odd ebay finds

[Techfizzle]

1. A HDTV videocipher receiver? WTF? it has a videocipher module in it and says HDTV on it! pics are dark
HDTV SATALLITE TV VIDEOCIPHER RS DESCRAMBLER READY A029 - eBay (item 110226708104 end time Feb-15-09 13:50:31 PST)

2. A DX antenna Brodcast VCII receiver, wonder if this could be authorized since it looks commercial?
http://cgi.ebay.com/VIDEOCIPHER-RS-DIR-657-BROADCAST-II-SATELLITE-RECEIVER_W0QQitemZ350156966166QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item350156966166&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50
3. A commerical headend VCII receiver, wonder if it is usable?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Standard-AGILE-IRD-II-VideoCipher-Descrambler-Receiver_W0QQitemZ120367101908QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item120367101908&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

 

[updatelee]

the dir-657 if it has baseband output (hard to tell from the pics) would be an awesome receiver for determing the SR of digital freq. it apears to have front panel direct frq/pol controls. my toshiba trx-2220 can do this with the remote, but that one looks way more staight forward.

 

[Techfizzle]

i emailed the guy and asked him if he could take some better pictures.
What puzzles me it that i thought it was a hd-200 4dtv hd decoder. But it has a videocipher board on.
What could it be I never heard of analog HD Cband
help me out here

 

[schlever]

If you look at the pics, this is an old unit. It does not have HDMI or even component from what I can see. You'll notice a lot of videocipher stuff on ebay as of late as analog is going away and people are trying to offload stuff ......

 

[Mr Tony]

its an analog box. There was a company called Home DirecTV or "HDTV"

its a Houston Tracker 5 which is analog
http://www.satellitehelp.com/reference_index.asp

the back of that box looks the same as my HTS IV

 

[ACRadio]

The commercial receivers are gems if one knows what to do with them (see updatelee's post above). They have the absolute best analog pictures I have ever seen. I picked up one of the Standards with the extra audio tuner for cheap on eBay...

 

[Techfizzle]

il be honest digital has a much cleaner picture, but analog has more contrast. I like digital if its not too overcopmressed

 

[guapoharry]

On the back of item #1, is that a VCII RS module pictured? What color is it? Red? For some reason, I thought RS has card slots... ?

What's the difference between VC modules and DC modules? Analog versus digital?

 

[voomvoom]

Digicipher doesn't have a module, it's built into the receiver.

 

[Techfizzle]

my receiver is an old analog drake, why is the videocipher II module doesnt have a phone line it is in the receiver, never seen one like this. mine is blue

 

[voomvoom]

I have 5 Black ones, and none of them have a Phone Connection in them, or anything else. I have a couple of Blue ones and a couple of Reddish Pink ones. But, I'm not going to dig them out and see which has a phone connection and which doesn't. Nor to see which has a Card Slot and which doesn't. What difference does it make? I don't need them, do you want them?

 

[tvropro]

my receiver is an old analog drake, why is the videocipher II module doesnt have a phone line it is in the receiver, never seen one like this. mine is blue

It's pre MOM modem on module and a 2+ not RS. It worked with a VideoPal. If its blue and that vintage it probably has the software bug that plaged the early 2+ modules. If it was pink it had the fix and had the CSPP plan like mine does. My 2+ was the first ones with the software fix. I was part of GI's Beta Testing program and the first one to bring this bug to GI's attention. The bug was when the program or movie changed to the next show it would go to No Subscription. You had to change channels up and down to get the authorization back. That was back in 1990 and 91.

 

[tvropro]

I have 5 Black ones, and none of them have a Phone Connection in them, or anything else. I have a couple of Blue ones and a couple of Reddish Pink ones. But, I'm not going to dig them out and see which has a phone connection and which doesn't. Nor to see which has a Card Slot and which doesn't. What difference does it make? I don't need them, do you want them?

The black ones were VC 2's O10 or 018. Blue with the slot are RS, blue without the slot are 2+ & had the software bug, Pink was CSPP (consumer service protection plan) with the fix.

 

[Techfizzle]

why does it say channel master? even says it on the chip
is there a fix for these? or has modifying them long gone?

 

[voomvoom]

It was probably made by Channel Master... several companies probably made them?
I have an M1 Carbine, and it was made by Singer Sewing Machine Company........

 

[tvropro]

I think Channel Master was the only one licensed to make them beside GI.

 

[tvropro]

is there a fix for these? or has modifying them long gone?

The 2+/RS was never compromised. The old VC 2 data stream has long been gone.

 

[emuman100]

I have a Scientific Atlanta 9660 analog VCII receiver. It's commercial, 1U rackmount. Picture quality is beautiful. I use it with my Weather Channel Affiliate subscription which runs my Weatherstar Jr. It has a blue module and the VC address is long, looking like xxxxxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxxx. For the Weather Channel, it works beautiful. Has all digital adjustments and meters, the most modern analog commercial receiver. I personally love it.

I know the old analog receivers had weird and crazy names. On my neighbors side of the ravine my 6 foot dish fell down into was a "Homecable" analog receiver. It was in good condition for being in the elements, good cleaning through and through would have rescued it. It was classic 80s electronics, as most analog C band receivers are. I saw that HDTV one on ebay before, but knew it was just some crazy name.

 

[truckracer]

It is possible to send HDTV via analog. Japan did it I think. But not with any of the above equipment. It's amaZing that vc2 rs was never hacked but modern high tech DBS systems are. Sounds like somebody is not putting their money into signal security.

 

[Greg Mueller]

Here's a nice 12' Sami for only $1600

SAMI SM12 - C Band Antenna - eBay (item 120365412860 end time Jan-25-09 08:10:11 PST)

Item
120365412860

(It didn't sell)