[texasbrit]

I posted some of this in response to another post but I thought it might deserve its own post. We are told that the new receiver/DVR is FTM-capable but there is virtually no information out there as to what the product will be. Apart from the actual product details and price, it seems it has to be a sophisticated stacking system which puts all the transponder sets from the different satellites into a single/multiple frequency band which can be decoded by the firmware in the H20/HR20. Old receivers can be supported by an add-on destacker, or (it seems to me) by stacking the FTM below an existing multiswitch, giving the remaining multiswitch outputs the traditional voltage/tone selection system for "old" receivers. Does anyone know (Earl?) anything more about the FTM. And in particular, how we will be able to handle OTA?
It seesm to me that are three possibilities for OTA.
First, that the FTM will actually include OTA. To use multiswitch terminology, the FTM will have to be a "6xn" to accommodate the four cables from the dish plus the two flexport inputs, just like the WB68 is a 6x8. It COULD be a "7xn" with a port for OTA, and the OTA signal separated out in the receiver. That would be very nice, but I'm not counting on it.
Second, the FTM could output a signal that overlaps the OTA band and so there will be NO possibility of diplexing OTA. That would be unfortunate to say the least.
Thirdly, the FTM might not handle OTA but outputs a signal that leaves the OTA frequency band (below 806 Mhz today) empty. Then you could use diplexers - maybe they would have to be wider band than the ones used today - to insert the OTA signals below the FTM ones.

Has anyone got any real information about the FTM and OTA??

 

[briloop]

What is FTM?

 

[pgiralt]

Earl has said that more information on FTM is coming in January.

 

[Herdfan]

FTM = Frequency Translation Module

There is no reason they could not allow an OTA band. The FTM will stack 2 signals on one line and there is no reason it couldn't stack 3 signals. But there would need to be an OTA request function in the receiver. OTA could not be "ON" all the time.

The result may be much slower channel changes as the FTM would have to stack the requested frequency (if not the current one) on a band. So the receiver would send out a frequency request signal, the FTM would get it, have to stack on the unused band on that line and the the receiver could access the channel.

I could see it working, but I wouldn't count on it.

 

[harsh]

I would guess that FTM is not going to support OTA directly. It may leave the door open for diplexing downstream of all of the switchgear, but if the HR20's OTA tuner setup is any indication, OTA will have to come into the receiver on its own wire.

 

[Radio Enginerd]

I would guess that FTM is not going to support OTA directly. It may leave the door open for diplexing downstream of all of the switchgear, but if the HR20's OTA tuner setup is any indication, OTA will have to come into the receiver on its own wire.

Which IMO would be awesome.

If FTM only allows you to stack both feeds coming from the Dish, then we would all still be in excellent shape considering that would free up a single RG6 run, dedicated for OTA.

 

[tfederov]

FTM will be my savior and allow me to go OTA on all of my TVs because I'm not Bob Villa and would tear the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks out of my house trying to run a third line.

 

[Earl Bonovich]

From what I have been told,
You should be able to diplex in OTA to the FTM stream.
However, some considerations have to take place if you are using a powered antenna.

 

[Meklos]

The way it works now (I think):

Receiver signals multiswitch regarding which LNB and polarity to 'tune' to. LNB takes the full spectrum of bandwidth (16 full transponders on a single polarity) and converts the entire block to a lower frequency, but still including all 16 transponders. Receiver tunes to appropriate center frequency of the transponder it is interested in, receives data, decodes and displays.



The way I hope FTM works:

Receiver signals device regarding which satellite and transponder to send. FTM device detects existing frequency ranges in use on the line, negotiates an agreeable center frequency with the receiver. FTM device downconverts *one* transponder to the appropriate center frequency on that line.

 

[Bad Rex]

If FTM only allows you to stack both feeds coming from the Dish, then we would all still be in excellent shape considering that would free up a single RG6 run, dedicated for OTA.

Only if you have two RG6 runs already. I have a secondary room with only one RG6 run, but since I'm diplexing OTA, I can still record on two tuners, just not SAT/SAT. With FTM, I could potentially do that, too, but if FTM is OTA-unfriendly, I would have to choose between SAT/SAT as my only recording option with FTM (and one RG-6 run) versus my current non-FTM setup.

 

[Radio Enginerd]

Only if you have two RG6 runs already. I have a secondary room with only one RG6 run, but since I'm diplexing OTA, I can still record on two tuners, just not SAT/SAT. With FTM, I could potentially do that, too, but if FTM is OTA-unfriendly, I would have to choose between SAT/SAT as my only recording option with FTM (and one RG-6 run) versus my current non-FTM setup.

Fair enough. I figured since this thread exists withing the HR-20 Q&A section of the board that we all had an HR-20 installed utilizing both tuners.

 

[Kapeman]

FTM will be my savior and allow me to go OTA on all of my TVs because I'm not Bob Villa and would tear the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks out of my house trying to run a third line.

LOL!

And ditto!

 

[Bad Rex]

Fair enough. I figured since this thread exists withing the HR-20 Q&A section of the board that we all had an HR-20 installed utilizing both tuners.

Plus you don't know what a strange person I am. I actually have three RG6 runs to my HR20 so I'm good there. The room in question still has a HR10, which I would consider upgrading immediately if a good FTM solution became available.

 

[tfederov]

Earl has said that more information on FTM is coming in January.

More as in specs or prices or release dates?

 

[Earl Bonovich]

More as in specs or prices or release dates?

Hopefully all of the above.

 

[tfederov]

Thanks, Earl. I know you may be aware of stuff in advance, so without giving anything away, is the price something the average wife might use against her husband to go on an all day shopping spree to get even? If not, I could probably be first in line to get this.

 

[430970]

If you have three RG6 runs to all your receiver locations, you're fine. At your "head-end" location, you plug runs into the 4x8 satellite (e.g. Zinwell) multiswitch and then one run per location into a switch just for OTA (assuming they're all home-runned to somewhere). Like so:

Roof Antenna -> 1 cable -> OTA switch -> 1 cable to each receiver location
5 LNB Dish -> 4 cables -> Satellite Multiswitch -> 2 cables to each receiver location​

Those of us with two runs that currently use a 5x8 switch at the head-end and a diplexer at the receiver end are the ones that are "hosed" without FTM. With FTM, all is good again:

Roof Antenna -> 1 cable -> OTA switch -> 1 cable to each receiver location
5 LNB Dish -> 4 cables -> FTM Satellite Switch -> 1 cable to each FTM receiver​

Receivers like the HR20 (if I understand correctly) will split the single satellite run into two tuners for each internally, much like it does for the single OTA run now (internal OTA splitter). There may be some signal loss issues that you need to overcome with a powered multiswitches for OTA, but my guess is those aren't that expensive. I'm not going to the HR20 until FTM is available (and is cost effective) for the same reason others have listed[/b] There's a small chance, if all my Seattle locals are available via Satellite, that I would just ditch the OTA antenna and FTM wouldn't matter. Small chance.

Now, if you only have a single cable currently running from your multisitch to each receiver, you'd still have to do some kind of combining/diplexing between the head-end and receiver, but I'm guessing most people have two runs these days.

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Thanks, Earl. I know you may be aware of stuff in advance, so without giving anything away, is the price something the average wife might use against her husband to go on an all day shopping spree to get even? If not, I could probably be first in line to get this.

Not even close... One version is probably going to be less then two tanks of gas in my 2005 Nissan Quest.

 

[dervari]

So the way I understand it...with FTM I can feed both tuners of the HR20 with one cable?

 

[Earl Bonovich]

So the way I understand it...with FTM I can feed both tuners of the HR20 with one cable?

Yep