Sky switchover to new Optus D1 satellite in progress...

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Sky switchover to new Optus D1 satellite in progress...

tallPete

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#10291 15-Nov-2006 00:12

All my Sky channels just went down dead on midnight - preceded by a brief message. After a search on the net, I see that sky are switching from Optus B1 satellite to the new Optus D1 satellite as I write this.

Source : http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/mythtvnz/235389

I wonder if we will see any bandwidth changes tomorrow on the channels.

I wonder what the effect will be on the Sky share price tomorrow as a significant risk to Sky will be alleviated if the move is successful.

bradstewart

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#52382 15-Nov-2006 09:30

Theres also a good chance that your service won't resume, thanks to those that do not know how to assemble satellites properly

sbiddle

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#52387 15-Nov-2006 09:56

bradstewart: Theres also a good chance that your service won't resume, thanks to those that do not know how to assemble satellites properly

Depending on who you believe the satellite was assembled correctly and it was Optus who didn't specify the polarity needed to be set differently to every other satellite that has been built by Orbital.

cokemaster

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#52391 15-Nov-2006 10:09

Has D1 gone live? I've noticed that the signal meter has gone to 100% while previous it'd float around 80% on both strength and quality.

Not sure if its just the weather/other factors... or what.

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cyril7

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#52396 15-Nov-2006 10:34

Yes D1 went live in the wee hours, and yes there seems to be a dB or two extra. This extra level counts directly toward the C/N which makes the BER improve out of sight even though the signal level may only show no or little change as the bars are roughly 5dB per step. If they had got it right and the spot beam was operating correctly then there would be a couple more dB to boot.

I would suggest that the design documents were correct. However as it is a nonstandard request it was misunderstood by the assembly techs, whos work was not tested correctly on acceptance by Optus before D1 was piled into a 747 at Dulles for Frech Guiana. Thats means both parties are to blame.

Unique Spot beam designs are not uncommon on any satellite. All the US DirectTV and Echostar units have very complex spot beams. I think one of the DirectTV ones has over 20 unique spot beams to deliver the local in local service.

Cyril

NokiaRocks

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#52402 15-Nov-2006 11:03

Will TCL users notice any difference? or is the single changed and compressed so much by TCL that no gain will be noticed?

tallPete

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#52404 15-Nov-2006 11:17

I hadn't realised that there were some major issues with configuration on board that satellite when I started this thread... It makes some interesting reading. The solution in place at the moment must only be temporary, otherwise Sky will have growth issues in future.

This is a good thread : http://www.vetrun.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6188

I wonder how Sky will resolve this issue? Is Skys only possible response to physically go out to each of their subscribers and rotate part of their installed hardware and change settings on the decoder?

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sat

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#52419 15-Nov-2006 12:39

There is talk in the media of the launch of D2 being brought forward or perhaps the men with the tin foil hats mentioned in another
Thread could get in their little spaceships and fly up to 38000ft and make the adjustments

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richms

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#52538 15-Nov-2006 23:47

LNB's polarity is selected by the voltage from the reciever, so I guess in theory they could push out new channel info that has the polarity reversed to customers and they would then revieve off the correct transponders. Quite a major F'up on optuses part to let this happen. The installer I was talking to said that one release of skys lnb's are not dual polarity so would need to be swapped, but that it was an old one which mostly have already died because of age but he had no idea how many would still be out there.

TVNZ cant use the wide beams like sky are at the moment since TVNZ run unencrypted and they would end up broadcasting out of market which is a huge no-no.

Richard rich.ms

lchiu7

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#52861 17-Nov-2006 19:27

It it coincidence with the crappy weather we have been experiencing lately or due to the new satellite but in the past few days I have noticed many of the Sky channels (carried over TCL cable) are dropping, freezing momentarily or showing MPEG2 artifacts like blocks of video etc. I have seen on Food Network, WCTV, Sky1 and even TV1 and TV2

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cyril7

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#52870 17-Nov-2006 20:22

TV1 and TV2 as received south of Taupo are still on B1, nothing changed. Sky1, FoodTV are on new transponders that are 3-4dB up on what they were previously on B1. I think the change to D1 has no relationship to this.

Cyril

lchiu7

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#52957 18-Nov-2006 18:50

Then I guess the TV1 pixellation is due to the poor weather we have been having lately. As for the other channels, perhaps we can blame D1!

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