance, and are more aggravating to use (slow) when switching from one satellite to another while channel surfing. The big plus is that you can pick up all of the satellites with one single dish, but you will still need different type LNBs for FTA (linear) and D*sh/B*V (circular). I suspect that an inventive individual could figure out a way to mount a couple of different type LNBs to a single feed arm on a larger dish to solve this problem. Also, the H-H motor system will need to be Diseq compatible (most large C-band dishes did not use this type of motor system).

There are many FTA (free-to-air) channels available on the various satellites that are free, not encrypted, and 100% legal to view. You can find information on all of the available satellites and channels here; lyngsat.com At this point you can also decrypt D*sh and B*V wide open with a DVB-S card and appropriate software (and D*sh with a couple of the set top receivers) without the need for a CAM (access card), and you never have to worry about ECMs. But, keep one very important thing in mind, B*V and D*sh are "Pay-To-Watch", not "Free-To-Air", it is illegal to decrypt their programming! Another fly in the ointment with D*sh and B*V is that when the card swaps are complete, you will loose the encrypted channels until the new encryption scheme is hacked (Nagra2, it is being worked on already because it has been in use in other parts of the world since last summer). DVB-S cards and set top boxes will NOT work with D*V, D*V is not DVB standard compliant.

For DVB-S PCI card/computer setups there are several different programs available to control the DVB-S card, programming, recording/scheduling, satellites/channels/LNBs, Diseqc switches and H-H dish motors, etc. Most are freeware, some work better than others, and some are easier to use than others. Some of these programs do not support all of the different DVB-S PCI cards and some are OS dependent. All of the different DVB-S PCI cards will pick up all of the satellites and programming, your choice of which DBV-S PCI card to purchase will be partially dependent on which program you decide to use but will be much more dependent on the computer you will be using it in. For B*V/D*sh, decryption is done through a software plugin call Yanksee (no cam needed), all the different programs use this plugin. A DVB-S card can't be updated or ECM'd but it is possible for the provider to change the encryption scheme so that Yanksee doesn't work. If this happens Yanksee will probably be fixed pretty quickly and it is an easy matter to update a software plugin on a computer. I think that you will soon see B*V and/or D*sh try to do this sort of thing to try and take down the BlackBird and other set top receivers (Update; this has already happened). The only other thing that will occure from time to time is a key change, another software plugin called Fenrir will autoroll the keys for you when this occures (but you can also enter the keys manually). Both of these plugins are charityware but free to use.

I hope this helps to answer most of the questions I'm getting. I have provided enough information here to get interested people started in the right direction. Now it's up to YOU to do some research! READ, READ, READ, and READ somemore (and read these FAQ's a few more times)!

Also, EVERYONE, please don't PM me on where the DVB-S PCI cards can be purchased or whom I recommend, I don't have any ulterior motives or commercial interests (this is just a hobby for me) and I'm NOT going to recommend any specific dealer(s), besides, it is against forum rules for me to do so. I won't answer this kind of PM! I won't e-mail you this information! NO BEGGING!!! NO EXCEPTIONS!!! NO KIDDING!!!

Many thanks to SNV for the new FTA forums.
I respectfully request (and recommend) that a separate category for DVB-S PCI cards (and software) be added

Mas,

Where can I get a good card from a reputable dealer. LOL...J/K

But seriously thanks for the posts they were very informative as I was contemplating one or both of these.

Mas,

Where can I get a good card from a reputable dealer. LOL...J/K

But seriously thanks for the posts they were very informative as I was contemplating one or both of these.

You can check out the Want to sale the dealer forums in here, there are a few members are very good.

PM me if you want info the location of a real good overview of using Sat cards on a computer.

1.Only one sat card gets dave and its software based. The cards you mentioned don't. Vision Plus Twinhan 1020A
This means this card gets em all and could emu a dave hack.

2.Most of the software comes with the cards and works quite well if you just follow the directions. The hard part is setting up the antena because you are diverting from procedure using dave and charlie's antena's instead of an FTA antena which would be a single lnb on a rotor.

3.Charlie is easy to hack on a computer(all done in software), than doing it with the FTA recievers you mention, or doing it to the charlie reciever directly. You place a couple files in the right directories and....

As it said if you want the real scoop PM me and I'll tell you where to go and you have my permission to plagerize and break it up and place it here. Its too large a file and I dont want, nor are we allowed to post a link.

Hi, I'm new to this FTA just bought BEC1000 receicer ,wonder if you can guide me to get software to programme to receive DN channel and some asain channels on FTA. Thank for advance.

Hello,

Can someone please educate me a bit on using a DVB card for a computer?

1. How do I descramble dishnet channels with a DVB card in my computer?
2. Which is better to purchase, a DVB card for the computer or a receiver?

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Get the dvb card because you can timeshift , record tv and you get a guide for dishnetwork and the receiver you dont get a guide, also a lot cheaper.
If you have a fast computer get the twinhan vision card and if you dont buy the Hauppauge Nexus card with mpeg decoder .
The vison card is 150cdn and i recomend a computer over 1 ghz and the Hauppauge Nexus card 300 cdn you can run that with a computer that will un win 98 or xp probaly 350mhz pc. lots of info can be found at dsscanada

Hello, I have a few questions. If you could help me out, I would greatly appreciate it.

1.Which card do you recommend more, the Haupage or the Twinhan? I currently have an AMD Athlon 2Ghz computer with 512k DDR RAM.

2.Will the card come with the software I need to get unencrypted channels?

3.Where can I find instructions to get software and set it up so I can decrypt channels from dishnet?

4.Is setting up the diseqc switch and motor easy? Where can I find instructions on how to set up the disecq switch and motor?

5.Is the purpose of the motor so you don't have to physically turn the dish outside to different locations?

6.Will I have to update software from time to time in order to keep the channels open?

6.Can I get sports packages with this?

Your computer is plenty fast enought so buy a twinhan since there cheaper from dsscanada . The dishes i pick up are b e l l 91 and from dishnet 110 and 119, so get plenty of channels. Yes you will get all your sports, ppv's ,etc, you get everything on that sat.
All the software and setup guides can be downloaded from dsscanada and their forum
Also you dont use motors with this. Just buy yourself a dish 500 to pick up 110 and 119 and if you want bell too, put it on a single dish.
So if you decide to get one , everything you need to get it up and running is on the forum there.
I personally like the vision card, its cheap and works great.
I just use my tv out on my video card and watch it on my tv, you get a remote with it too.

I like the sound of the PCI DVB card, I currently have a P3 800Mhz with 256MB ram that I could dedicate to this task. It's running Windows ME, I have had problems with almost anything non standard that I've tried running with ME is there any history on problems or compatibility with ME and these cards?


Also it sounds like the cards don't come with a T.V. out... so I would need either a T.V. tuner or video card with T.V. out?

yes window me the (mistake edition) will most likely give you problems,
i recomend switching to windows xp.
The twinhan card dont have a tv out but for your system i would recomend
getting the Hauppauge Nexus satellite card which has tv out. They are about 300.00 cdn for this card. Hope this helps. Also read prevous posts from me
for more info

Hey me2003,
Great info. On the fence myself for a while - FTA vs. PCI DVB. This link may have pushed me over the edge to the latter of the two.

Couple quick questions:
1. If I was able to figure out EMU in the P2 days and script writing in the P3 days would it be fair to say I could handle this (with the instructions of course)???
2. Is there a way to get S-VHS out AND Dolby 5.1 - love them both.
3. Do you see PCI DVB being able to go HD or is another harware upgrade?
Finally (sorry) I'm only interested in Charlie on the 119 bird - that get's all my needs takeken care of... do I need a DiSeqC Switch or can I run the line from my Dave dish into the computer once repointed.

FYI - looks "scary" above but you think it's doable I'm in!
Much thanks,
akme4

this a great thread fellas...im learning a lot from those of you that have already contributed

i have a Toshiba server with two hardrives....2048 meg of ram....and dual 733 proccessors along with a 20" nec monitor id love to adapt this technology too

keep the contributions flowing...any advice anyone wants to send me via pm is greatly appreciated as well

Mook

Hey me2003,
Great info. On the fence myself for a while - FTA vs. PCI DVB. This link may have pushed me over the edge to the latter of the two.

Couple quick questions:
1. If I was able to figure out EMU in the P2 days and script writing in the P3 days would it be fair to say I could handle this (with the instructions of course)???
2. Is there a way to get S-VHS out AND Dolby 5.1 - love them both.
3. Do you see PCI DVB being able to go HD or is another harware upgrade?
Finally (sorry) I'm only interested in Charlie on the 119 bird - that get's all my needs takeken care of... do I need a DiSeqC Switch or can I run the line from my Dave dish into the computer once repointed.

FYI - looks "scary" above but you think it's doable I'm in!
Much thanks,
akme4


1.) I found this easy to setup, i feel you should be able to set this thing up with no problem if you read the instructions from the dsscanada forum.
2.) If your soundcard supports dolby 5.1 and you have the right cables to hook upto your hometheater receiver, you will get 5.1 sound. It all relies on what your soundcard is capable of.
3.) Hdtv is only avaible on the bev 82 sat. because its still on QPSK which the dvb card can encode.

Since you are only wanting to pickup 119 , you will not need a diseqc switch, just do what you said repoint and hookup to dvb card.
I think its doable for you , just read the instructions and ask questions
and you should be up in no time.

I purchased this about 1 1/2months ago when people just started using these. I didnt have to much of a problem setting it up. I think it should be
pretty easy to setup excepicially with how big the forum has grown there in such little time, there are also guides and instructions there too.

Hope this helps.
If you have anymore questions just go ahead and ask

if you are already offering help I have few questions:

1. What (exact) twinhan card you are recommending?

2. Do I need video card to route the video output to my television?

3. What is the normal delay when switching between channels and is it possible to channel surf?

4. Are you referring to the dsscanada com or ca page?

Thank you for your help...

Great post .great info for the newbie

if you are already offering help I have few questions:

1. What (exact) twinhan card you are recommending?

4. Are you referring to the dsscanada com or ca page?

Thank you for your help...


Good question! :yes:
Actual ***.ca doesn't have the Twinhan - they have a blackbird version called the vision PCI with DVR and 5.1. It says it's preloaded with software(?) and sells for about $200 CDN. Is this basically the same deal technology as the BB IRD or is there another advantage (other than price)?
As for ***.com - it isn't working for me - same with ***fileexch****. Anyone else having problems logging on? :no:

It looks dsscanada .com is down…

twinhan cards overview:
http://www.twinhan.com/visiontv.htm

its actually the .ca page, the blackbird is actually the twinhan vision plus pci card.

can anyone tell me if this Black Bird PC SAT card can get the wireless internet. :cool: :beer:

1. What card to get?
2. Do I need video card for output to my tv?
3. What is the delay when switching between channels?

Thank you...

the Twinham vision plus doesnt look it does satellite internet, and U can only watch on your monitor

the Hauppauge Nexus DVB-S and the WinTV have outputs for a TV and provides audio/video to your Monitor and a TV and it looks like the Nexus and/or the WinTV does satellite internet, I searched in google and found it at hauppauge.com they have a good description there and I saw a better Pic at DVBdepot.com the Pic shows the audio/video out cable next to the Nexus DVB-S
I Hope that helps someone

:yes:

1. What card to get?
2. Do I need video card for output to my tv?
3. What is the delay when switching between channels?

Thank you...
1.) If you have a fast computer I suggest the 1020A card. If not bite the bullet and go with the nexus.

2.) Yes you will need a video card with a TV out connector of some sorts, as the 1020A only has LNB in and out "F" connectors.

3.) Delay seems to be varied, however I would expect a 3-5 second delay, however with some software there is a usable guide so switching through all the channels is no longer nessesary.

Excellent.... :beer: :beer: :beer:

I was just recently at the TwinHan website and noticed that they have a USB product out there (Vision DTV USB Box). I was wondering if anyone has ever tested with that solution and if it would work like the 1020a PCI card.

Upon comparing the specs of the USB box to the 1020a PCI card, they look similar. One thing that I did notice was that the USB box said that it supports DVB Protocol (ETS 300 744). The PCI card on the other hand just listed DVB Protocol support and something called MPE (Multiprotocol Encapsulation). I'm not sure if that would make a difference, but I'm hoping someone would know.

I was just recently at the TwinHan website and noticed that they have a USB product out there (Vision DTV USB Box). I was wondering if anyone has ever tested with that solution and if it would work like the 1020a PCI card.

Upon comparing the specs of the USB box to the 1020a PCI card, they look similar. One thing that I did notice was that the USB box said that it supports DVB Protocol (ETS 300 744). The PCI card on the other hand just listed DVB Protocol support and something called MPE (Multiprotocol Encapsulation). I'm not sure if that would make a difference, but I'm hoping someone would know.

look for MPEG-II :yes:

Twinham vision plus 1020a
Hauppauge Nexus DVB-S model 717
Technotrend 1.5
Nova
skystar2
and
skystar usb

U can see all of those DVB cards at DVBwest.com

Anyone try doing alittle moding to there TV tunner card and loading up there software?
If not any have there software? If so make a post or PM me and I'll start playing with it.

Computer 2000MH or better. So you can still use it for other things.
Twinhan 1020A. Comes with most of the lattest software needed.
Geforce fx5200 graphics card.
All you need. If you want to search the sky motorize your dish and add an LNB
For More Info PM Me.

If I go with a blackbird will a dish 500 work to pick up 110 and 119? I just need the the one without the internal switch right? How do I find out which one it is?

If I go with a blackbird will a dish 500 work to pick up 110 and 119? I just need the the one without the internal switch right? How do I find out which one it is?


Here you go http://forums.dsstester.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=28250

1.) I found this easy to setup, i feel you should be able to set this thing up with no problem if you read the instructions from the dsscanada forum.
2.) If your soundcard supports dolby 5.1 and you have the right cables to hook upto your hometheater receiver, you will get 5.1 sound. It all relies on what your soundcard is capable of.
3.) Hdtv is only avaible on the bev 82 sat. because its still on QPSK which the dvb card can encode.

Since you are only wanting to pickup 119 , you will not need a diseqc switch, just do what you said repoint and hookup to dvb card.
I think its doable for you , just read the instructions and ask questions
and you should be up in no time.

I purchased this about 1 1/2months ago when people just started using these. I didnt have to much of a problem setting it up. I think it should be
pretty easy to setup excepicially with how big the forum has grown there in such little time, there are also guides and instructions there too.

Hope this helps.
If you have anymore questions just go ahead and ask

I have read your post then I went to DSS Canada did a search and nothing. Can you pm me or post a link to the install and setup page
TIA

do any ftas have hd capabilities???

I recently acquierd a fortec Lifetime Ultra and it acme with sat 110 loaded, was watchin for a while then I decideced to search for sat 119 and found it, did a Sat scan, only saw about 8 Tv stations and 150 radio stations. Could someone tell me how to get other stations such as BET, HBO, G4 etc?
Thanks in advance.

make sure you're actually aimed at 119.
you will of course need 2 lnb's. if you only have 1 lnb you will need to add one more.

I'm new to this forum and i have question for those who have FTA receivers. How does one get started? I have at work Dish 500 and wanted to know what i would need for as receivers to get ant FTA channels? I'm currious on getting it and information on it. I didn't want to ask any dumb questions. How many channels can one get with a FTA receiver and what's the best available? I'm more into sports alot. Can you get distant networks with them and local channels? If anyone knows they can email me at jl_video@yahoo.com. Thanks alot and this DSSTester.com is very interesting.

I'm new to this forum and i have question for those who have FTA receivers. How does one get started? I have at work Dish 500 and wanted to know what i would need for as receivers to get ant FTA channels? I'm currious on getting it and information on it. I didn't want to ask any dumb questions. How many channels can one get with a FTA receiver and what's the best available? I'm more into sports alot. Can you get distant networks with them and local channels? If anyone knows they can email me at jl_video@yahoo.com. Thanks alot and this DSSTester.com is very interesting.


Welcome to Dsstester :yes: :beer: :beer:

There are alot of FTA information in the FTA FAQ & HOW TO Forums. If you are already testing dishnet receiver, you should know that all tchannels slowly moving to N2 signal, and soon all channels will be black out. Without N2 un-encryption, there is no way you can do anything, so do spending any money on buy any equiptment, because of spam email claimed that, they are able to open all the channels.

I'm debating on picking up the TWINHAN VISION PLUS 1022A or the 102G...I currently have a DISH500, with the built-in SW21 switch. Would this need to be replaced, or is there a way around this, that doesn't require me up on the roof again. I also have recently bought a DirecTV Triple LNB dish, would it be wise to replace the Dish500 with this one, as I understand, I'd be able to pick up 101, 110, and 119, both DN and DTV (if DTV is ever hacked)...would me switching to triple LNB instead of the DISH500 (because of the SW21 switch, or would that dish not work either), be more logical to temporarily run DVB until plastic is hacked.

I'm debating on picking up the TWINHAN VISION PLUS 1022A or the 102G...I currently have a DISH500, with the built-in SW21 switch. Would this need to be replaced, or is there a way around this, that doesn't require me up on the roof again. I also have recently bought a DirecTV Triple LNB dish, would it be wise to replace the Dish500 with this one, as I understand, I'd be able to pick up 101, 110, and 119, both DN and DTV (if DTV is ever hacked)...would me switching to triple LNB instead of the DISH500 (because of the SW21 switch, or would that dish not work either), be more logical to temporarily run DVB until plastic is hacked.

Check this out here http://forums.dsstester.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=34193

thanks, however, is there a way to bypass the SW21 switch internally with a Diseqc switch? I'm assuming I'm gonna need another dish to put up, which is a PAIN. I do have a Terk 18" dish with 2 LNB's...this will work, right?

hi there

I need any help I can get with my SS2-s PCiI card...

I just cant find a free ware program to even try it..
I ve tried the Mt 3.08 ver .. no I ve found it here and when I tried
to instal it .... it asks for the 3.09 ver....

and the latest one the 3.36ver.. no need to talk about it....
go get 1 hour to try it.... you say that ot a newbie like me....
you can imagen the result....

is any one out there was in the same situation like me and and
found his way out.....
please let me know....

thanks

About the dvb software if you are looking at Mytheatre I had that up and running last yearand if you register with the site you can get access to a set up walk through with your card and MT. Another program out there is something called Ritz, I have not used it but it is simmilar to Mytheatre from what I understand and the plugins will work in both so I have been told. First thing I would look at if I were you is to make sure that your system can handle the dvb-s card that you have! @nd if you have windows ME and want to run the sat card......ugh! alot of people have had alot of problems with ME in general and it is something that most people should avoid. Windows 2000 or XP would be a better choice as they are more user / equipment friendly, especially XP.There are other factors that will throw you for a loop like sometimes codex will conflict so read any walkthrough well! In fact make a file just for the software set up of mytheatre or ritz and go to other forums and compair their walkthroughs. Sometimes people forget to mention a small step that will hang you up for hours. I am not sure what stage you are at with the set up of the card but if you wish you may message me personally.
Good luck and happy testing!

been reading alot about this.so 1 will a Twinham vision plus 1020a pci card and 8spk with a amd 64 bit cpu and 2Gbs ram work for dn hd testing???

what about a usb card , will any usb card do for dn hd testing??

I'm in a similar situation as newftauser64. I have DN, but want to play with some FTA and testing. I have a dual core pc and 1GB of ram. I was considering getting a twinhan 1027 or 1028, but I am open to Skywalker or others.

I was looking at the twinhan 1027 and 1028 as well very simmilar card spec wise but i have not heard any feedback as to what is best end user wise, If anyone has used these cards can they rate them as a user without being put in the dog house?

no sound and picture intermittent - sorry i've never posted before so this may be wrong
ok - running p4 2ghz with 2 gig ram - loaded prog 5.14,emu 3(1).0.5.1 vs2008 ran redist pack in plugins did set up and got signal channels and all but the only way picture shows is going into options each time or rebooot prog also only stay up about 2 min as well no sound
am i missing a codec all setting at default

ok got sound by switching to soft mode on my card still have channel changing issue- using twin han sky star over TT - read that hard mode is what ishouls be on - do i use default or custom graphs and which ones?