Just a thought on what we can actually get in NZ

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Zapper

28 posts

Geek

#215203 16-Jun-2017 16:41

Having been ably assisted by a couple of forum members here and at last won the recent battle of finding a satellite for Freeview having cast off the yoke of Sky, my curiosity is again piqued as it was some 10 yrs ago when I was given a C band dish which I installed but never got around to using.

To make it easy to start I'd like to find out just what Ku band satellites are transmitting in our direction and what may be available on a standard 60cm dish. I realize being able to watch signals from different satellites means moving the dish to point at different spots in the sky be that by means of climbing on the roof or getting a fair bit more complicated with motor drives, multiple LNBs on a single dish if satellites are close together or even having separate dishes for each satellite.

Anyway, putting the problems of looking at different parts of the sky aside -

Looking at Lyngsat: https://www.lyngsat.com/

and

Satbeams: https://www.satbeams.com/footprints?position=169

websites I see a couple of prospects.

OPTUS D1 sending Sky and Freeview which we all have easy access to. https://www.satbeams.com/footprints?lat=0&lng=164&zoom=1&beam=5844&type=normal&name=Temporary

OPTUS D2 transmits: http://www.legiontv.co.nz/archives/182

https://www.satbeams.com/footprints?position=167

OPTUS D3 - all we get from this one is the Sky test card

OPTUS B3 at 164E https://www.satbeams.com/footprints?lat=0&lng=164&zoom=1&beam=5582&type=normal&name=Temporary

OPTUS 10 at 164E which as far as I can see doesn't send us anything https://www.satbeams.com/footprints?lat=0&lng=164&zoom=1&beam=8385&type=normal&name=Temporary

Intelsat 19 https://www.lyngsat.com/Intelsat-19.html

If anyone would like to comment, add to the list or offer advice I am all ears. I will actually consider another dish if I could get Aussie TV .. at least current affairs etc but I already miss my Nat Geo, Discovery etc but will adjust in time.

Cheers,

Zap

Jaxson

8041 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1802333 16-Jun-2017 18:40

Side question, do you have broadband internet where you are?

Apsattv

2388 posts

Uber Geek

#1802473 17-Jun-2017 07:23

Unfortunatly what is available FTA on KUband in the region is in fact LESS than we had a couple of years ago. The platform on Optus D2 in particular has dumped a lot of the niche FTA ethnic services that were running there. Most PAY DTH ethnic services have also left Optus D2 and Intelsat 19.

On intelsat 19 the Phillipines DTH service left and went to iptv. Another service there serving Australia with some alternative english content recently shut down. The TVB Chinese service is due to leave at the end of this month.

Zapper

28 posts

Geek

#1802645 17-Jun-2017 16:22

Yes I have broadband .. not fibre as yet.

Have youtube and netflix.

Why do you ask?

Cheers,

Zap

gustov

197 posts

Master Geek

#1830402 25-Jul-2017 23:38

My advice with respect to Ku-band is to ignore D2 as it is almost completely dominated by religious channels.

Instead get yourself a 1m Azure Ku dish and a receiver able to resolve 16 ASPK and you will be able to view Australia Channel Nine in HD along with their Gem, Go! and Life channels. Also Euro English, France 24 English and Russia Today English are on IS19 and represent good viewing for the mature person. Dish and receiver readily available on TM from a long-established trader.

ANglEAUT

2320 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#1830420 26-Jul-2017 01:23

Zapper: Yes I have broadband ...

I'm not trying to side track the discussion, but have a look here: Australian TV add-on released for Kodi

Please keep this GZ community vibrant by contributing in a constructive & respectful manner.

Jaxson

8041 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1830493 26-Jul-2017 09:22

Zapper:

Yes I have broadband .. not fibre as yet.

Have youtube and netflix.

Why do you ask?

Because there's far more content available via that distribution method.

NZ is not particularly close to anyone else, so we don't get a lot of content spill over on to us.
You have to go big if you want much, and that's costly.

I used to have a 1.8m dish to source the Formula One from Indonesia and League from Australia. It's just not worth it these days, in my humble opinion.

Rikkitic

Awrrr
18657 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#1830498 26-Jul-2017 09:25

I get the news services mentioned above on Intelsat 19 with an offset LNB on an 80 cm dish. Intelsat 19 also carried an Ozzie feed for Seven (if I remember correctly) at one time, don't know if it still does. I use D2 mainly for BVN.

However, I would vote for the suggestion above to consider broadband streaming rather than satellite for these things if all you want is to be able to watch TV. Streaming is much more flexible and comprehensive these days, especially if you include a (inexpensive) DNS unblocking service. Satellite is only really interesting as a hobby now.

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robjg63

4096 posts

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Subscriber

#1830501 26-Jul-2017 09:28

Jaxson:

Side question, do you have broadband internet where you are?

I was going to ask the same question when I read the original post - these days pretty much everything can be streamed online provided you have good internet access (and a geo unblocker).

What country content are you after?

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

nurcopolics

144 posts

Master Geek

#1830510 26-Jul-2017 09:33

Why dont you explore IPTV? I mean, every channel available...

robjg63

4096 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#1830523 26-Jul-2017 09:49

The IPTV comment is certainly a good one - but does anyone know of an IPTV product that comes with a bunch of streams already configured?

Most of the IPTV products I have seen are just products where you can add streams - but you have to find them first - which can be a bit tedious. I have set up a free zattoo (zattoo.com) account and can stream many european live TV channels (you have to have a geo-unblocker and set zattoo to think you are in switzerland to get the biggest selection of channels). Good if you are wanting to learn German/French/Italian - but also contains the UK free to air channels.

EDIT: Maybe have answered my own question - googling for 'IPTV playlists' bought up a few 'packages' by country and sport - probably a good place to start. I imagine its easy enough to add these to an IPTV app....

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

gustov

197 posts

Master Geek

#1830537 26-Jul-2017 10:13

IPTV and streaming is certainly the way of the future and the 16 ASPK satellite receiver I referred to above also comes loaded with hundreds of IPTV channels, but you never know from one day to the next if they are working and they certainly do not come with an EPG so you never know what is coming up. If you want to stream the BBC evening news in NZ you are going to have to watch it live, which means watching it over your breakfast before you go to work because it is mostly too fiddly to try and set up a recording of it. However, the on-demand streaming service is excellent and superior to what any satellite service can offer..

The continuing advantage of Satellite viewing is that it is a simple matter to set up a recording and view the programme at your convenience. The Nine network on IS19 broadcasts a complete 8-day EPG with its signal so if there is a movie on in five days I like then I can set it up to record, you can't really do that with most IPTV streams. That said, very few foreign broadcasters include an EPG with their satellite transmission, but Nine does which makes for effortless viewing and recording.

Once there is a reliable EPG for IPTV streams and the ability to easily set up a programme up for recording then IPTV will be even better. USTV Now is a good example of a legal stream - you can watch the major USA news networks live for free, or pay a monthly sub to have the ability to record. Pluto TV and Tubi TV are good free legal English-language streams. And Curiosity TV is a very cheap legal stream from the USA which i have yet to try.

The times zones do not work in our favour, the nearest English language country with a near time zone is Australia