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What to do with 4 Digital Satellite Receivers (forclosed home came with them)

Uh, if she is out in the boonies, how is she getting broadband? 768 DSL makes video barely tolerable. 384 or dialup, forget it.

-- aem sends...

Reply to
aemeijers
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Not sure what she has. She can "mount the antenna on the water tank which is the highest point on the hill.."

Until we know her broadband I'll wait.

Reply to
Oren

I didn't know that OTA broadcast TV was on the web.

Googling, I found a few web-tv "stations" that seemed to work: MSNBC News:

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News:
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But others like CNN didn't seem to work at all: CNN News:
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Yet others, like CBS news, required additional software (TVUPlayer?):
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But maybe I'm looking at the wrong urls.

Two questions:

  1. Are these web stations the SAME as the OTA broadcasts?
  2. What's the best URL for web-based TV for the standard networks? (eg, PBS, NBC, ABC, History channel, Discovery channel, etc)
Reply to
Donna DeLong

You guessed it. There is no cable or DSL up here in the mountains so it would be useful to pluck "regular" TV right out of the air (just like in the olden days).

The only wires or pipes that come up the road into the house are the telephone and electricity. Even that stinks as the telephone is scratchy and the electricity goes out often and the 14Kw Generac motor kicks in all the time.

Still, if TV can be had on the web, I should at least test it out. I found, for example, "60 Minutes" on the web, but, these don't seem as much OTA TV as they are utubish-like videos of a previous broadcast.

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I wonder two things about web-based OTA TV:

  1. Is the web tv station the SAME broadcast as the OTA stations?
  2. What's the best URL for the basic OTA stations (ABC, CBS, NBC, Discovery, History, PBS, etc.)?
Reply to
Donna DeLong

I'm confused about the Yagi.

Based on prior suggestions for a "DB8", I researched DB8s and found that the DB8 is mostly a UHF antenna (so it will pull in PBS and CBS) but I would need additional 2-foot halfwave dipoles for the VHF channels (NBC and FOX) that are in my area.

But is the DB8 the same as a "Yagi"?

Looking up the Yagi

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I see a Yagi is a highly directional high-gain antenna - so I understand why it might work for me given a rotator to get the 3 compass headings I need (6-8 degrees for NBC and CBS, 123 degrees for PBS, & 141 degrees for FOX).

But (from Wikipedia) isn't the Yagi mostly for VHF? And, if I understood the DB8, isn't it mostly for UHF?

Reply to
Donna DeLong

As for tuned antennas and a switch box, are you saying I can build my own custom antenna, out of wood and wire, one antenna for each of the four or five stations that have reception in my area, and then I can just switch them with an AB switch (only it would be an ABCDE switch, I guess).

I found tuned antenna-building tutorials here and it seems easy enough to build one for each station:

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Do you have a suggestion for the 5 tuned antennas and the switch box to handle the five stations?

- PBS UHF Strong (KTEH, Analog channel 54-1, Digital channel 50)

- CBS UHF Strong (KION, Analog channel 46-1, Digital channel 32)

- NBC HiV Medium (KSBW, Analog channel 08-1, Digital channel 08)

- FOX HiV Medium (KCBA, Analog channel 35-1, Digital channel 13)

- ABC HiV Weak (KXTV, Analog channel 10-1, Digital channel 10)

Reply to
Donna DeLong

Donna you only need to try the engagit modification! Its a fun project and with all your inquisition,I'll bet you'de enjoy prooving to your self that,products for sale wont compare to the enhanced signal you will get from the dish wifi/ DTV mod.

Now after reading your profile I noticed you have picked up several ideas from a broad range of sites from betteter homes to sci fi? The dish mod wont help you increase your in-the-house connection from your router to your laptop unles you had it mounted on your phone/laptop, thats a bit much to ask!

It will however give you a greater signal of digital OTA signal than any store bought array antenna because the collector sends a concentrated signal to a focal point!

It still will depend of LOS if your mountain blocks you now it will block you in that direction from now on soo nothing will help .

Save your money.

Move up on top of the mountain Nibiru is bringing 40 feet of water that will last several months!

Reply to
joeturn

Try Hulu TV, NinjaVideo and Fast Pass TV.

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TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

Discovery and History are NOT OTA stations, they are cable/satt only. You can buy or rent CDs of particular programs or series shown on those stations, however. Some people who aren't into sports and such report replacing their satt or cable with a Netflix subscription, and being perfectly happy.

-- aem sends...

Reply to
aemeijers

Direct TV dishes are marginally better than the biquad antenna by itself. Pose the question to alt.wireless.internet. You really need a big Primestar dish for wifi. Primestar is defunct, so getting the dish for nothing isn't all that hard, but finding the dishes is something else. I've seen Primestar dishes on abandoned houses, but the thought of spending the night in some podunk jail keeps me from swiping the dish.

Also, that biquad design in Engadget is not good. The feed to the element needs to be coaxial rather than two wires. The loops can be round too, which makes construction easier. This is really OT to sci.geo.satellite-nav. On alt.internet.wireless, you will find the gurus.

Reply to
miso

I think the answer is as follows based on a summary of what I've learned.

  1. The 4 satellite boxes are fundamentally useless for my needs
  2. The 2 satellite dishes are also basically just as useless for me
  3. What is useful is the existing cabling from the dishes to the rooms
  4. Repurposing the dish antennas as WiFi or OTA TV isn't worth the effort
  5. Netflix (/month for 1 DVD, /month for 3 DVDs) is one movie option
  6. However if news or networks are desired, than TV is the way to go
  7. Web-based TV (Hulu, Ninja & Fast Pass TV) work only with broadband
  8. FTA TV has limited programming & comparable hardware cost to DirecTV
  9. OTA TV has one-time investment in a yagi or DB8, plus a motor & preamp
  10. Cost for OTA TV is about 0 (0 antenna, motor, preamp)
  11. Mounting on the highest part of the property will work (water tank)
  12. Four OTA stations will be received well (PBS, CBS, NBC, FOX)

- PBS UHF Strong (KTEH, Analog channel 54-1, Digital channel 50)

- CBS UHF Strong (KION, Analog channel 46-1, Digital channel 32)

- NBC HiV Medium (KSBW, Analog channel 08-1, Digital channel 08)

- FOX HiV Medium (KCBA, Analog channel 35-1, Digital channel 13)

Reply to
Donna DeLong

Hog wash!

Satellite navigation has nothing to do with modifing a dish for wifi for ota tv.

You must be trying to discourage the use of DTV dishes for practical means! THE ELEMENT works just fine the way engagit describes.You tell the gurus over at alt.wireles that a circular element will not improve anything but looses db!

The Primestar dish was fiberglass and not as good a collector as a metal DTV dish of a smaller size!

It too is a two wire connection(shield and center tap) and coax is used on the engadget design.

They are either trying to sale you their gimmic or take advantage of Trevor Marshal's expertise.

Reply to
joeturn

Put them on CRAIGSLIST in the FREE section. Someone that can use them will come and get them

Reply to
Rudy

Hog wash!

Satellite navigation has nothing to do with modifing a dish for wifi or OTA tv.

For your imformation Digital was lobbied in to make the signal soo weak that you could not pick up TV stations out of town.

This would drive the non-subscribers to buy cable or satellite tv in order to get a good variety,without pixelization.

Notice all emergency,police and weather alerts remained on anolog because of its supperior performance over digital!

You must be trying to discourage the use of DTV dishes for practical means! The ELEMENT works just fine the way engagit describes how to make it.

You tell the gurus over at alt.wireles that a circular element will not improve anything but loss of db gain!

The Primestar dish was fiberglass and not as good a collector as a metal DTV dish of a smaller size!

The build-your-own-bi-quad is a two wire connection(shield and center tap) and coax is used on the engadget design.

Your gurus are either trying to sale you their gimmic or discredit Trevor Marshal's expertise.

Reply to
joeturn

[etc etc]

Bad hair day, or did you just get out a big row of axes to grind for the new year?

Reply to
Mike Russell

my underware is too tight

Reply to
joeturn

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