I don't quite understand all of this.. Complete sat n00b, few questions!

[cheeky]

Hi there,

First of all, I'm used to being flamed for not reading the guides first, or searching before I ask a question or two. I'm registered on many many forums! So I've done my searching, and my reading, and basically I'm just confused!

I initially found this forum by googling "how to chip ntl virgin box" as I have a friend of a friend who's the bees knees at computer mumbo-jumbo, and has been chipping cable boxes (and more recently, 'bypassing' cable broadband) for many years. He's a god. lol.

But I daren't ask him how he does it, because he'd never be able to explain it in a way I could understand (I'm a computer geek myself, but when it comes to proper electronics and knowing how to 'chip' stuff, I'm stupid!).

Anyways, I discovered these forums, and noticed there's a whole section on satellite too. I've done some reading through a few of the topics, and I can't quite work it out. Basically, what I want to know first is, which of the Sky channels can you get, without having a Sky subscription? I know about all of the FTA channels.. But are you able to get any of those 'included in Sky packages', if you have one of those Diablo card things?

Which leads me onto another question, what ARE the Diablo cards for? There's all this talk about them, downloading encryption keys onto them etc, but then I read that you can only get Sky Sports by subscribing to it :S it's like two conflicting answers?

Do the channels that you pay for in the Entertainment and Movie packages on Sky, get broadcasted from other satellite providers too or something? Because I've also read that with the motorised dishes, they can seek signals from like 6 different satellites..

It's all completely new to me, and I'd love for some kind soul to lend me some advice and explain it all right from the very beginning, and how I can get free satellite, with some half-decent channels, so I don't have to pay Sky their ridiculous amounts of money each month.

Could you tell me what everything does, and what I'd need, to do all of the above? I might well invest into this next month when I get paid, as I'm an 18 year old with a full time job living with my parents... The only thing I lack in my bedroom is some kick-ass TV!

Cheers

[Robbo]

Hi,

It is not possible to get any of the Sky subscription channels without a subscription as the encryption is secure. The Diablo CAM needs a receiver that has a CI slot in it and you also need a programmer. When programmed it will read a Sky subscription card, however to make full use of the CAM you would need to have dish that can receive form other satellites such as 1W, 13E, 23.5E and 19E for example.

Yes, some of the Channels that are broadcast on the Sky platform are receivable on other satellites, but none of the actual Sky UK channels are. A motorised dish if the installation site has a good view of the sky can receive from many more than just 6 satellites.

With a motorised dish and a receiver with a Diablo CAM in it coupled to a 1m dish, I think you would be able to kick a few bottys with it., and not have to suffer a single drossy Sky channel.LOL.

Robbo

[cheeky]

Originally Posted by robbo71

Hi,

It is not possible to get any of the Sky subscription channels without a subscription as the encryption is secure. The Diablo CAM needs a receiver that has a CI slot in it and you also need a programmer. When programmed it will read a Sky subscription card, however to make full use of the CAM you would need to have dish that can receive form other satellites such as 1W, 13E, 23.5E and 19E for example.

Yes, some of the Channels that are broadcast on the Sky platform are receivable on other satellites, but none of the actual Sky UK channels are. A motorised dish if the installation site has a good view of the sky can receive from many more than just 6 satellites.

With a motorised dish and a receiver with a Diablo CAM in it coupled to a 1m dish, I think you would be able to kick a few bottys with it., and not have to suffer a single drossy Sky channel.LOL.

Robbo

Sounds pretty damn epic! So, is there a list anywhere of which channels I'd get with the Diablo CAM and a 1m dish? The house already has a Sky minidish fitted, for the Sky digibox we've got downstairs. So if ever I need to watch a Sky channel, I'll just use the downstairs TV!

Which channels will I actually get, then? I had a little peak on lyngsat.com and clicked on Digi TV, TDS and Polsat (I saw in another thread, someone listed the packages you get with the Diablo card).. They're all foreign channels though! So what's the point in me doing the whole thing if the only English channels I'll get are the FTA ones?!

If I've missed something, please educate me!

Thanks for your post btw robbo

[Mickha]

With the Dialo CAM 2.3 loaded with Underworld 137, you can open the following main packages:
Premiere 19E
DigitAlb 16E, except the HD channels.
Polsat 13E
Digi TV 1W
Canal Digital 1W.

For full details of all the channels available, on these packages, copy and paste these links into your browser, minus the underscore _

_http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/premiere.html
_http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/digitalb.html
_http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/polsat.html
_http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/canaldigital.html
_http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/digi.html

If you check a lot of the channels carry more than one audio option, and a lot of them have an English Audio option, as they broadcast American films and TV series,

[cheeky]

Originally Posted by Mickha

With the Dialo CAM 2.3 loaded with Underworld 137, you can open the following main packages:
Premiere 19E
DigitAlb 16E, except the HD channels.
Polsat 13E
Digi TV 1W
Canal Digital 1W.

For full details of all the channels available, on these packages, copy and paste these links into your browser, minus the underscore _

_http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/premiere.html
_http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/digitalb.html
_http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/polsat.html
_http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/canaldigital.html
_http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/digi.html

If you check a lot of the channels carry more than one audio option, and a lot of them have an English Audio option, as they broadcast American films and TV series,

Awesome. How do I find out which have English audio options?? Or would I only find that out by having the thing installed and testing each channel?

[Robbo]

I can tell you that DigitalB does as I have a subsription for it.

as for the others, it would be a case of suck it and see.

What is your location approx? as you may be able to get away with a slightly smaller dish.

[cheeky]

Originally Posted by robbo71

I can tell you that DigitalB does as I have a subsription for it.

as for the others, it would be a case of suck it and see.

What is your location approx? as you may be able to get away with a slightly smaller dish.

Cool I'm in Leicester at the mo. If I were to use a fixed dish, would I drastically reduce the amount of channels I can get? The way I see it, if the packages I gain access to with the Diablo card are majority foreign, then I may as well just get a fixed dish and point it at the satellite that has English audio channels.. Coz that's all I'd ever watch!

How about for music channels? Am I able to get most of those through FTA? I'd want the rock-genre ones mainly, but all of those I get on Sky are nice to have.

Cheers for your replies again folks, all this info is making me want to take the plunge more and more!

[RamsFan]

I'm in the same sort of boat as you Cheeky.

Also an 18 year old, but no job for me! Haha...

I took the plunge into the satellite world few months ago, and I am still setting up to how I want it.

I will be purchasing the Diablo CAM soon, as well as a bigger dish. I'm mainly doing this for Football, and Movies.

IF you fix your dish to one satellite, you will drastically lose a lot of channels. But it all depends on the main type you want. I have my dish motorised now, and don't regret it at all!

Music channels are quite frequent on FTA. There are a few on 28.2e, but more on foreign satellites playing a mix of English and foreign songs.

Using that lyngsat site to check for English audio, look at the column 3rd from the right, should have some numbers and letters, for example 2092 E. That means its in English.

[cheeky]

Originally Posted by RamsFan

I'm in the same sort of boat as you Cheeky.

Also an 18 year old, but no job for me! Haha...

I took the plunge into the satellite world few months ago, and I am still setting up to how I want it.

I will be purchasing the Diablo CAM soon, as well as a bigger dish. I'm mainly doing this for Football, and Movies.

IF you fix your dish to one satellite, you will drastically lose a lot of channels. But it all depends on the main type you want. I have my dish motorised now, and don't regret it at all!

Music channels are quite frequent on FTA. There are a few on 28.2e, but more on foreign satellites playing a mix of English and foreign songs.

Using that lyngsat site to check for English audio, look at the column 3rd from the right, should have some numbers and letters, for example 2092 E. That means its in English.

Ahhh cool! That sounds immense! What movies are available then? Coz I looove my movies lol. I also might end up buying myself a HDTV in the next year or so, with 5.1 surround set up, so would I be able to use the HD channels on these packages too? And I assume there's satellite receivers that come with HDMI so I'd get the surround sound to go with it, yes?

I can just imagine it being annoying though, having to sift through all of the other foreign channels all the time to find the ones with English audio, then find out if there's anything decent on.. Unless you can set up the receiver to only display a list of 'favourite' channels or something, so you can just browse through those channels with English audio (i.e. the ones you'd ACTUALLY watch)?

It sounds like something I'm definitely gonna look into, though.. Either this month or next, sort myself out with something awesome to show off to everyone at Christmas :P

[Robbo]

Yes, I agree a fixed dish severely limits your choice. Yes you can get HD receivers with an HDMI outout and also with a favourites list. I generally stick to 16E and 7W myself mainly, but you won't have the luxury of 7W in your loaction.

I find that what happens is that you gain a gradual knowledge of what channels are one which satellites and if there is anything on there that you fancy watching.