DVB-S from Australian signal

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marsman

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Geek

Topic # 88345 14-Aug-2011 10:36

Just a quick question about the channels we can pickup from Australia over here in New Zealand.
Is it only SBS 1/2 or are there other free channels, anything from Freeview AU?

Thanks

GeekGuy

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Reply # 506216 14-Aug-2011 12:17

Nine Digital, Gem and Go! from Melbourne as well ... if you have a DVB-S2 receiver.

sbiddle

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Reply # 506217 14-Aug-2011 12:29

Depends entirely on your location and type of hardware.

minigopher17

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Reply # 506225 14-Aug-2011 12:53

Is there a dummy's guide to getting Aussie TV in NZ somewhere?

For example, I'm in Auckland so know it's possible here, and would like to know what hardware would be required, places I can go and purchase, how much it would cost, and can I use existing unused Sky dish, etc

marsman

15 posts

Geek

Reply # 506363 14-Aug-2011 18:31

Cool so around 5 channels.
I'm in Auckland, what size dish is best? and any recommendations on a DVB-S2 capture card.

digitaldvd

18 posts

Geek

Reply # 506638 15-Aug-2011 10:55

You need a 60cm to 76cm dish be warned before you start dishing out money that these services are not there permanently sooner or later they will go

sunfolk

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Reply # 506639 15-Aug-2011 11:01

90cm dish is better tho, as SBS signal is weaker and can suffer from rain fade.

minigopher17

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Reply # 506641 15-Aug-2011 11:02

And a Sky TV satellite dish is how large?

sunfolk

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Reply # 506649 15-Aug-2011 11:15

minigopher17: And a Sky TV satellite dish is how large?

Typically 65cm,

I had a Dick Smith special (65cm) for freeview, worked fine. But for sbs it wasn`t enough.

xarqi

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Reply # 506704 15-Aug-2011 12:21

digitaldvd: You need a 60cm to 76cm dish be warned before you start dishing out money that these services are not there permanently sooner or later they will go

So far, it's been "later".

The minimal additional outlay (maybe another $20 for a bigger dish; maybe another $10 for a dual output LNB) would pay for itself in a week through access to SBS alone. There is about as much decent programming on SBS 1 and 2, and in HD to boot in the case of SBS 1, with far far fewer ads, than there is on all of NZ Freeview, even though a large chunk of bandwidth is used for news (and it is real news, not "Stop press - kitten caught up tree - film at 11".

The situation is a bit different with the Nine offerings. For the most part they are ad-riddled to the point of being unwatchable, and don't warrant the additional cost of a DVB-S2 receiver.

It's all a matter of opinion though - that's just mine.

minigopher17

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Reply # 507250 16-Aug-2011 12:15

So in summary, for my own dummies guide, I could set up watching up to 5 Aussie channels using the existing unused Sky dish with a DVB-S2 receiver. Is it that simple?

Recommendations on receivers? Best, cheapest?

Any other things that could catch me out?

xarqi

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Reply # 507258 16-Aug-2011 12:25

That's basically right.

One "gotcha" is that those channels are vertically polarised, so you need an LNB that allows reception of these. Most do. Another way of tripping up there is that if multiple boxes share a feed from an LNB via a splitter (rather than a multiswitch), any receiver tuned to a horizontally polarised service will prevent any other from receiving a V polarised service.

Best receiver? Vu+ Duo as far as I'm concerned.

Cheapest? No idea, but I wouldn't trust any of them.

P.S.

I'm not sure if it's been explicitly stated, but you don't need a DVB-S2 receiver for SBS, even in HD; DVB-S is all you need. For the Nine services, DVB-S2 IS required.

kiwisat

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Reply # 509408 20-Aug-2011 18:12

Seems like it's all over for these channels.

xarqi

727 posts

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Reply # 509412 20-Aug-2011 18:18

SBS HD and TWO still going strong for me, but not the Nine services; they're MIA.

Sniff, sniff - no more Green Acres, Bewitched, and I Dream of Jeannie. I managed to grab a complete set of Thunderbirds though.

kiwisat

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Reply # 509438 20-Aug-2011 19:53

False alarm. Back up again.