I do need and actually want these features implemented. I would be better off at the beginning having a motor setup feature in my STB. When I started FTA journey, I wanted to select all equipment, plan setup and do it myself. And I did - with intense help from 2 leading NA FTA sites and a dozen of others. It took me some time though...
And in the process I had to look through myriad of sources far beyond traditional How To list - because that simple list didn't translate into a quality pic on my TV screen. I end up setting a perfect initial motorized Ku-dish for our needs, and I still can't find similar setups on the web, and some "experts" still tell me it won't work. Then I wrote my own "Aiming a motorized dish" Guide that covered a lot more ground then traditional How Tos and manufacturer's Instructions. Looking at all this from today's point, I think I would be better off at the beginning by using some help from a more intelligent STB, and it wouldn't even require additional hardware to implement, just some extra code.
The features offered above look like the first step in such dish setup automation and IMXO are insufficient.
Automation Feature Suggestions:
- Detect equipment performance and assure the user via a Voice prompt and Help picture that all equipment is working properly, and merely the dish position needs further adjustment if signal Q is low. This is usually a major concern for each newbie, when things initially go wrong all the way: my STB, LNBs, Switches, and cables etc. are bad and need replacement;
- Exploit the STB signal S and Q detection capabilities a lot more, calculating during adjustment process signal Q change pattern and required adjustment vector, and continuously guiding the user on required adjustment direction and values;
- Guide the User via voice prompts and relevant Help pictures on a connected TV Set, most home grown self-installers will use anyway, in which up-down & left-right directions and how far to make manual dish position adjustments to locate a due south sat and farthest east and west sats during the setup process;
- For these using an analog Signal Meter instead of a TV set to adjust the dish position, guide the User via the motor's Left - Right Button Lights: blink once the Left Light to rotate the dish with the motor around its pole axis 1 degree or step to the Left (where step value is suggested on-screen), blink twice continuously to move it 1 degree Up, etc. Repeat such blinking signals within a set interval as needed;
- Alternatively, supply a modified low cost analog signal meter with each GeosatPro equipment set (a dish, STB, etc.) with 2 lights performing similar function to motor lights described above. Equip each GeosatPro Dish with vertical position fine tuning screws to make adjustments easier and more accurate for any person;
- On a final stage for a given sat allow the STB to self-adjust the motor shaft position around the manually found one in small increments to fine tune it by measuring and maxing out signal Q;
- Drive the motor to the same sat position via USALS. Based on deviation value btw self-adjusted and USALS positions, auto adjust entered by the User location coordinates in USALS setup, and possibly adjust USALS sat position calc. algorithm to account for motor gear clearances. Advice the User via a Voice prompt to adjust motor clearance if required.
Now, would such features help one to learn more about FTA? Not necessarily. But it would make intake easier for sure instead of placing a Berlin Wall barrier, inducing desire to learn rather then facing concrete frustration. Keeping in mind that most consumers would drop the exercise long before I just started warming out, and call for an installer instead (count your cash and go find one who actually knows motor install), it might not be that bad to have more automation handy. Ask your busy city's neighbor, does he need a self-parking feature in his new car... and be surprised with the answer.
Same goes for a FTA PG, if mastered by someone who understands all intrinsic limitations and consequences of revealing certain PG info. Eventually such service may become legitimate part of FTA business - nothing wrong with it, no hidden feeds revealed. As to installers repeat visits, some of these may be "by design" to upgrade a customer's setup over time, if initial investment sounds too small, and prospects to expend are sensed during the 1st visit.
As to limited market for advanced hardware - I doubt it, given current AZBox plans to approach 100K HD units mark sold in NA next year. No contract though... And the box
was developed without piracy money involved, just pursuing new business opportunities and, of course, keeping big pocket South Korean content broadcasters in sight. Main point is to keep the unit price reasonably low - within traditional STB limit - and educate consumer on advantages of using a Multimedia receiver and its vastly improved picture and function capabilities in any entertainment tasks, not just at watching satellite. I don't think, connection to more costly Sat Internet should be required to use advanced STB PG and similar features, since any internet connection would do. If such limitation is pushed onto a user, it would reflect on STB sales due to higher pricing and lower speed of sat internet.
