alt.dbs.echostar FAQ

1.0 What is the Dish Network?

There are a variety of points where E* is superior to cable. First is availablity. E* can be used anywhere in the continental US that has an unobstructed view of the satellite (mountains, tall trees, and buildings can be a problem.) People even use the dishes on their RVs.

The second point is signal quality. E* transmissions are digital. They come through crisp and clear with no noise. This also has the effect of occasional digital pixelization, but it is hard to notice.

The third point is selection. The Dish Network offers a much wider selection of channels than many cable systems. For instance, there are six HBO channels, ten pay-per-view channels, etc.

The main advantage that cable has over E* is the initial cost. E* requires the purchase of $100-$500 worth of equipment (the dish and receiver). This equipment also has to be installed. It's not trivial, but a do-it-yourself-er can accomplish the installation in a few hours. Professional installation is also available.

In order to use the Dish Network service, you have to have somewhere to mount the dish. The dish has to be able to point at the satellite without being obstructed by anything (buildings, trees, mountains...) The two variables are azimuth and elevation angles. The azimuth angle is the compass reading and the elevation angle is the vertical angle you must point the dish at.

Listed below are some sites that allow you to calculate these angles based on the location of your home. Dish's site provides a Windows program to do this. Remember that there is a difference in most places between "true" and "magnetic" north. Since this can be more than 10 degrees in some places, read the site carefully to see which number it is giving you.

2.0 What about other mini-dish systems?

Dish/Echostar is not the only fish in the sea when it comes to mini-dishes. There are other companies that may fit your needs better.

Listed below are the URLs of some comparison charts that show what the various systems offer in terms of channels.

The DirecTV system is older and more easily available at retail stores. It is sold under a number of brand names including RCA and Sony. Until recently, DirecTV was known as "DSS," but that changed due to a copyright lawsuit.

DirecTV has a wider variety of available channel options. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage. The disadvantage is that this makes things more expensive. But, if you're interested in the additional programming DirecTV is the only game in town. DirecTV's primary additional focus is in the area of sports programming. If you want to see huge numbers of NFL, NBA, MLB games (more than what network/TNT/ESPN channels carry), then DirecTV is the way to go.

The short answer is no. The two systems are different and their satellites are in different spots in the sky.

But, if you decide to switch between the systems, only a new receiver is needed (as well as reaiming the dish). The dish, LNB, and cabling for Echostar and DirecTV are compatable.

On the other hand, everything but the cabling would need to be replaced when switching to or from Primestar.

3.0 What hardware is best for me?

3.1 Dishes

The dish itself is the simplest piece of the puzzle, as there aren't any optional features for it. While dishes are available separately, they are very inexpensively included in all "package" systems, with your choice of a 3/4/5000 receiver.

The receiver is a VCR sized box that decodes the digital data from the satellite into viewable TV pictures and sound. A receiver will only decode one channel at a time.

All E* receivers have both RCA video/audio out and RF/coax out. They also all have an auxilary RF input than can be used for an antenna or for cable. This RF signal is accessible with the remote's tv/video button.

The model 1000 receiver is the entry level addon (also known as a "slave") receiver. It's designed to do its primary job of receiving the satellite signals; most of the bells and whistles of the higher end receivers have been removed.

The 2700 was announced at the end of July 1998 and is set for availability in the fall. It's an update to the 1000, adding front panel controls and a S-VHS output.

The 3000/3500 is the current basic receiver. It is shipped with all basic complete system packages. Stand-alone (slave) 3000 receivers have apparently been discontinued in favor of the model 1000 and are thus becoming hard to come by.

The 4000/4500 is the deluxe receiver. Additional features over the 3000 include event timers and a UHF radio (rather than IR) remote. It also has slightly more space for "favorites" lists.

The 5000/5500 is the premium receiver. In addition to the features of the 4000 you get the ability to tune local stations (from an antenna or from basic cable) without a switch-box and caller-id for your phone.

The 5000 also has RCA a/v input jacks for your VCR or laserdisc player. This signal is accessible as Dish channel 000.

A unique offering is JVC's digital VCR. It is an E* receiver, VHS VCR, and D-VHS VCR all in one. "D-VHS" is digital VHS. It uses special tapes to record the raw digital E* signal directly. This can, therefore, only be played back on this model VCR.

All (currently known) third party remote controls are infrared controllers. Therefore, they cannot send the UHF signals necessary to control the 4000 and older 5000 models. But, if you have a 1000, 3000, or a newer 5000 (that says it supports IR remotes on the box) you should be able to use a replacement remote if you want.

You'll occassionally notice these items being discussed on the newsgroup. While neither is necessary for most home setups, here is a basic explanation.

A diplexer is used to combine/separate local antenna and satellite dish feeds into a single coax cable. A simple setup would require two: one to combine the signals where your dish and antenna are closest, and one to seperate them back out near your TV. Lots of other configurations are possible with the addition of a multi-switch.

A multi-switch is in some sense a fancy splitter. It allows more than two receivers to be attached to a single dish. Note that a dual LNB is still required. Versions for 4, 8, and 16 lines are easily available.

There are lots of places to purchase your Dish system. Look in your local phone book for satellite dealers. Also, Sears sells the JVC-labeled gear. Price Costco has also just started carrying the equipment.

Probably not, but stay tuned as most details are still pending.

A motorized mount, such as one used on C-band dishes, would be an option for people who want to use the new satellites. It would work, but there are a number of problems with such a scheme.

First, it's going to be quite a bit more complicated. A polar mount is required to change both the azimuth and the elevation of your dish.

Second, such a mount would be somewhat more expensive than buying the second dish and the switchbox. There aren't any mounts on the market designed for the 18" dishes. You'd have to buy and adapt a C-band mount.

Finally, it wouldn't work nearly as well. You wouldn't be able to seemlessly switch between channels on either satellite; there'd be a time delay while the mount rotated. And, if you have additional receivers, they'd only be able to watch channels on whichever satellite is currently being targetted.

4.0 Setup Questions

4.1 Can I mount my Dish inside?

Yes, maybe. If you can mount your dish securely pointing out a window in the correct direction, it may be possible to get a good signal. Your results will depend on the thickness and coatings of your glass. This is not recommended.

Yes. RG-59 is conventional coax cable. RG-6 is the higher quality cabling that you want to use for your dish to receiver runs. The difference isn't huge, but RG-6 has lower losses and is the recommended cable for all of the DBS manufacturers.

If your house is already wired with RG-59, it's probably not necessary that you replace it. Try it out first. If you're happy with the result, there's no need to replace the cable.

Yes and no. A phone line is necessary for two reasons. First, it is used to call an 800 number late at night to report on Pay-per-view usage. If your receiver is unable to call, it will disable PPV after only a few movies until it is able to report the charges.

Second, E* states that a phone line is necessary for secondary/slave receivers. The phone line on the secondary unit is to verify that the secondary unit/slave is in the same location as the master. It will periodically dial (via an 800 number) into Dish headquarters to verify that it is in the same location. A number of newsgroup users have recently reported that the receivers don't in fact do this (I only have one receiver so I cannot personally test the situation.)

Yes! You do need to ground your Dish. Follow the directions that came with your Dish, consult an appropriate electrical professional, or pay for professional installation.

Yes and no. Splitting the signal going from the dish to the receiver will do little good, as it is carrying digital data. And, the signal from the receiver to the TV is only carrying the channel that you have tuned.

Thus, a splitter will only allow you to watch the same channel on multiple TVs, not different ones.

There is some natural variation in the signal strength you'll receive from various transponders. This is normal. Since each transponder only carries a few channels, your full feed is using perhaps 20 different transponders. Thus, locking onto the strongest transponder doesn't make any sense.

The 4/5000 model receivers have an IR Blast feature that allows them to start and stop your VCR for timer recording. This can be a little tricky to get working correctly.

The first step in using this feature is to tell the receiver what kind of VCR you own. Follow the directions in the manual. Remember, you're configuring the receiver, not the remote. Be sure to use the "Test" option to make sure you've configured things properly.

The second step is positioning. The receiver emits the IR signal from its front panel. That signal has to bounce off something and return to your VCR's front panel. Some sorts of objects on the far wall may create problems. Smoked glass stereo rack doors may also interfere. Experiment using the "Test" option until you have a layout that works reliably for you.

The final detail is to be sure to leave your VCR on when you wish to use this feature. Since the receiver has no way of telling if the VCR is on or off, it just assumes it is on. (DirecTV receivers make the opposite assumption. Neither is "correct", but it doesn't stop occasional brief flame wars on this subject on the group.)

At least one newsgroup reader has noticed that leaving his receiver off when not viewing makes his timers more reliable. I haven't found this to be necessary with my 4500. Experiment if you're having problems and let me know what you discover.

5.0 Programming Questions

5.1 Can I receive local channels?

Only kindof. You have 4 options to get your local channels. The first two don't involve E* and the last two are only available to some people.

Option 1: Antenna - A normal antenna can be used to receive your local channels. Depending on your receiver model, these channels can be integrated in varying amounts with your satellite channels.

Option 2: Cable - Many cable systems offer a low cost "lifeline" cable option of local channels.

Option 3: Dish Nets - Dish offers a package called "Dish Nets". This includes the basic network channels: PBS, FOX, CBS, NBC, and ABC. East and west coast stations from all but PBS are available. The channels chosen are actual local channels from New York and Los Angeles. The currently available channels are:

• East - New York
  • ABC - WABC
  • CBS - WCBS
  • NBC - WNBC
  • FOX - WNYW
• West - Los Angeles
  • ABC - KABC
  • CBS - KCBS
  • NBC - KNBC
  • FOX - KTTV
• PBS - Special national feed

Due to FCC rules you must qualify for this service by both a) not having had cable for 90 days and b) not being able to receive the networks on an antenna.

You can get the east _or_ west feed (5 channels) or both east and west (9 channels, 2 of each, but only one PBS.) E* is required to notify your local stations of your request. If the local channels choose to dispute your bad reception claim, E* has to turn off your feed. I don't know what, if any, appeal process there is.

Option 4: Local channels in major cities - E* has begun to offer local network channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox) to a few major cities. They are slowly expanding the list of cities. To access these transmissions you have to add a second dish (to point at either E*III or IV) and you have to live in the service are of the city in question.

There are a number of options for E* program schedules. First, the on system guide, available via the remote control, is pretty good. E* also offers a magazine guide for $4 per month.

A number of web sites also provide Dish Network specific schedules:

5.4 What is DishPix?

Dishpix is a seldom advertised programming alternative on E*. Rather than signing up for a fixed package like the Top40 or Top100CD, you get 10 channels of your choice for $15/month. There are some restrictions on your choices, however. The Disney networks, for instance, are not available as a choice. (Nor are any of the channels sold in premium packages).

Dish offers three channels of adult programming, but you'd have to do a little digging to even notice them. They won't even show up in the program guide unless you ask for them.

Playboy TV is $12.99 per month and appears on channel 497. Call Dish Network to order.

AdulTVision is a pay-per-view service that charges $5.99 per 90 minute movie on channel 499. You can get the schedule added to your guide by calling Dish. Then you can order movies with your remote, just like normal PPV.

The Multi-Sports package contains all the channels of Fox Sports Net, with the exception of Fox Sports West 2, plus all the other regional sports channels in the continental US, with the exception of the ones in Philadelphia and Kansas City (which are not available outside of their local cable systems). You get your local regional station free in the Top 60/100 package. For $4.99 per month you get all of the non-local stations as well. The package has some nice features and some significant limitations.

Cool features:

• Programs such as "Fox Sports News" air at different times on each channel.
• Your local channel gives priority to your local teams and may preempt events such as Formula One racing that might occur at the same time. Having more channels means you can see those events as well.
• Most tape-delayed broadcasts of major league sports are not blacked out
• CNN-SI is broadcast on "Sports Channel Florida" when there is no local programming.
• There is a lot of variation in programming across all the channels, giving a fair amount of choice at any given time.

The main limitation is that many out of town major league and some college sports games are blacked out while airing "live". The blackout rules are too complex a subject for even a rocket scientist to understand. I certainly won't attempt to explain them in this FAQ.

6.0 Miscellaneous

6.1 What is a smart card?

The smart card is the removable credit card shaped object that plugs into the front of your receiver. The slot is hidden behind a door. On many systems, the card is shipped already installed.

You should view the card as a part of your receiver. Once you've activated your programming, your card will only work with the receiver that it was attached to at that time. There is no need to remove it, unless Dish tech support asks you to.

Dish network core programming is transmitted via two satellites (Echostar I and II) in geostationary orbit south of Reno, Nevada. They are close enough that they appear as a single source to your dish. (119.° West)

Echostar III was lauched at the beginning of October 1997 and is positioned in a slot over the Atlantic Ocean. It provides a number of niche services including local channels for a few major east coast cities and Sky Angel (A collection of Christian religious channels). (61.5° West)

One of the unique features of the Echostar receivers is that they can be automatically upgraded via satellite. (Neither DirecTV nor Primestar can do this). This means from time to time they'll add features to your receiver free. Recently, they've added expanded timer options and support for additional satellites.

You can tell there's been an update generally only by noticing that the version number on the info screen has changed (most recently my 4500 went from 223 to 317). But there's no easy way to discover what exactly a particular update does. Echostar doesn't normally publically announce updates or what they are supposed to do. A large percentage of the programming updates are completely transparent to the end user. They update things like security features.

All Dish receivers have the ability to receive "email" from the Dish Network. This is intended to be used to notify customers of upcoming events and changes that are significant. To date, this feature has not been used, apparently because E* is concerned about confusing customers and getting flooded by confused calls about a blinking light on their receiver.

Note that there is no way to send email, or for other people to send you email via this route. It's not an internet connection.

Quick Tip #1 - The VCR FF and REW keys at the bottom of the remote can be used to move through the program guide a page at a time.

Quick Tip #2 - Your VCR must be left on for the timers in the 4/5000 to work.

Quick Tip #3 - You can skip ahead in the program guide by punching in a number of hours on the keypad, then hitting forward (or browse).

7.0 Online resources