Can you get Free to Air Channels with ExpressVu? - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

rickhd · 2004-02-15, 06:44 PM

I do not fully understand how this works or what you need. By what I understand there are some Free to Air channels some in high def and with a suitable receiver you can receive these channels.

If I attached one of these receivers to my Express Vu dish without changing the direction of the dish would I receive anything?

classicsat · 2004-02-16, 12:15 PM

Probably not the Bell HD channels. You might get some unencrypted Bell channels.

chenrikson · 2004-02-18, 09:11 AM

You will get the "free" tv channels - ie. how to use your remote, etc. You will also get the full range of the Galaxie and other audio feeds (they are not encrypted).

Craig

starchoice · 2004-02-18, 02:42 PM

If they're not encrypted, how come they are not received on the BEV receiver without a subscription or are you saying that they are FTA directly from the source?

Arthur Dent · 2004-02-18, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starchoice

If they're not encrypted, how come they are not received on the BEV receiver without a subscription or are you saying that they are FTA directly from the source?

They can't be received on a BEV receiver due to the proprietary software in the receiver/card. They just can't be viewed or heard without subscription, because that's what how the receiver is programmed.
If you use a standard FTA DVB receiver (not very popular in North America), you will be able to get those audio channels without problems.

Donnybrook · 2004-02-18, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickhd

I do not fully understand how this works or what you need. By what I understand there are some Free to Air channels some in high def and with a suitable receiver you can receive these channels.

DVB open keyed and FTA broadcasts are generally on Ku band - not DBS. You need FTA receiver and Ku band LNBF like Star Choice uses.

Tony M · 2004-02-19, 09:48 AM

I have a DVB receiver with a line running from the 91 feed. You can use the DBS LNB for the music feeds..You have the capability of getting in the clear

198
199
all the 900 channels

The other channels wiould say "scrambled"

tdti1 · 2005-01-05, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickhd

I do not fully understand how this works or what you need. By what I understand there are some Free to Air channels some in high def and with a suitable receiver you can receive these channels.

If I attached one of these receivers to my Express Vu dish without changing the direction of the dish would I receive anything?

I don't no about HD, but I have a c/ku/dbs feed and I scaned bell and dishnetwork most of the music channels are open on both on dish nasa is there on bell not much that I recall.

classicsat · 2005-01-06, 11:01 AM

Other way round, NASA is on Dish. On Bell, the Galaxie channels are encrypted, on Dish the Sirius channels are.

SteveT · 2005-03-23, 01:36 PM

I've inherited a Bell dish and 3100 receiver with a new condo purchase. Although I'm going to transfer the dish account over and do a basic $25 activation initially, over the long term, I've pretty much decided to go with digital cable.

So, I have a couple of questions. I apologize in advance if these repeat parts of other posts on the forum.

With no mods at all, what can I get with this system once I tell Bell to close my account?
Will any FTA broadcasts come in or will the receiver be completely de-activated?
If I buy an FTA receiver of some kind, can I just hook it up to the dish wire and pick up anything?
If I buy an FTA receiver and reposition the BEV dish, will I be able to pick up anything using this dish (it's an 18" or 24"—I won't have the new condo for another few weeks)? If so, what would be the best choice?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Steve.

ken0042 · 2005-03-23, 01:42 PM

I think the only thing FTA right now is Bell's "How use your receiver." I think that channel still comes in on a de-activated receiver though.

To use a Bell dish with a FTA receiver pretty much defeats the purpose. The Bell dish is fixed; whereas the FTA dishes are motorized to pick up many different satellites.

FTA is really more of a hobby; not reliable way to get free TV. If it was that reliable, more people would be using it.

SteveT · 2005-03-23, 02:15 PM

Ok, just thought I would check. I have fond memories of visiting a cousin in Nova Scotia with a satellite dish back in the early 80s and staying up all night a couple of times just channel surfing. It was so fascinating. Since the current condo owner is offering to leave his fully configured BEV system for no extra charge, I thought I might as well keep it. Although logically I'll probably never use it much, having the extra time-shifting channels, etc., when compared to Videotron's digital cable, etc., will be cool. Once I get over that novelty, I'll probably deactivate it and sell the system or give it to a family member who might want it. I was just trying to find some use for it.

classicsat · 2005-03-26, 09:36 PM

A DBS receiver is no fun. Now if you get a real FTA receiver, and disg, you can have some of the fun and glory of a C-band system.

You might be ablt ro repoint the disg to echostar 119, and get NASA, and a holoday music channel.

croat · 2005-04-04, 09:19 AM

or dish 110 to get Gol TV. if you are soccer fanatic this the channel for you
Soccer 24/7

croat · 2005-04-04, 09:29 AM

lsiten to this. I have a dish pointed at IA5 @ 97W for Croatian Programming. I like trying things out so I went and hooked up Bell receiver to it. Guess what I got some channels. Some arabic ones
I did some research and I've found out that there used to be service on that satelite by Echostar. It was called SkyVista. It doesn't exist anymore but there are still few channels left which use the same symbol rate from back then. Since symbol rate was set by Echostar and Bell's receivers are made by Echostar, this makes sense. Give it a try
You can actually use any Bell or Dish receiver set to TP 13 to find signal on IA5@97. Just make sure you have true linear LNB (10750 settings) as universal ku band lnb will not work for finding signal but it will work if you already have the dish pointed to IA5.

neat eh?

2004-02-15, 06:44 PM	#1
rickhd Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Kitchener, Ontario Posts: 176	Can you get Free to Air Channels with ExpressVu? I do not fully understand how this works or what you need. By what I understand there are some Free to Air channels some in high def and with a suitable receiver you can receive these channels. If I attached one of these receivers to my Express Vu dish without changing the direction of the dish would I receive anything?

2005-03-23, 01:36 PM	#10
SteveT Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: St-Basile-le-Grand, Québec Posts: 122	I've inherited a Bell dish and 3100 receiver with a new condo purchase. Although I'm going to transfer the dish account over and do a basic $25 activation initially, over the long term, I've pretty much decided to go with digital cable. So, I have a couple of questions. I apologize in advance if these repeat parts of other posts on the forum. With no mods at all, what can I get with this system once I tell Bell to close my account? Will any FTA broadcasts come in or will the receiver be completely de-activated? If I buy an FTA receiver of some kind, can I just hook it up to the dish wire and pick up anything? If I buy an FTA receiver and reposition the BEV dish, will I be able to pick up anything using this dish (it's an 18" or 24"—I won't have the new condo for another few weeks)? If so, what would be the best choice? Thanks for any help you can provide. Steve.

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2004-02-16, 12:15 PM	#2
classicsat Veteran Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Kincardine ON. Posts: 3,943	Probably not the Bell HD channels. You might get some unencrypted Bell channels.

2004-02-18, 09:11 AM	#3
chenrikson Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Albany, NY USA Posts: 30	You will get the "free" tv channels - ie. how to use your remote, etc. You will also get the full range of the Galaxie and other audio feeds (they are not encrypted). Craig

2004-02-18, 02:42 PM	#4
starchoice Veteran Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Edmonton Posts: 1,782	If they're not encrypted, how come they are not received on the BEV receiver without a subscription or are you saying that they are FTA directly from the source?

2004-02-19, 09:48 AM	#7
Tony M Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 72	I have a DVB receiver with a line running from the 91 feed. You can use the DBS LNB for the music feeds..You have the capability of getting in the clear 198 199 all the 900 channels The other channels wiould say "scrambled"

2005-01-06, 11:01 AM	#9
classicsat Veteran Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Kincardine ON. Posts: 3,943	Other way round, NASA is on Dish. On Bell, the Galaxie channels are encrypted, on Dish the Sirius channels are.

2005-03-23, 01:42 PM	#11
ken0042 Premium Supporter Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Calgary Posts: 3,896	I think the only thing FTA right now is Bell's "How use your receiver." I think that channel still comes in on a de-activated receiver though. To use a Bell dish with a FTA receiver pretty much defeats the purpose. The Bell dish is fixed; whereas the FTA dishes are motorized to pick up many different satellites. FTA is really more of a hobby; not reliable way to get free TV. If it was that reliable, more people would be using it.

2005-03-23, 02:15 PM	#12
SteveT Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: St-Basile-le-Grand, Québec Posts: 122	Ok, just thought I would check. I have fond memories of visiting a cousin in Nova Scotia with a satellite dish back in the early 80s and staying up all night a couple of times just channel surfing. It was so fascinating. Since the current condo owner is offering to leave his fully configured BEV system for no extra charge, I thought I might as well keep it. Although logically I'll probably never use it much, having the extra time-shifting channels, etc., when compared to Videotron's digital cable, etc., will be cool. Once I get over that novelty, I'll probably deactivate it and sell the system or give it to a family member who might want it. I was just trying to find some use for it.

2005-03-26, 09:36 PM	#13
classicsat Veteran Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Kincardine ON. Posts: 3,943	A DBS receiver is no fun. Now if you get a real FTA receiver, and disg, you can have some of the fun and glory of a C-band system. You might be ablt ro repoint the disg to echostar 119, and get NASA, and a holoday music channel.

2005-04-04, 09:19 AM	#14
croat Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 51	or dish 110 to get Gol TV. if you are soccer fanatic this the channel for you Soccer 24/7

2005-04-04, 09:29 AM	#15
croat Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 51	lsiten to this. I have a dish pointed at IA5 @ 97W for Croatian Programming. I like trying things out so I went and hooked up Bell receiver to it. Guess what I got some channels. Some arabic ones I did some research and I've found out that there used to be service on that satelite by Echostar. It was called SkyVista. It doesn't exist anymore but there are still few channels left which use the same symbol rate from back then. Since symbol rate was set by Echostar and Bell's receivers are made by Echostar, this makes sense. Give it a try You can actually use any Bell or Dish receiver set to TP 13 to find signal on IA5@97. Just make sure you have true linear LNB (10750 settings) as universal ku band lnb will not work for finding signal but it will work if you already have the dish pointed to IA5. neat eh?