# Why does Globecast insist on activation only for their receivers?



## Chandu

I wanted to find out if anyone knows an answer to this:

Globecast uses a standard KU band LBNF, a MPEG2/DVB compliant receiver and supports subscription for Nagravision encrypted channels through use of a smart card.

So far so good, fairly standard stuff, nothing earth shattering.

Let's say I have my own MPEG2/DVB compliant receiver, which has a slot for Nagravision deencryption smart cards, and has been hooked up to a KU band LNBF pointed to the IA5 bird (one which carries all of Globecast's encrypted channels). Globecast simply refuses to accept payment for channel subscriptions, and issue smartcards to put into such a receiver!!!  They insist that new customers must buy Globecast's crappy receivers to activate smartcards. An example receiver I had in mind, which is far, far better than Globecast's is GeoSatpro DVR100ci with a DVR.

I thought all these standards - Nagravision encryption, smart cards, MPEG2/DVB etc. were developed specifically for compatibility reasons.

What gives? Is Globecast afraid that I would steal their smart card and go from house to house inserting in random receivers? (Technically it's not even stealing, because at a given time only 1 system could be getting the channel anyway, for which they've already received the money.) Even then, it is easy to solve that problem. They could very well tie the smartcard to a receiver ID. I'm suspecting they already do this anyway for their own receivers. If at the time of activation they were to obtain a unique receiver ID for me, and tied the smartcard with it, I don't see how any problem could arise.

This is why I'm very averse to the Globecast receiver:

I've taken a look at their SE830 receiver, and that thing is a piece of garbage. For one thing, it doesn't have any DVR functionality. It provides no support for EPG data which is available for many FTA channels. It does not support any aspect ratio control. Forget about fancy things like component video outputs etc. That piece of trash has a single junky RCA video output. That's all!!! Not even a S-Video output. I find that hard to believe in this day and age. I mean, we're in freaking 2006 for God's sake!

I wouldn't mind paying more money to Globecast for a receiver, if they at least started selling stuff compatible with the current technology improvements. There should even be dual tuner receivers starting to appear in the market. All Globecast has got going for them is the encrypted content. That is their core competency. Receiver technology is not their core competency, and they should be willing to mix and match with the best of breed products out on the market. Otherwise, they will have customers shying away from them looking at competitiors.

Before anyone goes lecturing me about DISH and DirecTV needing their own receivers for their programming, the analogy isn't quite applicable. Globecast is using a MPEG2/DVB compliant receiver which does FTA reception, and uses external smartcards for Nagravision deencryption. DBS/DSS guys don't do that. It should be straightforward for Globecast to allow smartcards in other receivers.

P.S. I'm also sending this long rant (unedited) to their feedback department.


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## FTA Michael

Why? Because they can! 

I'm sure their receiver sales account for an extra revenue stream. As long as there are willing and able buyers for their fine service, they have little reason to change.


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## kenglish

I've heard that they may begin migration to MPEG-4 soon, as well. Maybe a new receiver will be out then, with more features.

(BTW, I had this same discussion with the president of Globecast WTV a couple of years ago. Maybe it did some good, maybe not?)


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## Chandu

carload said:


> I'm sure their receiver sales account for an extra revenue stream.


(As I said before) I'm willing to help their receiver sales account, if they sold different breeds of receivers and the prices were compatible with fair market values. Selling just a single receiver and insisting on it is crazy.



> As long as there are willing and able buyers for their fine service, they have little reason to change.


Sheep will be sheep? I don't think so. Read on...



kenglish said:


> I've heard that they may begin migration to MPEG-4 soon, as well. Maybe a new receiver will be out then, with more features.


If this is true, it would be good news as long as the new receivers are sold at fair market values. I didn't see anything on their website about future direction statements. And their call center reps don't seem to be trained to attract customers based on future direction improvements either. All they kept telling me was - "Sir, the frequency of the transmission has to match the frequency range of the receiver." Get real, and don't give that crap thinking customers are stupid. Whom are they kidding?

I'm telling them I'll go to DirecTV for international channel subscriptions. It is stupid and shortsighted to lose customers to competitors due to such insistence.

And yes Globecast people: I hope you're reading this. Move with the times or risk shrinking your market share. Even the immigrant community demands things like DVR, proper video connections etc. as basic needs. Thinking that they'll be happy with 5 year old technology is insulting to their intelligence.


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## FTA Michael

Chandu said:


> Get real, and don't give that crap thinking customers are stupid. Whom are they kidding?


I wouldn't call most customers stupid. I'd call our small minority here "techies".

My mom does not want to think about TV. She has cable, and she says she'll switch to Dish one of these days. She could not tell you her receiver's model number or specs. She just doesn't care about that stuff, she just wants her channels. Does that make her stupid? If so, there are any number of fields in which I'm a complete idiot! 

In my experience, in the general population most folks are more like my mom than like you or me.

If Globecast is smart, and it sure acts like a smart company, it's got a spreadsheet showing the costs and benefits of using smart cards in third-party receivers, and that spreadsheet shows that the costs outweigh the benefits.

And if Globecast is smart, it _will_ move forward with the times. We'll see what happens.


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## Chandu

OK, you're basically correct. Stupid is a strong word. Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone.

I still think DVR is a technology that isn't just techie stuff. It has crossed that barrier and gained mainstream foothold maybe a year ago. I mean Tivo is a brandname that is almost as understood as other brandnames like Bandaid or Google now. It has been turned into a verb. Even people like your mom and my mom know that such things exist. I'm not making that up. The least my mom has done is use the "play recording" button on a Comcast DVR. They may not know exactly how to setup recordings and complicated stuff themselves. But at least they're fairly aware of other people using such technology.

I understand I could put a TV capture card on top of Globecast receiver and create my own DVR with software etc. (Getting techie again.) But why bother? I don't think it will give me EPG data if the receiver doesn't. And there is a reason there is convenience of putting DVR and receiver functionality in a single box.


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## Fifty Caliber

Ther instruction manual for the SE830 receiver indicates that it does have an S-Video and Coaxial digital output. I would like to see an upgraded version with component, DVI, HDMI, and optical conections though. DVR is of no interest to me.


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## Chandu

Fifty Caliber said:


> Ther instruction manual for the SE830 receiver indicates that it does have an S-Video...


This is what I'm looking at:

http://www.globecastwtv.com/downloads/se830_manual091704.pdf

On page 8 of 28 (which looks like a cheaply photocopied scan BTW), I see there is a S-VHS output. Is that what you refer to as S-Video? If yes, it is incorrectly labeled. When contacted Globecast CSR, they couldn't confirm any S-Video output on their receiver.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-VHS :



> It is not unusual to see the term S-VHS incorrectly used to refer to S-Video connectors, even in printed material. This may be due to S-VHS being one of the first consumer video products equipped with the S-Video connector; however, S-Video connectors are now common on American and Japanese video gadgets: DVD players and recorders, MiniDV camcorders, cable/satellite set-top boxes, etc.


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## aegrotatio

I would think that Globecast is trying to save money by going with a single solution for all customers. The cost of providing a service is in the installation, maintenance, and customer service realms. By insisting on a self-branded receiver (and custom branding of the same receiver for channel bouquets) they save costs by standardizing. Less cost for training of installers, too.

I shudder to think of all the training a DiSH Network installer must go through with all the crazy different configurations they have.


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## Chandu

The problem with that argument is that DISH is DBS, while Globecast has chosen to be on a Ku-Band platform.

Ku-Band has a rich diversity of receivers with great many product features including FTA. Simply by going to Ku-Band, but refusing to be compatible with those receivers, Globecast has introduced a self-imposed contradiction.

Unlike DISH or DirecTV, Globecast shouldn't even be getting into business of installation, maintenance, and customer service of receivers or LNBFs etc. (And as far as I can see from their website, they really aren't in the business of installing their own branded receivers. They tell customers to find installers on their own. But they still insist that their branded receivers must be the ones used. It is a quite bizzare contradiction.) All they should be in the business of, is issuing smartcards for whatever programming their customers are interested in.

Ku-Band satellite business is fairly mature in Europe. As far as I know, none of the major programming providers there lock customers into some inferior branded receivers of their own. They allow customers to pick receivers with features of their interest, and issue CAM cards, smartcards for various encryptions like Nagravision, Irdeto etc. What is so special about Globecast that is so different than those European Ku-Band satellite providers?


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## FTA Michael

I think aegrotatio made a good point. If Globecast were available on any old DVB receiver with a CI slot, its tech support department would probably have to triple. Imagine all the non-technical subscribers, using five-year-old hand-me-down equipment and a shiny new Globecast card, all calling tech support and explaining their problems using varying levels of English proficiency. 

Standardization has a lot going for it (see: Southwest Airlines), although it necessarily means locking in a level of technology that will lag well behind the cutting edge. You're welcome to talk about what you'd prefer Globecast would do, but if the question is "Why?", then that's been pretty well answered.


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## aegrotatio

Practically speaking, the USA market is accustomed to money-back guarantees and all kinds of freebies that drain vendors' budgets. European markets are much less interested in customer service "at any cost." Globecast is part of a larger conglomerate (French?) that decided to sell into the USA market on a shoestring.

I agree with your point about DBS vs. DVB but they are not targetting that kind of consumer. They want the wealthy and not-so-wealthy diaspora in the USA who probably would pay $30/month for 2 channels. They don't want to go out of business fulfilling all the complementary goods and services we America consumers demand and the associated service calls. So they remove that part of the equation by supporting just a few models of reliable receivers.

Anyway I hear the EPG on the Globecast receiver is much better than the useless one on my Fortec Ultra.

On a related note, I'm a dish spotter, and I see hundreds of SuperDiSH 121 systems around here. Compare that to about 10 fixed FTA dishes and a total of only 2 Globecast-branded dishes around Northern VA.


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## Fifty Caliber

So does this receiver have or not have an S-Video (4 pin mini-DIN, Y/C) conection on the back of it? Enquiring minds want to know.


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## Chandu

The manual says it has a S-VHS connection. Their CSR couldn't cofirm if it's S-Video or not, when I had called last week. Only someone who has this receiver could confirm.

Incidentally, I searched around more for this SE830 and found these links:

http://www.eec.com.tw/e/e3-Digital STB-new-830.htm

http://www.eec.com.tw/download/SE830-S.pdf

That manual which is very similar to the one on Globecast's website also says S-VHS. What I found interesting is that this website indicates it supports 4:3 and 16:9 aspect control and has EPG support as well. The PDF file doesn't mention it anywhere. It seems like Globecast CSRs aren't very knowledgable about this stuff, because they didn't think it had these features either. Also aegrotatio above makes a reference to existance of EPG support on this receiver.

If the S-VHS indeed means S-Video, and if the website is correct about EPG support and aspect ratio control, then the only big features missing from this receiver are:


DVR/PVR (insertable hard disk). Can be worked around with a computer or an external PVR
USALS (DiSEqC 1.3) Allows storing satellite position info.
Multiple tuners
Compoent Video out (There are very few FTA receivers which have these, but they don't have a DVR. There is only 1 receiver out there which has DVI out and 1 receiver with HDMI out. But without much HD FTA material, these aren't very important.)
HD tuner (There are very few products with this feature, but there isn't much HD FTA anyway. See above.)

There you have the summary. The last 3 points may not be very important. But the lack of DVR and USALS can be inconveniences for many.


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## Fifty Caliber

Chandu said:


> If the S-VHS indeed means S-Video, and if the website is correct about EPG support and aspect ratio control, then the only big features missing from this receiver are:
> 
> 
> DVR/PVR (insertable hard disk). Can be worked around with a computer or an external PVR
> USALS (DiSEqC 1.3) Allows storing satellite position info.
> Multiple tuners
> Compoent Video out (There is only 1 other FTA receiver which has these, but it doesn't have a DVR. There are zero receivers out there which have DVI or HDMI out. But without much HD FTA material, these aren't very important. Even for HD material, it maybe possible to overcome this with an RF out instead. See below.)
> HD tuner (There are very few products with this feature, but there isn't much HD FTA anyway. See above. I've also heard that some people have been successful feeding RF out of an FTA receiver into an ATSC tuner and getting an HD FTA picture!! Believe it or not, it's true. So, this feature may not be as important.)
> 
> There you have the summary. The last 3 points may not be very important. But the lack of DVR and USALS can be inconveniences for many.


I could care less about a DVR, multiple tuners would be nice, so would more output conections, USALS would be the bigest feature missing, IMHO.


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## Chandu

Fifty Caliber said:


> I could care less about a DVR...


I couldn't. Which was one of the main motivations behind why I started researching into other receivers in the first place, and ended up starting this thread. And I know lots and lots of people who would refuse to watch any TV without a DVR. It's not just the ability to watch TV on your own terms in terms of timings, but skipping advertisements etc. that are very important.


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## FTA Michael

Y'know, you could always hook a standalone TiVo or generic DVR to the output from a Globecast box. You'd have to manually enter recording times and change channels (does the Globecast box have timers?), but otherwise it would do most of what you want.


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## Chandu

Yes, I might look into something like this for a combined FTA+OTA soultion.



Chandu said:


> DVR/PVR (insertable hard disk). Can be worked around with a computer or an external PVR


There are some standalone units from Scientific Atlanta etc. Or a dedicated PC could be used for the same purpose. The only thing I don't like about it is, it creates complexity of yet another box, more cables to add, and so on. It is avoided by putting DVR+receiver in the same box.

Oh well, what can you do when you're prevented from using basic conveniences available in the market? 



Fifty Caliber said:


> So does this receiver have or not have an S-Video (4 pin mini-DIN, Y/C) conection on the back of it?


I think the S-Video question is answered from this alternate link I found:

http://sadoun.com/Sat/Products/GlobeCast/GlobeCast-receiver-New.htm



> 1 x S-VHS (4-pin Mini-Din) Option


It also confirms the EPG and aspect ratio control support.

No mention of USALS anywhere, however. It mentions the following, but I'm assuming it has nothing to do with USALS.

0/22K for multiple satellites
Powerful worry-free satellite parameter setup and channel searching capability


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## quo17

FTA Michael said:


> If Globecast were available on any old DVB receiver with a CI slot, its tech support department would probably have to triple.


It is very easy to avoid: Just put a disclaimer in the service agreement, stating that only Globecast receivers are supported, if you use your own receiver, you are on your own. My ISP had similar policy for connections from Linux boxes: they said:
"Yes, it is possible to use our service with Linux OS, but we limit our tech support only to users of MacOS and Windows".
Those Globecast people just want to sell their receiver for higher price than it would cost. But I don't need this another box on my rack, and I don't pay for overpriced one, so Globecast may forget thinking of me as a potential customer, unless they do change something. Will they at least give an option to lease their receiver for low monthly fee? 
I heard, in Europe, you can use any receiver, and just change the card, if you want switch provider (same with cell phones, BTW), but here there is a different tradition.
Thanks God, we don't have to get a separate tuner for each radiostation!


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## Chandu

quo17 said:


> Will they at least give an option to lease their receiver for low monthly fee?


No. Isn't that greedy and stupid?

Another option if you've disposable money sitting around, but your main concern is "another idiot box taking up space on the rack":

Shell out the $179 moolah that Globecast demands for their inferior receiver + Ku-Band dish. Put that receiver and dish in a closet, never to see it again until disconnecting Globecast service. Use the smartcard they supplied with your own receiver + existing FTA Ku-Band dish setup. Essentially, you're shoving down extra $179 down their throats just to get your hands on that damn smartcard. It's almost a price-gouging technique. But for those who don't want to go to competitors like DISH or DirecTV, it's almost like a monopoly over select niche content. And a monopoly can do as they wish, whom are you going to complain?


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## quo17

Just a small correction: You can buy their receiver without dish from Sadoun for $139. Still too much...


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## FTA Michael

quo17 said:


> It is very easy to avoid: Just put a disclaimer in the service agreement, stating that only Globecast receivers are supported, if you use your own receiver, you are on your own.


Yeah, if you do that, the tech support staff would only double, not triple.  They'd still get a lot of calls from users with varying levels of English proficiency, but those calls would only last until tech support found out about their non-standard equipment, then managed to get across the idea that it was unsupported. Then those people who weren't part of the tech support expansion could become part of the returns department expansion, because without support, a lot of those non-techies would give up.

For the most part, Globecast customers aren't TV techies. They're doctors, executives, architects, students, dishwashers -- just like the rest of the population. They're the opposite of Linux enthusiasts; they just want a simple solution that they think about as little as possible. It would be nice for Globecast to provide more options, but it doesn't. I wish I use my Dish subscription on any FTA box, but that's not the way it works -- I'm stuck with choosing from a small set of authorized receivers.

In general, everybody, take a breath and tone it down. It's okay to say you wish things were different. It's okay to ask why things are the way they are. It's not okay to take those answers as a springboard to suggest that a company is wrong to behave the way it does.


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## quo17

FTA Michael said:


> It's not okay to take those answers as a springboard to suggest that a company is wrong to behave the way it does.


Well, I am not suggesting that they are wrong because they exist, no i't very nice of them to provide some alternative programming and be strong enough to compete with such monsters as Echostar and Directv, but if I feel, they could do a better service, why it's not OK to speak? Maybe, they are reading this right now? Just a suggestion would not harm anyone


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## FTA Michael

Suggestions are cool. Using phrases like "shoving down throats" and "price gouging" are inflammatory. I just want to keep our discussion friendly.


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## Chandu

Hey, sorry. I was suggesting donating that money to them if someone has got the disposable money lying around.  I'm sure they'll accept the money even if I called them names, which I won't. Let me know if this sort of humor isn't OK here, and I'll edit my post.

(BTW, I've read far worse inflammatory posts in the DISH subforum. Not saying just because it's OK there, it should be OK here. It's just that I didn't realize what I was posting was considered flagrantly bad.)


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## FTA Michael

As I said, I just want to keep things friendly. In the FTA world, we are enjoying the kindness of strangers, so on the FTA forum, we should be respectful and thankful for what we have.

Every business exists to make as much money as possible. Globecast is really nice about giving us all free previews and in giving its subscribers access to all FTA channels on IA5. Both of these acts make good business sense, but they're beneficial all the same. 

I can't imagine going without a DVR. I have a standalone TiVo hooked up to my FTA receiver. I expect that Globecast will find a way to add a DVR receiver to its lineup sometime soon. Maybe it's just waiting to see who buys out TiVo.


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## Chandu

Thanks.

You're very helpful with ftalist and all, and it's great to have you as the new moderator.


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## aegrotatio

The way I've thought about Globecast's FTA services is on a more economical issue. The service providers have to pay license fees for each channel that is encrypted. As interest in those channels increases. by people who purchase the Globecast receiver and state which channels they want to receive, Globecast can quantify the viewership and do a cost/benefit analysis on whether it makes sense to pay the license to scramble those channels. Whatever way you put it, even if those "rich foreign nations" give the programming for no charge, Globecast still needs to pay for satellite time for those services. I doubt those rich foreign nations are paying anything to Globecast except for the freedom to retransmit content.

I've always regarded Globecast's FTA services as temporary. I just saw crawls on the ASC channels that they will be scrambled and this happens from time to time. Money is the issue. If they can make money by scrambling a popular channel, and there are enough subscribers to pay for the Nagravision licensing, then it makes sense. If they can't, they'll leave it FTA or shut it off. Simple.


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## FTA Michael

aegrotatio said:


> I doubt those rich foreign nations are paying anything to Globecast except for the freedom to retransmit content.
> 
> I've always regarded Globecast's FTA services as temporary.


Maybe someday I'll get a chance to chat with somebody at Globecast, but for now this is all speculation.

I don't have any problem believing that some foreign countries would contribute towards paying the expense of beaming their content via IA5. If they already have state-run radio or TV departments, the cost of 1/12th of a transponder might be easily absorbed. Not only are they providing an approved taste of home for travelling dignitaries, they're also putting on their best face for any North American who would like to tune in.

Maybe there's some "empty seat" economics here too. Globecast has enough bandwidth to broadcast X video channels. I'd guess about 120. If it only has 80 channels available for sale, what should it put in the other 40? Passing along 40 FTA channels would cost very little compared to a test pattern, and doing so enhances the value of all Globecast subscriptions.

I regard all FTA channels as temporary. My opinion is that most of Globecast's channels are less temporary than most -- they're funded by foreign governments and they've been in the clear for years. It's certainly true that when a new channel turns up on a Globecast TP, the first thing to do is check the Globecast site. Usually, it's already available for subscription, so you know that it's definitely temporary. Enjoy it while you can!


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## Polakatl

Hi. I just discovered this page by googling "globecast dvr" . Good thing I did becasue I found out there is such thing as free sat in usa. I live in atlanta, ga by th way. I have two questions:

I have a globecast reciever and service as well as Dish. I use the globecast only for polish channels which are ironically listed under FTA. I wonder why then Globecast has a polish tv package that costs $20 and has all the FTA channels? 

Second. Will the GeoSatpro DVR100ci suggested be able to accept the Globecast card? People here complained about not being able to bu just a card, but if I have one already will it work? Any tips you can offer in regards to receiving FTA and using 3rd party recievers with globecast would be great. Thanks in advance. I'll get back to reading now. 

One more thing. I have an old DIshNetwork dish. With a different LNB the dish should be sufficent to get the fta from the ia5 sat?


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## FTA Michael

Polakatl said:


> I have a globecast reciever and service as well as Dish. I use the globecast only for polish channels which are ironically listed under FTA. I wonder why then Globecast has a polish tv package that costs $20 and has all the FTA channels?


Welcome to our discussion. Globecast is nice enough to offer extended previews of its subscription channels. If it's FTA now but listed for sale on the Globecast site, that usually means that one day soon it'll go scrambled.


> Second. Will the GeoSatpro DVR100ci suggested be able to accept the Globecast card? People here complained about not being able to bu just a card, but if I have one already will it work? Any tips you can offer in regards to receiving FTA and using 3rd party recievers with globecast would be great.


Are you watching a Globecast subscription channel with a third-party receiver and a card? In general, any FTA receiver can, uh, receive FTA. It's the subscription channels that require special equipment.


> One more thing. I have an old DIshNetwork dish. With a different LNB the dish should be sufficent to get the fta from the ia5 sat?


It shouldn't be, but it just might. Some of the signals on IA5 are particularly strong, so it's possible that a sensitive LNB could work in clear weather. For reliable service, you really need at least a small-sized Ku-band dish. Have fun!


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## Polakatl

Thanks Michael. 

I am currently using the Globecast reciever with a subscription card. It is important to me to have those channels reliable so I wouldn't want to cancel. 

Does anybody know if the Globecast cards will work in 3rd party recievers? I want it to do FTA and subscription. How will the Globecast tv guide work?


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## FTA Michael

It's my understanding that Globecast cards only work in Globecast receivers, hence the hue and cry over the lack of a Globecast DVR or Globecast-capable motor controller.

It's also my understanding that a Globecast receiver will let you see all the FTA channels ... on IA5, where Globecast broadcasts.


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## Polakatl

I asked around a little bit, and some ppl told me that if I get a NAgravision CAM then I can use the Globecast smart card in any reciever. Unfortunatly nobody I talked to has actually done this with Globecast.


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## Chandu

I'm afraid, the answer to your question is "Yes" - just as I had said in the original post. These are all standards based things, and that's how things work with European DVB carriers. There is nothing Globecast does that is so radically different than other DVB carriers. As long as Globecast states that they're encrypting channels with Nagravision 2 (or in some cases Irdeto 2) which are standards, there is nothing stopping their smartcard from working with a standard Nagravision/Irdeto CAM.

It's just that nobody is willing to carry out this expensive test. Just to perform the test, you would need to shell out at a minimun $139, for the Globecast branded box.


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## Polakatl

Hmm this is from globecast FAQ:



> A SmartCard is a credit card- sized key with an embedded microchip, which allows subscribers to view encrypted programming. When a viewer orders an encrypted program, a SmartCard is "matched" to that viewer's receiver ID. When the correct SmartCard is inserted into the receiver, an authorization is performed via satellite, and the subscriber will be able to view the requested programming.


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## Chandu

Yes, sorry. I should have remembered this when I posted that reply. Actually, I did refer to this receiver ID issue in an earlier post of mine in this thread, and suggested that theoretically Globecast could have made it work with any other receiver.

Sorry, so it's coming back to the same reply. There is no way to know a definite answer without carrying out this expensive test. I'm sure as hell not willing to carry out this test, as I don't want to end up being stuck with a receiver I may not want to keep, just to find out the answer.


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## Marcyjok

Polakatl said:


> I asked around a little bit, and some ppl told me that if I get a NAgravision CAM then I can use the Globecast smart card in any reciever. Unfortunatly nobody I talked to has actually done this with Globecast.


I've heard about Globecast card with subbed Irdeto Turkish channels working with Dreambox receiver.


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## Chandu

Marcyjok said:


> I've heard about Globecast card with subbed Irdeto Turkish channels working with Dreambox receiver.


This is great to know. I was suspecting this all along, since this is standards based stuff.

Maybe one of these days, I'll take the risk of shelling out $139. BTW, when you get a Globecast receiver, you own it and it's not a lease, correct?


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## quo17

http://search.ebay.com/search/searc...os=ZIP/Postal&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=


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## Chandu

quo17 said:


> http://search.ebay.com/search/searc...os=ZIP/Postal&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=


Thanks, that's a very good idea.


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## quo17

What about Home2US receivers?
Are they also mandatory?
These are their prices:
Standard Kit: (30" antenna, Std. LNB, DVB Recv. mount) Single room $ 160 
additional Receiver (second room) $ 125
Receiver Guide:
http://s162566523.onlinehome.us/b2c/media/8800IRD_UM-H2US.pdf

Anyone uses it?


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## Chandu

FTA Michael said:


> I have a standalone TiVo hooked up to my FTA receiver.


While researching something else, I went back to the above comment.

How is this working out for you? Do you connect the RF-Out of FTA receiver to Tivo? In case your FTA receiver supports EPG, can it actually integrate with Tivo, or do you need to schedule all recordings manually?

And last but not the least, is the incoming signal to Tivo actually digital (both video and audio)? One of the biggest problem I've faced with such integration is that standalone DVRs would only get mono audio. If the FTA receiver is connected to a dedicated amplifier with digital audio out, I don't know of a way to synchronize digital audio with recorded content on Tivo.


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## FTA Michael

The standalone TiVo works fine with the FTA receiver. I use the Video-Left-Right analog cables from the receiver to the TiVo input. When the show is in stereo, the TiVo records in stereo. Everything has to be scheduled manually, a lot like a VCR.

And sadly, I have also run into the problem of digital audio synch. When I run it through my AV receiver separately, the audio always runs at least a couple of seconds ahead of the forever-cached TiVo output.


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