My nfusion HD experience

[7720driver]

For three years, I’ve had this setup:
Coolsat 5000
motorized Ku dish
Invacom linear and circular Ku LNB
10 foot BUD C-band dish
13v/18v polarity switching C-band LNB
dish positioner for the BUD

Last week, I decided I wanted to upgrade to a HD FTA receiver, thinking that I could get some of the free HD broadcasts listed on Lyngsat.

Bad idea. Let me explain:

I ordered an nfusion HD receiver with a 8PSK kit. It was delivered two days ago.

The good:
It tunes and displays terrestrial ATSC local stations just fine.
It operates my USALS motorized dish just fine.
It records to a USB hard drive just fine.
It records to my computer’s hard drive via ip just fine.
Free regular DVB services scan and display just fine.

The bad:
No blindscan
The factory-loaded transponder and SR values are totally inadequate.
GoSatellite failed to send me their in-house CD, which they advertise as containing the lastest software.
“Software update via the internet” does not work.
Can’t pick up any DVB-S2 PSK services.

I’ll start at the beginning: I know I installed the 8PSK unit correctly, and I know I connected the rear cable correctly. Next, I did a factory reset. Then I set up my USALS and DiSEqC switch settings, and when went to scan a satellite, I discovered that there was no blindscan and that I would have to manually enter the transponder and SR numbers for all the services I wanted to scan in. Over the course of several hours, one by one, I tried to get each of the free DVB-S2 8PSK services that are listed on Lyngsat. This included all the services on Ku-band and all the services on C-band. I couldn’t get a single one. I did find one HD service, but it was being broadcast in regular DVB (not 8PSK). That service was a NASA channel on C-band AMC7 at 137 degrees West. It was a beautiful picture (720p)

Maybe my 8PSK unit is defective…or maybe it only works with hacked Dishnetwork HD channels. I don’t know. But at any rate, at this point in time (March 2009), there aren’t enough legitimate free HD channels to justify replacing a standard def receiver with an HD one. So, getting the nfusion HD was a bad idea. Mainly, I was wanting to get NBC’s HD channels (one for each time zone), plus any HD feeds I could find with blindscan. But of course, I discovered that the NFUSION HD HAS NO BLIND SCAN.

Most of the fault for this fiasco lies with me. I should have done more research before buying the nfusion HD. My thinking was this: “Hey, it’s been 3 years since I got the Coolsat 5000. I’ll get a top-of-the-line HD receiver, and it’s bound to have blindscan.” So when I saw that GoSatellite had rated the nfusion HD as the best HD receiver….I bit.

Just wondering…have any of you other nfusion HD owners been able to get a legitimate free high definition VBS-S2 8PSK channel?

Also, I was wondering if there might be any possibility that a future software upgrade might add blindscan capability to the nfusion HD.

David

 

[gillham]

Maybe my 8PSK unit is defective…or maybe it only works with hacked Dishnetwork HD channels.

Did you try TP2 on 129°W? Ciel 2 at 129.0°W - LyngSat
That is FTA apparently and Turbo 8PSK. It might tell you if your board works at all with the factory software.

 

[7720driver]

Gillham, I did scan Ceil 2 at 129 degrees.

The scan picked up 20 channels on transponders 5 and 21.

Most of the 20 channels in the list were scrambled and unviewable, but there were a couple of viewable channels that had engineering data, and there was a channel with a guy telling hackers to stop.

The scannable transponders (5 and 21) are in the regular DVB format.

My scan did not pickup any channels on the 8PSK MPEG4 transponders.

Does that indicate that my 8PSK unit is not working?

 

[tdti1]

The Nfusion receivers are basically just for piracy, they are pretty useless for anything else, the internet connection is I think only used for illegal card sharing as I do not even think it work for regular updates? so this is a receiver any real fta user would want to avoid.

 

[7720driver]

Thanks, tdti1. I'm going to try to return it to GoSatellite and get my money back.

 

[daddyzlod]

Good luck with the return to GoSatellite, I crossed them off my list a long time ago, and switched to Sadoun.
I bought a Captain 8000 HD from Go, and ended up banishing it out to the garage apartment/computer shop for infrequent use. Usually have to put a hex on it, and do a little voodoo dance around it to get it to work.
I use a Sonic View 8000HD in the house, and have gotten more than a year of good service out of it.
Theres not a lot of mpeg 2 HD up in the air, but its got a good ota tuner in it.
To scared to attempt to buy a 8psk card for it.

Bob

 

[N6BY]

Good luck with the return to GoSatellite, I crossed them off my list a long time ago, and switched to Sadoun....

I won't buy from GoSatellite again either. I purchased a Viewsat Max HD from them which I was not happy with. First they said no returns at all. I was bluntly told to 'Contact the manufacturer'.

Then after posting about my experience in this forum they offered to let me return it if I paid about $40 in restocking fees plus return shipping to Canada.

Instead I sold it on eBay.

If you want DVB-S2 that works out of the box, get a Coolsat 8100 HD. Lots of people here (including me) have the 8000 or 8100. You can get one on eBay for much less than it would cost at GoSatellite.

 

[gillham]

Does that indicate that my 8PSK unit is not working?

Did you have signal quality on the 12239 L 21500 transponder with Turbo 8PSK modulation? If not the board isn't really working. Just scanning the transponders configured into the receiver might only include QPSK.

I agree that you should get a Coolsat 8100HD. I have an 8000 and an 8100 and they both work well.

 

[7720driver]

Gillham, I get no signal quality on that Ceil 2 transponder (transponder #2, frequency 12239L, SR 21500)

So, if other guys with HD FTA receivers are getting quality on that transponder...then that means my 8PSK module is bad.

 

[pedrogarcia]

I am confused how can the Nfusion HD be advertised as such when it needs an 8psk upgrade?

 

[7720driver]

Pedro, there are one or two legitimate satellite HD channels that you can get without the 8PSK module.

 

[B.J.]

Pedro, there are one or two legitimate satellite HD channels that you can get without the 8PSK module.

More than 1 or 2 , although it varies, as they come and go, and you have to keep looking for them. Right now, I'm counting at least 13 just on Ku, and a few days ago there were 3 or 4 more than that, and a couple weeks before that, there were only a half dozen that I knew of, so it varies quite a bit.

My big question re this topic though, is relative to the so called 8PSK module that they sell to go with this nFusion receiver. Some of the dealer's web pages say that it gets channels that are DVB-S2, while the hacker sites say it gets turbo 8PSK. And the OP in this thread says that it doesn't get either. I didn't think that any module was capable of getting both. Really looks like a cheaply made module though, so I guess I'm not surprised, but I am curious whether anyone ever managed to get DVB-S2 8PSK with it, because I had just assumed that it couldn't.

 

[7720driver]

B.J., I'm not knowledgeable about DVB-S2 versus 8PSK. Yes, it would be good if somebody could enlighten us. My module got neither (because it's probably defective).

Thanks for your input.

Some company needs to start making a HD FTA receiver that has blindscan.

 

[pedrogarcia]

HD RECEIVERS

As I understand DBV S2, it is a second generation standard about 30% up on DVB S, capable of streaming MPEG 2 and 4 in qpsk or 8psk and is backward compatible. Why then are some receiver maufacturers making so called HD receivers that only do part of the job.
Users need to understand and research the specs on intended receiver purchases and Suppliers need to be more aware else they will have receivers left on their shelves.
Thanks to 7720driver for bringing this to our attention.
Iceburg - How about putting a sticky on what spec to look for in an HD Receiver.

Hey BJ which sats have all these Ku HD channels?

 

[Mr Tony]

Some company needs to start making a HD FTA receiver that has blindscan.

Pansat 9200 does HD and blind scans. It doesnt blind scan S2 though

 

[jvinccler]

8PSK cards for HD receivers

Be carefull with the 8PSK cards selling for HD receivers: the most part of them are intended for reception of the 8PSK "turbo" system (D**H) ONLY, and will not work with standard 8PSK broadcasts. Another problem with these cards is the poor quality of them, probably they are produced for thrid party manufacturers in mainland China or Taiwan, without quality control, or even, tested with the receivers which are intended to be used. The only card capable to receive the standard (not turbo) 8PSK transmissions is the original Pansat card (US $ 150 or so). The Pansat card is not capable to pick up the turbo system.

 

[olliec420]

that box is designed specifically for the eye patch crowd. like jvinccler said that 8psk is probably for charlie turbo 8psk. try all the e* birds i bet you get em all.

 

[Davage]

that box is designed specifically for the eye patch crowd. like jvinccler said that 8psk is probably for charlie turbo 8psk. try all the e* birds i bet you get em all.

I agree.. That box caters to the eye patch gang, and it is a shame that I see a LOT of their google ads here on Satelliteguys too.. Yes... I realize that it is a legit product until somebody modifies it, but we all know the intended end user.

I will never buy an Nfusion receiver or buy anything from Go-Satellite, because they obviously cater mainly to the eye patch crew.

I am happy that Sadoun and SatelliteAV truly understand us legit FTA users.

 

[7720driver]

jvinccler, olliec420, and Davage, thanks for the info. I appreciate it. If this thread deters guys from making the same mistake I did (buying an nfusion HD from GoSatellite), then it's a good thing I started it.

I called GoSatellite's "customer support" number. I got a recording, and I left a complaint message and my telephone number. They haven't called back. Hell will freeze over before they call back. They are not a responsible company.

In my subsequent research, I came across where a hacker group was telling its members that their boxes were going to go black soon, when Nagravision 3 soon becomes fully implemented. They said not to worry...that their coders were hard at work, trying to break Nagravision 3. They were saying that they fully expected to break it soon. I hope that doesn't happen.

 

[turbosat]

7720 lets hope its a long dry spell!!!! That should make some 'no longer used' receivers available at good prices.