Forum Changes ??

[KE4EST]

I have been thinking about the FTA forum over the last few days and how it is set up. I made a few changes awhile back kind of in the background, things that most would not notice. However, I would like some feedback from you guys on some things I have been pondering.
First one is, do we need a separate sub-forum any more for C-Band? I feel it used to be necessary. We had 4DTV and other things related only to C-Band and they were in there. Then some were removed and others were just merged into one place called C-Band discussion. Now that those things have sadly moved on, I personally don't see a reason to differentiate C-Band from Ku??? What do you guys think? Should I leave it and have another sub-forum for Ku? Personally I think too many sub-forums would make things just silly. Now if we had thousands of posts a day like some of these cell phone and computer forums out there, I would have many sub-forums and would have done it a long time ago. It's a mess if you don't do that when you have thousands of posts a day. Since we don't though...??? Like I said I would like some feedback.
Second, some 4K feeds are starting to show up, and although hit and miss right now, some receivers are starting to show up that decode 4K. Do we need a 4K sub-forum.

Third, what other ideas do you guys have? Tell me your thoughts. What am I missing?

 

[Magic Static]

You might combine some others too ie
1. FTA receivers/equipment support and reviews
2. FTA FAQs and Manuals

4K? maybe later but not needed yet IMHO

 

[Titanium]

I have always wondered about the FTA Shack. Most Shack threads should be in the main FTA forum.

 

[KE4EST]

I have always wondered about the FTA Shack. Most Shack threads should be in the main FTA forum.

I have to agree. It was originally put there for guys to have off topic discussions, that just hang out in the FTA section of SatelliteGuys, kind of like the chit chat in the main forum.
..but you guys are more than welcome to have off topic discussions in the main FTA forum, as long as it is not too crazy or political.

 

[dem0nlord]

A whole lot of the C band discussion is about hardware that only applies to C band.

 

[bpalone]

Think the C band should be left as is. Some things associated with C could be confusing to a newbie starting off on Ku.

 

[Shicks4]

I kinda like having the c-band section, and agree that there is a lot of discussion specifically for c-band equipment that would confuse someone new. I know a lot of people already get confused about what they will be able to receive with a Ku system already when looking at lyngsat. I wouldnt be opposed to a 4k section once we start seeing more content in 4k. Im kinda interested in the 4k myself, even bought a 4k receiver just havent hooked it up to the dish yet to scan anything in (a whole different story altogether). I sometimes wonder why there wasnt a Ku section like there was a c-band section, but always assumed the main FTA discussion section kinda covered it.

 

[KE4EST]

Thanks for all the feedback guys! This is what I wanted.
Keep the thoughts and ideas coming!

 

[armadillo_115]

I like having the C Band section for polar mount specific topics. It would be nice if there was a specific section for offset/KU dishes as well. But that would mean adding another section.

The only section that I have aways been confused about is the FTA Shack. It seems redundant to me as it is normally used, Maybe merge it into normal threads or vice versa. There could be a separate section called 'Off Topic Discussions" or something if desired. But by all means keep out the politics, religion, and other disruptive discussions.

A 4K section would be ok. I don't see much need of it yet though,

One thing I like about this forum is there isn't so many annoying sub-sections.Too many times a topic will cross over into other areas if the forum is divided up too rigidly. For instance: Someone needs set-up help. The discussion can go from basic set-up to switching. Then receiver suggestions. Then the person starts asking about a C/KU lnb.

Not to mention how some of us tend to wander off topic anyway. lol

Basically, I think it works pretty darn well as is. Maybe a few tweaks...but keep it simple.

 

[waylew]

originally put there for guys to have off topic discussions

Well by the third post we're usually off topic anywhere .
My first option,just leave it alone,us old farts generally know where we're going and the newbees catch on pretty quick.
Second option,merge the FAQs,Reviews and Manuals into Receiver/Equipment support and maybe let the Shack just melt into the Normal threads.

 

[waylew]

I like having the C Band section for polar mount specific topics. It would be nice if there was a specific section for offset/KU dishes as well. But that would mean adding another section.

The only section that I have aways been confused about is the FTA Shack. It seems redundant to me as it is normally used, Maybe merge it into normal threads or vice versa. There could be a separate section called 'Off Topic Discussions" or something if desired. But by all means keep out the politics, religion, and other disruptive discussions.

A 4K section would be ok. I don't see much need of it yet though,

One thing I like about this forum is there isn't so many annoying sub-sections.Too many times a topic will cross over into other areas if the forum is divided up too rigidly. For instance: Someone needs set-up help. The discussion can go from basic set-up to switching. Then receiver suggestions. Then the person starts asking about a C/KU lnb.

Not to mention how some of us tend to wander off topic anyway. lol

Basically, I think it works pretty darn well as is. Maybe a few tweaks...but keep it simple.

Damn,you think like me pretty much at the same time

 

[KE4EST]

Maybe a few tweaks...but keep it simple.

So your saying just Keep It Simple Stupid!!

 

[armadillo_115]

So your saying just Keep It Simple Stupid!!

Absolutely! I hate going to a forum and wasting an hour deciding exactly what sub-section to post in.

 

[KE4EST]

Just joking around, but yeah that is what I am trying to do. Like I said if we had thousands of posts a day we would have to have more sections just to try and keep things organized, but the way it is now, the more simple, the better.

 

[ancient]

Usually I feel like the fewer forums the better, because I hate having to cliok around to see all the forums and usually I will read one or two and ignore the rest most of the time. It would not hurt my feelings at all if the C-band forum were combined with the main FTA forum but if others find it useful to have it in a separate forum, that's fine too. But, I've been thinking for a while now that it would be nice to have an added sub-forum under the Free-To-Air forum if other users would be interested, I'm just not sure what to call it, or how much use it would get. But the topics it would cover specifically are satellite tuner cards and USB devices, such as the ones made by TBS, and maybe configuring computer backend system software such a TVheadend, MediaPortal, MythTV, NextPVR, etc. to receive C and Ku band satellite signals. In other words, receiving satellite signals using a computer rather than a receiver, and sending those signals to computers and devices on your own local network at home. I realize some of this now goes into the FTA Receiver / Equipment Support sub-forum, but it gets lost there among all the discussion of receivers, and I think a lot of guys that are interested in receivers aren't as interested in the computer stuff and vice versa. Just tossing the idea out there, in case anyone else might want to see such a sub-forum.

 

[Radioguy41]

Keep C-band sub-forum - yes.
4K sub-forum - might be worth starting up now as it will surely grow as more hardware becomes available.
Merge FTA Shack into main forum - sure, lots of hardware posts in their that could go into FTA Receiver/Equipment Support as well.

 

[N5XZS]

Keep C-band away from Ku band, threads keep the freqs, apart. how hard that can be!

As for 2160p 60 Hz "4K" should be new thread IMHO...

 

[Cham]

I'm thinking merging the FTA shack to the main forum would be ok, keep the C-band separate as-is, and maybe adding UHD,HTPC, DVB PCIe cards etc to FTA receiver/equipment as a sub forum? The latter can get quite technical and complex for a main forum topic.

 

[iBoston]

I agree with ditching the FTA Shack. That always seemed redundant to me. I also agree that Cband should be kept.

 

[KE4EST]

The first change has been made. The FTA Shack is no more. All threads that were in it have been moved here, to the main FTA forum.