Getting Back Into Big Dish after 13 Years

[sholsten]

I've got a wild hair to get back into 4DTV C & KU-Bands. I went the way of the little dishes like so many others did, I was moving & decided to sell my 4D system. I've been sick about it ever since. My main question is what choices of shows are left. I see what looks to be a much bigger Satellite arc than there was then, and I see birds listed I've never heard of. I hear that a few networks have went back in the clear since interest has pretty well died out here. I miss the live news feeds & back hauls & etc. Are there any up to date charts that shows what there is to watch nowadays including the modes they're broadcasted in. It will be late this month or early next month before I will have the money in hand to jump back in. I know I want a new GI 4DTV with both C & KU Bands. I'm having problems deciding in getting a 10 or 12 foot dish though.

I'd appreciate anyone's info & opinions on this matter for me. Is the 4DTV still seem to be the best receiver or has more came out since I left in 2000? I have a dealer in Cape Girardeau MO who will sell me a whole new 4DTV System but we haven't set any prices yet.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

If you have a dealer who will sell you a new 4DTV system, then I would stay far away from that dealer, since 4DTV is now almost dead. And the 4DTV wouldn't pick up what you are looking for anyways such as news feeds and back hauls.

For a receiver I would look into something like the MicroHD, X2, AZbox, Manhattan type receivers. You can find lots of information about them here.

But I wouldn'y spend a nickle on 4DTV.

 

[Anole]

You really need to read over the posts on the forum and get caught up.
At the top of every page, is a link to The List, one of many resources.
Here is a recent overview of some popular stuff on Ku:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/316578-Satellite-System-Topology-Question?p=3233223#post3233223
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Scott wasn't kidding to stay away from anyone offering you a 4D system!
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As for a BUD, I would maybe recommend finding a nice used 10' dish for about $100, and refurbishing it.
We just talked KJ6EO through getting a Winegard Pinnacle, cleaning it up, and installing it.
He was a newbie, and did very well. Probably 4 threads.
But besides that complete saga, members are always showing pictures of new toys, and getting them going.
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We have a thread in C Band, discussing BUDs found on CraigsList .
Read through that to get some ideas what dishes we like and hate...and to find one for yourself.
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?Just don't make any immediate decisions 'till you get caught up. :up

 

[KE4EST]

Yes sadly 4DTV is going by the wayside. Lots of FTA stuff still there though on a BIG Dish.

 

[radio]

All the posts thus far are correct in what they're telling you! I was also a 4D user, (I feel like this is a confession, more than a story!) C-band subscriber for long before 4D, but moving into FTA gave me many options!

? Even though some services come and go by the nature of the beast, many have been up for a long time, many network feeds giving you "time" choices, and modern recording to hard drive can't be beat. I made the transition to "all" FTA, but began experimenting when I still had my 4D going. I don't miss the subs on 4D/HITS, and I have plenty to watch. Welcome to the forums, ask questions if you don't find what you need in the posts already, and jump in! Oh, and the good, USED dish idea is valid, too. Look around your area..you'll see 'em if you look...and half the battle is won!

 

[tdti1]

4d is dead, grab a microhd a v-box and a c/ku-band lnbf and your good to go.

Now if you want it all and if you can hit the far east birds then grab a old analog receiver or a used 4d to control the polarity, and use a wideband feed for some circular c-band, for most people the basic system above is good enough and will cost much less and be very easy to use.

 

[sholsten]

Wow! Thanks for all of the replies. Dealers here are few & far between in my area which is 200 miles south of St Louis or 90 miles north of Memphis. He's the only dealer in between I've found who will still install BUD's. He's not trying to scam me. I went to him looking for a new system and I told him I was leaning towards a 4D-TV. I need to go new if I can stay in budget. I had a leg amputation & no longer able to do my own work. This guy is 100 miles away; so I can't afford a lot of service calls.

What are the reasons with the 4D systems that you guys are warning me away from? Do they not receive pretty well everything they used to? What do the new OTA boxes get that the C & KU Band boxes won't? This will not be our main TV source. I plan on keeping cable for the wife & kids. This will basically be my toy. I miss the days of finding a wild feed if something newsworthy is going on somewhere. I figure the amber alert for the guy in California has a lot of coverage going.

Thanks again for everyone's input. It is greatly appreciated. ;-)

 

[migold]

sholsten;
I used the 4DTV for the past several years and enjoyed it. My subscription was for the STARZ and Encore channels, but they are no longer available due to technical changes in the transmission format. To see what is still available go to www.programming-center.net/ You will find that there are only a very small fraction of the original channels still on the 4DTV.
Good Luck,.

 

[Blindowl1234]

Still a lot of feeds up there. As far as lots of good watchable channels... not as much as there was 15 years ago IMO. C band still has some good channels though. I'd look for a good used 10' or 12' dish maybe on Craigslist etc...I don't think there's enough to watch to justify buying a new 10' or 12' dish. Besides that there's too many free or cheap dishes out there. 4Dtv is just about gone nowadays..seriously not worth the time. A good FTA receiver is the Micro Hd. It has great support here in the good ole USA.

 

[FaT Air]

4DTV :dead <<dead, or in the final stage anyway.
A few years ago Motorola stopped support, at least in the 'home viewer' market.
Since then, the channels available have been going away.
The only reputable repair shop, for the home viewers equipment, just closed. Thread here
I've got too much available to watch, DVB-S and DVB-S2, FTA

 

[sholsten]

Ok. I'm not looking for subscription stuff unless there is some really on the cheap. Are the networks & local affiliates still using the birds like they used for news feeds & back hauls & sports? Is there much on VC2 but that's in the clear? Has the porn abandoned it? Does anyone think C & KU will ever be completely abandoned?

 

[migold]

I think VC2 has gone. There are 1 or 2 NTSC feeds still active, I think, but I am not sure. Everything is Digital Format now, DVB-S or DVB-S2 and of course the several proprietary digital scrambled formats that we do not see.

 

[wildbill47]

I have 3 bud's working and the 4DTV box is still good for music and a dish mover. The problem is dealers are dumping BUD for PIZZA dish. The responsibility for setup and maintenance is the end user in most areas. There are plenty of free channels but they have to be to your liking. you need C and KU bands on a BUD to get full value. When out local PBS goes to pledge drive we watch the national feeds or OETA , Create and world are not shown in our area over OTA. When the cable tv salesman visits I tell him have my own system and would not have it any other way. Need to connect a HD DVB receiver to bud to increase channels. There is work being done to sell powerVU HD channels to the consumer via C band.

 

[FaT Air]

Is there much on VC2 but that's in the clear? NONE
Has the porn abandoned it? C BAND-NO, VCII - YES
Does anyone think C & KU will ever be completely abandoned? MAYBE, BUT NOT HERE
PowerVU? To the home viewer? I'll believe that if/when it happens.
?I wouldn't 'hold my breath'. Think that's a scam by one entity.

 

[Kb Cool]

4dtv died years ago when the little dish started cranking out the HD channels. Meanwhile the powers of cband programming sat around and did nothing! Prices went up, picture quality went down. Comparative speaking! lol

 

[sholsten]

Ok. How are news organizations getting their feeds & etc back to the networks and affiliates?

 

[phlatwound]

Ok. How are news organizations getting their feeds & etc back to the networks and affiliates?

They are still mostly being sent by satellite, in the clear, tons of them in the Ku-band on 91W, and others.

And btw, welcome sholsten, and howdy from another Show-Me stater.

 

[sholsten]

I just saw how dead our big dish hobby really it. I don't call them ugly. I think they're purty!

Does anyone know where I could find the most up to date arc layout & channel chart? There are so many new birds up there since 2000. I didn't know that G5 had retired. I remember when it was new & strong.

 

[Anole]

At the top of every page, is a link to The List, one of many resources.
.
:up

?.

 

[FaT Air]

Big dish isn't dead, Mine has 'offspring'. Here's a family picture.