unithom
06-01-06, 05:44 PM
Hello, I work for the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum here in Chicago, IL.
We would very much like the ability to grab NASA TV's digital signal, record it to a DVR, and then be able to transfer it directly to a computer for use in our video editing and live production / videoconferencing.
(NOTE: This IS a C-band question! Read on! ;) )
I just created thread 590625 about our current setup, which involves a DishTV DVR... and my frustration that we cannot transfer recordings to a computer. Even though the newer model DishTV DVRs have a USB port built in, they apparently don't work at this time. (One of our model 501 DVR/receivers just crapped out on us and we're trying to decide what to replace it with.)
So, I dug up the info we'd need if we wanted to pull down the signal ourselves, but thought I would run it by you folks to see if it sounded like a good idea or not, and to try and get an idea of how much it would cost.
As I mentioned in the other post: we're out on a man-made peninsula that juts out into Lake Michigan. There are some extremely high winds, year-round. Our first inclination is to avoid putting up another big dish, because our last one (which was larger than 6' in diameter, I am told) blew off of our building and into the lake.
Here's the info given by NASA's site:
(Apologies for reposting, but as I haven't hit the five post limit, I can't just copy the URL)
I already have my own C-band-sized satellite dish. What else do I need to get the digital NASA TV Public Channel?
If your C-Band-sized satellite dish is capable of receiving digital television signals, you'll still need a Digital Video Broadcast (DVB)-compliant MPEG-2 Integrated Receiver Decoder, or IRD, to get the new Digital NASA's Public Service "Free to Air" Channel.
An IRD that receives "Free to Air" programming like the new Digital NASA Public Service Channel can be purchased from many sources, including "off-the-shelf" at your local electronics store.
Digital NASA TV is on the same satellite (AMC 6) as the analog NASA TV was, but on a different transponder (17). In Alaska and Hawaii, digital NASA TV is available on AMC7, Transponder 18C.
NASA TV provides only C-band digital service (no Ku-band).
Here is additional satellite information you may find helpful:
Digital Satellite C-Band Downlink for continental North America:
Uplink provider = Americom
Satellite = AMC 6
Transponder = 17C
72 Degrees West
Downlink Frequency: 4040 Mhz
Polarity: Vertical
FEC = 3/4
Data Rate r= 36.860 MHz
Symbol = 26.665 Ms
Transmission = DVB
"Public" Programming:
Program = 101 (HQ1), Video PID = 0111 decimal = 0x006F, Audio PID = 0114 decimal =0x0072, AC-3 PID = 0115 decimal = 0x0073
"Education" Programming:
Program = 102 (HQ2), Video PID = 0121 decimal = 0x0079, Audio PID = 0124 decimal =0x007C, AC-3 PID = 0125 decimal = 0x007D
"Media" Programming:
Program = 103 (HQ3), Video PID = 0131 decimal = 0x0407, Audio PID = 1034 decimal =0x040A, AC-3 PID = 1035 decimal = 0x040B
"SOMD" Programming:
Program = 104 (HQ4), Video PID = 0141 decimal = 0x0411, Audio PID = 1044 decimal =0x0414, AC-3 PID = 1045 decimal = 0x0415
NOTES:
1. SOMD = Space Operations Mission Directorate
2. PCR (program clock reference) information is included within the Video PID by the Harmonic Encoders used by NASA TV
3. PMT (Transport Stream Program Map Table) settings are as follows:
Program = 101 (HQ1) = 0110 decimal = 0x006E
Program = 102 (HQ2) = 0120 decimal = 0x0078
Program = 103 (HQ3) = 1030 decimal = 0x0406
Program = 104 (HQ4) = 1040 decimal = 0x0410
A 'C Band' size satellite dish is needed to receive multi-channel NASA TV. It may also be necessary to modify some of your dish hardware, such as LNBs, to optimize performance. LNB's that are "phase locked" are recommended, though many models of "non-phase locked" LNB's should work. Check with your particular manufacturer for recommendations. NASA TV will not be making vendor specific recommendations and is not responsible for providing any downlink infrastructure.
LNB Recommended Minimum Specifications:
Frequency Stability: +/- 1.0 MHz
SSB Phase Noise:
Offset dBc/Hz
1 kHz -60
10 kHz -75
100 kHz -85
Voltage: 15 to 24 VDC
Current: 100 to 250 ma.
Whew, that's a mouthful. With that in mind, can anyone advise us on the following questions:
1. Are there any smaller dishes that are capable of pulling in the signal described above? What's the smallest type (and DIAMETER) of dish we could safely use to receive NASA TV? Based on my research it looks like 7.5 to 12 feet is the norm for this band. Any recommendations on equipment suppliers, Chicagoland C-band contractors, and rough costs for purchasing a new dish and having it installed? Any advice or resources for folks dealing with very high winds?
2. Given NASA's recommendations for receivers, if we WERE to get a new receiver, are there models out there that have decent integrated DVR's? Ones that would let us copy programming as MPEG files (or whatever), directly to a computer?
Or, would it be smarter to just get a brain-dead simple receiver, and plug the highest quality analog connection (component or S-Video, I'm guessing) into a dedicated, computer-based 'DVR'? (I'm trying to avoid that 'generation loss' going from digital to analog and back again.)
Or... should we just stick with DishTV, tough it out there, and try to find a solution for transferring our recorded programs to the computer?
Thanks for any advice!
Thom Brooks
Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum
Chicago, IL USA
We would very much like the ability to grab NASA TV's digital signal, record it to a DVR, and then be able to transfer it directly to a computer for use in our video editing and live production / videoconferencing.
(NOTE: This IS a C-band question! Read on! ;) )
I just created thread 590625 about our current setup, which involves a DishTV DVR... and my frustration that we cannot transfer recordings to a computer. Even though the newer model DishTV DVRs have a USB port built in, they apparently don't work at this time. (One of our model 501 DVR/receivers just crapped out on us and we're trying to decide what to replace it with.)
So, I dug up the info we'd need if we wanted to pull down the signal ourselves, but thought I would run it by you folks to see if it sounded like a good idea or not, and to try and get an idea of how much it would cost.
As I mentioned in the other post: we're out on a man-made peninsula that juts out into Lake Michigan. There are some extremely high winds, year-round. Our first inclination is to avoid putting up another big dish, because our last one (which was larger than 6' in diameter, I am told) blew off of our building and into the lake.
Here's the info given by NASA's site:
(Apologies for reposting, but as I haven't hit the five post limit, I can't just copy the URL)
I already have my own C-band-sized satellite dish. What else do I need to get the digital NASA TV Public Channel?
If your C-Band-sized satellite dish is capable of receiving digital television signals, you'll still need a Digital Video Broadcast (DVB)-compliant MPEG-2 Integrated Receiver Decoder, or IRD, to get the new Digital NASA's Public Service "Free to Air" Channel.
An IRD that receives "Free to Air" programming like the new Digital NASA Public Service Channel can be purchased from many sources, including "off-the-shelf" at your local electronics store.
Digital NASA TV is on the same satellite (AMC 6) as the analog NASA TV was, but on a different transponder (17). In Alaska and Hawaii, digital NASA TV is available on AMC7, Transponder 18C.
NASA TV provides only C-band digital service (no Ku-band).
Here is additional satellite information you may find helpful:
Digital Satellite C-Band Downlink for continental North America:
Uplink provider = Americom
Satellite = AMC 6
Transponder = 17C
72 Degrees West
Downlink Frequency: 4040 Mhz
Polarity: Vertical
FEC = 3/4
Data Rate r= 36.860 MHz
Symbol = 26.665 Ms
Transmission = DVB
"Public" Programming:
Program = 101 (HQ1), Video PID = 0111 decimal = 0x006F, Audio PID = 0114 decimal =0x0072, AC-3 PID = 0115 decimal = 0x0073
"Education" Programming:
Program = 102 (HQ2), Video PID = 0121 decimal = 0x0079, Audio PID = 0124 decimal =0x007C, AC-3 PID = 0125 decimal = 0x007D
"Media" Programming:
Program = 103 (HQ3), Video PID = 0131 decimal = 0x0407, Audio PID = 1034 decimal =0x040A, AC-3 PID = 1035 decimal = 0x040B
"SOMD" Programming:
Program = 104 (HQ4), Video PID = 0141 decimal = 0x0411, Audio PID = 1044 decimal =0x0414, AC-3 PID = 1045 decimal = 0x0415
NOTES:
1. SOMD = Space Operations Mission Directorate
2. PCR (program clock reference) information is included within the Video PID by the Harmonic Encoders used by NASA TV
3. PMT (Transport Stream Program Map Table) settings are as follows:
Program = 101 (HQ1) = 0110 decimal = 0x006E
Program = 102 (HQ2) = 0120 decimal = 0x0078
Program = 103 (HQ3) = 1030 decimal = 0x0406
Program = 104 (HQ4) = 1040 decimal = 0x0410
A 'C Band' size satellite dish is needed to receive multi-channel NASA TV. It may also be necessary to modify some of your dish hardware, such as LNBs, to optimize performance. LNB's that are "phase locked" are recommended, though many models of "non-phase locked" LNB's should work. Check with your particular manufacturer for recommendations. NASA TV will not be making vendor specific recommendations and is not responsible for providing any downlink infrastructure.
LNB Recommended Minimum Specifications:
Frequency Stability: +/- 1.0 MHz
SSB Phase Noise:
Offset dBc/Hz
1 kHz -60
10 kHz -75
100 kHz -85
Voltage: 15 to 24 VDC
Current: 100 to 250 ma.
Whew, that's a mouthful. With that in mind, can anyone advise us on the following questions:
1. Are there any smaller dishes that are capable of pulling in the signal described above? What's the smallest type (and DIAMETER) of dish we could safely use to receive NASA TV? Based on my research it looks like 7.5 to 12 feet is the norm for this band. Any recommendations on equipment suppliers, Chicagoland C-band contractors, and rough costs for purchasing a new dish and having it installed? Any advice or resources for folks dealing with very high winds?
2. Given NASA's recommendations for receivers, if we WERE to get a new receiver, are there models out there that have decent integrated DVR's? Ones that would let us copy programming as MPEG files (or whatever), directly to a computer?
Or, would it be smarter to just get a brain-dead simple receiver, and plug the highest quality analog connection (component or S-Video, I'm guessing) into a dedicated, computer-based 'DVR'? (I'm trying to avoid that 'generation loss' going from digital to analog and back again.)
Or... should we just stick with DishTV, tough it out there, and try to find a solution for transferring our recorded programs to the computer?
Thanks for any advice!
Thom Brooks
Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum
Chicago, IL USA