Number of Satellite FTA Users?

[toucan-man]

On 97 West you might be able to get a rough idea of minimums. There are about 2 million US citizens of Iranian descent, a huge number of them came here after the 1979 revolution. Maybe we're talking almost 6 figures as the number of FTA boxes watching just that language alone. Who knows? There are vastly more Arabic channels, so add those to this imaginary pie. Vietnamese, Lao, Ethiopian, Chinese -- more ethnic viewers with set top boxes watching free tv. Then there is Christian religious programming which supports its own set top box design, so there must be some kind of market there that might also watch some mild secular FTA programming such as they can scrounge -- for all I know.

I know of only one FTA household in my small city, population 5000. Oh, the Latter Day Saints church have an FTA set up, so that makes two of us, but they're watching something else entirely I'm pretty certain.

C-band? Um, not many dishes left and disappearing fast.

If you search on the terms 'FTA' and 'satellite' you'll be led to something big that has nothing to do with FTA, rather, you'll find people reminiscing about the good old days, or some dreamers still hoping to find the right keys to go to court themselves one day and pay a steep penalty for paying other people to steal encrypted television. That crowd has driven some receiver innovations, thanks, but that crowd has nothing to do with FTA.

May we ask why you're asking?

 

[Blindowl1234]

Thankfully its not limit one per customer on receivers as several of us have several dishes and several receivers too! I'd imagine there's more of us than some would think...several thousand perhaps....blind

 

[Lak7]

For a decent idea, check the Feed Forums, see how many Registered Users there are double, triple, or even 10x that, then add the million or so for the Foreign Channels.

 

[bobvick]

I wonder how many are hobbyist, not counting the foreign language people that just "watch" tv, like on 97w or the ones who have the Glorystar system? They are FTA users, but not like those if us with multiple dishes, receivers, and complex setups.

 

[Pixl]

around here, folks ask me what all the dishes are for?
I tell them and they reply FREE TV? I want some!
Then i tell them there is some learning to do and thats the last i hear of it, sheesh.
I would think that the whole darn world would want FTA!

When the neighbors ask what I'm watching, I give fairly plain un-interesting answers.

If everybody started doing this it wouldn't be free.

Our small numbers , maybe a few thousand, is a speck of dust in the wind compared to the 93 million tv households just in the U.S.

Lay low, enjoy, don't write letters to the networks, don't post stuff outside the sat message boards, and we will all live longer.

 

[navychop]

I thought Glorystar went to online only.

 

[bobvick]

I thought Glorystar went to online only.

You are thinking of SkyAngel. They went to IPTV only, and sold their space on 61.5 to Dish Network.

 

[chapelrun]

In a way I think more folks would go FTA if they knew about it. I put up a dish for my sister in Tennessee as they could only get about 3 channels OTA - - - - now they get 247 but only about 90 or so in English and they really only watch a few.

Point is - - - so many folks I know are trying to save a few dollars that many are dropping Dish, Direct or Comcast - - - but many do not know about FTA at all.

If I had more time I would install more for friends and family.

I bet the total number will continue to go up (unless the economy starts getting better)

 

[Pixl]

Some of the pre-Ali chip set HD receivers make excellent coffee cup warmers.

This is so correct!

On the other side, the S-10 and the Manhattan (ALI Chips) run so cool they actually lower room temperature by 2 degrees!

 

[Stargazer]

There is not enough content for it to be worth it for most of the people out there. Hopefully that changes in a year and a half.

 

[Tron]

One can judge by the very small number (if any) of local FTA equipment dealers in any given market that the number of FTAers is very low here in North America. Other side of the pond is a totally different story.

The bigger online retailers such as SatelliteAV, Sadoun, Galaxy, and HMS probably have an accurate insight on actual numbers.

 

[Corrado]

...Lay low, enjoy, don't write letters to the networks, don't post stuff outside the sat message boards, and we will all live longer...

I believe that's true if your talking about unencrypted satellite feeds. But I have personally thanked each network and mentioned the OTA affiliate I receive them from when writing. I wanted my local TV stations to know that my family enjoys their programming. I want RTV, Antenna TV, Me-TV and THIS TV to remain available locally. I listed each of them when I participated in a Nielsen Survey in July to help them know we are watching.

 

[Bob2011]

From freedbs.org

"There are estimated 1 to 2 million* free to air satellite receivers located in homes throughout the U.S. and Canada."

I don't trust their data because in the beginning they said 20 million


I remember reading a more reliable site several months ago that stated there were approximately 5 million FTA viewers in North America. That included the US, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

 

[Tron]

I think 5 million is waaaaay too high. Even for the entire North American continent. 1 to 2 million viewers is probably too high, considering most in this hobby have multiple receivers.

 

[Lak7]

1 to 2 million viewers is probably too high, considering most in this hobby have multiple receivers.

I don't know. Don't forget about all the Religious & Foreign Language channels up there, they would not put them unless a decent number of viewers.
Also the Globecast part, while not truely FTA, they have many channels that don't / didn't need a Sub, and just an FTA receiver.
The Hobby part of FTA is the minority.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I would say there are about 2 million people / companies using fta equipment.

I don't think most people using fta equipment are using it like us hard core fta lovers are.

I would suspect that most have their equipment setup to pick up one channel and that they don't have a clue or probably even care that there is so much up here to watch.

I would say the huge majority of them just have a stationary dish with no motor to move the dish.

 

[navychop]

You are thinking of SkyAngel. They went to IPTV only, and sold their space on 61.5 to Dish Network.

Yep. Thank you.

 

[El_Viejo]

Also, very contagious!!!!! El_Viejo

 

[eurosport]

From freedbs.org

"There are estimated 1 to 2 million* free to air satellite receivers located in homes throughout the U.S. and Canada."

FreeDBS.org?? They must be counting IMAGINARY FTA viewers!

 

[Tron]

Nah, they're counting FTA viewers that will be definitely be up and running within the next year ...