Most people don't know what FTA satellite TV is

[Sadoun]

Most people don't know what true FTA satellite TV is or even exists.

I have read and heard from people who use true FTA satellite systems that their relatives, friends, neighbors, etc. never heard about Free to air television. Or even considered it on their shopping list.

What can we (the forum members and sponsors) do to make FTA more popular amongst the masses?

Can you imagine the joy people will have from learning and using FTA satellite TV?
The educational, mechanical, and entertainment aspect is priceless. Nevermind, the overall savings on monthly access fee.

I would love to hear comments and suggestions.

 

[PopcornNMore]

My friends have been wanting me to write a book on FTA satellite for years. They said with the current economy people would love to read a book on how they too could enjoy FTA satellite and save the monthly fees of CATV or small dish services.

However, most people I talk to get turned off when they find out many of the national CATV channels such as USA, FOOD, TVLAND, etc are not available full time on FTA satellite. They also don't want to mess with blind scanning signals, manual PID entry and the complicated setup.

I often get called a "TV Junkie" when I mention to people that I have a dish farm connected to multiple receivers. This offends me, because I don't watch a lot of TV and do it mainly for the enjoyment of finding new signals, experimenting and performing weekend projects. It is my hobby and is something that I love doing with my spare time.

 

[turbosat]

Would take some deep pockets to advertise it like the pay services love to do! I'd like to see a wave of big-time ads like Direc and Dish spew out every night on the OTA networks. The hobby will grow, I believe, but not at the rate the 'get paid' services do, the big money just isn't there.

 

[queeny]

funny you brought this up.I work in a autobody shop and our paint rep happin to bring it up that he tired of baying for cable tv.he has been lookin at internet tv and a thing called fta.Well told him I,ve been with fta for awhile and I do like it.Told him as you all do to think of it as a hobbie and go from there.Also told him to come to this site look around ask ? and there was a great bunch ppl here hope you don,t mind

 

[nycrich]

I think FTA will pick up big time this year. There are over several hundred thousand FTA boxes that was purchased for hacking in the past. Now that reality is setting in that the hacking is coming to an end (Nagavision3, IKS shutdown on several leading brands, etc), users are faced with expensive receivers, dishes, etc that was purchased and little to do with it as their receivers sit blank on their entertainment centers. They are now faced with moving their dishes and looking for alternatives to justify their investments.
Maybe to start with, a sticky should be made on how to change lnbs(FTA LNB requirements), upgrade dish, and program/move(FTA receivers) to popular high power sats. This would get a significant amount of users that are searching the web looking for alternatives. There should also be links to prominent sponsors for sales advice/promotions for FTA. I'm sure that once the FTA bugs bites, lots of end users would want to upgrade equipment.
I'm surprised that there is no US/Canadian FTA/Satellite magazine like Europe. Several sponsors should work together with manufacturers(to help with cost) to publish a magazine. "Dish Dr" and "Orbit", are few of the mags that have drawn many into FTA. We need a magazine covering the Americas/caribbean. This would draw lots of potential/new users when they can read/review FTA articles and educate them FTA .

 

[goaliebob99]

Full page ad in the USA today would be agreat start. People dont know because its not marketed to them.

 

[zamar23]

A marketing campaign would be more productive, if key target groups are defined first. The statement "most people don't know what FTA is" looks too generalized to me. For example, most immigrants from Europe to NA know very well what FTA is, and FTA dishes are plentiful in city areas where they live.

As far as this site is concerned, the above suggested sticky "How to transition to true FTA" would definitely help many people, especially those without notable FTA equipment skills. For broader advertising, social sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter have created in recent years a new ad medium many consumer goods manufacturers currently use, and its wise to exploit it to promote FTA on cheap.

 

[stogie5150]

As long as programming is what it is, Jamal, it will NEVER be mainstream. Unless and until the US adopts a system like Europe does, FTA is and will be nothing more than a hobby, UNLESS you want a system like Glorystar or the channels on G19 Ku.

Really, if the average Joe Sixpack is used to watching American Chopper, Anderson Cooper, and HBO, they are not going to be satisfied with RTV, ABC News NOW, and THIS TV as replacements.

Everyone I know looks at me like I have horns growing out of my head when I try to explain. If I can't get what they get now, why would I go through the time and expense? Sports fans don't even understand.

Directv, DISH, and Cable have the market monopolized, and that's the way they want it. You want TV, you gonna pay. Dearly. Well, some of us ain't playing that game anymore. I'll read a book before I pay 100.00 a month for 500 channels, when I only watch 5 on average. Not gonna happen. They have priced themselves out of the average person's reach. Just tonight, I read that Directv is raising the price for Sunday Ticket AGAIN....hey, I guess as long as folks buy it...

I'll say something else, that's gonna be unpopular here, but I am gonna say it. They keep raising prices, they better keep their signal integrity departments well staffed, and their legal departments lawyered up. Because average joes WILL try to pirate if its available, because its just too damned expensive to BUY. And long as someone wants it free, or at least a lot cheaper, someone will be there to provide it, if there is money to be made, and there is.

VideoCipher was hacked, Directv was at one time, DISH was (and is now to a certain extent) hacked, and if the prices keep going up someone WILL be along to provide it. Once a product gets past a certain price, and the public feels like they are getting gouged, they don't have a problem stealing it. Yep, its still wrong, we all know that, but its just too tempting for some folks.

Me? Long as the feeds keep coming, and I got some guys to shoot the breeze with like now, I'm good. I don't need or want American Chopper.

 

[Kb Cool]

Be nice if we could somehow purchase smart cards for all those cable channels that "are" up there. Isn't that how they do it in Europe? Sadoun, maybe you can get Cisco and the Programmers interested? I'm sure Charlie, Ruhpert and the Cable cartel are paying them pennies per sub per channel. They could get more dollars per sub selling directly to us.

 

[zamar23]

"Get programmers interested" outcome is pawed by law suites. Investing in FTA channels line-up is a different story. If one wants to grow FTA equipment sales, this way is a lot safer, but may look lengthy and costlier for some who want easy money. Major broadcasters shown, one has to provide both Content and Equipment to earn more (a lot more).

 

[Kb Cool]

The Contents (programming) there and we already own the equipment. Just need a card to decode it. Do you only have KU?

 

[Inno]

I'm with Stogie on this one 110%. Folks want what they are used to now, quick, easy and as many low quality crappy channels as you can squeeze on one (or three) satellites. It's all about quantity, not quality and make it so easy that once they set it up I never have to look at a dish again.
For us it's about an interest in the hobby, not about watching TV. Like Popcorn 'n' More said he takes offense to people calling us TV junkies. In my case, like many others here that could not be further from the truth. I gotta say, society in general wants to be spoon fed and FTA does not fit well with that mentality.

 

[Keith Brannen]

As long as programming is what it is, Jamal, it will NEVER be mainstream. Unless and until the US adopts a system like Europe does, FTA is and will be nothing more than a hobby, UNLESS you want a system like Glorystar or the channels on G19 Ku.

Agree completely. With the loss of the Equity Channels on G18 we basically lost our "flagship" of channels that would have been of some interest to the average TV viewer. Now you really have to either have a motorised dish or multiple LNBs & dishes to pull in a half decent selection of channels, or go to C-band, neither of which the average small dish user would ever contemplate.

 

[tracker1998]

If you look at the content out there, there is quite a lot. English content not as much. There is certainly a market for the channels of other languages understood by others. We can't control what is being broadcast but, that is where the real market is, for now!
So keeping in with this thread, the focus should be with what is available, to who is really intersted and attracted to such programming that sat. providers don't offer. Follow the programming market.
It would also help keep installers working if the customer can't install but will save in the end!!
Tracker.

 

[Kb Cool]

I'll play Devils advocate for a bit. As FTA becomes more and more popular won't the programmers be more inclined to scramble their signals as quickly as possible? Just say'n.

 

[zamar23]

Interesting question to discuss would be, why major broadcasters offer so many channels nobody wants to watch? Is it only to justify high package price, while big chunk of it goes to most popular content providers anyway. Or there are other reasons to maintain a 500+ channel lineup?

 

[avg1joe]

Build an STB which is easy to run, is wifi capable and has a built in browser that can play videos from many sources full screen off the internet (not just youtube, netflix, or whatever name brand). Include a pvr with a hard drive in the stb (instead of usb) and an ota tuner. The hard drive doesn't need to be included but should be easily added.

 

[Sadoun]

focus should be with what is available, to who is really intersted and attracted to such programming that sat. providers don't offer. Follow the programming market.
It would also help keep installers working if the customer can't install but will save in the end!!
Tracker.

Yes, tracker, that is the case indeed. True FTA is what we are after. The channels, backhauls, feeds, etc. are different than whats offered by the premium services, and that is a fact.

I like the idea of having an FTA Magazine. If the sponsors are with me on this, I am for it. Who wouldn't buy an issue or subscribe to it on this forum?

I like the idea about publishing a book about the FTA hobby . We all can contribute to it if some one can write it and put it together. It will sell nicely on Amazon and other book sellers, plus on my website.

The is a Hobby and it is a 100% fun. I think most of us are in it for the hobby and to see what's out there.

 

[Kb Cool]

Content cost money to produce. We need a way to pay for it without the need of a middleman like E*, D* and cable. Most of the FTA is not for you to get free. If it is then it probally sucks anyways.

 

[Dishman Dan]

*Most people that I mention FTA to think that it is illegal TV!

*One of my friends' wife works for the DA and says that she is keeping a eye on me!

*Nobody seems to think that anything can be picked up on a BUD whether FTA or 4DTV!


Sounds like we need some good PR! A lot of people think that FTA means pirates! Maybe some of that Obama stimulus money is available to help our cause. Charlie probably got some money to help his business and to help pay legal fees and scramble channels that used to be in the clear. Maybe some money could go for advertisements (or publication) about FTA or a smear campaign to expose Charlie's dark past and the former free channels he helped take away from us so he control and charge for! I am also really surprised on how many people think that they need Charlie to get local channels for them and they gladly fork the money to him for something that most can get free! Let them know what else is free. It does seem like the more noise we make the more Charlie takes!