HELP - As my name says, I'm totally lost

[Totally_Lost]

Hi

I have been reading the forum for a couple of months and found a lot of good and useful information. I have a number of questians which i hope I won't appear too stupid asking and hope someone can help.

I moved into a new house about 3 months ago. The previous owner left behind in the garden, a motorised satellite dish (90cm Triax) which appears to be in good nick (has coax running to the house).

I have a Sly subscription (just News and Docs pack plus Satanic Sports on card aswell).

That is my current situation.

I would like to get a receiver to connect up to the motorised dish. This is where I start to get confused about what sort of receiver I need and generally what receivers and their functions do. Ideally, I would like to use my Sly card in any receiver I get. I would like to try and see channels from Astra, Hotbird, Thor, Eurobird, etc. which I believe should be possible with the dish I have (or was left !!!) and it unlikely I would be recording very much. HD is not an essential as I haven't really got a TV good enough for HD.

a) Receivers. I get the impression from all the reading I have done that it is not a simple process of ordering a receiver, taking it out of the box, plugging it into the dish and hey presto !!! away you go. What can I expect to do when I get a receiver and what sort of problems should I be looking out for ??

b) Funtions. I see plenty of receivers that have FTA which i understand. Others have FTA and 1 card slot, more have 2 card slots and even more have FTA, card slots and CI slots. Can someone tell me in laymans terms what these card slots and CI slots are for exactly ?

c) CAMS. Again I see plenty of mention of CAMS and again I would like to know what they are used for. Would I be right in thinking that I need a CAM for my Sly card (that then fits into the CI slot) if I want my Sly card to work on a receiver ??

d) Images. Again I see images been mentioned everywhere but could someone tell me exactly what these images are and what they do ?

e) Motorised dish. Am I right in thinking that I can contol the motorised dish from the receiver ? As things are, a coax cable comes from the dish to the house and I assume this goes into the receiver. Would I need anything else to drive the dish ?

f) Updates. Lots of people mention updating of receivers. What exactly do these updates do and how do you update the receiver (or would the method depend on the receiver you have ?).

g) Other items. I get the impression that I need things like Dreambox edit, SD cards, an Image (!!!), Null modem cable, an FTP client and other assorted goodies before I get started. Again, could someone point me in the right direction as to what I need these for ?

Sorry if my questians appear really simplistic but I am trying to get my head around a lot of the information and want to understand it better before I dive in and buy something that I cannot use. I am fairly computer literate if that is any help.

Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for some helpful info. !

[Robbo]

Hi,

Not all receivers can take a Sky card, and with a card swap due, you are best off sticking to a Sky box and separate dish for simplicity.

a. Yes, You can take some receivers out of the box plug it in and hey Presto.
The Technomates wil virtually do this. A couple of parameters need entering, and it will work staight off. ( Some transponders will need updating though)

b Card slots are for puuting subscription cards in (eg DigitAlb, Nova, Showtime etc). Cam slots are for sticking CAMs in, which also have a card slot in them, and can be re=programmed, the Diablo for example.

c. The Sky card will work in many receivers, read the Sticky- "receivers that work with a sky card". But all will probaly change after the card swap due!

d. Image is the term used for the software that goes onto the Linux based receivers, eg Dreambox.

e.Yes, Drive the dish straight from the receiver, via Diseqc 1.2 or USALS, down the coax from receiver.

f.Method depends, extra functionality usually and often to unscramble extra channels.

g. All Dreambox/Linux stuff, gobbledy gook to me. You can update normal boxes with a null-modem usually.

[bigtee]

Welcome Totally-lost; hope you get found soon (couldn't resist)

You've done quite well with the info you have gathered and your perceptive questions.

(a) receivers: generally, the receivers that require much effort to master are the Linux receivers (Dreambox, Eagle etc); if you get a regular receiver (usually recommended for a starter), it will be generally easy to operate and it won't take you long at all to master it. A good recommendation is the Technomate 5400 super; for this you will find plenty of software and tutorial support.

(b) the card slot is straightforward; it is for use to read a subscription card (somehow comparable to how you insert a sliy card into the sly digibox); a CI ('common interface') slot (aka CAM slot) is there for a CAM to be inserted into it and, ordinarily, for a card to be then inserted into the CAM. The CAM ('conditional access module') is a device that primarily allows a receiver to read cards from different providers (because they often use different encryption systems); so that if the card slot can only accept one type of card, inserting a CAM in the CI slot can then enable the receiver to accept a different type of card. Some CAMs do other things like opening up encypted channels without paying the providers of the channels.

(c) You only need to worry about images if you are going for Linux receivers

(d) the reciver should drive the dish with the one cable coming into the house for the dish; the one thing you need to find out is if the dish is still correctly aligned.

(e) You update the receiver firstly for improved performance and secondly to be able to continue enjoying some channels without paying for them; as to method, that bridge is to be crossed once you have a receiver.

(f) Forget most of the items you mention in (g) for now until we know what receiver you actually go for.

[Totally_Lost]

Originally Posted by Robbo

Hi,

Not all receivers can take a Sky card, and with a card swap due, you are best off sticking to a Sky box and separate dish for simplicity.

Didn't realise they were going to swap so thank you and will probably kjeep both seperate now.

Originally Posted by Robbo

a. Yes, You can take some receivers out of the box plug it in and hey Presto. The Technomates wil virtually do this. A couple of parameters need entering, and it will work staight off. ( Some transponders will need updating though)

That puts my mind at rest a bit !

Originally Posted by Robbo

b Card slots are for puuting subscription cards in (eg DigitAlb, Nova, Showtime etc). Cam slots are for sticking CAMs in, which also have a card slot in them, and can be re=programmed, the Diablo for example.

So some cards might work in the slot but if they don't I would need a cam to read them ?

Originally Posted by Robbo

c. The Sky card will work in many receivers, read the Sticky- "receivers that work with a sky card". But all will probaly change after the card swap due!

Read the sticky, thank you.

Originally Posted by Robbo

d. Image is the term used for the software that goes onto the Linux based receivers, eg Dreambox.

So if I don't get a Linex based receiver, I won't have to worry about Images too much ?

Originally Posted by Robbo

e.Yes, Drive the dish straight from the receiver, via Diseqc 1.2 or USALS, down the coax from receiver.

Thanks

Originally Posted by Robbo

f.Method depends, extra functionality usually and often to unscramble extra channels.

Understand now

Originally Posted by Robbo

g. All Dreambox/Linux stuff, gobbledy gook to me. You can update normal boxes with a null-modem usually.

Ok !

Thanks for your help !

[Totally_Lost]

Originally Posted by bigtee

Welcome Totally-lost; hope you get found soon (couldn't resist)

You've done quite well with the info you have gathered and your perceptive questions.

(a) receivers: generally, the receivers that require much effort to master are the Linux receivers (Dreambox, Eagle etc); if you get a regular receiver (usually recommended for a starter), it will be generally easy to operate and it won't take you long at all to master it. A good recommendation is the Technomate 5400 super; for this you will find plenty of software and tutorial support.

Thanks. The way I am thinking I will start off with a non Linux receiver first and try and master that. Is there really such a big difference with Linex ? What exactly does Linux give you that a regular receiver dosen't ?

Originally Posted by bigtee

(b) the card slot is straightforward; it is for use to read a subscription card (somehow comparable to how you insert a sliy card into the sly digibox); a CI ('common interface') slot (aka CAM slot) is there for a CAM to be inserted into it and, ordinarily, for a card to be then inserted into the CAM. The CAM ('conditional access module') is a device that primarily allows a receiver to read cards from different providers (because they often use different encryption systems); so that if the card slot can only accept one type of card, inserting a CAM in the CI slot can then enable the receiver to accept a different type of card. Some CAMs do other things like opening up encypted channels without paying the providers of the channels.

Got a much better understanding now thanks. As I said in the reply to Robbo, I assume if a card won't work in the slot, I'd need to get a CAM that will make the card work and then insert it in the CI.

Originally Posted by bigtee

(c) You only need to worry about images if you are going for Linux receivers

Understanding this more now, i.e. if I don't have a Linux based receiver, I won't need to worry about images too much.

Originally Posted by bigtee

(d) the reciver should drive the dish with the one cable coming into the house for the dish; the one thing you need to find out is if the dish is still correctly aligned.

Thank you. A friend of mine knows a sat. installer who is going to check the dish for me.

Originally Posted by bigtee

(e) You update the receiver firstly for improved performance and secondly to be able to continue enjoying some channels without paying for them; as to method, that bridge is to be crossed once you have a receiver.

Got that now thanks

Originally Posted by bigtee

(f) Forget most of the items you mention in (g) for now until we know what receiver you actually go for.

And understand this now.

Thanks again !!

[Robbo]

I think all your questions have been answered now, now can you tell me how to use the multi-quote?, Ive never worked that one out

Yes, I think it may be a good idea to start with one of the TMs too, if the dish is OK, you will have it up and running really quickly. I think one of the main features of the Linux machines is the capability (with the right image and add-ons) of cardsharing. I expect there are lots of other features too.

[nvingo]

Originally Posted by Robbo

... now can you tell me how to use the multi-quote?, Ive never worked that one out.

? OT for Robbo.
The Multiquote button "+ lets you select several posts to include in your reply.

Methinks you want to know how to segregate a quote.
Way I do it (seems like a little work, don't know of any easier method), is to select the post ID - eg

[qu0te=Robbo;301503]

and copy it, (here substituted 0 for o to trick the forum into displaying it instead of acting on it) inserting a copy before each individual phrase/paragraph I'm quoting from the original post, and insert the endquote tag

[/qu0te]

at the end of each section. I then fill my reply in, between the endquotes and post IDs.

[quote=member;postID]Query1[/quote]
Myreply1
[quote=member;postID]Query2[/quote]
Myreply2
..etc

[Totally_Lost]

Originally Posted by Robbo

I think all your questions have been answered now, now can you tell me how to use the multi-quote?, Ive never worked that one out

Yes, I think it may be a good idea to start with one of the TMs too, if the dish is OK, you will have it up and running really quickly. I think one of the main features of the Linux machines is the capability (with the right image and add-ons) of cardsharing. I expect there are lots of other features too.

I think nvingo has coverd it but the way I do it is a as follows :

Quote the message normally as per above.

To multiquote the first two lines you would put the quote details you get when you press quote at the start of the sentance (red text) and the /quote in brackets (blue text) at the end (there should be no spaces in the red coloured text, I'm just putting them in to show what to use)

[ quote = Robbo ; 301503]I think all your questions have been answered now, now can you tell me how to use the multi-quote?, Ive never worked that one out[/quote]

[ quote = Robbo ; 301503]Yes, I think it may be a good idea to start with one of the TMs too, if the dish is OK, you will have it up and running really quickly.[/quote]

If you remove all the spaces in the red text to leave just one long string you get -

Originally Posted by Robbo

I think all your questions have been answered now, now can you tell me how to use the multi-quote?, Ive never worked that one out

Originally Posted by Robbo

Yes, I think it may be a good idea to start with one of the TMs too, if the dish is OK, you will have it up and running really quickly.