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FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Updated
January 2005
What
are the main advantages of Digital as opposed to Analogue
Satellite?
*
Superb picture and sound quality
* Many extra channels
* UK terrestrial channels, including BBC1/2, Channels 4/5
and ITV
* Video Nearly on Demand (VNOD). The chance to order a movie
and start to watch
it, usually within 15 minutes or less (UK based subscription
only)
* Additional capacity for many more channels
* Interactive programming ie: self-selecting news and weather
updates on Sky News
What
is the situation regarding BBC for example. I've been told
it can no longer be received in France!
Not
true. Programs beamed out from the Astra satellite can still
be received across all Regions. What has happened is that
the BBC no longer pays BSkyB to encrypt their signal - technically,
removing the need for a viewing card. In order to restrict
overseas viewing the BBC stations along with ITV and others
are now being beamed down from the Astra 2D satellite (as
opposed to the Astra 2A in the same orbital position). According
to Astra's own website (www.ses-astra.com) it's primary
focus is on the UK, northern France and the Low Countries.
Despite this, UKSAT continues to supply and install equipment
- even along the south coast of France with little or no
problem.
Can
I install it myself?
Correct
dish alignment can be difficult without the proper equipment,
and installing Digital satellite is much more complicated
than Analogue. You certainly can't swing the dish around
and look for a picture in the same way!
The system needs around 20-30 seconds following accurate
alignment to recognize the signal and synchronize to get
a picture at all. Alignment of the LNB (Low Noise Block)
receptor on the end of the dish arm in its holder is also
critical to getting any picture. Unlike the old Analogue
system, there is no such thing as a bad (e.g. 'grainy')
picture - you either get a picture or you do not, and getting
a picture does not mean it is correctly lined up, as it
will work perfectly with as much as an 80% signal loss.
Problems arise though when bad weather or cloud cover sets
in and some channels start to drop out and/or your picture
freezes because of a reduced signal. A competent Sky trained
digital installer would always use a Sky approved digital
satellite alignment meter, which gives signal strength readout,
plus it's vertical and horizontal component and bit error
rates.
Centre
Satellite has nothing against DIY satellite installations
promoted by some outlets. It's the same as many other things.
If you wish, you can conduct the conveyancing of a property
yourself without using a solicitor. You can carry out your
own painting and decorating. But it is important to know
what you are doing and the amount of time and safety involved,
and, if it all goes wrong, you shouldn't expect to get advice
from a local installer for free. Would you go to a painter
and expect him to lend you his ladder and brushes for nothing?
What people pay for with an installation from UKSAT is experience,
knowledge, skill and a follow up two year guarantee. True,
it may work out cheaper to do it yourself, but UKSAT undertakes
to take care of everything that is involved in an installation:
the supply of a Digibox and satellite dish, safe and secure
fixing and alignment, correct and neat cable runs, up to
the minute technical advice and a full two year 'no worries'
guarantee against product failure. In all, we offer a package
deal - much like a travel agent does.
Can
I use my existing satellite equipment?
Yes,
also most digital dishes were sized at 60cm - which is perfectly
adequate for signal reception across most of France from
the Astra 2D satellite. Two points to remember though. The
dish would have to be pointed to a different direction and
it would need to have the correct type of 'universal' LNB.
Most dishes bought in the last three years or so have these
already fitted. The cable is also plays an important role
in that it must be of high quality, double screened, low
loss specification - normal TV cable simply will not do.
Can
I record Sky on my VCR?
Yes.
As with many televisions, the Digibox has a double SCART,
one of which is used to connect directly into either your
VCR or DVD. Selecting the correct input mode on your device
will cause it to record the satellite channel you have selected.
Can
I attach more than one television?
Yes,
and in theory you can attach as many as you like - but then
things would start to get both complicated and expensive.
In practice it is better to stick to just three that are
provided for by the Digibox outputs at the back. One - the
SCART output has already been mentioned. The other two are
what are known as composite RF outputs. This means they
work in much the same way as a normal TV signal, so if you
attach one or both of them to other sets they would have
to have been bought in the UK - otherwise you will get a
nice picture.... but no sound!
Remember
also that you can only watch the same satellite station
as the 'main' television. As with most things there are
ways round all of this but as mentioned earlier, it starts
to get complicated, time consuming and expensive - and not
something your installer would want to take on board. Realistically,
it's best left to the keen DIY enthusiast to sort out.
Can
I attach more than one receiver to a dish so that I can
have digital TV around the house?
Yes,
but you'd need to change the LNB on your dish for a multiple
output type, and then run cable out to separate Digiboxes.
Can
I attach the Digibox to my stereo system?
No
problem. The Digibox has outputs at the back specifically
for this purpose.
Can
the Digibox receive other 'Free to View' digital channels
from other satellites?
Theoretically
yes, but the choice is limited. The Digibox can only receive
a subset of all the digital signals available from other
satellites. You would also have to move your dish accurately
onto the other satellite positions - and then move it back
to its original setting. To be honest, it's not really worth
the hassle.
Can
the Digibox de-scramble other encrypted digital satellite
signals?
A
definite no here. The Digibox is designed to de-scramble
signals using the 'Videoguard' encryption signal which is
exclusive to Sky and not used by any other program provider.
Unlike other digital receivers, there is no common interface
to permit additional scrambling systems to be supported.
How
long does it take to do an installation?
Every
install is different, but on average it takes a couple of
hours. Having said that, Centre Satellite will always allocate
half a day for each installation that it does in order to
ensure a neat and professional job and without any time
constraints on the engineer.
Can
I use any other Digital receiver to receive Sky's programs?
Afraid
not. No other receiver supports the 'Videoguard' encryption
system, which is proprietary to Sky. Moreover, Sky licenses
the manufacturers of Digiboxes, which are then built to
their specification.
Can
I view Teletext over Digital Satellite?
Yes
- if the information is being transmitted (it is on most
channels). Page updates are also much quicker. As with the
on screen channel guide, they are also a good source of
program schedules.
I
have heard that the Digibox remote control will work my
TV - is this true?
Yes.
The remote control can be programmed to work just about
any TV.
If
I try to obtain a viewing card without taking advantage
of the subsidy, won't Sky suspect something and start to
ask awkward questions?
They
might, but with more and more 'out of contract' Digiboxes
being offered for sale in 'Free Ad' papers or on the Internet,
the situation is becoming easier. If they do, and you decide
to engage in conversation with them (calls to Sky by the
way are now routed through India), the following answers
may be of use.
"I
don't have a fixed telephone, only a mobile so I can't commit
to the required telephone connection as required in your
contract"
"I
don't trust Sky to attach to my phone line. Apart from the
extra cable involved, how do I know you are not monitoring
my calls or my TV viewing habits?"
"I
have just purchased a new wide screen TV which already has
a Sky digital receiver built in to it". (A company
called LG was producing these)
"I
have purchased a second hand Digibox from a free add/Internet/Car
boot Sale"
"I
have a second hand Digibox in the bedroom/upstairs flat
connected to another dish"
The
latter is useful here if a card has already been allocated
to your own address. If you live at say number 1 Railway
Terrace, order a card for number 1a Railway Terrace.
In
all of this it must be remembered that Sky wants your custom
and wants you to have a viewing card. Its target is to have
those monthly subscriptions from you if they can!
Can
I receive pay-per-view movies even if the Digibox is not
connected to a Telephone line?
Technically
yes. You simply need to make a phone call to Sky for them
to send the signal over the air to the card to enable it
for the movie of your choice. Needless to say, this call
should come from the house where the Digibox is registered.
The same is also true for card upgrades to receive additional
channels. However, in these days of mobile phones many homes
do not have a land line at all - so it all probability you
should not encounter any difficulty. Having said that, this
may be a risk you could do without.
Living
overseas, what sized dish would I need?
Experience
has shown that even with ITV being beamed out from Astra
2D with its smaller 'footprint', there have been few problems
with dishes as small as 50cm being fitted - even along the
north coast of France. Caution however is the watchword
here and generally, a 70cm dish would be supplied in order
to give you a better than even chance of getting those Astra
2D signals.
How
many free channels will I get!
Without
subscribing to Sky and without their subscription card,
you will be able to receive around 70 channels including
all regional variations of BBC TV and Radio. Basically,
channels are categorized in two ways - Free, and Free Conditional.
The
Free Channels are those you get without a viewing card,
the Free Conditional are those you get in addition and with
a subscription card - the main ones being BBC1/2, Channels
4/5, and ITV regional. The actual number of channels you
can get is ever changing. Essentially, for an up to date
list you will need to visit the Astra web site at www.ses-astra.com
or Sky's own web site at www.sky.com
What
if my box packs up or it all goes Pear Shaped!
We
are here to help. All Digiboxes supplied by UKSAT now come
with a full two-year 'no worries' guarantee against product
failure. Should such a failure occur, after assessment you
will be offered two avenues of support. Either a visit from
an engineer and/or the shipping out to you of a replacement
Digibox using the French 48 hour postal delivery system.
You will incur no charge for either of these services.
I
want to go ahead with an Installation, what do I do now?
Orders
are placed two weeks in advance. Contact us either by telephone
on 0033 (0)2 48 79 28 62 or send an email to us at centresatellite@hotmail.com
with your instructions. Orders can also be made on-line
via this website or by post. Your order will then be confirmed
by return and placed on file. One week prior to its schedule,
Centre Satellite will contact you in order to agree on a
specific date.
Things
always run smoother if you can give us as much notice as
you can - avoiding specific dates, and for those not resident
in France - a time frame in which to work. All payments
to be made on the day, €uros or UK cheques are accepted.
Discounts are available by arrangement.
Centre
Satellite
Sancerre, France.
0033 (0)2 48 79 28 62 65
info@centresatellite.com
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