New to 4dTV receivers

[GenBap]

Fred (linuxman) gave me a General Instruments 4DTV receiver the last time I was there to get a motorized ku system from him. I have set it up below my Openbox and turned it on. But now I have no idea what to do. I am not interested in a 4DTV subscription but would like to get the digicipher 2 fta channels that are available. How do I get this to play nice with my openbox and gbox? Where do I go from here?

 

[tvropro]

The 4DTV will not get much without a subscription there is only a handful of channels ITC normally. You need to download the manual for your receiver and read. If its bricked (the orig maps are gone) you will need Map Master. If it has a dead battery it wont do anything DC-2.

You can download manuals at my website (link is in my signature)

 

[trinidex]

Gotta figure out what Sat Maps you have, if you've got pre-Jan 2011 maps you can enjoy some DXing and ITC DCII stuff, when they're open.

If you have limited maps, then you do need Map Master, to load the full maps.

Check sat setup to see if X4 is available with a cband LNB/lnbf setup if it is you likely have new (limited) maps.
If the x4 tile is available on Ku LNB/lnbf you likely have useful maps.

 

[NotTy]

There's not much out there anymore. I think that the only thing the receiver is good for anymore is a dish mover and/or H2H subscriptions on X4. It ain't 4DTV anymore, it's 1DTV.

 

[tvropro]

The nice thing about the 4d is you can sub to channels (it's original intent) and it can tune masters and the like in DC 2 when they are open. The problem is the maps with no support from the original provider for what is in the sky. SR, FEC, SID etc are changing as time passes and the updates are gone. When the 4D needs a MR its all gone. (most boxes will need one eventually just a matter of time) Channels like Bloomberg, Tv guide network and a few more have improper parameters if you have the old Motorola maps. At a thousand dollars a month per satellite, plus find a provider to transmit them like Starz did. That bill to keep things running and updated would be pretty high. I wish we could release Map Master now but its not ready for the end user, There are still hurdles to overcome. The USB guy that was supplying our test cables has made things very difficult for us with his couldn't care less support policy with bad products. Myself I never liked the idea of this as an interface but it was chosen because of simplicity. I wanted and still want the original BDM to parallel port that 4 play used. It would have been easier I think to design our own device and for those with out a parallel port on their computer could have got a adapter cable or a card for the pc. Then at least everything would have been in Map Master itself to control things vs relying on a 3rd party device & software from a guy that could care less about product he sells. Now we have to re invent the wheel. This only causes delays

Anyone that wants to build one of the well known parallel to BDM devices and do some testing and join our group, contact me 4DTV Online... Contact Us We can provide a schematic if needed. It's time to branch off another R&D & test division with Map Master IMO.

 

[Asket]

There's not much out there anymore. I think that the only thing the receiver is good for anymore is a dish mover and/or H2H subscriptions on X4. It ain't 4DTV anymore, it's 1DTV.

I worry about the "there is not much out there" statement. It is not just our predicament but if you check your programming guide regardless of what subscription service you are using you see an ever incresing number of programmers just looping the same programming over and over again some times for whole week marathons. Then there are the ludicrous "enhancements" they call them permanently cluttering major portions of the screen creating such distraction that watching is just too much of a chore and no longer entertaining. Find how many programmers are up there that are worth anything and you can probably count them on one hand. In reality subscription TV looks like it is heading for a crash.

 

[tvropro]

Too many crap channels just look at the pizza lineup. 500 channels, 490 crap.

 

[Candid]

The nice thing about the 4d is you can sub to channels (it's original intent) and it can tune masters and the like in DC 2 when they are open. The problem is the maps with no support from the original provider for what is in the sky. SR, FEC, SID etc are changing as time passes and the updates are gone. When the 4D needs a MR its all gone. (most boxes will need one eventually just a matter of time) Channels like Bloomberg, Tv guide network and a few more have improper parameters if you have the old Motorola maps. At a thousand dollars a month per satellite, plus find a provider to transmit them like Starz did. That bill to keep things running and updated would be pretty high. I wish we could release Map Master now but its not ready for the end user, There are still hurdles to overcome. The USB guy that was supplying our test cables has made things very difficult for us with his couldn't care less support policy with bad products. Myself I never liked the idea of this as an interface but it was chosen because of simplicity. I wanted and still want the original BDM to parallel port that 4 play used. It would have been easier I think to design our own device and for those with out a parallel port on their computer could have got a adapter cable or a card for the pc. Then at least everything would have been in Map Master itself to control things vs relying on a 3rd party device & software from a guy that could care less about product he sells. Now we have to re invent the wheel. This only causes delays

Anyone that wants to build one of the well known parallel to BDM devices and do some testing and join our group, contact me 4DTV Online... Contact Us We can provide a schematic if needed. It's time to branch off another R&D & test division with Map Master IMO.

I ordered my BDM cable in May, are you saying that it will not work now with the Map Masters once the cable is ok?

 

[eurosport]

Wow. When I read the title.."New to 4DTV receivers" I pictured a person walking into a dark, quiet ballpark, hot dog wrappers and soda cups laying around, and no sounds except the breeze. The game ended hours ago, and he just got here! Well the 4DTV game isn't over yet, but I can see the bottom of the 9th from here....

 

[GenBap]

Wow. When I read the title.."New to 4DTV receivers" I pictured a person walking into a dark, quiet ballpark, hot dog wrappers and soda cups laying around, and no sounds except the breeze. The game ended hours ago, and he just got here! Well the 4DTV game isn't over yet, but I can see the bottom of the 9th from here....

Exactly the feeling I was getting, so I left the ballpark. Already pulled the receiver offline and it is now sitting in the corner. Maybe I will tackle it again someday or maybe just try to sell it.