DSR 4500x

[covcomm]

I am in a discussion with a provider that is currently scrambled using DigicipherII and one of the recommended receivers is the Motorola DSR 4500x. It is a long story regarding a setup for a Church and they are considering authorizing the reception even though it is not for a cable provider.
My question is this, if I come upon one of these receivers and buy it and the deal I am working on falls through, Is the DSR 4500x good for anything else? here are the specs from the manufatures page:

* 8 RF inputs *
* 10/100 BaseT Ethernet port *
• ASI and DHEI outputs *
* MPEG-2 Main Level@Main Profile and DigiCipher® II digital video *
* Variable symbol rate from 3.25 Msps to 29.27 Msps *
* Dolby® brand AC-3® audio processing *
* VBI reinsertion SID/AMOL-I & II, NABTS and closed caption *
* 4-line front panel *
* Single button OSD *
* DigiCipher® II conditional access control *
* Quick disconnect screw terminals for easy installation of audio and data *
* Bypass video and audio inputs *
* DTMF cue tones for local ad insertion *
* 3 sets of contact closures (1 set can be used for summary alarm) *​

 

[ussexplroer]

A comercial receiver

From my understanding there is two types of receivers. One for cable front ends and they only program in say one setting or was setup to only keep one channel playing. Others are more like a regular receiver with remote. I would ask them if you have to get that receiver. There is several Digicypher two receivers and if you get a older one or the correct one. It would be more like a FTAS receiver with mutiple sats, transponders and what not. THen you could have addtional channels like what is on T5 and stuff for Religious programming. If not you can always add a fta receiver to your setup. Depends what sat they our having you aim at. TO get anything else off that sat.

later,

Josh

 

[covcomm]

Thanks

If the programming provider gives the go ahead I will ask the satellite folks if other boxes will work or are acceptable. On their website under technical info it states:

Feedtype: Digichipher II
Receivers (any of the following): DSR 4402X, 4410, 4500X, 4520X, 4400MD or MPS (no IRTs)

 

[Tron]

If the program they are trying to receive is not fixed or zero key, make sure that the program provider will provision the DCII receiver and sell them programming. As far as I know, the only DCII receivers that will receive fixed or zero key out of the box (without authorization) are the Digitrans 7100 series (same as Motorola DSR-4800).

 

[B.J.]

If the program they are trying to receive is not fixed or zero key, make sure that the program provider will provision the DCII receiver and sell them programming. As far as I know, the only DCII receivers that will receive fixed or zero key out of the box (without authorization) are the Digitrans 7100 series (same as Motorola DSR-4800).

I think that any GI/Motorola DCII receiver can do ZK, and most commercial receivers will do FP if they have ever been authorized, ie it doesn't have to be current. But brand new receivers will often not get FP right out of the box.

But that is one good reason to get an old used receiver since it almost certainly has been authorized at one time or another. Plus the old receivers are pretty cheap. I have two DSR 4200s. The first one cost me over $1100 new, and I got it authorized for one service more than 12 years ago. The 2nd one I got a couple years ago for about $40 on Ebay. I think it had been authorized by the previous owner for the newborn channel, based on the channels it had stored in it. Both receivers still receive FP fine.
But what receiver is needed depends upon the parameters of the transponder being received. Some transponders are in a megapipe or combo mode which the old 4200s can't receive. If the SR is 19.51 or less, a 4200 should work, and a V version should work on the 29.270 SRs if it's not combo mode. Some b and c version 4200s, only get a couple of the narrow SR rates, but the V version does all the common ones. All 4200s will get the 19.51 SR.
Anyway, unless it's a 29.270 combo mode (or megapipe or whatever it's called) transponder, then an old 4200V should work, and it wouldn't be much of an investment, and will work on most channels that are FP or ZK. The only one I've had trouble with recently is the Oklahoma PBS, which doesn't seem to have a VCT on the transponder, which makes it impossible to load a channel map. Also, a couple of the transponders on the Anik sat confused it a bit.
The 4200s are NOT user friendly, but they are cheap on Ebay.

 

[eurosport]

I have a DSR 4200V that I use for GPB on AMC-3. It has received all DCII fixed/zero key signals I've "pointed" it at. It only holds one VCT (virtual channel table) at a time, so it needs a reset each time you search for something different. As B.J. said, they're not very user friendly, but if you keep it on one VCT you can just flip through the channels it's mapped for. Like with GPB it's channels 400 through 450. Here's a link that was helpful to me DSR4200-info

 

[tvropro]

Which commercial receivers will get combo (AKA megapipe) while in fixed key mode. I always wanted to get one of those to do combo services while in FA, anyone know?

 

[Tron]

Here's a link that was helpful to me DSR4200-info

Excellent source of information, thanks! I have a 4200C collecting dust, maybe I can put it to some use and take the load off of my Digitrans receivers

 

[emuman100]

I use commercial receivers almost exclusively. I'm in the process of building my own mini cable headend in my home, and have learned quite a bit about them. I want a cable headend setup so I can access the channels I want from any TV, whether DVB or DCII. I have three Motorola DSR-4410s (one broken being sent out for repair), two Motorola DSR-4500Xs (one broken), one Digitrans DTE-7100, and two Scientific Atlanta D9850s (one A&E TV Networks branded). I'm distributing the channels digitally through QAM modulators, tunable by ATSC/QAM tuners.

The DSR-4500X can only be used for DCII signals, the others I have could be used for DVB. They are made to output only one channel or multiplex at one time, and have to be factory reset to enter in new settings to download the new VCT. It can be set to output the whole multiplex or just the channel it's set to via ASI or DHEI. It is a fairly reliable receiver, but are really designed for tuning just one channel or multiplex to output it to an analog modulator or groomer/QAM modulator.