What we are hearing...

[setiamon]

Spaggeti spagetti spagetti spaggeti sapagetta *lights self on fire* P.S Night

 

[Smith P.]

I am abundantly aware of that.

I design satellite uplink systems for a living.

I was specifically describing how the DirecTV LNBF's block convert the entire Ka band into two seperate (and quite frequency diverse) downlink IF frequencies, which they call "A-Band" and "B-Band".

IOW, I'm saying the same thing as you, and you misread what I said (I've edited the post a bit to be clearer).

I was responding to a specific question about their IF stacking scheme.

The fact that the IF downlink frequencies that the DirecTV system uses breaks the Ka band into two blocks that are many MHz apart, results in the receiver displaying the two IF blocks as if they were two "virtual" satellites, which the receiver calls 103(a) and 103(b).

Here's a PDF whitepaper from Zinwell that describes the DirecTV stacking plan. Note how they divide the Ka band into a "low" (b) and "high" (a) block (yes, they call the low "b" and the high "a"). The BBC then, takes the "B" band ("low" in the attached whitepaper) and shifts it up from the 250 to 750 MHz chunk that it comes down the wire as to a new block above 2150 MHz (the highest frequency shown in the chart).

Oops !
It should be BELOW 2150 MHz, ie 1650...2150 MHz with inversion.
Look at my spectrums of IF after BBC.
White bars shows missed tpns, red numbers - tpn##, black numbers - IF [MHz].

 

[harshness]

Exactly what I said. In fact you quoted me saying that the A-Band and B-Band refer to chunks of the "IF Downlink frequencies". Re-read what you actually quoted! and...

I quoted you so that I could point out what I was taking issue with.

IF (Intermediate Frequency) is not the same thing as the downlink frequency from the satellite. You'll notice that the Zinwell white paper doesn't refer to A-band nor B-band; they refer to Ka-Lo and Ka-Hi which are the terms used for the IF frequencies. A-band and B-band are the satellite downlink frequencies. Zinwell never sees the GHZ frequencies because their equipment is downstream from the Low Noise Block converter (LNB).

My goal was to point out that you incorrectly identified A-band and B-band as IF frequencies. A-band (19.7-20.2GHz) is converted to Ka-Hi (1650-2150MHz) by the LNB and B-band (18.3-18.8GHz) is converted to Ka-Lo (250-750MHz).

 

[Smith P.]

Just for reference - D10 freq/tpn map:

RHCP LHCP Broadcast Freq. L-Band Freq 
  01   02   18324MHz        274MHz
  03   04   18364MHz        314MHz
  05   06   18404MHz        354MHz
  07   08   18444MHz        394MHz
  09   10   18484MHz        434MHz
  11   12   18524MHz        474MHz
  13   14   18564MHz        514MHz
  15   16   18604MHz        554MHz
  17   18   18648MHz        588MHz
  19   20   18692MHz        642MHz
  21   22   18732MHz        682MHz
  23   24   18776MHz        726MHz

 

[vurbano]

I'm not even aloud over there,I got banned like a year and a half ago..

They probably banned you for spelling. LOL just kidding

 

[Bob Nielsen]

If they banned people for spelling, Earl would be in big trouble.

 

[Lord Darth Vader]

Ain't that the truth!

 

[Fish Man]

My goal was to point out that you incorrectly identified A-band and B-band as IF frequencies. A-band (19.7-20.2GHz) is converted to Ka-Hi (1650-2150MHz) by the LNB and B-band (18.3-18.8GHz) is converted to Ka-Lo (250-750MHz).

It's all semantics.

And methinks you're splitting hairs. And how the F*** does that pertain to the question I was answering, anyway?

I'm and RF engineer. I know what IF means. I know how the LNB works and what it does.

The question asked, which I answered, is how the D* receivers handle the fact that Ka has more than 32 channels ("channels" in the sense of transponder frequencies) when the D* receivers only display a max of 32 transponder freq's on a given display.

My answer was that they divide A-Band (or Ka-Hi from the LNB, it doesn't matter) and B-Band (or Ka-Low from the LNB) into two "virtual slots" in the signal strength displays.

My original answer didn't go into lengthy explanations as to the way in which the LNB stacks the different satellite downlink frequencies one way or the other because it wasn't necessary to answer the question.

I also knew that the person asking the question was very familiar with all the relivent RF techniques anyway and wasn't likely to try to start an infantile urinating contest over the semantics of "A-Band" (RF frequency) vs, "Hi" (IF frequency).

 

[varaonaid]

If D* ever gets their little technical problem resolved, I've attached the channel listing page from the October edition of D* Access magazine so you can see what HD channel they 'officially' said would be up in October.

Hi,

No intention to take the discussion off topic but I had a question about the channel lineup that was posted by rad (thanks for the info! ) and this seemed like the easiest way to link my question to that post.

Did anyone notice that several channels such as MGM HD, Smithsonian HD, HDnet, UniversalHD are designated as "Directv HD Extra Pack". Does this mean that we can expect a change in packages and having to pay extra for these channels? On their website, I thought they had been extremely specific that the $9.99 HD Access fee would cover all HD channels that are being added. Have I completely misunderstood one or the other of these (or both )?

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[rad]

The rumor is that the current $9.95 HD access charge will allow you to receive the HD version of any SD channel that your base package provides.

For any HD channel that doesn't have a SD couterpart, such as HDNet, MGM-HD, etc. there would be a new package to cover those channels for the $4.95 charge.

 

[Fish Man]

Oops !
It should be BELOW 2150 MHz, ie 1650...2150 MHz with inversion.
Look at my spectrums of IF after BBC.
White bars shows missed tpns, red numbers - tpn##, black numbers - IF [MHz].

Hmm....

Indeed. Thanks for the correction.

 

[varaonaid]

The rumor is that the current $9.95 HD access charge will allow you to receive the HD version of any SD channel that your base package provides.

For any HD channel that doesn't have a SD couterpart, such as HDNet, MGM-HD, etc. there would be a new package to cover those channels for the $4.95 charge.

Thanks. That helped to clear it up for me. Wish there weren't any additional HD fees for those channels, but...don't we all!

I appreciate the response. Thanks again.

 

[specdan]

actually I was about to get Directwav when it became hughesnet murdoch sucks either way Night

Murdoch sold his position to John Malone (Liberty)

 

[Bobsacto]

Noticed HD Access removed then added back to my account today (9-23) without any action on my part.

 

[cr0mag]

The rumor is that the current $9.95 HD access charge will allow you to receive the HD version of any SD channel that your base package provides.

For any HD channel that doesn't have a SD couterpart, such as HDNet, MGM-HD, etc. there would be a new package to cover those channels for the $4.95 charge.

Wait a minute... if this rumor is true, then we would suddenly have to pay for HDNet? That doesn't seem quite right... I'm not bitching about another $5.00 per month as long as it's paying for something extra that I'm not already getting for what I'm paying now.

Eh, what's the difference.... Damn you D*, you know I'll pay it anyway...

 

[Bob Nielsen]

Noticed HD Access removed then added back to my account today (9-23) without any action on my part.

That apparently is a sign that your account has been authorized to receive the channels from Directv 10. Check channels 480, 481 and 498.

 

[Bob Nielsen]

Wait a minute... if this rumor is true, then we would suddenly have to pay for HDNet? That doesn't seem quite right... I'm not bitching about another $5.00 per month as long as it's paying for something extra that I'm not already getting for what I'm paying now.

Eh, what's the difference.... Damn you D*, you know I'll pay it anyway...

Until there is an official announcement, I wouldn't worry. Another rumor says that current (before ??) subscribers are grandfathered until next year's price increases.

 

[cr0mag]

Yeah, I don't actually get to riled up.... But I love to act like I am and see what happens in the forums....

 

[yourbeliefs]

If they're going all to MPEG4, does this mean we can expect to have all our Sunday NFL games in HD now? (assuming they're originally broadcast in that of course.) I ask because I had to watch part of the Ravens game which wasn't in HD and damn it looked HORRIBLE..

 

[charper1]

MPEG is just a compression scheme and not a part of the originators broadcasts,so how they originate is of no concern; your DBS company adds the compression methodology to retrans to us.. BUT there is a big thread discussing NFL leaving MPEG2 or not elsewhere; basic guess/rumor sum-up might be 50/50 in 2008 and likely in 2009.