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Recommended FTA/OTA/IPTV/PVR box

28K views 33 replies 13 participants last post by  Jorgek 
#1 ·
Hello,

I am currently watching TV OTA and legally via IPTV on my Playbook.

I want to simplify my life and get everything via one box. My ideal box will be easy to use, quiet and hassle free, allow me to watch FTA (stationary, mostly 97.0 W), OTA, IPTV (legal channels only) and support PVR so that I can record TV via USB2 to an external hard drive. Internet radio, playback of recorded TV off a USB stick, Android/XBMC and other features would be a plus.

The satellite dish will be Ku band (C band is too large), needs to be stationary and probably roof mounted.

Specifically, I want to watch:
- International news: Al Jazeera English, Russia Today, CCTV English
- PBS HD
- FTA Sports channels
- FTA Movie channels
- Spanish language channels (Satmex 6 or 8)

Dishes/Frequencies:
(* = Preferred)
- AMC 9 - 83.0 W - Retro TV Network + 4 other stations (is this Ku or C band?)
- Galaxy 17 - 91.0 W - ABC News One
- Galaxy 3C - 95.0 W - CCTV Channels
- *Galaxy 19 - 97.0 W - Most channels including Al Jazeera English, RT
- *AMC 18 - 105.0 W - NASA TV (probably C band only)
- *Satmex 6, 8 - 113.0 W, 116.8 W - Mexican channels (C or Ku band?)
- *AMC 21 - 124.9 W - PBS HD

IPTV:
- NASA TV
- Chinese channels and pre-recorded Chinese shows (for my wife)
- Various free Canadian, American and International stations including the Comedy Network (The Daily Show), National Geographic Channel and a few others I have seen

I have seen a few boxes that support some of the above.

Sonicview HD 8000 - FTA, OTA and PVR - no IPTV support and not recommended according to the DH FAQ

D***Wave i8001HD - FTA, IPTV and PVR - no OTA support, highly suspicious and generally frowned upon by Digitalhome members

Captiveworks 4000 HD - FTA, OTA, IPTV, PVR - expensive, seems to be discontinued
 
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#2 ·
The satellite dish will be Ku band (C band is too large), needs to be stationary and probably roof mounted.

Dishes/Frequencies:
(* = Preferred)
- AMC 9 - 83.0 W - Retro TV Network + 4 other stations (is this Ku or C band?)
- Galaxy 17 - 91.0 W - ABC News One
- Galaxy 3C - 95.0 W - CCTV Channels
- *Galaxy 19 - 97.0 W - Most channels including Al Jazeera English, RT
- *AMC 18 - 105.0 W - NASA TV (probably C band only)
- *Satmex 6, 8 - 113.0 W, 116.8 W - Mexican channels (C or Ku band?)
- *AMC 21 - 124.9 W - PBS HD
A stationary dish that will capture 8 orbital slots, from 125 to 91? Good luck on that.
 
#3 ·
You can look around for what's called a toroidal Ku dish antenna. There was one floating around someplace that can cover a 40 degree arc on 6 LNBs (presumably each LNB would be positioned for a specific satellite) . I don't know how well it works having never used one. But they've been around for a while. I don't think Drsat sells them but they may know where you can find one.
here is an extreme example found with google so ya know what to look for.
 
#4 ·
Where are you located?

You will really need to check Dishpointer and/or Satbeams to see what will work for you at your location.

If far enough south, you may be able to get Satmex satellites but they really don't hit much of Canada.

For the other selection of birds you have listed, one approach is a single Ku motorized dish, or two fixed dishes - 1 covering 83 to 97 - which would still be a stretch from most locations, and a second just for 125W.
 
#6 ·
big, maybe. heavy, probably not. It was just an extreme example to demonstrate the concept.
 
#7 ·
I am located in Ottawa with a clear view in all directions.

My satellite preferences are 97.0 W and 124.9 W. Getting at least one of the Satmex (113.0 or 116.8) satellites (if they are in the Ku band) is my next order of priority. The others are extra.

Any suggestions as to boxes which would solve my FTA/OTA/IPTV/PVR requirements?
 
#8 · (Edited)
I don't believe the single box you are looking for exists. I suspect you will end up with some combination of hardware/software that meets your needs.

The older pirate FTA boxes that included OTA tuners are not longer made and can be hard to find. Some of the current "Media Box FTA Receivers" claim they have ATSC tuners "coming in the future".

I personally believe that the best method of recording OTA over the long term (or until we lose OTA to other spectrum demands) is with the HDHomeRun as your tuner, then your choice of computer based recording software.

The Coolsat 8100 I have works quite well for tuning OTA, but can't download any kind of guide, and can't remember the date/time so the PVR function isn't worth much. Recording works OK if I have a flash drive plugged in when something I want to record comes on screen.

For the satellites you want to aim at from Ottawa I would grab a couple of StarChoice dishes off of Kijiji to experiment with. 3 fixed mount StarChoice 60e's would hit most of what you want.

Also, consider that things are changing for what is/will be available - some of the regular programming on 83W might not be around much longer.
 
#9 ·
I agree with what most of envirogeek says about boxes. Ott8915, you are expecting too much from one box; you won't find a single box like that. Any box that does OTA is old and won't be suitable for FTA. As for a dish, a brand new FTA 39" dish can be bought for about $70 (LNB and motor extra). Don't mess around with old pay satellite dishes for FTA. There is enough challenge for a new user getting FTA working correctly without the pain of using a dish that is too small.
 
#10 ·
cyberham and envirogeek, thank you for the great information.

As cyberham stated, it is probably too much to ask for an OTA PVR box that also does FTA. HD Home Run is interesting but I'm not keen on having a PC running all the time (I have a laptop which gets hot after a while).

Do you know of any FTA box that also supports (free, legal) IPTV, PVR and maybe some internet radio, android (XBMC) or other features?
 
#11 ·
You're still asking too much, especially if you don't want to use a PC.
 
#12 ·
Hello,

I am currently watching TV OTA and legally via IPTV on my Playbook.

I want to simplify my life and get everything via one box. My ideal box will be easy to use, quiet and hassle free, allow me to watch FTA (stationary, mostly 97.0 W), OTA, IPTV (legal channels only) and support PVR so that I can record TV via USB2 to an external hard drive. Internet radio, playback of recorded TV off a USB stick, Android/XBMC and other features would be a plus.
To my knowledge, there is no receiver yet in the market that meets all of your requirements but there soon will be once the ATSC tuner for the AzBox miniMe American Edition is released within the next few months. However at the moment, this receiver meets the following criteria:

- Easy to use, quiet and hassle free: Comes with firmware specifically designed for the North American market
- allow me to watch FTA (stationary, mostly 97.0 W): Supports both stationary and motorized systems
- IPTV: Currently being added as a feature and will be available within the next few weeks. Initially free legal IPTV channels will be supported but shortly afterwards, apps for subscription based IPTV channels will also be added. I do know that NASA TV is a key channel that AzBox Canada is working on adding as part of the free IPTV lineup.
- support PVR so that I can record TV via USB2 to an external hard drive: Supports recording with an external hard drive connected either via USB 2.0 or eSata ports.
- Internet radio: Online radio player includes over 2500 North American radio stations. Icecast stations can be played as well.
- playback of recorded TV off a USB stick: Receiver can play most media formats either from a USB stick or a shared folder off your LAN.

The satellite dish will be Ku band (C band is too large), needs to be stationary and probably roof mounted.
If you can't install a C-band dish, you won't be able to receive the following satellites:

- AMC 18 - 105.0 W
- Satmex 6 - 113.0 W
- Satmex 8 - 116.8 W

Although the Satmex satellites also have Ku-band coverage, the Mexican channels you are looking for are all on C-band. A 1.8m (i.e. 6 ft.) or larger dish is required to receive these satellites.

FYI in regards to the Sonicview 8000, this receiver is also discontinued.


Regards,

Dr. Sat
 
#13 ·
This is encouraging. My experience in this field is to wait until an advertised product that is "coming" is physically available for retail sale and has been used and reported on by some. Confirm features you want exist and work. Generally it is not a good idea to be a first-adopter in this field.
 
#15 ·
It may depend on its quality. Also, a 1-metre dish would be more attractive. Minimum to buy least expensive 1m dish plus motor is about $135, but if getting a better motor and better dish that could increase to $220. So $250 may not seem so bad since a motor does add complications and isn't as nice as a fixed dish. For a non-hobbyist but somebody who just wants to watch several satellites, this idea would be the way to go, if it works well.
 
#16 · (Edited by Moderator)
DrSat, that is great news!

I did see the AzBox MiniMe on your website, via the forum sponsor link and view your sponsored review, but I hadn't realized it would cover most of my requirements. Would the FTA connect to the Ant In input and OTA to the LOOP input?

I also see that Az Canada may support Android on it, providing XBMC support (additional legal content options) but that may not be for a while. Have you received any update on that area, especially as the MiniMe has half the RAM of the Me box?

The other box I am aware of, which does not support OTA but fits the other primary requirements (FTA/IPTV/PVR/Internet Radio), is:

D***Wave OTT Hybrid


I am wary of that company due to negative reviews of them in the past on DH.ca. I will admit I have tested the unit above at a local store and it seems easy to use and feature complete.

I am also interested in finding a reasonably sized dish that could support Ku and C band. Other than 105 and Satmex 6/8, I have not investigated the C band for interesting stations. Which other satellites are most popular? I will not be using a rotor to search for feeds.
 
#17 ·
No, the OTA will plug into an external USB based tuner which is not out yet. The Loop Out is to connect a 2nd satellite receiver and pass-through signal to it. It is rarely used in a system as it has limitations when both receivers are used simultaneously.

Unsure if it will be possible for the miniMe to run Android due to the lack of memory but this should not be an issue if all you want is IPTV via XBMC as I do believe the miniMe will natively support the same IPTV channels.

However, I do know that there's a new AzBox model coming out soon called the AzBox Titan which is based on Android so you may prefer to wait for that if you really want an Android based FTA satellite receiver.

No comment about the D***wave unit as we don't carry it.

As previously mentioned, 1.8m is the minimum dish size required for reliable C-band & Ku-band reception of most channels. Unless you want to install multiple dishes, you will need to motorize your dish as there are limitations when installing multiple LNBF's on a single dish such as minimum spacing of no less than 4 degrees.
 
#19 ·
If the AzBox Titan comes out soon, it looks it to be nearly ideal. However, I do not see any release date. Do you know when it will be out or at least if it will come out this year?
http://openazbox.info/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=435

With a single 6 ft stationary dish (1.8 m), I would be looking for the following satellites:

- Galaxy 17 - 91.0 W - ABC News One
- *Galaxy 19 - 97.0 W - Most channels including Al Jazeera English, RT
- *AMC 18 - 105.0 W - NASA TV
- *Satmex 6 - 113.0 W- Mexican channels
- *AMC 21 - 124.9 W - PBS HD

If it fit, I would also throw in
- Echostar 9/Galaxy 23 - 121.0 W - Cox Sports, Sportstime Ohio

Do you think that would be possible? I have a bungalow with a relatively flat roof.
 
#20 ·
A single fixed dish? Seriously, try to find a basic reference and read about the general concepts of satellite TV reception.
 
#21 ·
#22 · (Edited)
There are people on this site who can help figure out a system that will work for you in Canada, including those with currently working systems like cyberham. I'd suggest you consider that posts with information about US commercial systems, or what will work in Africa may not apply to your situation in southern Ontario.

The Dish Network super dishes are purpose built to hit a selection of satellites through either 11 or 14 degrees of arc, (IIRC).

Your response in the previous post suggests you believe that without any previous experience it is possible to install a fixed dish satellite system, covering 34 degrees of arc, successfully mount and aim 5 or 6 Ku LNBS, install all the proper switching, and perhaps even throw a C-Band LNB into the mix just for giggles.

With all due respect, if you can make that work on your very first FTA installation, you're a better man than I, Gunga Din.
 
#23 ·
I would give him the benefit of the doubt.

No question, it takes practice -- but if you have the correct LNB's and settings and an outdoor TV (and a receiver that will show you when you are getting close to a signal within that band) and have the correct brackets and angles -- it can be done.

That said, it took me a lot longer however to 'understand' what I was doing in order to achieve 4 LNB's (standard Ku) on a 31 inch dish. I was able to achieve a 25 degree arc (max). NB -- I did find that in order to pull in all of the DVB-S2 feeds (properly), I required a 36 inch dish (which I now have).

But, yes, I think that with a lot of reading from this forum -- his goals can be accomplished.

Best of Luck.
 
#24 ·
The list of satellite preferences the poster has described in post 19 includes a mix of Ku and C-band. His Ku preferences alone cover a 34 degree arc.

Dr. Sat has stated he can get the OP the Spanish programming he wants from Satmex 6 on C-band using a 1.8 metre dish in Ottawa. Not sure if Dr. Sat is suggesting a prime focus or offset.

What happens when services that exist today get encrypted in the future and the OP wants to move on to another satellite? Al Jazeera English is going encrypted, and C-Band programming like CW and eScapes has gone away recently.

A single motorized dish with C/Ku LNBF, or separate Ku and C-band dishes would be more useful in the long term. IMHO, when starting from a ground up system the initial investment in multiple LNBs and time to aim them would be offset by the purchase of a motorized system from the start.
 
#26 ·
I greatly appreciate the time everyone has taken to present your thoughts. I very much respect and consider the members of Digitalhome.ca experts in this area.

In regards to installation, my plan is to work with a local store and their satellite installer. I wanted to find out what is feasible as I have been dreaming of setting up FTA for years. The store initially was confused by my request at which point I posted here to get clarification.

On a follow-up call, they suggest I will need two dishes to cover that range of arc or a motorized dish. They do not have a stand which supports all of those LNBs and one dish would need to be C Band if I want 105.0 and 113.0. They do not recommend using a motor as it is very expensive and complicated to install and could lose alignment due to snow and ice in the winter.

I am concerned about using two dishes as I am not sure if they would fit in my backyard and especially if my wife would accept a large 6 ft (1.8 m) dish, either in the yard or on the roof of our bungalow (unlikely) .

If I did have two dishes, would the following work?

1.8 m dish:
105.0 W (C band)
113.0 W (C band)
124.9 W (Ku band)

0.9 m dish
91.0 W
97.0 W

The alternative is to purchase a Birdog satellite meter and align the dish(s) myself. I prefer not to do that for many reasons.

Finally, in regards to Aljazeera English, I heard about Al Jazeera America but I thought that the satellite option would remain unencrypted, only the IPTV stream would be turned off. Is that true?
 
#27 ·
They do not recommend using a motor as it is very expensive and complicated to install and could lose alignment due to snow and ice in the winter.
Any satellite installer that does not know how to install a motorized dish uses the above excuse (i.e. issues during the winter) to try and convince the customer to not install a motorized dish. :rolleyes:

Out of the hundreds of motorized dish systems that we already installed here in Southern Ontario, none had issues of freezing up or other issues due to the winter weather.

I suggest you look for another satellite installer who know what they are doing. :)


Regards,

Dr. Sat
 
#34 ·
What FTA satellites are you looking to receive? For good reception of FTA sats, you need at least a 33" dish and a linear LNB.

That receiver is an antique. A lot of programs are now in HD (S2) and your receiver is limited to DVB-S format.

The remote and firmware updates will be a problem. Try Angel Electronics in Mississauga. They have bins full of old remotes and other satellite hardware.
 
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