| Now that the UK election is over (bringing another winter of discontent, methinks) and summer is beginning, I hope you'll all be thinking about the advent of the analogue switch-off. Indeed part of Wales is already switched off. Remember that, once analogue goes, it's going to be difficult to align a TV aerial without a £300+ meter so get that new aerial installed while it's still a DIY possibility! If there's no prospect of getting Freeview then you'll need a Sky Digibox for every TV that you use simultaneously. That means fitting a quad-output LNB and lots of cable. Do this before you redecorate! Satellite DSL Internet SatCure has found you a new deal on broadband internet via satellite. The satellite is located at 8 degrees West so you'll need an additional dish. For more information, click here. Seaside Dishes Those of you lucky or rich enough to live by the sea will know how quickly a steel dish can go rusty and an aluminium dish can look like a bad case of psoriasis! Well, we have the answer in the shape of a high quality 58 x 61cm fibreglass dish from Triax. We have only four in stock right now so order quickly! If it proves to be popular, we'll get more and keep them as a regular stock item. http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page2.htm#seaside
FTV or "Freesat" cards As most of you will know, I had a small panic when someone reported that his Free To View card had been switched off and Sky had told him that ALL FTV cards were to be disabled. I'm pleased to say that this was a false alarm. His card went off probably because it hadn't received the "refresh" signal. What is this? Well, most people think that Sky sends a signal to switch cards off. They can but they normally don't. What happens is that Sky sends a "refresh" signal periodically (every couple of days, allegedly) to keep each card working. If you remove the card or switch the Digibox off (that's OFF not STANDBY) or prevent it from receiving a signal from Astra-2, then the card will not work when you first try it again after a few weeks. You will have to wait up to 3 days until it receives its "refresh" signal. Let me clarify that because I know some of you will misread it: If the card does not receive a "refresh" signal every 3 or 4 weeks (we don't know exactly) then it will stop working temporarily until it does receive the signal. This could take from 3 minutes to 3 days because the specific signal for each card appears to be transmitted only once every 3 days or so. It seems that some people don't know that a Sky Subscription card becomes an FTV (Freesat) card when you cancel your Sky subscription. That means you can still use it to watch ITV, CH4 and FIVE (in any Sky Digibox*). Sky don't exactly advertise this fact because, I guess, they don't want people to cancel. *An FTV card works in any Sky Digibox; Even one that is "married" to its own Sky subscription card. This means that, for example, someone with an Irish subscription can remove his Sky card and insert a FTV card if he wants to watch UK terrestrial channels. (Not that I'm condoning it, but people keep asking me!)
Italian Channels The analogue Italian channels have ceased broadcasting and are now available only from Hotbird via a Digital satellite receiver. The transmissions are Free To Air (except when sporting events are shown) so any FTA receiver will do. Here are the tuning parameters: RAI 1-3 11766 V 27500 2/3 Others 11804 V 27500 2/3 You can also watch these on an Italian digibox in NDS format without needing a Sky Italia subscription.
BSkyB HDTV update (Clarification of previous announcement) BSkyB has released more information on its plans for HDTV (see last month). The service is due to be launched next year. The HDTV set-top box will be a personal video recorder, like Sky+, and will be manufactured by Thomson. It was initially thought that the STB would work only with TV sets that have an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) or DVI (Digital Video Interface) that supports HDCP (High Definition Content Protection). However BSkyB has informed Sony that, initially at least, the HDTV box will also interconnect with displays that have an analogue component-video input. BSkyB says that users with a display of screen size more than 26" and an HDMI socket will get the full benefit of the service. As a result of this decision, many who bought a flat-display TV without an HDMI or DVI input will be able to receive BSkyB's HDTV service. BSkyB has also confirmed that its HDTV transmitting system will be able to use either of the two proposed formats, 720p/50i and 1,080i/25. Broadcasters will be able to choose which format to use. BSkyB considers that a progressively-scanned format is more suitable for flat-panel displays but accepts that the 1080i format may be better for some types of programming. BSkyB is also evaluating the H.264 (MPEG-4) and VC-1 compression formats, which would enable more channels to be transmitted in a given bandwidth. Digital broadcasters currently use MPEG-2 compression. BSkyB is now making use of the second card slot in its digital set-top boxes. The slot could be used for services such as home shopping and betting. Flat Panel Display News Fujitsu reduces FDP interests Fujitsu, a pioneer in both LCD and PDP (plasma display panel) technology, is substantially reducing its flat display panel (FDP) operations to concentrate on its core IT activities. The move reflects the current intense competition and falling prices in the FDP field. Fujitsu and Sharp have entered into an agreement that will transfer Fujitsu's entire LCD operation to Sharp. This includes the LCD research and development, manufacturing and sales operations of its consolidated subsidiary Fujitsu Display Technologies Corporation, and the related R&D equipment at Fujitsu Laboratories. The agreement is expected to come into effect by the end of March. Fujitsu's intellectual property rights in this field will be acquired by Sharp. Hitachi is to increase its stake in the Fujitsu-Hitachi Plasma Display (FHPD) joint venture from 50 per cent to just over 80 per cent. The deal will include the transfer of about 140 PDP patents from Fujitsu to Hitachi. Fujitsu's involvement in the PDP field has been much larger than its LCD operations. FBPD was set up in April 1999. The moves will leave Hitachi and Sharp amongst world leaders in the PDP and LCD fields respectively. 5.1- channel sound equipment Sony has demonstrated a DVD-type camcorder, Model DCR-DVD403, that incorporates multi-channel microphones and Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator, enabling the user to record home movies with 5.1 - channel digital surround sound. The audio encoding technology formats audio content as a multi-channel Dolby Digital bit stream. Less data is required than for stereo PCM, so there's a saving in disc space. No price details, or a possible UK release date, have been announced. Yamaha has launched what it claims to be the world's first single-unit 5.1 - channel surround-sound system, Model YSP1. It will sell in the UK at about £800. The unit uses 'digital sound projection technology' to control the orientation of the sound by focusing it into beams. Sound is both direct and reflected from walls, and is thus heard from the front, sides and back. The unit can be placed in different positions in the room - at the front centre or in either of the front corners. It delivers a total power output of 120W, and is compatible with Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic H and DTS Neo 6 sound. Set up is with three buttons. There are no speaker leads. (top)
Special Offer Standard Sky Digibox remote with a couple of coloured battery covers for only £8.99 plus postage plus VAT (= £13.50 in the UK). That's a saving of £6.96 from our normal price for the remote and back covers. Save even more by ordering something else at the same time and make the postage worthwhile! Offer valid till Monday 9th May 2005 while stocks last. http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/offers.htm
High Definition TV strategies HDTV strategies Cable broadcaster NTL has revealed that it started testing high-definition TV services using ADSL2+ technology last February. This can deliver high-speed data, currently at speeds of up to 18Mbits/sec downstream, via standard copper telephone lines. At present the services to most homes that use ADSL operate at 1Mbits/sec. Meanwhile BT is planning to offer TV services using IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) technology via its telephone lines, and is developing technology that enables broadcasts with close to DVD quality to be delivered at 2Mbits/sec. It has been in discussions with the BBC and ITV on the use of their content on its IPTV services. Satellite HDTV broadcaster Euro 1080 has announced that it will start using MPEG-4 this summer, when two new channels will be launched and its current channel HDI will start to be encrypted. MPEG-2 will continue to be used for some transmissions until 2008.
Analogue switch-off trials The first UK analogue switchoff trials started on March 30, when 460 homes in the Welsh villages of Ferryside and Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire, had their analogue TV signals switched off. Residents were provided with a DTT set-top box and PVR, along with technical assistance. It's estimated that the cost was about £350 per household. It has been suggested that, if re-elected, the government plans to make a formal announcement about the analogue switch-off this summer, and will adopt Ofcom's recommendation of a staggered switch-off across the country. Ofcom is backing a change to the DTT transmission standard, from 2k to 8K OFDM. This relates to the number of carriers used in the orthogonal frequency-division multiplex. The proposal is backed by the manufacturers' organisation Intellect (BREMA), as it would improve the performance and enable a return to 64QAM modulation. But early IDTV sets and ITV Digital STBs would be unable to decode the signals. Digital TV households The latest figures from Ofcom reveal that at the end of fast year over 14.75m households in the UK had installed equipment for digital-TV reception - there was an increase of over 910,000 during the last quarter. BSkyB added some 177,000 subscribers, bringing the total to about 7,262,000, while the number of households with a DTT receiver rose to almost 4,600,000, an increase of 678,000. The total number of cable TV subscribers was about 3,300,000 with over 2,500,000 receiving digital services.
Goodmans has launched a personal media center that incorporates a 4008 harddisk, enabling up to 200 hours of TV programmes to be recorded. The unit, Model GPDR40 measures 110 x 80 x 30mm and comes with software, cables, earphones, a carrying bag and an AC adaptor. Price is about £270. Video from a TV set's scart socket is converted to AMPEG-4 form for storage, and can then be viewed on the 3.6" colour LCD screen. JPEG images con also be displayed and edfited. MP3, WMA and WAV music flies can be played, and data can be downloaded via the SD/MMC memory card slot or the USB 2.0 port. Battery life is 2.5 hours. (top) Happy Customers RE: SatCure Keep-me SA12011053248 DA158 I just want to say thank you for the lightening delivery of my order and the professional way in which you dealt with it. I have already recommended you - and your website - to some friends. Best wishes, Geoff D.
Re: LNB mysteries explained, Just a note to say the point you make about matching feeds/LNB's to dishes is slightly inccorect. It realy only applies to feed/LNB combinations, the important thing is that the feed matches the dish, as long as the coupling is correct eg. C120/C120 WR75/WR75, then you may use any LNB, as the LNB pickup is not at the focal point, but the feed is. (once the signal enters the waveguide thats it, it will evetually get to the pickup wherever it is)It doe's not matter where the pickup is as long as it is in the correct plane. John B.
Brilliant Website Many thanks for your recent emails regarding the cards. Your service is excellent and thanks to you, I have managed to keep many elderly people in Spain connected to their home channels. Without doubt - excellent! From all the 'golden oldies' - THANK YOU..... Sandra M
Re: SatCure Keep-me SA11711052333 ALL98 Dear Everyone at Satcure, The goodies arrived this morning, all correct and very securely packed. Thankyou. Message for Martin:- Once again the receipt of an order prompts me to let you know how much your efficient service is appreciated. I really can say that I don't recall EVER having had better, or more friendly, attention from any other company. You and your staff should feel justifiably proud. Kindest regards, Ray A
(top) From Sky Digi Online ( http://www.media247.co.uk ): (top)
eBook Updates (minor) - The Freeview Bible April 27, 2005
- Understanding Sky Digital April 27, 2005
- All eBooks have been moved to a secure server which requires a username and password. Please contact Me with your original Order number and ask for the new download information, stating exactly which eBook(s) you purchased and the EBK number(s).
http://www.The-Cool-Book-Shop.co.uk | 
