Question: Dish Basics

979 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Slip Jigs, Oct 22, 2006

Slip Jigs

Discussion Starter · Oct 22, 2006

Hi all - I just bought and activated the HR20 and scheduled and install for the 5LNB dish. I was under the impressions I would still get HD channels with my current dish with the exception of local HD channels. Can't get any of them to work, tried tech support, etc. So I went out at looked at the dish. It appears to be only the round 1 LNB dish.

I don't know why I thought I had the 3 LNB - I think support told me I did. But here's the question:

If all I needed was 1 LNB to get all the standard def channels in the line-up and the 5 is required for HD, what is the purpose of the 2 and the 3 LNB dishes?

Save

Status: Not open for further replies.

1 - 7 of 7 Posts

litzdog911

· #2 · Oct 22, 2006

The new dishes have more LNBs so that they can "see" signals from the various DirecTV satellites. There are now 5 main satellites at 99, 101, 103, 110 and 119-deg W. You can find out what channels are beamed from each satellite here ....

http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/america.html

Save

Slip Jigs

Discussion Starter · #3 · Oct 22, 2006

Thanks - so it looks like 101 carries the bulk of the programming. But does it make sense that I would get all the plus local channels with just the Round 1 LNB dish?

If so, then it takes a 3 LNB to get non-local HD programming, but what is the second LNB for? Is that for the sports pacakges?

Save

carl6

· #4 · Oct 22, 2006

The 3-LNB dish looks at 101, 110 and 119. Most SD programming (including a lot of locals) is on 101. Most non-local HD programming is on 110. 119 carries a combination of some locals and most of the Spanish language programming.

The two newest satellite positions, 99 and 103, carry the local HD channels.

There is also a satellite at 72.5 which carries a lot of local channels.

Carl

Save

litzdog911

· #5 · Oct 22, 2006

Slip Jigs said:
Thanks - so it looks like 101 carries the bulk of the programming. But does it make sense that I would get all the plus local channels with just the Round 1 LNB dish?

If so, then it takes a 3 LNB to get non-local HD programming, but what is the second LNB for? Is that for the sports pacakges?

Let me try again ...

Each LNB "sees" a different satellite. The single LNB dish just "sees" the 101-deg satellite, which beams the vast majority of DirecTV's nationwide channels and major city local channels.

The 3-LNB dishes (oval) "see" the 101, 110, and 119-deg satellites. The 110-deg satellite is used primarily for nationwide HDTV channels (HBO, Showtime, etc). The 119-deg satellite beams more local channels for certain cities, the ParaTodos spanish package channels, and a few more HDTV channels.

The new 5-LNB dish adds reception of the new Ka-band satellites at 99-deg and 103-deg W. These satellites are currently beam local HDTV channels to selected cities. Over time all of DirecTV's HDTV channels will move to these satellites, which utilize a more efficient compression scheme (MPEG4 vs MPEG2). New receivers/DVRs are also required to use these satellites (H20 HD Receiver or HR20 HD DVR).

Finally, DirecTV also use a satellite at 72.5-deg W for some local SD channels. And a satellite at 95-deg W for some international channels. These satellites required additional dishes to be added for reception.

See less See more

Save

AnonomissX

· #6 · Oct 22, 2006

The main satellite, 101 or "A" carries the bulk of the main SD programming.

The second satellite 119, or "B" carries the bulk of Spanish programming, current national HD channels, and a lot of local channels (mine included, here in Las Vegas, NV)

The third satellite, 110, or "C" satellite is for other national HD channels

The 2 lnb dish had the "A" and "B" satellites, untill the launch or aquisition by Directv of bandwidth from the "C" satellite, and thus the long implementation of the "Oval 3" dish came to be.

When Directv launched the 99 and the 103 satellites (no alphabet names for them as far as I know) this caused a need for a 5 lnb dish to cover all possibilities.

Right now, for deployed HD locals, Directv is using either the 99 or the 103 depending on geographical location, so yes, as an HD subscriber with HD locals, you would need the 5 lnb dish, although you may not be using all 5 satellites.

Hope that helps.

See less See more

Save

Slip Jigs

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 22, 2006

Thanks everyone - that's good information and it does indeed make sense.

One thing that was adding to my confusion - when I first did the setup (thinking I had the 3 LNB), I chose that one and everything seemed to pan out. I didn't check all the transponder numbers for each sat, but when it got to the confirm window, it said OK, OK, OK for each of them, but with an error message "Your dish type is set to Oval 3 LNB but the recorder detected 3 satellites.

Also, when I chose round the messasge was "Your dish type is round but the recorder detected 1 satellite.

So that's probably just some goofy glitch in the setup program - basically just forcing the box to think my dish can see those sats, but there's just not there when it comes to actually tuning in the programming.

Save

1 - 7 of 7 Posts

Status: Not open for further replies.

Top Contributors this Month