Using Sky Satellite Dish for freeview?

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Quidam

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#27545 30-Oct-2008 09:00

Hi all.

I configured Freeview|HD via DVB-T (using mediaportal) when the Olympics screened, and have not looked back. At the time I purchased a HVR-4000 which I later swapped out for a Nova-T 500 (for the dual DVB-T tuners)

However, given I have Sky, on a whim I decided to install a splitter cable and connect up to my HVR-4000 (in another PC). My understanding is that this could give me a couple of extra channels -but my primary motivation is to get SD channels which I will be able to stream to my partners laptop (it is not grunty enough to handle HD).

I did do some research on this prior to giving it a go, and followed this tutorial:

http://www.team-mediaportal.com/manual/Country_Specific_Informations/NewZealand

I believe I have a Dual LNB setup, and I suspect this was setup when I had my old Sky STB upgraded to support Component Video output (The tech definately played with the Dish, I seem to vaguely remember him saying he wanted to re-align it for the new Satellite -and I guess he would have upgraded the LNB then)

Anyway, the end result is that with default mediaportal LNB settings, and scanning the entire Optus B1/D1 transponder list (which appears to include the 2 freeview transponders) I end up with over 30 sky channels, but no freeview channels. Only TV 1 and 2 are unencrypted. I also noted that although the list of channels was extensive, there were 1 or 2 missing, like Prime and TV3

Assuming it is possible to use the Sky dish to pick up freeview, can anyone help me out on what I need to do?

Cheers
b

"There is no way to Peace -Peace is the Way" (A. J. Muste)

cyril7

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#174614 30-Oct-2008 13:18

The freeview muxs are 12483 and 12456, the unencrypted TV1&2 that you see are on a Sky mux at 12671. I am not farmiliar enough with mediaportal to help you there but can confirm that if you can recieve Skys muxs you will also be able to recieve the FreeView ones, there is nothing that will limit access from the dish or Sky dual throat LNB point of view.

Cyril

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Quidam

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#174618 30-Oct-2008 14:02

Thanks for the reply.

Well I must be missing a piece of the jigsaw puzzle somewhere.

As per the trutorial:

http://www.team-mediaportal.com/manual/Country_Specific_Informations/NewZealand/FreeviewTVE3

Both Transponders you listed are included in the default satellite config, and (as suggested in the tutorial) I set up a custom "freeview" config which included only the freeview transponders that you listed.

When I used this config the first time I did it with the LNB override of 11300 and got nothing.

Second time I re-ran the custom config with default LNB (which assumes dual LNB and I believe is 10750) and it found channels on 12456 but they were all sky channels (I think 6 of them -all encrypted) No freeview -and did not find anything on 12483.

When I get home tonight I'll have more of a play -I must be missing something. I might take a look at the Sky STB setup as I assume I can confirm the LNB value, but the fact that I am finding any channels at all must mean the setting is correct?

"There is no way to Peace -Peace is the Way" (A. J. Muste)

Quidam

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#174620 30-Oct-2008 14:15

Reading through the tutorial again, I've thought of something else I might need to try, specifically in relation to the Low and High LOF. This confused me at first, and I probably confused dual LOF's with Dual LNB. My guess is that I have dual LNB (hence a low LOF of 10750 and I probably do not have a High LOF.

So, taken from the guide the suggested overrides were:

When trying to tune frequencies equal or higher than this: "send a 22Khz tone to the LNB to tell it to use the second LOF"

Great but what if your LNB only as 1 LOF as most in NZ seem to?

For an LNB with a LOF of 11300Mhz:

Override Default LNB frequencies: Ticked
LOF1 : 11300
LOF2 : 0 ( We will never use the 2nd LOF, there isn't one!)
LNBSW : 20000

So I'll make a minor change and specify a LOF1 of 10750 and try again.

"There is no way to Peace -Peace is the Way" (A. J. Muste)

cyril7

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#174621 30-Oct-2008 14:20

Hi, no you dont have a dual LO LNB, but a dual orbit location, the 22kHz tone causes these LNBs to look at 156E (C1) rather than changing the LO frequency, so to make it clear in a Sky provided dual oval LNB there is only one LO frequency 10750, dont let 22kHz turn on or you will find yourself gazing at 156E rather than 160E.

Can I recommend that you use:

LOF1: 10750
LOF2: 10750
LNBSW: 12750

Cyril

Quidam

291 posts

Ultimate Geek

#174670 30-Oct-2008 17:03

Brilliant -that worked.

"There is no way to Peace -Peace is the Way" (A. J. Muste)

cyril7

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#174674 30-Oct-2008 17:11

Great.

Cheers
Cyril