BajaNomad - Free to Air TV

Free to Air TV

comitan - 9-14-2007 at 07:53 PM

Is anyone useing free to air tv in BCS.

Bob and Susan - 9-15-2007 at 04:48 AM

we're going to try this too...

the tv part looks very simular to direct tv or dish and you get ALOT of channels

we want SPORTS !!! :cool:

don't know if we'll watch many korean chanels :saint:

Reeljob - 9-15-2007 at 06:33 AM

Yep, DISH, works great. Download from computer put flash in receiver (available on-line), 352 channels, all unscrambled,

losfrailes - 9-15-2007 at 07:13 AM

Yes indeed. Lots of people using FTA down here. South of Guerrerro Negro I suggest a minimum of 1.8 meter dish, available from Guadalajara, and I recommend the Viewsat Ultra receiver which is available online at
http://www.southcoastfta.com/store/abaoutUs.asp.

You will also need a small memory stick when updating the ultra.

I have installed a couple dozen systems of this type in the area from GN to Loreto, with one impending installation in La Paz. Easy for the user to maintain as long as they have internet connection.

[Edited on 9-15-2007 by losfrailes]

capt. mike - 9-15-2007 at 07:24 AM

so, after the hardware is purchased and installed, is there a monthly subscription?

i have a 6' alum c band antennae stored in phx i want to get to mulege.
Frailes - will that work?

losfrailes - 9-15-2007 at 07:27 AM

Mike

There is no monthly fee, hence the name Free To Air. (FTA).

It is doubtful if the alum C band antenna would work. It takes the correct type of offset antenna to do the job properly and most of those old BUD (Big Ugly Dishes) just do not cut the mustard.

There are a couple of installations in the area that are using a segmented Center Focus dish, but they are a real b-tch to get aimed properly.

[Edited on 9-15-2007 by losfrailes]

Minnow - 9-15-2007 at 07:27 AM

No monthly fee, but installation can be a little tricky. Also need to find out the web sites to reprogram every so often.

bajadock - 9-15-2007 at 07:31 AM

Is HD quality available via FTA? I'm getting ready for 2 tv's, dish and receiver.

thx Frailes

capt. mike - 9-15-2007 at 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by losfrailes
Mike

There is no monthly fee, hence the name Free To Air. (FTA).

It is doubtful if the alum C band antenna would work. It takes the correct type of offset antenna to do the job properly and most of those old BUD (Big Ugly Dishes) just do not cut the mustard.

There are a couple of installations in the area that are using a segmented Center Focus dish, but they are a real b-tch to get aimed properly.

[Edited on 9-15-2007 by losfrailes]

i'll just turn my old dish into a negative edge fountain as planned earlier and budget to buy a system incl 2 M. non-flying saucer from you.

if you can U2U me a ball park estimate that would be great.

losfrailes - 9-15-2007 at 07:38 AM

Bajadoc

I do not know if there is any HD FTA available as yet. I suggest you call these folks and ask the same question.

http://www.southcoastfta.com/store/abaoutUs.asp

You can run two receivers off one dish with nothing more than a dual LNB, you can also run more than two if you put a special router type device in the line.

Up north there in Ensenada you should be able to get plenty without the use of a humungous dish. Just check out the regular Dish Network dishes available online. And you will get a lot more channels up there than we do down here.

Here we get about 250-270 good clear TV channels (some that do come and go with the time of day) and also over 100 channels of good clear music. Its all a matter of signal strength and signal quality.

Loboron - 9-15-2007 at 08:37 AM

There is no "Dish" FTA HD as Dish network is very proprietary. Word is FTA units are working on a receiver. How ever the Canadian network "BEV" is pretty much wide open for HD.

Here in Ensenada, a Dish 500 antenna and a Dish Pro LNB will get you wide-open TV on Dish.

capt. mike - 9-15-2007 at 09:17 AM

gracias Wayne!

Al G - 9-15-2007 at 11:52 AM

Are we saying we get channel like FX, TNT, Speed, ESPN, ABC NBC, CBS,and FOX??? All Stations that broadcast NASCAR??? Don't Care about the rest.... :lol:

BCSTech - 9-16-2007 at 08:13 AM

I don't want to start a debate about the ethics or legality of accessing paid programming for free but I will add some info here in the interests of full disclosure about FTA receivers so that readers will know what they're getting into.

FTA receivers must be programmed and reprogrammed to pick up most channels, especially encrypted subscription channels like Dish Network. Technically, by using FTA receivers to receive them, many people and US laws would say that you are "stealing" the programming.

To decrypt these channels, you must upload a file into the FTA receiver from your computer. These files are provided by people who figure out how to "crack" the encrypted programming. Dish Network knows this is happening and periodically changes their encryption to shut down these receivers. The receivers often get shut down on the weekends, and before some big event.

Before the receiver can hack these programs again, somebody has to figure out how to crack the new encryption scheme and create a new file to do this. This means you will need to periodically upload a new file to reprogram these receivers.

There are a number of internet sites that post these files. But the files may not always work and it may take days or weeks before a new file is available.. Your mileage may vary.

This is not just my opinion without first-hand experience... I've tinkered with FTA myself to understand how it works, and I know Dish Network subscribers who dropped FTA in favor of a regular receiver and subscription because FTA was too much trouble to maintain.

If you are not technical, or don't want to be bothered with tinkering with your receiver to watch TV, or don't like your satellite programs being periodically interrupted, or are squeamish about whether or not what you are doing is legal, FTA receivers may not be for you.

[Edited on 9-16-2007 by BCSTech]

Minnow - 9-16-2007 at 09:12 AM

good post BStech. :lol:

I was thinking everyone here knew exactly what kind of animal they were dealing with, but a intro coarse was spot on.

Heck, there is a so called cable company servicing South Ensenada and the sand spit that uses the FTA technology then converts it into a cable signal for their gringo clients. :lol:

toneart - 9-16-2007 at 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by losfrailes
Yes indeed. Lots of people using FTA down here. South of Guerrerro Negro I suggest a minimum of 1.8 meter dish, available from Guadalajara, and I recommend the Viewsat Ultra receiver which is available online at
http://www.southcoastfta.com/store/abaoutUs.asp.

You will also need a small memory stick when updating the ultra.

I have installed a couple dozen systems of this type in the area from GN to Loreto, with one impending installation in La Paz. Easy for the user to maintain as long as they have internet connection.

[Edited on 9-15-2007 by losfrailes]

If I wanted to have a system installed in Mulege, how do I begin if you are doing the installation? Do you give me a shopping list so I can purchase equipment in the U.S., or do you stock equipment? Or do you have a working relationship with dealers and order from them? (such as Southcoast FTA?)

One other question: Being close to Mulege, would you be available to tweak the system from time to time, if needed?

cathart - 9-18-2007 at 12:27 AM

I have FTA here in La Mision, and quite honestly, I am not at all happy with it. Initially, it worked fine, but after we had bad wind about a week ago, I lost my signal, and have never gotten it back. My receiver shows me that I am getting a signal, but I cannot get any channels to come in, and I can't get the guy who installed my system to answer his phone or emails....of course, he has my money....at this point, I'm almost ready to take the loss, and to back to Directv, which I think I can get in Rosarito, just so that I can get some sort of reception and see the news!

BCSTech - 9-18-2007 at 03:57 AM

To me, the main concern is who keeps these boxes unlocked. Unless you are technical enough and willing to do the updates, it falls on the dealer to provide that service. And he's going to need to do this for all of his customers at the same time because the boxes will probably all shut down at the same time.

I figure if I had 20 FTA customers and all their boxes went down on a Friday, there goes my weekend...

I'm not against people buying FTA receivers. Just know what you're getting into. They will need regular unlocking and someone to support them.

BTW, Wayne (Losfrailes) and I are amigos and, although we've never met, we've referred customers to each other.

Bob and Susan - 9-18-2007 at 04:56 AM

BCSTech

don't you just lsave a file to a memory stick (~$12)
and then "sitck the stick" into the FTA receiver
and the receiver does the rest????

you said...
"There are a number of internet sites that post these files"
so the data is readly available on the internet

Once the dish is aimed...if mounted correctly then that doesn't change
Why would YOU need to support the customers system and not the individual???

BCSTech - 9-18-2007 at 05:15 AM

Quote:

Why would YOU need to support the customers system and not the individual???

I'm not saying I, or any other dealer, WOULD need to support the customer's system. The point I'm making is that someone will need to do this work, and some people don't want to be bothered with it. Obviously, cathart was relying upon the dealer to do this work.

You and I might find it easy to do but others may not. I can tell you from personal experience it's not always as easy as "just save a file to a memory stick and then "stick the stick" into the FTA receiver and the receiver does the rest." There's a little more to it than that, and it will need to be done more than once.

Let me say this one more time; I'm not against people buying FTA receivers. But the box will need someone (dealer or user) to unlock it on a regular basis.

Bob and Susan - 9-18-2007 at 05:57 AM

i agree...
someone who cannot load a zipped file to a "stick"
from their computer...

then take the "stick" to the FTA receiver and put it in...

SHOULD NOT have an FTA receiver and SHOULD pay monthly fees for DirecTV :saint:

also if you MUST see all TV stations without some sort of intruption sometime then they NEED to PAY!!! :saint:

vandenberg - 9-18-2007 at 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob and Susan
i agree...
someone who cannot load a zipped file to a "stick"
from their computer...

then take the "stick" to the FTA receiver and put it in...

Hey Bob,
How about I bring my stick to you. I'm only in Loreto. :lol:

Exactly!!!

BCSTech - 9-18-2007 at 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob and Susan
i agree...
someone who cannot load a zipped file to a "stick"
from their computer...

then take the "stick" to the FTA receiver and put it in...

SHOULD NOT have an FTA receiver and SHOULD pay monthly fees...

Just like someone who cannot pick the door lock should pay to rent the room, right? :saint:

Bob and Susan - 9-19-2007 at 05:11 AM

right :lol: