Lots of Dish Information!

[BFG]

Yes the tuner is enabled. Remeber they switched to where it's always enabled now and you either get charged 46 or it's waived as in your case with HD Gold

Your 508 and 721 wont receive a signal strength on 61.5 for Tps 1-5, 7-11 odd, 15-21 odd, 23,24,26,28

That's perfectly normal don't worry about it.

 

[navychop]

Thanks for that info. I probably have a bad connection from the OTA antenna. Something might have come loose while swapping units.

 

[navychop]

Yes, the other end of the coax to the ViP622 was disconnected.

 

[kb7oeb]

After several tries of trying to convince the CSR that the Public Interest Channel Package was not the same as the new HD pack I was able to get it activated. She kept calling it the Public Access package when she found it. She warned me the content might be offensive and added it. After waiting about two hours the channels were still missing from the guide, I called tech support and they were able to get it working.

I actually get all of the PI channels now, not just the few I was limited to before. Now I don't mind the $1 access fee increase so much.

 

[yellowfever101]

is there any site or information on which cities are on the spotbeams?
thanks

 

[charlesrshell]

What is a spotbeam?!?!

 

[TNGTony]

What is a spotbeam?!?!

Satellites work on specific frequencies called transponders. DBS statellites locations (DirecTV and Dish Network) have a maximum of 32 transponders per satellite location. Each transponder can transmit a maximum of about 12-13 regular TV channels or 3-4 HD channels at "acceptable" resolution.

There are over 2000 local channels! So neither Dish nor DirecTV have enough transponders to get all the locals as well as all the other programming on their satellites.

In order to maximize the usage of this limiited number of transponders they have "spot beams" Since local channels can really only be sold to a limited local market (see http://ekb.dbstalk.com/TVMarkets) the spot beams tightly focus their transponder to a specific area. This means that the same transponder can now be reused in another spot in the country. Essentially this would double the capasity of the transponder. So for example if you have a spot amimed at the northeast with locals for NYC and the same transponder is reused for locals in Florida and again in California, and again in Washington state, and again in Texas. You have 5 times the capasity with the same number of transponders.

The only down side is to those that want to receive signals illegally. They cannot get channels outside their "spot". So some one in California could not get channel in the Florida spot.

See ya
Tony

 

[navychop]

Do we know how many antennas a transponder can control, say on Echostar 10?

 

[TNGTony]

What?

I have read this question several times and still don't understand what it's asking.

See ya
Tony

 

[andrews777]

Sky Angel customers are not eligible for The Public Interest Channels. I tried twice to talk a CSR into it, and they told me I must have at least AT 60 or some other Dish package to qualify. Oh well................

I already get the NASA channel, but not the others. The CSR, after a long time on hold, gave me the phone number for Dominon. How helpful.

Brad

 

[avediswolf]

Do we know how many antennas a transponder can control, say on Echostar 10?

If we multiply the antenna size by the speed of light, divide by the cosine of the curve of a Dish 1000 reflector, and subtract the quarter wavelegth of a 12 GHz signal, we get...

0.5

There is the answer.

 

[John Kotches]

Do we know how many antennas a transponder can control, say on Echostar 10?

I think the real question you're trying to ask is this...

How many times can a transponder be reused without interference? As long as there isn't any signal overlap, there's no theoretical limit. Practically speaking, it's about 5-6 times in the CONUS.

Regards,

 

[dlsnyder]

So what's the fuss D* is making about the new E10 spotbeams on TPs 29, 30, and 31 (I think it was)? They were claiming that there was a potential for interference, but how is it possible? I know that they hold licenses to some TPs at 110 but wasn't the channel spacing scheme designed to anticipate this? Or is E* doing spotbeams on TPs that D* is using for spotbeams?

 

[mattb]

So what's the fuss D* is making about the new E10 spotbeams on TPs 29, 30, and 31 (I think it was)? They were claiming that there was a potential for interference, but how is it possible? I know that they hold licenses to some TPs at 110 but wasn't the channel spacing scheme designed to anticipate this? Or is E* doing spotbeams on TPs that D* is using for spotbeams?

D* is making the fuss because they also transmit from 110 and I suspect they feel their satellite is not as powerful as E*'s new bird and fear that interference from adjcent transponders will interfer with their signal (since D*'s dish will see E*'s data even if it does not know how to use it since 110 is 110 no matter what provider it is)

I am sure E* and D* will come to some agreement, this is just D* trying to put a kink in Charlie's plans for a little bit.

 

[jegrant]

I can report that as another poster indicated, the easiest way to get the free Public Interest package is by calling tech support. I called what I assume is sales ("Change the channels you get") a couple times and they had no idea what I was talking about. They either tried to tell me I couldn't get PI in conjuction with only Dominion (SA*) programming, or that I needed AT60 or higher.

Once I called tech support, it took the CSR a few minutes to look it up, but then she had the package activated at no cost within 10 minutes (after hanging up). She did have to read me a disclaimer about all the sex, violence, etc that the PI channels might contain.

So now I have SA* lifetime sub + Dish PI channels, and (knock on wood) no access fee.

I think the PI package also includes the TV Guide Channel, and oddly, only C-SPAN1, but not C-SPAN2. (That last bit actually makes some sense, as E* only gets "credit" for one PI channel per provider.)
What really surprised me is that it didn't include the package that is popularly known online as "America's Top Shopping Channels". The only shopping channel I am currently receiving is SAH, which is (apparently) FTA anyway, as I have received it even when only subscribing to SA* (but still having a Dish 500 connected).

I wouldn't be shocked if TV Guide Channel is required by Gemstar to be included in *any* package E* offers.

 

[kb7oeb]

I wouldn't be shocked if TV Guide Channel is required by Gemstar to be included in *any* package E* offers.

I've had HBO and Showtime only for years and the old HD pack for a while now and I did not get the TV guide channel until I added PI. To me its a junk channel, I deleted it from my list.

 

[alex06]

What does this means for Sat 129w

Ok with all t his info I clearly dont understand what does this changes means for sat 129w, Dish 1000 will become useless after or why E* is saying that if the customer wants their HD locals use the 61.5w bird instead of the 129w, or this only applies to the East Coast

 

[Mr Tony]

NE part of US and Florida cannot see 129 so they have to use 61.5 for HD locals

The rest have it on 129 right now

 

[ride525]

"Customers with a model 811 or 6000 receiver are eligible to upgrade their existing receiver to a ViP211 for just $49.00.

- All eligible customers would be considered Plan A under this promotional program."

What does "All eligible customers would be considered Plan A under this promotional program" mean?

Thanks,