What is Digital Satellite Television
Posted on the auspaytv website with the permission of the author
Rev 4.0, Chris Muriel. June 14th, 2000
I've noticed a lot of questions & interest in digital satellite TV lately ,especially in the Usenet Newsgroups that relate to satellite TV (alt.satellite.tv.europe,rec.satellite.tv.europe & alt.satellite.tv.crypt particularly).Please note the correct forum should be rec.satellite.tv.europe -unless the post concerns encryption in which case try alt.satellite.tv.crypt. Also any **binary** files (*.zip, *.hex , *.gif ,*.exe etc.) should NEVER be posted to the above groups ; for binaries relating to satellite television post to alt.binaries.satellite-tv
Contents
1) What is MPEG ?
2) Modulation
Schemes (& is D2MAC digital)?
3) What is DVB
?
4) Simple Block Diagram of digital receiver.
5) What equipment
do I need ? & What's "Conditional Access" about ?
6) What is
DiSEqC ?
7) Info on some digital receivers available in Europe.
8) Where can I find appropriate channel listings ?
9) Further
information sources & url's.
1) MPEG stands for Moving (or Motion) Picture Experts Group & is an organisation of interested parties.It's run in similar manner to JPEG (Joint Picture Expert Group) -JPEG being for still images;there is also a standard known as M-JPEG (Moving JPEG) but this is intended more for the needs of the security industry.
How about the fact that discservers, and corresponding high-end editing
suites are only just moving from Motion Jpeg to MPEG (4:2:2). As an intra
coding only system it has been and still is widely used in these types of
video applications.
MPEG describes a form of compression for digital data where the data
represents moving images of a TV like-nature.The standard also allows for
audio datastreams sync'd with the video.MPEG1 is common on IBM PC's
(& other platforms) using *.mpg files. Xing, Mediamatics & others
supply software players for these and all but the cheapest PC VGA cards seem
to have some hardware support for MPEG1 files; normally you need a Pentium
PC to have much chance of playing mpeg1 files at reasonable speeds (25
frames per second or more). Anyway,mpeg1 isn't used for satellite TV;the
industry needed a faster,more flexible & efficient method. For broadcast
use, less tendency to pixellation or "blockiness" was desired with fewer
"artefacts" -technical/marketing term for unwanted material on the screen
(that's a bit like calling a software bug an "anomaly" !!). Now what the
satellite industry wanted was to squeeze more channels into the bandwidth
taken up by a satellite transponder. Analogue satellite TV uses around
27-36 MHz of bandwidth for its FM video + audio FM subcarriers; this is for each
channel. So the operators want to put 5,10 or more separate channels, via a
digital datastream into a similar bandwidth.
This allows many more channels or needs fewer transponders to transmit
a given number of channels.
To give flexibility,the actual compression ratio can be varied between
"Studio Quality" and "Video recorder quality". Studio needs 12
MBits/second data,broadcast needs 8 MBits, VHS needs 2 MBits/s.I don't want
this faq to become too technical but read DVBFAQ.TXT from Markus Kuhn for
technical info. Just remember that the compression ratio can be varied to cope
with the needs of the supplier of the video information. The digital data
from several channels can be multiplexed into an MPEG Transport Stream,along
with various (compressed) audio channels (which can include digital surround
sound & multiple languages).
A package with several channels modulated onto 1 carrier is often
referred to as a "bouquet" which is, I guess, a marketing term for such a
multiplex or package. The compression ratio used can be different for
different channels within the multiplex and can vary over time. The lowest
compression ratio will occupy the highest bandwidth but will be needed when the
video content requires much detail with lots of changes & movement
occurring. A good example might be an athletics event ; you would have
people running around the track , people throwing javelins and others just
walking slowly or sitting down. Consequently there will not be a lot of
redundancy in the whole scene so if too much compression is applied, some
movement could easily be displayed jerkily. A studio news broadcast, when
they are simply showing the newsreader and his desk, will compress very
efficiently & occupy a relatively small bandwidth. So the newscast will
be allocated a lower bit-rate & compressed more. The whole process
of dynamically allocating bandwidth per channel in a multiplex is known as
Statistical Multiplexing & uses quite advanced mathematical algorithms
to do its allocation processing.
Incidentally MPEG1.5 is a hybrid (falling between 1 & 2) but
any mpeg2 receiver SHOULD be backwards compatible with older MPEG
revisions. Actually MPEG1.5 isn't a real (ratified) standard but
covers several proprietary systems which tend to improve on MPEG1 .
Examples include "System2000" from NTL & "Orbit" from Scientific
Atlanta.
1 interesting point is that you can't compress "noise" with current MPEG
schemes.Imagine watching a film via digital (mpeg) satellite TV where,within
the plot of the film,the camera zooms in to show a TV screen switched on but
with no antenna connected. You expect to see nothing but noise ("snow)"
on the picture.This signal is entirely random & so can't be compressed
-there's no repeating pattern/redundancy in the signal. Apparently a future MPEG
version (mpeg4 ?) will have some kind of algorithm built in to get around
this problem. It looks like the next "official" (ratified) standard will be
MPEG4.
Mpeg2 is also used for DVD (digital video disk or digital versatile disc)
& other digital video delivery systems including cable,fibre &
digital terrestrial TV.
MPEG4, when it comes, is a scalable encoding/compression system so that
mini versions could output to the tiny screens on mobile phones and PDAs
whilst higher resolutions & larger object sizes would output to
televisions. It's more flexible than MPEG2 to allow this
object-based scalability as well as interactivity where desired. It
introduces its own new acronyms like AVO (Audio/Visual Object) & DMIF
(Delivery Multimedia Integration Framework). MPEG4 allows for 2D & 3D
images & user selection (or ungrouping) of parts of the whole scene - where
the originator has permitted this. It will require more powerful processors
to implement these procedures in satellite receivers.
The picture below attempts to illustrate the concept.
2) Modulation & Error
Coding -
The real world is analogue so we have to find a way of transmitting our
mpeg2 transport stream as information on a (non-digital) carrier wave.A
traditional analogue satellite transmission varies a carrier FREQUENCY in
sympathy with the video signal -"frequency modulation" or FM.
Similar to this ,one can vary the PHASE instead of the frequency -
"Phase Modulation".Now we could code our digital signal (which consists of
simply binary or "ones & zeros") directly as phase modulation in which
case 0 degrees (our carrier reference frequency) could represent a binary
0,whilst 180 degrees phase shift=binary 1; there would be a practical difficulty
in keeping track & always changing 180 degrees as there will be natural
phase variations over the transmission path. To solve this we can instead
make the phase changes cumulative -i.e. make the phase changes refer
to the previously signalled state rather than 0/180 degrees absolute. This is
known as DPSK -differential phase shift keying.
Now those of you who know of schemes used for digital transmission, in
modems for example,will know that DPSK is somewhat inefficient. There
are various schemes that allow the data rate to be doubled,quadrupled (or
more) whilst maintaining the original signalling rate.Thus Quaternary (or
Quadrature) phase shift keying uses a 2-bit symbol (instead of previously
described 1-bit) based on 4 possible phases. At the same time,0
degrees is avoided to prevent long periods of unmodulated carrier which could
cause problems in part of the circuitry -too complex to discuss here. So we
use typically 45,135,225 & 315 degrees.We now have a greater data rate
in bits per second than our actual baud (signalling) rate. This can ,in fact be
further extended by using a constellation of 8 or 16 phases & beyond
-although tolerance to noise (required signal to noise ratio for a suitably
low bit error rate) & to interference increases as the data rate rises.
[This is one reason why computer modems have trouble at high data rates
on a poor line & your 56K modem ends up communicating at 31,200 or
less]. Other digital transmission media can still use mpeg2 but change from
qpsk to a different modulation scheme.Normally this is QAM for
cable (although qpsk can be used for the return path back to the operator)
whilst digital terrestrial TV uses CODFM -coded orthoganal digital frequency
modulation -with either 2048 or 8192 individual carriers each seperately
modulated.The choice of type of modulation is made based on the sort of
problems most prevalent for the medium,e.g.terrestrial is more subject to
multipath interference ("ghosting" in analogue TV) & CODFM is fairly
resistant to this.The same type of modulation is also used for DAB (Digital
Audio Broadcast).
The main figure of merit for a qpsk demodulator is the minimum Eb/No
that the receiver can tolerate to deliver a specified BER (Bit Error
Rate) to the MPEG section. Eb/No is the ratio of energy per bit to the noise
available at the demodulator.
So since satellite signals are inherently noisy,a low order modulation
scheme is used with lots of error correction. In fact the DVB adopted what
is known as a "concatenated FEC" scheme which means that multiple error
correction types are used together - in this case "convolutional" &
"block" coding are both used. Viterbi coding is a form of convolutional
coding (also used in modems) & the "code rate" refers to the ratio of
the number of bits coming out for a given number of bits going in. So 3/4
means 3 bits come out for every 4 bits going into the decoder.
The DVB uses 1/2 code rate for channels with lots of noise (low Eb/No).
The error correction comes from the redundant coding data that is
transmitted. The constraint length (k) is the number of bits over which the
code is computed ; for DVB K=7. The operator decides which code rate to use
& the receiver must either scan for the right rate or be told by the user
(manual entry). The block coding scheme used is called Reed-Solomon usually
abbreviated to R/S, with additional coding by interleaving blocks of bytes.
204/188 code is used which means 188 bytes come out for 204 in - the
remainder being parity bytes. For a good,more
technical description of qpsk etc. try the following URL :- http://www.coolstf.com/mpeg
D2MAC :- I am sometimes asked whether D2MAC transmissions (still used by
Nordic countries)are digital. In fact the "A" in MAC stands for "Analogue" -
MAC = Multiplexed Analogue Component. The (analogue) video luminance &
chrominance signals are sent at separate times which avoids the interference
seen when they are all sent at the same time in PAL. So the 2 signals
cannot mix with each other to generate false alias signals which can show up
in PAL - like flashes or stripes of colour often seen on a newsreader's
(plain grey or checked) suit or tie. Howebver, there IS a digital part to
D2MAC - the sound & the video synchronisation information is sent in
digital packets. For the audiophiles, note that the audio is only 14 bit so it
isn't quite CD-quality. So a D2MAC signal is a "hybrid", part digital &
partly analogue.
3) DVB
Like MPEG groups there is a DVB group -Digital Video Broadcast, made up of
interested parties, sharing information & setting the standards.It's
somewhat like the VESA group for PC graphics. DVB was set up by the EBU
(European Broadcast Union) to set the standards for digital video
transmission.They have published these via ETSI (European Telecommunications
Standards Institute) who also set standards for devices such as GSM
telephones. In fact there are several DVB standards for different
transmission media.Some of these are : DVB-S Satellite DVB-C
Cable DVB-T Terrestrial DVB-SI
Specification for Service Information DVB-CI Common Interface for
conditional access
They've settled on using a subset of MPEG2 for their compression of the
video & audio. I've pasted in below a definition of the requirements to
be met to claim that your IRD (Integrated Receiver Decoder i.e. satellite
box) is DVB compatible :-
-- To be
DVB compliant a Satellite or a Cable receiver must, according to DVB Document
A001-revision 1, at least fulfill the following key features:
* Systems o MPEG-2 Transport Stream is used o Service information is
based on MPEG-2 Program Specific Information o Scrambling is as defined by
CA Technical Group o Conditional Access uses the MPEG-2 CA_descriptor *
Video o MPEG-2 Main Profile at Main Level is used (1.5-15 Mbits/s) * The
frame rate is 25 Hz o Encoded pictures may have either 4:3, 16:9 or 2.21:1
aspect ratio (4:3 is the normal TV format, 16:9 is the widescreen format and
2.21:1 is the cinemascope format that is use in the movie theaters) o IRDs
will support 4:3 and 16:9 and optionally 2.21:1 aspect ratios o IRDs must
support the use of pan and scan vectors to allow a 4:3 monitor to give a
full-screen display of a 16:9 coded picture o IRDs must support a full
screen display of 720 x 576 pixels (and a nominal full-screen display of 704
x 576) o IRDs must provide appropriate up conversion to produce a
full-screen display of 544 x 576 and 480 x 576 and a nominal full-screen
display of 352 x 576 and 352 x 288 pixels. * Audio o MPEG-2 Layer I and
Layer II must be supported by the IRD o The use of Layer II is recommended
for the encoded bitstream o IRDs must support single channel, dual channel,
joint stereo and the extraction of at least a stereo pair from MPEG-2
compatible multichannel audio o IRDs must support sampling rates of 32
kHz, 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz o The encoded bitstream will not use
emphasis
Note that American DSS,DirecTV etc. systems are NOT DVB-compliant & won't work in Europe.I do know of an attempt by someone in the USA to modify a European Nokia digital receiver to decode DigiiCypher2 transmissions -but,at the time of writing,this has not been successful.
EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) :- A feature of most digital satellite
receivers. Essentially a programmable guide to what's on each channel with
further program information when supplied by the channel. Many include
some quite useful information like what's on next in addition to what's on
now and a brief description of the programme content. There's specific
provision within the Mpeg2 structure for this information to be transmitted ;
however not all operators make use of it.
4) Block Diagram (simplified)
Some observations on the afforementioned diagram : DAC =
Digital-to-analogue converter ADC = Analogue-to-digital converter The
video encoder typically contains 4 or more DACs which run at video rates &
quality. This infers 8 bit video DAC's (not cheap). 3 are needed for RGB;
another is needed for composite video out (PAL or SECAM). Some use 10 bit
DAC's & the difference *may* be visible by viewing sharp transitions
like black to white -hint : have a look at the On Screen Display if you want
to try to spot this effect. I have not included the conditional access module
for simplicity. See section 5 for more detail on this (including a
digram). Complex IC's are needed for many of these blocks.
A qpsk demodulator/ADC/Viterbi decoder can easily cost around $7-$13 in
manufacturers volumes!
The mpeg transport demultiplexer & decoders cost even more!I
haven't included the CPU & memory (usually around 1-3Meg. is needed &
some of this may be fast,expensive SRAM). Perhaps you can now see why the
digital receivers cost a lot more than the analogue ones!!! It's worth noting
that on Astra,a Network Information Table (NIT) is transmitted every 10
seconds on every DVB/mpeg transponder. The information sent includes
the FEC,S/R,frequencies etc.
5) Equipment Needed -
First of all, a universal lnb is recommended as digital receivers for
Europe are optimised for these. A universal lnb will have low phase noise
(required so as not to confuse the qpsk modulator) & 2 local
oscillators,1 at 9.75 GHz & 1 at 10.6 GHz. The default is to enable the
9.75 GHz oscillator whilst a 22KHz tone generated by the receiver enables 10.6
GHz. Any receiver made for European digital reception may work up to a point
**BUT** (big problem) many receivers are sold for use on a particular
operator's "bouquet" (multiplex) of channels & often have internal
software that prevents you receiving anything else!!!!
All Pace receivers up to late 1997 seem to suffer from this
and,according to a recent French magazine report,so do Sagem boxes sold for
the French TPS (Television Par Satellit) bouquet. You also need the relevant
Conditional Access Module (CAM) for any subscription channel along with
appropriate smartcard (which could include a pirate card -these started to
appear in summer 1997 although many were knocked out via ECM's from the
operators).
There are several different conditional access schemes in use by the
different operators & each system needs the relevant CAM (as well as the
smartcard for subscription channels). IRDETO was the commonest in Europe but
now SECA seems to have overtaken it.
***See diagram of a generic CA (conditional access) system as used
in an IRD***
Just to explain a some of the acronyms used in the diagram
:- ACS = Access Control System ECM = Entitlement Control
Message EMM = Entitlement Management Message CW =
Control Word MMI = Man-Machine Interface (smartcard reader in this
case).
DVB-CI was a "cop-out" in that they could have specified that all DVB
receivers used the same form of conditional access. Instead they
paralled the situation that occurs in analogue satellite transmissions i.e.
many different systems co-exist. This kept the status quo with the
operators (& Hollywood) but runs totally against EU open market policy.Only
the CAM interface is covered by the DVB spec. -so they can use their own
proprietary encryption system.
In Spain the 3 digital satellite operators were each going to use
different encryption methods. However,the Spanish authorities stepped in
tried to force them all to use compatible systems.
This promotes healthy competition ,allowing the Spanish consumer to buy
one digital receiver & choose to take 1 ,2 or 3 subscriptions (involving
1,2 or 3 smartcards) but they will all work on the one receiver & CAM.
If you want to complain,I suggest those in Europe write to their
Euro MP (officially known as "MEP") !
IRDETO - used by
Kirch/DF1,Nethold/Multichoice,Telepiu,
M-Net (C-band)
SECA - French.Used by Canal Plus/CSN
(Canal Satellite Numerique)
Also known as "MediaGuard".Additionally used by the
German
Premiere bouquet.I believe SECA (Societe Europeene de Controle d'Acces) is
a
partnership between Canal Plus & Bertelsmann.
VIACCESS -Used by TPS (Television Par Satellit),French
Bouquet which can be found on Hotbird 2 (13 degrees east).
Also AB-Sat on the same satellite.I believe rights are owned by France
Telecomm as it was developed in their CCETT research centre.
CRYPTOWORKS -Used by RTL (Austria/Switzerland).Cryptoworks is a
trademark of Philips.
CONAX -Used by Canal Plus for Scandinavian packages. Conax is a
Telenor company.
VIDEOGUARD (NDC) - To be used by Sky Digital in UK. Proprietary
encryption system with
no CAM used -the CAM function is on the motherboard and so is non-removeable.
NagraVision - Used by the Spanish Via Digital multiplex.
Normal CAM modules use PCMCIA connections -a technology borrowed from
laptop computers. This should allow you to unplug one module & insert
another to switch from, for example, IRDETO to Viaccess.However this isn't a
simple 5-minute task & the internal software isn't guaranteed to support
the change!!Add to that the difficulty in easily obtaining CAM modules other
than the one supplied within
the IRD ,so this isn't going to be an easy option for many
people. Of course,it gets easier with receivers that have 2 CI CAM slots.
There is a group known as OKAPI trying to cut through the Conditional Access
mess! OKAPI = Open Kernel for Access to Protected Interoperable interactive
services).
They consider : a)Simulcrypt -proprietary systems & common
scrambling algorithm = interoperabilty.
b) Multicrypt -proprietary systems,common scrambling algorithm & DVB CI
= openness & equitabilty
c) Equicrypt (from OKAPI) -TTP (Trusted Third Party),Public Key
Cryptography,common smartcard DVB CI = openness, equitability
AND interoperabilty. Multicrypt and
Simulcrypt - Multicrypt transmissions allow
two different encryption systems to co-exist in the same receiver.The MPEG
transport stream is sent sequentially through different modules that are
inserted into the CI & each CAM will receive its entitlement messages.
Simulcrypt,on the other hand,allows different decoders with different CAMs
(not necessarily CI compatible) to decrypt valid entitled channels (i.e.
channels for which a valid smartcard is present in the CAM).
This adds complexity to the service provider's equipment but allows the
use of existing receivers without modification.Any individual IRD selects
the entitlement information it requires whilst ignoring entitlement messages
that are destined for other IRDs that use a different decryption
system.Therefore,a CI compatible IRD is NOT required.However,global security
is necessarily weaker.
At this time of writing (January 1999) CI CAMs are available for
Conax,Nagravision,Seca, Viacess and Cryptoworks. The long overdue CI
version of Irdeto CAMs is expected in spring 1999. 6)
DiSEqC
This stands for DIgital Satellite EQuipment
Controller. DiSEqC was an idea dreamed up by the Eutelsat satellite
team in order to make it easier for users in Europe to watch multiple
satellites. In particular, they wanted more people to watch the
Hotbird group of satellites at 13 degrees east whilst, at that time, Astra at
19.2 degrees east had the largest audience. Many people used 1 dish
& 2 LNBs carefully positioned at the dish feed ; this worked and
required some form of LNB switch at the dish end but controlled from
indoors. Otherwise 2 separate lengths of IF cable were needed to run from
the dish to the indoor receiver. So Eutelsat, based in Paris,
successfully demonstrated the DiSEqc system. Normally the receiver acts
as the DiSEqC controller sending commands to switches or even
intelligent LNBs via the same coaxial cable that provides LNB power
and acts as the IF downlead. It was a logical progression as Universal
LNBs using the absence or presence of a 22KHz tone to select between 2
local oscillators were already proving a great commercial success.
DiSeqC modulates the (existing) 22KHz tone with digital code words ;
in other words, the coaxial feed is used as a digital communication bus
with DiSEqC commands superimposed on the tone. The idea was presented
by Eutelsat in 1996 & test units shipped to interested
manufacturers that year. A low cost microcontroller was used and a UK firm
built the original evaluation boards as well as providing technical
support to triallists. The hardware cost of designing DiSEqC into a
receiver turned out to be minimal - about 1 US dollar. Simple
Master/Slave implementation does not even need full 2-way communication
as this uses a simple "receive only" LNB or switcher at the dish
end. Some flavours of DiSEqC are :
Mini DiSEqC - for simple control of block LNBs. DiSEqC V1.0
- One-way signal only, no detection/acknowledgment normally
used. DiSEqC V1.2 - Allows positioner/motor control of a
DiSEqC-compatible motor. For these rotators, the
settings are stored within the motor unit - the receiver
is
just the means for setting up the motor in the first place by sending the right
DiSEqc information to the (outdoor) motor unit. DiSEqC V2.0 -
This will allow full 2-way communication which will allow auto setup,
diagnostics & other switching functions to be implemented.
Eventually, the self-installing intelligent LNB could become a
reality using DiSEqC 2.x. There's more information and specifications
on Eutelsat's website (www.eutelsat.org)
as well as some on Philips Semiconductor website concerning compatible
ICs. 7)
Some receiver information
- Some of this info I
have collected from others , info on the Pace DVR500 ,D-Box, Nokia 9200,
Seleco & RSD is from my own personal experience. The latest
receivers do now have teletext -although not all operators or channels send
teletext data.
Also look out for receivers with a "MacroVision" video encoder fitted.
MacroVision is a form of copy protection which prevents recording on a
VCR.Macrovison Corporation have managed to get this implemented for DVD
(Digital Video Disc) & it's also likely to appear on Digital IRD's.
It will help protect PPV screenings of films possibly screened before
they appear in the video hire shops!! As usual ,Hollywood is again exerting
its influence. Most manufacturers now have Macrovision licences. Successive
versions of Macrovision have each added more complexity (and so are harder to
hack). Macrovision V 7 uses 3 processes that exploit differences between TV
and VCR architectures ...
AGC (Automatic Gain Control) pulses in the VBI (Vertical Blanking
Interval) Back Porch pulses (to upset synchronisation) -i.e.
pseudo-sync and agc pulses are inserted onto the video output.
Colour Striping using phase reversal of the colourburst signal.
The Pace DVR 500 & 501:- poor for dx-ing.They only work on symbol rates
of 15-30 Megasymbols/second (i.e. R/S of 15000 to 30000) due to the
current Pace implementation of the qpsk demodulator.The chipset (LSI Logic +
Plessey ADC) is capable of 1-45 MS/sec as NTL use the same IC's in their
(professional broadcast) mpeg receivers which cover almost the full range.I
wasn't able to receive any clear MPEG channels with this IRD other than the
Multichoice ones for which I had the card & Irdeto CAM module.It would
recognise Kirch DF1 & other IRDETO-based packages but wouldn't decode
even the clear channels within the Irdeto bouquets.
There is a fast serial port capable of receiving MPEG data
directly-basically a V35 interface.
The Pace DGT400 (Australia) is in fact the same receiver - -the
Aussies had digital TV before us.
Note: for most SCPC (single channel per carrier) transmissions,a symbol
rate well below 15,000 is used (e.g. 5,632).The actual menu was quite easy to
use (even before I acquired an English version of the original -Dutch-
handbook).There are no scart sockets -just phono's.Future generations will
use scart & wider symbol rate ranges are planned -but much of this is in the
hands of the operators for whom Pace build the boxes under contract.
Pace DVR600/DVR601 :- These are updated receivers using a later series of
chips.Teletext will be provided on some of them. Still limited symbol rates
-no SCPC. Scart sockets at last (on the European version only). Some
variants will include a full V32bis modem.
Pace DSR200 :- Pace's first receiver sold as officially FTA (Free To Air).
It supports teletext but not SCPC or C-Band reception.No CAM as it's only
intended for FTA channels.Good instruction manual but not a receiver for the
dedicated or "techie" dx-er.It does have 2 scarts as well as phono
outputs.
Future variants will include a true FTA box using a different qpsk
chipset which will enable Pace to make a box with SCPC capabilities fairly
soon.
Pace "WorldBox" - this is a proprietary box with operator-approved software
i.e. it's designed with the satellite operator in mind with the features that
various News Corp (Rupert Murdoch's conglomerates) sponsored systems require.
As such it has limited symbol rate coverage & may ,in some cases, only
receive the one multiplex for which its internal software has been written.
It's been rolled out in South America & could appear anywhere that uses
News Corp's CA system. Therefore, it's totally unsuitable for the enthusiast
-but probably ideal for the right Murdoch-subscribing non-techie
viewer. Obviously the internal software varies depending on which operator's
multiplexes the receiver is intended for.
ADI Mediamate DVS-820 :- An FTA box with 2-30 MS/Second symbol rate range
and 90-264 Volts mains input. Power consumption is only 21 watts maximum and
there's a favourite channel menu. This receiver does display EPG information
(when the operator transmits it). Amstrad SRDA 5101 :- This
combined analogue/digital receiver seems to be the same unit as the Radix
Epsilon 2AD which is described later in this FAQ. I suspect Amstrad have done a
rebadging deal with Radix. Even the menus look identical.It is nevertheless a
good competitive receiver. The front panel design is different from the Radix
box.
Amstrad SRD 6101 CI :- Very similar to the 5101 above, this box adds
a CI CAM interface.
The Sagem box sold for French TPS multiplex :- comes with modem & 6-pin
RJ11 phone socket, 9-pin serial port & 2 scart sockets (for TV &
VCR).PAL/SECAM & RGB are all supported as is S-VHS (Y/C).It's easy to set
up on TPS & will recognise AB Sat which uses the same Viaccess
encryption standard.On AB-Sat it comes up with the French equivalent of the
following message "This chain is not part of your subscription, contact TPS".
I would have expected it to advise contacting AB-Sat myself -but I
didn't write the message!This is like asking you to contact Sky when your
MultiChoice card stops working!!It will receive other clear channels if
they're MPEG2/DVB ones.I'm not sure about SCPC newsfeeds etc. though.There
was a review of this IRD in February 1997 French "Tele Satellite"
magazine.
Benjamin DB-6000 :- Of Taiwanese origin, this box stands out for its silver
colour ; the remote control is also silver. There's 1,000 channel storage, 2
SCARTs ,serial port,A/V phonos and 2 LNB sockets. Symbol rate range is 3-35
MS/s & DiSEqC 1.0 is installed. There's both LNB and SCART loopthrough
and a good menu system. SCPC is no problem & mains input is 90-260
Volts. This is one of only 6 boxes I've seen with a mains on/off switch
fitted (at the rear).
Digiskan KR888 :-I had some info on this from someone outside Europe.
It appears to only cover Symbol Rates of 20-30 MSymbols/second;this makes it
of no use for SCPC.I believe this is based on a Thomson design -it uses
a lot of SGS-Thomson chips.The KR777 seems to be similar. I've only heard of
them being supplied in Australia.
DigiQuest P1000 & P100 & :- This are rebadged Humax
receivers. The P1000 is a Humax F1-CI and the P100 is the FTA version
(Humax F1).
PanasatIRD520 :- from Panasonic. These were the original
boxes sold for use in South Africa. Symbol Rate only 18-28 MS/Second so no
use for SCPC.There's a version for the middle-East bouquets in C-band
also.The Panasats have 2 scarts & a switchable 12 volt output connector +
a duplex modem. The Grundig DTR1100 is a rebadged version of the same
box. The Panasat IRD630 seems to be similar but adds teletext.
Echostar DSB9800 :-This is the first digital receiver I came across from
Echostar in Europe; they're a major supplier of digital IRD's in the USA
already. Symbol rates covered from 18.5-30MS/sec but no SCPC nor PowerVu.
Works ok in C-Band also. A useful feature is automatic FEC rate i.e. you
don't have to input this manually in a search.Handles NTSC & inverted
video. The auto-FEC is down to their qpsk demodulator implementation whilst
the video-encoder control circuitry enables choice of PAL or NTSC (for
SECAM,they would have to use a different video encoder IC). No teletext yet
but this is planned soon.In the FTA version there's no modem (but an IRDETO
CAM socket is still there) and there is a PID entry menu.
Echostar DSB-9000 :-A more interesting receiver.This one has embedded Nagra
CA (as used by Spanish digital channels) plus a CI CAM interface in the
same box. There's a 9-pin serial port & a V22bis modem on an RJ11
connector. Symbol rate again is 18-30 MS/sec. so no SCPC reception is
possible.Teletext VBI insertion is included.
Echostar DSB-2000 :- at last ,true FTA from Echostar -this one does 1-45
MS/second.It uses an SGS ST20 CPU & has manual PID entry.Like the 9800
& 9000,there are TV & VCR scarts.The mains power supply allows AC
input from 100-220 Volts.
Echostar AD-2000 IP :- this is Echostar's first combined analogue/digital
receiver. Channel storage is 1500 digital TV channels + 400 radio as well as
700 analogue stations.It's an FTA box i.e. no CAM. There's a mechanical
polariser controller and a built in positioner which will store up to 50
satellite positions.There are 4 F connectors , 3 being inputs ; if only 1 LNB
is used you must connect the LNB output to the second input which then
interconnects the LNB to both analogue & digital tuners.There are 3
SCARTS , separate S-VHS & a serial port as well as video/audio output
phono sockets. The Praxis Digimaster 9800AD + P seems to be an identical
receiver except for the front panel. Echostar D-2500IP :-
released in autumn 1999, this capable receiver/positioner has storage for
2000 TV channels + 900 for digital radio; it has 2 slots for CI CAMs & 3
SCART sockets. There's also an interface for magnetic or servo polarisers -
the first I'v seen on a digital receiver. It's fairly easy to set up &
symbol rates are fine for SCPC. It can store 50 separate satellite
positions. Memory consists of 16KB EEPROM, 2MB DRAM & 1MB of FLASH.
Echostar D-2510IP :- this seems to be an upgraded version of the D-2500IP
for the year 2000. It has an SP/DIF audio output and can store 4000 TV + 1000
digital radio channels.
Echostar AD-3000IP :- Popular amongst enthusiasts at the moment, this
analogue/digital receiver has 5000 channel storage, embedded Viaccess + 2 CI
CAM slots, a built in positioner controlller & magnetic/ servo polariser
control. It includes VBI teletext insertion & useful search modes, either
by network, transponder or using its own database - with the useful option
of an "FTA only" search. It also has an SP/DIF output & 3 F-type sockets -
analogue and digital LNB inputs + loopthrough. After some initial software
bugs, upgrades seem to be giving this IRD a reputation as best all-rounder.
Storage copes with up to 50 satellites & 999 transponders. Usefully, the
remote control is a universal type with a comprehensive list of codes in the
maual covering most models of VCR and TV.
Eurostar Eurobox 9700F :- I assume the "F" means FTA (Free To Air) as this
low-priced but capable receiver has no CAM slot. Symbol rate range is
2,000-35,000 MS/s and so it works for SCPC as well as MCPC. There's 1000
channel storage,serial port,2 SCARTS and LNB loopthrough + a 12 Volt switch.
There could be some number confusion with Nokia who also have a "Eurobox" but
theirs is the 9740C & is a digital cable receiver. Although a low cost
box,there is DiSEqC V 1.0 and the menus are selectable in 1 of 5 languages
including French English,German and Arabic. Seems reasonable value for money
& a CI version is expected as the box has a space on the case & board
for a CAM.
Thomson box :- ( Mediasat for Canal Plus).I've read some reviews from
summer 1996 (in French) & this receiver doesn't seem easily capable of
receiving non-Mediaguard/SECA channels.It has serial & parallel
ports,scarts for VCR & TV + PAL,SECAM & RGB outputs (includes Y/C),
integral modem + a second F-type antenna connector.As well as the card socket
for a Mediaguard card, there's a socket for a French smart bank-card
-presumably for PPV.
The D-Box :-
This is the Nokia DVB9500S modified slightly for use with the Kirch/ DF1
multiplex.It comes with Irdeto CAM & (normally) basic DF1 smartcard
& was the best box in 1997 for Satellite enthusiasts or dx-ers. With the
original version of internal software it wouldn't receive SCPC but could
receive the Dutch Multichoice transmissions with the right smartcard. Then
an over-the-air software upgrade appeared which made 2 very interesting
changes - SCPC was enabled whilst, on MCPC, it wouldn't decode MultiChoice
anymore (it also improved the Electronic Programme Guide or EPG at the same
time). Who knows what future upgrades will bring ??
Apparently,the reason that SCPC became possible was that the new
software enabled the PSI (Program Specific Information) part of the SI
(service information) data stream. Now SI can have 2 parts; 1 is the DVB-SI
which helps the box find the channels & set up the EPG (Electronic
Program Guide).The other is the PSI which the D-Box had been ignoring. Since
most SCPC transmissions don't contain the DVB-SI (not needed for SNG feeds)
the channels weren't recognised. The new software decoded the PSI & so
allowed reception of the SCPC feeds. Now a number of hackers have been
finding ways of protecting the D-Box from future upgrades as well as
re-enabling it for BOTH SCPC & all MCPC functions.One of the most
interesting finds was the (now well known) "secret menu". Pressing the right
buttons on the remote control accesses sorts of configurable parameters.The
relevant sequence is "Menu,9,9,radio,menu" .One can then enter
frequencies (either L-Band or KU-band),R/S rates,enable BER display on front
panel & much much more.To find out more,visit some of the D-Box WWW sites
which have sprung up in the last month or so. Of course this "secret
menu" was originally meant just for Nokia engineers & authorised
repair outlets for debugging and setup.
This receiver uses a TV/Com (now part of C-Cube) qpsk demodulator, a
Rockwell 2400 baud modem chipset & Philips 8-bit video
encoder. It covers the full symbol rates needed for all known SCPC
& MCPC reception as well as working with some other standards used for SNG
links etc. like PowerVu; used correctly,it also handles the inversion that
occurs due to low side mixing with C-Band reception.It has a scsi-2
port,serial port,RJ11 socket for the modem,3 scarts AND phono sockets for
video & audio; finally it has a phono which can produce 12 volts
(enabled/disabled via the "secret menu") to power external
equipment.Although setting up channels in the secret menu is arduous (each
channel will overwrite the previous one),there is another solution if
you don't mind using a PC with it -connected via the serial port :
You can then either use your PC keyboard directly or,more useful, run
macros containing the relevant FEC,Symbol Rate,frequency etc. with a
different macro for each channel (or a nested macros scheme if you
prefer).This more or less automates your channel-hopping -at the expense of
tying up a PC.Again some D-Box sites have ready written macros that you can
download. It is possible to write this information over a previously stored
channel,so in theory you could store 200 of your own channels. Use the
WWW to find various sources of modified D-Boxes & more information.Also
watch the relevant Usenet Newsgroups for info, adverts,hints and so
on.
Some of these sites also explain how to enter audio & video PID's
(Program Information Data) which are needed to decode some channels.
Referring to my points on the System Information (SI) stream above, I assume
that the channels needing manual entry of PID via the secret menu are not
already sending the correct SI information with their signal. I expect to see
a variant with more memory -hopefully enough to store several scpc channels
& several that can only be decoded using PID info.
Mascom 9500 receiver :- has been mentioned in Doctor Dish
questions & answers (I have never seen the actual receiver). It is
billed as a "digital free-to-air" receiver. This is a professionally modified
Nokia9500 with lots of features for Satellite dx-ers.It was reviewed on a
1997 show by Doctor Dish. There is a Mascom Internet website (see list
below). I believe this was the forerunner to the Nokia 9200.
Nokia 9200S:- In 1998 this + the 9600 was the only Nokia digital
receiver officially available in UK - i.e. with support/guarantee from Nokia
in UK. There's no CAM supplied but otherwise it looks like the D-Box/
9500.1MByte Ram memory,2MByte expansion memory & 1MB flash.
Nokia 9300S :- This appears to be a 9200 but with proper pcmcia CAM
interface conforming to the DVB Common Interface Standard.As such,it should
accept any CAM (Conax,Seca,Cryptoworks & others) & relevant valid
smartcard.The preliminary spec. which I saw at April 1997 CabSat Show
indicates that it does not have a scsi port.It has 1Mbyte RAM memory + 1MByte
flash. The same remote control is used for all the Nokia
receivers. They're all manufactured under license from TV/Com - which is a
company that Hyundai bought last year.
Nokia 9600 :- Sold as a free-to-air box but with a CI compliant CAM socket
& with software upgrade,fully CI compliant.
Nokia 9602 :- I have seen this advertised in German satellite
magazines. It appears to be very similar indeed to the 9600 but with a modem
fitted. Nokia 9610 :- Version produced for Scandinavian
market.Supposedly (according to Nokia's website info) "top of the range" ;
has DiSEqC ,scsi & serial ports & a V32bis modem. There are also
boxes called 9500C & D-Box-C but these are digital CABLE receivers though
using the same basic chassis & back end.
Nokia 9800 S Multiaccess :- (3rd generation Nokia Box). This has a lot in
common with their 9850 T (terrestrial) receiver.The remote control has a new
shape -it's more curvy.An SP/DIF output is provided on an RCA (phono)
socket.A new 32 bit RISC CPU is used. Does anyone know which processor ????
It's supposedly faster than previous Nokias. Memory is 2 MBytes Ram + 4MBytes
of SDram & 2 Mbytes of flash.An RF modulator has been added with
loop-through (full UHF band,both PAL B/G & PAL I). power consumption is
reduced to 35 Watts (with 3 watts on standby). Worth noting is the embedded
(built-in) Viaccess decoder which is in addition to the CI CAM interface,
2000 channel storage & there may be a version with built-in positioner.
However, this receiver was eagerly awaited by satellite enthusiasts but
turned out to be unpopular due to software bugs . Furthermore no-one has
come forward with (unofficial) 3rd party software & Nokia's own software
updates don't yet (June 2000) seem to have made this into a "must have" for
enthusiasts.
Philips MediaBox / "Canalsatellite" IRD :- Available for hire in Germany
for the Premiere multiplex as well as for Canal Plus/CSN in
France.Unfortunately not currently sold directly for cash.It has 3 scart
sockets,scsi port, rs232 & telephone socket for its modem.There is
capacity to store 500 channels.The CAM supplied is the Seca/Mediaguard one
but it will also receive clear mpeg channels; I don't think it will receive
scpc transmissions - but maybe a later version or software upgrade
might allow this (the original D-Box began as a MCPC box only). For a review
of this box see Tele-Satellite magazine 3/4,1997.Very quick at
searching/finding Ku-band bouquets. It automatically finds the correct FEC
& symbol rates. The official model number is 96514D.
Force Duomaster 1030S :- This is an unusual receiver in that it combines an
analogue (PAL) receiver, D2MAC decoder and digital receiver in 1 unit.
Designed & built in Denmark, it seems to be intended for the Scandinavian
market because menu languages available besides English are Swedish, Danish,
Finnish and Norwegian. It has 3, SCART sockets & 2 LNB inputs.
According to the specification sheet, it has 4MB each of FLASH, DRAM &
SDRAM memory. It has DiSEqC 1.2 and Force offer a mating DiSEqC positioner
called the SkyWalker. There's also a special version that's fully compatible
with Bang & Olufsen video equipment. Favourite channels options are there
& the EPG gives up to 4 days worth of information; there's a useful VCR
timer - 20 events over 30 days can be handled. 4000 channels can be stored.
This is a convenient receiver if you want PAL,D2MAC & DVB digital in one
unit & even a positioner suitable for small to medium size dishes.
Galaxis Sat 500 :- Galaxis are the European marketing organisation for
receivers made by Samsung. Another free-to-air box with common air
interface.From the info on their website (http://www.galaxis.com) it has 2 pcmcia CAM
slots; this would allow the user to have, for example, both an Irdeto & a
Seca CAM in the box at the same time -assuming you could actually purchase
the CAMs & smartcards.Launched at Cable & Sat Show April 1997 &
taken up by Telenor according to press release.Only capable of 15-30MS/sec.
so no SCPC or PowerVu. It has an RF loopthrough for use with an analogue
receiver as well as an S-Vhs socket + 2 scarts. Samsung's first European DVB
box. It has DiSEqC and a good instruction manual.
This is the irdeto version available in europe and now also for showtime
(Arabia). Has only one Irdeto slot. In What Satellite Magazine there was a
test of this with the FTA software.
Galaxis 500CI :- As above but with 2 true CI-compatible CAM slots.
Also tested in What Satellite (before the Irdeto slot, FTA version). Used
to have only One CI slot.
Galaxis 600CI :- Same again but adds SCPC with SR from
2000-45000.
Galaxis FTA2 :- Like the 600 but no CAM slots i.e. FTA only &
the internal design seems to be related to the Strong SRT4000
(different case but only slightly different feartures).There are the
usual twin scart + RS-232 & stereo sockets as well as lnb input
& output ports for loopthrough purposes.Although the S/R rates are
fine for all purposes (2000-36,000),there is no PID entry -although I
expect this to appear in a future upgrade. There is proper VBI
teletext insertion so you can use your normal TV remote for this.
Galaxis IQG.1 :- An unusual receiver in that it supports the Open-TV
platform and has other multimedia "bells & whistles". There's an IEEE1394
(firewire) port & a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port along with 2 CI CAM
slots. There's 2 SCARTs & a full rate (115Kbits/s) serial port. SR range
is 2-31 MS/s so SCPC works ok. The Open-TV interface makes the EPG, channel
lists, setup menus and so on very easy for the non-techie to understand with
all its on-screen pictorial diagrams - a sensible use of the GUI (Graphical
User Interface). DiSeqC v1.1 is fitted and there's a full 3MByte of flash
memory along with 2MBytes of DRAM and a 40MIPS CPU.
Grundig DTR2000 :- Flexible design with plug-in modules to allow
upgrades.Grundig have already announced 2 versions,one for digital cable
& one for Dig-TV ; cable needs a QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation)
demodulator whereas TV needs QPSK.If they produce a version for terrestrial
digital TV this would use a COFDM demodulator (Coded Orthoganal Frequency
Division Multiplex). A future version will be CI compliant & so
will work with any CI encryption system.The cable version will eventually
allow internet access. This is a case of "watch this space" as the
modular design will allow Grundig to come up with different versions &
hardware as well as software upgrades. The channel list menu neatly shows a
quarter size actual picture of the selected channel ; this disappears when
additional information is requested (channel name, encryption system ,
channel ID etc.).Most SCPC channels are receiveable within the specified SR
range which is 3-30 MS/S and 999 each of radio & TV channels can be
stored. There are 3 SCARTs, DiSEqC and a useful 8 event timer.
Huth 500 Digital :- An FTA receiver with 2 SCARTs, serial & parallel
ports,PAL I/G/B RF modulator,5 language menu but only works over symbol
rates between 18-30 MS/Second. It does have DiSEqC and displays any
transmitted EPG information. I believe they'll soon have a more flexible Huth
2000 model & a Huth 2060DA with combined digital and analogue.
Huth 2060 DAP V :- And here it is (January 2000), an FTA digital box with
built in analogue receiver complete with polariser interface & position
controller. It can store 500 analogue + more than 3000 digital. SCPC
reception is no problem, even at low symbol rates & it switches faster
than most ana-digi combos from analogue to digital reception or vice-versa. If
you're interested in the origin of this design, it looks like a Sat Cruiser
DSR-201IP manufactured by AMT of South Korea but Huth seem to have
commisioned their own front panel & are providing support via their
website. The NextWave DX-3000P appears to be another badging of the same
receiver but with a different front panel again plus a slightly different
look to its software and menus.
[Humax are,I believe,Korean but have set up a factory in Northern Ireleand
recently.]
Humax HSR550F - Humax's first european market entry.Has a scsi port as well
as 9-pin serial. Also has S-Vhs output & SCART.Install menu not very
user-friendly & no scpc as S/R range is only 18,000-30,000. Similar to
the RSD ODM300 & similarly priced for fewer features (e.g. no PID entry).
The Humax F1 FOX -: 1000 channel
storage,SCPC & MCPC DVB box. Has PID insertion & DiSEqC LNB control.
The CPU is a MIPS RISC processor. Memory consists of 1MByte flash,2MByte RAM
& 16KByte EEPROM. There's the usual 9 pin serial port & 2 scarts + an RF
modulator (PAL B/G/I). Strangely,only 10 PID values can be stored -they
need to overcome this for any real enthusiasts!It does have VBI teletext
insertion & a facility to skip encrypted channels. It also displays "now
& next" information from the EPG (where the operator chooses to transmit
it). The Humax F1-CI -: This is similar, has an extra 1MByte of
flash memory & sports two CI CAM sockets. It also has a mains on/off
switch at the rear.
Humax F1-VACI :- this one has an embedded Viaccess CAM + also a CI CAM.
The user/owner of ANY of the Humax F1 series of receivers should ensure he
has the latest software (downloadable from their websites & installable
via the RS-232 port). Recent software upgrades add new functions & also
speed up many operations.
Humax IRCI-5400 :- A totally new design for the Millennium, this IRD has embedded IRDETO as well as 2 CI CAM slots. There's 4MB of program & 2 MB of FLASH memory. The menus seem easy to use and the EPG display (showing two days worth of programmes) is excellent. Channel storage is 4000 and up to 1000 PIDs can be manually entered. Along with the 2 SCARTs and video/audio phono outputs, there's a digital audio (SP/DIF) optical output. Software upgrades are available via satellite - currently (06/2000) on Hotbird, 13 Degrees east, 12.699V,22000, 5/6; downloading is automatic when tuned to this channel. There's a useful scan mode for DX-ers - you can scan the whole frequency range in 6MHz steps with both polarities & all FEC & symbol rates tried; this takes time but may find you channels (especially links & newsfeeds) that you would never have known about. A hint for European owners with multi satellite capability - try this overnight on Eutelsat W2 (16 east) or NSS-K (21 west).
Hyundai DBS3001 :- I have an Italian report about this receiver ;I have
only come across it in Italy.It has 3 scarts,uses a Motorola processor &
should work for SCPC since it uses the same TV/Com front-end module as the
Nokia 9xxx series.There is a 14K4 modem, serial port & fast 25-way
sevice port.
Hyundai HSS-100c :- This receiver is made for the USA &
Australian market.It can be powered from either 110/220 volts & is a FTA
box only (no CAM).However,it will do scpc & handles symbol rates down
below 4000. This is no surprise as earlier versions of this box used the same
TV/Com tuner as the Nokia 9xxx series.Later versions (V5 onwards) use a Sanyo
tuner & the internal software is not interchangeable between the 2
variants.Although the receiver powers up in PAL,it will receive NTSC
signals,staying in NTSC until switched off once an initial NTSC channel has been
found. The menus are basic compared with Nokia's "red menu". Versions with
firmware from V 2.25 onwards have teletext.It uses a Motorola CPU with
C-Cube's MPEGdecoder/demultiplexer chips. Later software now allows manual
PID entry & speeds up most operations.
The Pansat 100A (USA) & 100M (Europe) are rebadged versions of the
HSS-100C. This is a product designed manufactured and marketed by Hyundai
International, not by Hyundai Electronics of America (Parent of TV/COM).
According to my (limited) info this machine is not based on the TV/Com module
or chipset.
Thanks to Eric Cottrell for the info on this receiver. A description of
this receiver was at "Steve's Wall" website : (http://home.earthlink.net/~skittelsen/).
Hyundai HSS-700 :- Another combined analogue/digital receiver.It has
1000 channel storage, DiSEqC V 2.0 and is both SCPC/MCPC capable. It covers
2-45 MS/Sec symbol rates, has teletext and a full rate (115 KBits/s) serial
port. Favourite channels are included amongst the menus. Memory is 2MB SDRam,
1MB flash,1MB Ram & 2KByte of EEProm.There is LNB loopthrough.As the
analogue receiver is shown as an option, there may be some around that only
have the digital receiver. It's a shame that it doesn't have a polariser
interface.
Kathrein UFD 501 :-The first digital receiver from this German company.In
fact it's actually a combined digital AND analogue receiver -to give some
more competition to the Lemon & Xcom combined analogue/digital
boxes.
Unfortunately the symbol rates covered are only 20-30.5 MS/s.It has 2
scarts + an S-Vhs output socket and a "worldwide" AC mains input (90-245
Volts). OSD can be in German, French,English,Italian or Spanish.It also has
teletext insertion into the VBI. It is fairly slow in switching time between
channels & can only store 600 of them. The serial port uses a mini-DIN
instead of the usual 9 pin D-type socket. PID data can be entered
manually.There's a mains on/off switch at the rear. This receiver has a
similar design to the XSAT CDTV350 but it's certainly not identical.An
impressive entry for Kathrein's first digital receiver.
Lemon Volksbox :- A German combined analogue AND digital receiver. Has
DiSEqC, tone & voltage switching with 2000 channel memory.Also 3 scarts
& RS232.Clever 3 lnb socket with loopthrough allows you to connect a
separate lnb to the analogue input.The RS232 port can handle the full
official EIA spec of 115KBits/s duplex. Has an optical digital audio output
for lossless connection to suitable hi-fi equipment.PID codes can be entered
in hex or decimal (saves using a converter or calculator).This unit,in
addition, receives ADR (Astra Digital Radio) transmissions. This
receiver sounds very interesting ,particularly for those who want
analogue AND digital without losing out on features or taking up too much
space.Latest version will do SCPC.
Lemon Volksbox Alpha :- Finally becoming available in early 1999 this
upgraded version adds SCPC (does 1-32 Ms/S symbol rates) & teletext with
1000 text page storage.The DiSEqC is Version 1.2 which adds extra control
features versus V 1.0. There are 2 digital audio outputs optical &
coaxial (SP/DIF) for the hi-fi buffs and this receiver also handles ADR
(Astra Digital Radio). It's having reasonable success with enthusiasts &
there's a non-commercial Volksbox website with lots of extra information as
well as PC software including a settings editor (VBEdit). See http://www.satellite-tv.org/volksbox/
for some detailed information. They're also working on a "Volksbox Beta"
series ;I believe there will be a digital only receiver as well as a "twin"
receiver -probably FTA only.
Footnote : June 2000 - Lemon recently hit financial problems & appear
to be in the hands of a company receiver. However, at least 2 German
companies are providing service support and honouring the original Lemon
guarantee. There's more information on Lemon enthusiasts websites such as http://www.volksbox.de.
Manhattan ST-1000 :- is being marketed by the distributor Eurosat in Europe
& the parts of Africa that Eurosat reach.Elsewhere in the world it may
appear with a different model number. From my own observations, some digital
receivers from Huth as well as the Fortec Star are very similar. It was
designed in UK & production is in Korea.It covers 2-45 MS/s symbol
rate range & uses a 3rd generation LSI Logic demodulator.
It seems to lock signals that Nokias have difficulty with.There is
teletext insertion in the VBI & the software features some clever
ideas.As an example,it will store multiple EPG information from different
bouquets which makes for easy channel-surfing. There's both an express &
a custom (or enthusiast's) setup mode.
At the back are 2 F-sockets with IF loopthrough,2 scarts,S-VHS socket,9
pin serial port,4 phonos (audio mono,audio L/R,composite video),an IEEE1284
(enhanced parallel) port & UHF/VHF TV output with loopthrough. Very
similar receivers are appearing badged as Engel - a trade name owned by Nikko
Electronica of Spain. Like the analogue Manhattan range,the retail price is
competitive.
Manhattan ST-2000CI :- Similar to the above but with 2 CI CAMs ,both at the
rear of the receiver. If you have 2 CAMs fitted (with viewing cards),the
receiver automatically finds the correct one.
Manhattan DSR-2500 APCI :- This is a totally different design than previous
Manhattan digital receivers. Their previous boxes were designed by a UK firm
& manufactured in the Far East. I know that this IRD does not have the
same origins. Here we have a combined low-threshold analogue + digital
receiver complete with positioner & polariser controllers, 2 CI CAM
slots & 4 F-connectors (one dedicated for C-band). There's 3 SCARTs +
S-VHS socket. With the original internal software, I wouldn't have pitted
this unit against the Echostar AD-3000IP ; however, with Version 2.x
software, this is a worthy Echostar competitor. We now have a favourite
channels menu, separate positioner/LNB settings for analogue & digital and
better positioner control. V2 software also adds a signal stength bar, better
EPG information access and faster channel downloading. Channel storage is
4500 digital & 600 analogue. It seems that Eurosat, the distributors
behind this receiver, have listened to crticism & delivered most of the
features that users really want.
Mikronik TV BOX 1000-S :- A German FTA receiver with storage of 1000 TV
& 200 radio channels. It claims to implement DiSEqC 2.0 & has 3
SCARTs , an S-Vhs socket,9pin serial port & LNB loopthrough.Unusually
there a mains on/off switch on the rear -good idea.The menu is available in
10 languages & SCPC reception is possible. There is a favourite channels
list and PIDs can be entered manually.
Morgan's FTA-1 :- This Far-Eastern import is a capable enough receiver with
1000 channel storage & SCPC capability, LNB loopthrough , 3 SCARTs
,DiSEqC etc. There is also a version with built in analogue receiver the
Morgan DA-1 ; it does not have a polariser interface. The Schwaiger SSR-8200
is almost the same as the FTA-1 unit but adds 2 CI CAM slots.
Pacsat DSR2000 MediaStar D7 :- A capable receiver covering SCPC/MCPC with
its 2-36 MS/Second symbol rate range. Both NTSC & PAL signals can be
received & sent to your TV. Channel change takes under a second.There is
90-260 volt mains operation & phonos as well as S-Vhs socket for the
outputs. Channel storage is limited to 200 TV plus 99 audio. PIDs can be both
entered and modified.
Palcom DVB-1000R :- The interesting thing about this receiver is that
there's a matching positioner to mate with it (DVB-1000P). It's an FTA
MCPC/SCPC box with 1000 channel storage and DiSEqC. RF output can be PAL
I/G/B/D/K/M or N. It uses a Motorola 68306 CPU &n has 3 MBytes Dram,512K
of Flash memory,64K of Sram & a 512K Eprom.There's a polariser,2 SCARTs, 2
LNB inputs plus A/V phonos along with the usual 9-pin RS-232 port. Mains
voltage is 198-264 Volts. I believe there's an optional modem & CA
slot.
Panarex, Pansat 100A (USA) & 100M (Europe) :- these appear to be
nothing to do with Panasonic who produce receivers with names like
"IRD500".
The Pansat covers symbol rates from 2-45 MS/s so should be SCPC
comaptible.It has no scart sockets which shows its USA origins (Panarex are
fron Sun Valley,California). It does automatically (says the spec) switch
from NTSC to PAL & runs off any mains supply from 90 to 260 volts.The
back sports 9-pin RS-232,mini S-VHS connector,phonos for video &
L/R audio & a modulated RF output with loopthrough socket.The mains
socket takes a standard IEC lead (as used on PC's).
Panasat :- This seems to be a range of receivers by various manufacturers
to a specification produced by operator MultiChoice for the South African
market.There's Panasat 642,635,630 and others. All seem to include the useful
Open TV graphical user interface and all that I've seen any information on
have limited symbol rate range (15-30 or 18-28 MS/Sec).Many of the alleged
manufacturers appear to be oriental (e.g. UEC and Sun Moon Star). None of these
are suitable for SCPC operation & some have embdded CAMs rather than a
pcmcia CAM slot. Pansat 100A :- This seems to be a rebadged
Hyundai HSS-100C which has appeared on the American market.The European
version is the 100M with PAL B/G RF modulator.
Pansat 200 :- This will be a later Hyundai model rebadged for the USA
-perhaps based on the HSS-700.
Pantech PSR-2002 :- A digital FTA receiver with an option for an analogue
one within the same unit. Symbol rate range is 2-45 MS/Sec & manual PID
entry is possible. It has teletext & EPG information is displayed.Mnains
power is 84-260 Volts & there's a 9-pin serial port,3 SCARTs, 4 A/V
phonos & 2 LNB sockets. DiSEqC is included as is a favourite channel menu.
Channel storage is 1000TV plus 500 radio.
Pantech PSR-2000 :- Similarly styled to the PSR-2002 this FAT unit has 2
SCARTs & 500 channel storage with a different remote control.It's
probably an earlier design but should still manage most SCPC channels ;
symbol rate range is 4-30 MS/Second. Pantech is a Korean company.
Philips DST-5816 :- This is designed for the French CSN multiplex
but,unlike the original Philips 96514D,it can be bought i.e. it's not for
rental only. It's designed for use with its SECA (MediaGuard) CAM. Symbol
rates are from 18-30 MS/Sec and it will pick up FTA channels within this
range. There are 2 SCARTs, serial & IEE1284 parallel ports & LNB
loopthrough is possible. It uses a 32 bit, 45 MIPS RISC CPU with 2MByte each
of Dram,SDram and Flash memory. Certainly not a DX-er's receiver.
Phoenix 222 :- This is a low-cost box but can store up to 2870 channels
& is quite fast in operation - about 1 second channel-change time.Mains
input is 86-260 Volts and there are 2 sets of A/V phonos as well as an S-Vhs
socket. The modulator outputs PAL D/K/B/G/I but ,as this isn't made for the
European market,there are no SCART sockets.
Praxis DigiMaster 9600 :- Yet another combined digital & analogue
receiver from German-based company Praxis.On the analogue side,there's no
true Panda Wegener decompression (which will have saved Praxis paying royalty
fees to Panda for the facility). Nevertheless the analogue audio sounds ok.
This box supports mechanical polarisers as well as the usual voltage-switched
ones;unfortunately,only the analogue part of the receiver can be used for
this.On the digital side there is a 1500 channel memory + a further 1400
radio channels can be stored.There isn't any manual PID insertion facility
but both SCPC & MCPC reception is covered (symbol rates of 2-45
Megasymbols/second).At the back are 2 scart sockets + a separate S-Vhs socket
& a serial port.There are 3 lnb sockets,2 for analogue & 1 for
digital.VBI teletext insertion is included as is DiSEqC 1.0. The mains power
supply works from 90-260 volts.This receiver looks like a rebadged
ProDX3300A/Vortec VS-9700/Strong SRT4200. The rear panels look
identical,the specifications are similar or identical & the front panel
looks very like the ProDX3300.
Praxis DigiMaster 9800AD+P :- Similar to the 9600 but this time there's a
built in positioner and SCART sockets.Manual PID insertion is included &
a "favourite channel" list can be set up for both analogue & digital
stations. A version without the "P" suffix omits the positioner. Except for
the front panel,this receiver seems the same as the Echostar AD-2000IP.
ProDX 3300A :- This is almost identical to the Vortec/Samsung
VS-9700,Strong SRT4200 & Praxis Digimaster 9600 although the front panel
is slightly differently laid out in each of the 4 receivers.
Prosat P-2002S :- Another Taiwanese box - this time from EFA Corporation.
This low cost receiver seems to be good value. It covers 1-45 MS/s
symbol rates with no difficulty in SCPC mode. There are 3 SCARTs and (oddly)
2 RS-232 ports (one high & 1 low speed). There is LNB loopthrough & a
0/12Volt switch output + mains operation form 90-260 Volts. The tuner
seems to be quite sensitive i.e. good on weak signals. On power up from
standby this receiver goes to the last viewed channel ; there is 1 nuisance
factor however in that if ,perhaps due to a mains glitch,the stored channel
list is lost the box proceeds to restore its original channel list from
scratch.This could take up to 10 minutes. Hopefully a future version will add
proper memory backup routine to avoid this. Software upgrades should
be available on the German Prosat website of http://www.prosat.de
Prosat P-3500 :- I haven't yet come across this receiver in Europe but
enthusiasts in USA, Japan & Australia have given it good reports.It
covers 1-45 MS/Sec symbol rates (SCPC/MCPC) and is very fast at changing
between channels (about 0.5 seconds).The RF modulator can output PAL
B/D/K/G/I and there's 1 SCART,S-Vhs socket + A/V & 12 Volt phonos.There's
also both low & high speed serial ports,LNB loopthrough & a CI CAM
socket.It runs cool & uses an SGS-Thomson chipset.Later versions
upgraded the EEPROM to 16K from 8K and this,with V3.0 software adds both
signal-to-noise & BER display menus. Like the P-2002,it does have to remap
its channel list if the mains is switched off ; also there is no channel name
edit function or manual PID entry.However,owners who ,have previously had
other receivers seem to like it very much.
Radix Epsilon2AD :- Another analogue/digital receiver with SCPC capability,
3 SCARTs and 3 LNB connectors, 9 pin serial port and DiSEqC.The CPU is a
Motorola 68340 with 512K of Flash memory & 2MByte of DRAM.It uses the
C-Cube MPEG chipset which has a good reputation.Channel storage is 1000
digital + 400 analogue. Although there appears to be no manual PID insertion
SCPC channels seem to be found with no shortcomings. The remote control can
be programmed to also operate your TV and VCR. Radix is owned by the Korean
company DaeRyung which has a factory in Northern Ireland. The Amstrad SRDA
5101 is an almost identical receiver.
Radix Epsilon2 CI :- As you might guess from the model number, this digital
only receiver has 2 CI CAM slots; it can store 1400 TV & 600 radio
channels, has 3 SCARTs & LNB loopthrough. Memory is $MB DRAM + 1MB FLASH.
The internal software features a Favourite Channels List & useful
facility to view the datastream information (taken from the PSI) for a
selected channel with a single push of the relevant remote control button.
It's SCPC compatible & can display the "now & next" information from
the EPG.
Radix Epsilon3 CI :- Another digital receiver from Radix with 2400 TV &
1000 radio channel storage. Usefully for the audio buff, there is an SP/DIF
(Sony-Philips Digital InterFace) optical audio output; it has 3 SCARTs and 2
CI CAM slots.
RSD ODM300 :- A British (Scottish) designed FTA receiver (at last). Has 999
channel memory & SCPC with naming of the channels.Initially English
menus with other languages to follow.Uses a fast Motorola Coldfire 33MHz
processor which results in fast response to user instructions.The qpsk
demodulator & the MPEG decoder use Hyundai "Odeum" chips -from a totally
separate design group than the TV/Com qpsk chips used by Nokia -although
Hyundai own both concerns.Symbol rates covered from 2-45 MS/s.I found the
menu fairly intuitive & far better than Nokia's -although this will in
part be a matter of personal taste.
Has DiSeCq ,RS232,manual PID support,tone or voltage lnb control &
2 scarts. This receiver is FTA only i.e. no CAM or pcmcia socket &
was launched at Cabsat 1998.Later software additions, which can be downloaded
from their Website (http://www.rsd-communications.co.uk)
have added DiSEqC V1.2,teletext,channel sorting by satellite or encryption
and other new features. An optional addition that arrived at the end of 1998
is RSDEdit ;this is a Windows program that allows channel lists to be
downloaded/uploaded from the receiver to a PC via the serial port. Channel
lists & parameters can be edited on a PC & transferred to the receiver.
DX-ers with this receiver could share channel lists quite easily using email
or their Internet homepages to make their listings available to all who are
interested. In some ways this is like what already happens with Nokia 9xxx
owners -but in this case it's offically sanctioned (or even encouraged) by
the manufacturer. I must congratulate RSD for this idea which add to
its appeal as a good dx-er's receiver.
RSD ODM300 CI :- Released in March 1999. As above but with CI CAM. It
uses a new (latest generation) qpsk front-end which uses hardware rather then
software based functions for Symbol rate autoscanning & so performs a
very fast channel scan. The LNB sockets (2 this time) have loopthrough.The
software for both ODM300 & 300-CI has already been upgraded to Version
1.6. The menus are in more pleasing higher resolution graphics and the
"Organise Channels" now has more sort options (by satellite,name,access or
any/all of these in user-specified priority). It was amazing to download all
the Astra channels (19.2E) in just a few seconds. Even more goodies are
expected in further software revisons.
RSD ODM302 CI :- A new receiver design from RSD using a Fujitsu MPEG
chipset & an improved (Analog Devices) video encoder. Channel storage is
now 4000 & the rather neat remote control is a "universal" type that can
also operate your TV, VCR & 2 other auxiliary items. It's similar in
operation to the ODM300 but a few new functions/options have been added. There
are 2 SCARTs, a 57.6Kbps serial port. SCPC works with no problems.
If you're interested in this receiver, you can download the complete
User Manual from the RSD website as a (large/2.5 Mbyte) PDF-file. As with
other RSD boxes, there is RSD-Edit software which allows the user to change
settings & edit channels via a PC. There's also a version called
ODM302CI+ which includes an analogue receiver in the same unit.
Sagem ISD 3400 :- ALthough most Sagem receivers are for closed French
markets, this one is somewhat different. ALthough it can receive SCPC down to
3 MS/second, there is no manual PID entry; it does have an SP/DIF optical
audio output - great for the family home cinema buff. There's a favourite
channel menu and, unusually, the EPG info not only gives "now &
next" programme details but gives a daily and weekly summary! There's a CI
CAM slot & embedded Viaccess. Not for the feed & links enthusiast
but a good family receiver.
Sat Cruiser DSR-101 :- A well specified receiver available in USA &
Australia. Works off mains from 85-265 Volts and has on/off switches both on
the front AND the rear.Uses a Hitachi CPU (SH7021). It has 800 channel
storage plus a favourite channels menu and is SCPC/MCPC/PoweVu compatible.
The rear has 2 SCARTs, RS-232 port,A/V phonos & a 0/12Volt phono output.
Teletext is included and the PAL modulator can output in PAL B/G/K or I.
Symbol rates covered from 2-45 MS/sec. It's reported to have a very sensitive
demodulator (useful for weak/marginal signals). There's also a DSR-101 CI
with 2 CI CAM slots. Some Australian Sat Crusiser info can be found at
: http://www.senet.au/~ftass
Schwaiger SSR-8200 :- See Morgan FTA-1 above.
Seleco SMB1900 /Emme Esse DRX900 :- These are the both same
unit,apparently produced by Italtel (which is 50% owned by Telecom Italy
& 50% Siemens). This receiver has the usual scarts & also a modem but
only works with signals that have Symbol rates between 18.5-30MS/s.Thus it's
no good for SCPC reception. It's auto download is quite fast (10
seconds for Telepiu bouquet).The menus are available in English , Italian
& German.This receiver seems to be related to the Echostar DSB9800 as used
in Holland.
Strong SRT4000 :- Up to 1000 channel storage,DiSEqC & quite a nice
menu on this one.It is capable of SCPC reception & has LNB loopthrough
for use with an analogue receiver.It has 2 SCART connectors + phonos.Handles
C-Band reception OK.May not cope with SR of less than 5000.
New version -seen at Cabsat '98 :- This version now covers symbol rates
from 2-32 MS/s so should now be ok for both MCPC and SCPC.It has 1000 channel
storage capacity.
There's also a most confusing range of variants of Strong "2nd generation"
models :-
The 4100 is a digital FTA receiver with dual IF bandwidths of 25/55
MHz.There are 3 scarts & the OSD covers
English,French,German,Spanish,Italian and RUSSIAN (to my surprise). Symbol
rates cover 2-45 MS/s so good for SCPC too. 1000 channel storage. I
understand Strong have a contract to supply these to a Russian TV operator. June
2000 update : it now has 2000 channel storage & DiSEqC. THe channel list
can be downl;oaded to a PC, edited & uploaded back to the box &
there's a favourite channels facility. The 4200 is a combined
analogue/digital receiver with storage of 400 analogue channels plus 1500
digital TV channels & 1400 digital radio channels.The digital section works
over 2-45 MS/second so is fine for SCPC reception.There are 2 SCART
connectors + separate S-Vhs & 2 sets of phono sockets for video + stereo
audio.This is an FTA box so no CAM socket exists.There's 3 F connectors,2 for
analogue (1 can be dedicated to C-band) + 1 for digital with C/Ku band
selectable via a 12 volt switch. Mains power is anywhere from 85-260
volts.VBI teletext insertion is included along with 16:9 aspect ratio &
DiSEqC 1.0. The PID info can be entered manually & edited.Channel search
works fast.There is a mechanical polariser - unfortunately only working with
the analogue section of the receiver. There's 1MByte each of DRAM & flash
memory & the usual 9-pin serial port.The Vortec VS-9700,Praxis
Digimaster 9600 and ProDX 3300A are certainly very close relatives to this
receiver although their front panels are different.
SRT 4250 :- Appears to be an upgraded SRT 4100 (it has the same styling)
but with added analogue receiver (with threshold
extension).
The SRT 4300 is a digital box with CI compatible CAM sockets,1000 channel
storage, RJ11 modem socket & full speed serial ports; unusually there's
both a 9 pin male AND a 9 pin female serial port -downloads from PC use the
female, the male can be used with a modem. The menus include a favourite
channels list which also shows the frequency, SR & PID information for
the selected channel.Channel search is quite fast & SCPC operation is no
problem.
SRT 4350 :- An expanded version of the 4300, now 1400 channel storage &
an incredible choice of 16 languages for the OSD/menus as well as a favourite
channels mode.
SRT 4375 :- Digital & analogue combo with 2 CI CAM slots, 3000 digital
& 5000 analogue channel storage and built in positioner.
SRT 4400 :- Digital receiver with embedded Viaccess as well as 2 CI CAM
slots. There is 1400 channel storage, favourite channel modes, 2 SCARTs &
an S-VHS output. Like all Strong's year 2000 range except the 4475, 8000
& 8500, symbol rates are 2-45 MS/Second so SCPC will work.
SRT 4475 :- This one has embedded Viacccess & uses the Open TV
operating system; it has 1000 channel storage but symbol rates covered are
only from 15-30 MS/S. Output can be SECAM as well as the usual PAL & RGB
& there is VBI teletext insertion.
SRT 4500 :-an IRDETO (rather than CI compatible) version of the 4300
without the 2nd serial port or the RJ11 connector & (optional)
modem.
SRT 4700 -this is (confusingly) a CABLE receiver with QAM16/64
demodulator,2 smart card slots,9 pin serial port & an IEEE 1294
(consumer "firewire") 25 way. It has 2 scarts and,according to my spec.
leaflet, a qpsk demodulator also. There's an RJ11 socketed V22 modem with V34
as an option.
SRT 5000 -another FTA receiver from Strong.This one adds SECAM outputs (the
others do PAL & NTSC). Other features are much like the 4100.
SRT 7400 -a confusingly numbered box (easily mistaken for the 4700 which is
in the same style case). Again does SCPC & MCPC but comes with a
925-2175 MHz tuner (the other DVB receivers are
950-2150 MHz).It has 2 scarts & optional Viaccess CAM.
SRT 8000 :- This is a SECA only IRD with versions for Canal Plus in France,
Italy, Holland, Poland and Spain i.e. targetted specifically at Canal Plus
users. It has 2 embedded SECA slots conveniently accessible from the front.
Symbol rates are restricted to 18-30 MS/S.
SRT 8500 :- A Canal Plus Scandinavia variant of the SRT 8000 with embedded
Conax on 2 front panel slots; additionally there's a CI slot at the rear.
Like the 8000, the MediaHighway operating system is used.
I now declare the Strong range more confusing & fragmented than Nokia's
!! However,they're rumoured to cost less than the
Nokia receivers.
Visionetics VIStar 2000 :- This is from the Taiwanese Visionetics company
who also make MPEG encoders & other multimedia related products. There
are a series of VIStar boxes as follows ... VIStar 2000 - FTA digital
satellite receiver. VIStar 2000Pro - FTA with a couple of added minor
features. VIStar 2000CI - Adds a CI CAM. VIStar 2020CI - A digital cable
receiver with CAM. VIStar 2020NV - Satellite with embedded NagraVision
CAM. VIStar2020 - Basic digital cable receiver.
The satellite versions use only 25 Watts of power (20 for the FTA
version).Symbol rates are from 2-45 MS/Sec so fine for SCPC.There are phono
& S-Vhs A/V outputs (no SCART). There is an IEEE-1284 output
which,according to the manufacturer's data can output the transport stream at
TTL or LVDS levels - but it's listed as an option. EPG information is displayed
and there are optional modulators (PAL/NTSC) and modem. I have only
noticed this receiver in the USA and Australia (not Europe) so far; I would
expect the addition of SCART sockets if they wish to sell it in Europe.
Vortec VS-9600 PLUS :- This is an FTA receiver (no CAM slots) with
polariser control & 4000 channel storage. It's basically a cut down of
the VS-9800 PLUS described below & fine for SCPC work including
C-band.
Vortec (Samsung)VS-9700 :- This receiver appears identical to the Strong
SRT 4200/ProDX 3300/ Praxis DigiMaster 9600 and each has the same
specification but differently styled fronts. Their specs are the same. Yet
another combined analogue/digital receiver.It has 1500 digital TV + 1400
digital radio + 400 analogue TV channel storage capability.The mechanical
polariser only works with the analogue section. It's an FTA receiver so no
CAM but 2 SCART sockets + S-Vhs,serial port and twin A/V phonos are included
as is operation from 90-260 Volt mains. It lacks manual PID entry but seems
to find the right PIDs ok during a transponder search. Symbol rates are 2-45
MSPS so SCPC reception is no problem.
Vortec VS-9800CI PLUS :- Looking very similar to the old Vortec 9600CI
receiver, this IRD has 3000 channel storage plus a further 2000 for radio
channels. The rear immediately looks different due to the addition of a
polariser interface. There are 2 CI CAM slots & DiSEqC V1.2 is supported.
SCPC is no problem with this receiver. Manual PID entry works fine &
it scans new channels fairly swiftly.
XSat CDTV200 :- Interesting IRD made for simple reception of Pay-TV
channels from Arabesque, AB-sat & TPS. Has Viaccess CAM and RS232,2
scarts + an S-VHS port.
The remote control is subject to user mis-keying due to its use of 40
identical- looking keys,equally spaced.Slow in response to user commands but
robust in terms of being very hard to crash.Although not mentioned in the
manual this IS an SCPC capable box (2-30.5 MS/S symbol rates);you just have
to remember to add 10MHz to the nominal receive frequency,key in Symbol
& FEC rates & away you go.There's a PID menu -although again not covered
in the manual.
The OSD can be set for English,French,German,Italian,Spanish &
Arabic.It also runs cool.A good alternative to the various Nokia boxes for
the FTA dx-er.
Extra info (courtesy of Dr.Dish) :- The ORIGINAL CDTV200,which had a
display in French language only,do scpc with the "add 10MHz" trick. Later
versions,with multi-lingual menus,did not support this. Later still,with
software version 1.38,some bugs were fixed but still no scpc.XSat in
France commented that scpc was for "professional use only".They can add an
extra filter to enable scpc at a cost of 1000 French francs to enable scpc.
XSAT CDTV300 :- This receiver has an embedded Viacess CAM ,teletext via the
VBI and will cope with FTA SCPC signals.
XSAT CDTV 300 VIA :- as the CDTV300 but with Viaccess CAM.
XCom CDTV350 -the latest variant of combined analogue/digital
box.The symbol rates covered still rule out SCPC reception but the spec.
leaflet mentioned 2-30.5 MS/s as an "option". It seems that most dealers are
stocking the SCPC version - but check with your dealer before you buy.There's
2 SCARTs + S-Vhs socket & a further mini-DIN socket for the serial
port. Teletext insertion via VBI is included as is an embedded Viacess CAM
& DiSEqC V1.1. There's a mains on/off switch at the rear.
XCOM CDTV115 - this is described as a "Professional satellite digital
IRD".It appears to cover 2 symbol rate ranges ;1 is
20-30.5 MS/sec whilst the other is 4-6 MS/second.I'm not
sure whether this receiver would accept,for example,BET on Orion1 which uses
6116 MS/s. This box is designed for professional use
(probably at professional prices) so video outputs are on
BNC sockets.
Yuri YDR-200 :- This is either rebadged or very similar to the Hyundai
HSS-100c
Yuri YDR-100 :- Similar to YDR-200 but with a CAM. The BSkyB
Digital IRD's :- Sky awarded 4 manufacturers with a contract for
this receiver to a common specification supplied by Sky.
They are Pace,Panasonic,Amstrad and Grundig. The specification ia as
follows : Proprietary built-in (non replaceable/hardwired) CAM with
Sky's own encryption system ; this is from another Murdoch subsidiary (NDC).
Two SCART sockets, fast modem & it is able to receive some non-Sky FTA
transmissions - those with Symbol Rates of 22,000 & 27,500 only. The
contracts were awarded to Pace,Amstrad,Panasonic & a Grundig consortium
(with TV/Com).
These are only sold/rented to those within Sky's subscriber area (just
like existing BSkyB analogue) along with a smartcard.The price is subsidised
to kick-off interest in BSB Digital. There's a description of the Pace Sky
receiver in the May 1998 Cable & Satellite Europe magazine.This confirmed
that the video encoder includes Macrovision 7.01 for all composite & RGB
output signals.Also included is 16:9 (widescreen) aspect ratio support,RS-232
interface a V32 (with V42bis) modem and 2 scart sockets -although Sky's own
specification only calls for one. 1 intended use of the RS-232 port is to
download games to a PC directly from BSkyB.An IEEE 1394 (firewire) port could
allow connection to DVD players.There are 2 RF outputs & 4 MBytes each
of flash RAM & SDram.
Examples now appearing (January 1999) of the Amstrad,Grundig (GDS200)
& Panasonic (TU-DSB20) show identical features & sockets/connectors
etc. Only the physical layout and styling of the individual receivers seems
to differentiate them. From user reports it seems that the Panasonic &
Grundig run cooler than the Pace & Amstrad. The Panasonic has a huge
amount of heatsinking which no doubt helps.Its menus also seem to function
more quickly than the others.
Another annoying missing feature with these receivers is that there was
supposed to be an S-Vhs output but it doesn't work -the hardware exists but
not the software to enable it. It's not very user-friendly when used on
satellites other than Astra at 28 dgress east & can only store a limited
number of "non-Sky-approved" channels.
For its intended purpose of receiving BSkyB Digital channels from Astra
2A at 28 degrees east it represents resonable value at its subsidised price.
Without the BIB subsidy,which means the owner does not agree to have the
modem port permanently connected to a phone line,the price of around 350 UKP
doesn't seem particularly competitive in my opinion; however,there isn't
any other way (via satellite) to receive the BBC & Channel 4 programs
that Astra 2A transmits with NDC VideoGuard encryption. Suitable viewing
cards for the BBC channels are available free but will only work with the 4
variants of official BSkyB receiver. This has given rise to the new term of
"FTV", meaning Free To View. An FTA receiver won't decode the BBC channels at 28
degrees East; only a true Sky DigiBox will do this with either a Sky
(Videoguard)card or a BBC card to work with Videoguard system. This prevents
non-UK viewers from watching the standard BBC terrestrial channels as you
need a UK address before you can have one of these
free cards.
June 2000 update : later Pace BSkyB receivers have a newer,faster CPU
& email facilities are now available using their "Open" service. An
infra-red keyboard is available to make entering text practical (costs about
30 UK pounds) & the modem is used as the transmission medium.This allows
email without a PC or a dedicated "thin client" Net-box. There will be a
further generation of BSkyB receivers with added features ; a built in
hard disk drive is rumoured for recording.
The Sky viewing cards now are "personalised" so the smartcard only
functions in the receiver for which it was supplied.
Sony for BSkyB Digital :- rumours surfaced several months ago that Sony
would supply an IRD for this service. Sony promised added features like
a digital audio output & timer facilities for video recording ; they
would have charged about 50 UK pounds extra for their superior box.
Currently they are trying to reach an agreement with BSkyB but do not
seem to be making much progress. In my personal opinion, Sky are working
against the interest of consumers' choice by not granting Sony permission -
which illustrates the power of the satellite program
providers/operators.
SCT Monterey Classic -add in digital card - If you've invested over 2000 UK
Pounds on one of these "all-singing,all dancing" receivers &
bought all the add-in options,you'll be pleased to find that
it's also getting a digital add-in card.It's basically the RSD
ODM300 with some parts removed as they would be unecessary when
used with the SCT.The software has been rewritten & parts of
the hardware linked to the right areas in the SCT such that the
SCT's original analogue portion controls the LNB,the polarity & the
position.Suddenly you don't need to worry about priority
switches or twin LNB's.You use the original SCT controller as
well.All the normal ODM features & menus are there;so now you can have 1
box with analogue,D2MAC & Videocrypt decoders & digital
receiver -with only 1 remote control to lose !!!
A professional 4:2:2 receiver - Alteia PSR942 :- this box has been
reviewed by a couple of satellite magazines recently, even though it
costs about 2000 UK Pounds. It shows the BER (Bit Error rate) on the front
panel display & is designed for professional/broadcast monitoring -
hence there are composite & digital video outputs on BNC connectors with
audio on XLR connectors (can be Musicam, AES/EBU or Dolby AC3). It will, of
course, also cope with standard 4:2:0 signals but has only a 20 channel
memory ; this is normal for a studio type receiver. See reviews in Tele
Satellite International magazine 02/00 & the June 2000 UK What Satellite
magazine.
8) Channel
Listings - Good complete listings are
published in Tele-Satellite Magazine published every 2 months. A useful
Internet site to check is
http://www.satcodx.com
and another can be found at http://www.lyngsat.com
9) Further Info
DVB faq (from Markus Kuhn) ftp://ftp.informatik.uni-erlangen.de/pub/multimedia/tv-crypt/dvb.txt
MPEG FAQ & links (technical)
mpeg/qpsk technical description http://www.coolstf.com/mpeg
Berkeley Multimedia Research Center MPEG Info (very thorough
technical treatment here). http://bmrc.berkeley.edu/projects/mpeg/faq/MPEG-2-FAQ.html
Miralite Communications - good, simple glossary of satellite terms &
acronyms http://www.bitcentral.com/bcweb/glossary.asp
Irdeto (Mindport) website : http://www.irdeto.com http://www.irdeto.nl (mirror
site).
Nokia Website -Mediamaster 9500, 9800 etc. - http://www.nokia.com/products/multimedia/index.html
RSD Website - http://www.rsd-communications.co.uk
Volksbox Corner (Volksbox enthusiasts site) http://members.xoom.com/volksbox
Mascom Website - http://www.mascom.de http://www.satshop.com/dvbcompa.htm Pace
Website - http://www.pace.co.uk Doctor
Dish -General satellite TV questions; Dr. Dish has quite a lot of
knowledge about digital satellite TV. http://www.drdish.com He also hosted a
useful program every month covering satellite TV topics.Recent programmes
have contained a lot of info about digital TV & D-Boxes in
particular. It could be found on DFS2 Kopernikus,28.5 degrees East 11.548
GHz.V. Audio subcarrier: 6.65 MHz, 300KHz bandwidth ,50uSecs
de-emphasis. It is hoped that this service will resume sometime in 2000, as a
digital MPEG service. See website url below which archives the
questions & answers & will give the time/date of next Doctor Dish TV
Show.
Mueller Communications : http://subnet.virtual-pc.com/~mu449890/mpegeq.html
Another D-Box site : http://www.rehtec.com
Defiant Digital (JUne 2000 -currently down for update) : http://www.eurosat.com/eurosat/index.html
Swiss Digital Site : http://satswiss.com
CNJ Electronics : http://www.cnj-electronics.com/infobase
(comparison of several Nokia digital boxes & good DiSEqC information))
TurboSat's digital area (Satmonitor) : http://www.turbo.demon.co.uk/
German Satellite TV Newsletter : http://www.set-top-box.de
Doctor Dish : http://www.drdish.com
Recommended reading : Tele-Satellite International,published with joint
German & English text every 2 months.Available in most European countries
(but you will probably have to order it specially if you're in UK).
History - V1.0 of FAQ ,March 6th,1997. V1.2 -added
Nokia9200/9300,Philips Mediabox,new Pace models. Galaxis.Some url's
updated. V1.3 -added several new receivers, a little on DTTV,updated url
list. V2.0 -cleaned up a little, removed ascii block diagram as it looked
terrible when viewed with some modern software (wordpad etc screwed it up!).
Referred reader to separate "skiz2.gif" picture instead. Added some info on
BSkyB Digital forthcoming receivers. V2.1 Added Hyundai HSS100,Strong
SRT4000,new/forthcoming Galaxis models + some small additions &
corrections (thanks Donald!!).
V2.2 Added many more receivers.Much more about encryption
systems,Simulcrypt & Multicrypt. more info on
Sky (UK) digital box. V2.3 More receivers & a couple of
corrections.
V3.0 Added many more receivers,much longer section on the receivers for
BSkyB Digital, more on conditional access. Added
brief description of EPG.The receiver descriptions now
includes my comments where I suspect more than 1
receiver uses the same design -i.e. suspected
rebadging is revealed. Extended modulation section to add some detail of error
correction schemes used (FEC & R/S).
V4.0 (June 2000) Added short D2MAC explanation + many more receiver briefs.
Updated BSkyB section.Added a brief explanation of
DiSEqC & paragraph/picture about forthcoming
MPEG4. Short description of statistical
multiplexing. URL's checked & updated.
Note : Readers of this FAQ are free to post this on their
websites - either as is or converted to a Web-format (HTML etc.) without
charge. They may also make the file DIGFAQ4.zip available as a downloadable
file provided this text & the 3 included graphics files are all present in
the zip-file. I have no problem with anyone converting the graphics files
into other picture formats either. TSI (Tele Satellite International
Magazine) will be publishing portions of this FAQ in future issues of their
magazine ; they alone have my permission to edit this FAQ or parts of it. TSI
Magazine URL is http://www.tele-satellite.com
Chris Muriel (chris.muriel@analog.com),G3ZDM,
June 9th , 2000.