Discrepancy between channel list from ftalist.com and lyngsat.com

[Chandu]

I've been examining the master channel list for FTA channels available in USA from ftalist.com and lyngsat.com. The specific channels of interest to me are Indian (or by language Hindi).

The ftalist list is here:

http://www.ftalist.com/master.htm

The lyngsat list is here:

http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/United-States.html

2 channels ASC Flix and ASC Extra are in both the lists. However, lyngsat lists following 2 channels, which I do not see anywhere in the ftalist:

Zee TV USA
Zee Cinema USA

Likewise, there is 1 channel in ftalist which I don't see in lyngsat at all:

Sanskar TV

Can someone explain to me why there is such discrepancy between the 2 lists. Which one is to be believed as definitive and why?

[Chandu]

Hello? Is this a dead forum?

Anyone???

[KyL416]

Both sites rely on contributions from visitors to the site who have satellites and notice these things. If no one reports a change in status and/or location to one of these sites, it will stay incorrect and/or incomplete

[Chandu]

Wow, really?

I understood ftalist.com was a contribution based site. But I thought lyngsat.com was more of an official site maintained by the official bodies. Looks like I was wrong.

In that case, it looks like the easiest solution is to point an FTA dish at these various birds and find out for myself exactly what is available.

I somehow suspect inclusion of ASC Flix and ASC Extra on the ftalist website. I do know that Globecast encrypts those channels with Nagravision and charges for subscription for them. Why would they possibly do something like that if they were available FTA?

[KyL416]

Lyngsat is a mix of both. They get contributions from both official programmers/distributors and everyday visitors.

[FTA Michael]

Sorry I didn't notice this thread earlier. Thanks for the question.

I verify every FTAList channel. If I can't pick it up, I don't list it. When I get suggestions, when I notice changes in LyngSat or the Global Communications list (http://www.global-cm.net/MPEGlistKuBandUS.html), or when I'm just looking around in the sky, I check it out.

LyngSat has a lot of advantages. It's been around a long time, and has more visitors. But the guy who runs it is in Europe, so he can't check the North American channels that he lists. (Then there's his free TV lists which only include channels that originate from a given country, but I digress.) It's a fine site.

My continuing goal is to make FTAList the definitive site for North American FTA channels. Since there are so many channels, and since they come and go so frequently, it will always be imperfect. But with contributors like you, we can work together to make it as good as it can be.

[Chandu]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I currently don't have any FTA hookup, but was examining the various lists to determine which satellites exactly should I be aiming for. I hope to do an FTA hookup and find out for sure, hopefully in the next 2 months. When I have information for sure about Indian channels, I'll update this thread.

[FTA Michael]

When I have information for sure about Indian channels, I'll update this thread.BTW, the ASC channels have been running a crawl explaining that they'll be gone by the end of May (I forget the exact date just now.) It's standard procedure for Globecast to preview channels such as these before scrambling them; it's nice that it gave us some warning this time.

[FTA Michael]

However, lyngsat lists following 2 channels, which I do not see anywhere in the ftalist:

Zee TV USA
Zee Cinema USALyngSat shows them FTA on Intelsat 805 at 55.5 degrees west. It's true that most of the contiguous US should be able to pick it up, but I had to draw the line somewhere, and I805 is outside it. I want to keep my list as simple as possible and avoid asterisks for channels that some readers can't get. But everything changes; we'll see.

[Chandu]

It's true that most of the contiguous US should be able to pick t up, but I had to draw the line somewhere, and I805 is outside it.

I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Do you think I have any chance of getting them?

Thanks much.

[FTA Michael]

1) Can you see it? Looks like an elevation of about 9.5 degrees. Not only is that problematic for an offset dish, you'd need 60 feet of distance to clear every 10 feet of obstruction in that direction.

2) Can it "see" you? Here's the footprint map: http://www.intelsat.com/resources/coveragemaps/sat_foot.aspx?name=805&loc=304.5&spot=global
Looks like the hemi signal might get to you; it's a little hard to read.

3) Did I miss something really important? You bet! I just noticed that those channels are FTA in C-band, not Ku-band. So much for the offset dish problems. Instead you just need a place in the SF Bay area to install a very large dish with a clear view of the almost-eastern horizon.

I knew there was a good reason to leave those channels out. ;)

[Chandu]

Did I miss something really important? You bet! I just noticed that those channels are FTA in C-band, not Ku-band. So much for the offset dish problems. Instead you just need a place in the SF Bay area to install a very large dish with a clear view of the almost-eastern horizon.

I knew there was a good reason to leave those channels out. ;)

Aha, thanks for the info.

So I'm curious. Where is the information that tells me a channel is in C-band vs. Ku-band? For example, I'm looking at a link below which doesn't give me such information.

http://www.lyngsat-address.com/uz/Zee-USA.html

[FTA Michael]

Looking at the LyngSat lists, it's simple. Four-digit numbers are C-band. Five-digit numbers are Ku-band.

Looking at my list it's simpler. :D Everything's Ku-band.

Thanks for your patience and support.

[Chandu]

Thanks for your patience and support.

Likewise.

Cheers,
Chandu

[quizzer]

Chandu,

Were u able to get hold of FTA hindi channels???

Thanks