31/01/03

Globecast confirmed that HRT1 and HRT3 are sharing space, Same with TVK and YTN. This makes for a much more interesting programing line-up

From my Emails & ICQ

From Dukat

Great link about scanning for feeds

http://www.bigwig.net/stuff/sat/masterclass/dvbcommander.htm

Dvb Commander

http://sat-digital-tv.provider.pl/stuff/ut_stan/cmd4x.zip

From SiamGlobal

WOULD ANY APSATTER IN SE ASIA, NORTH OF INDONESIA, KINDLY CONFIRM RECEPTION OF THE TWO NEW FTA CHANNELS REPORTED ON PALAPA 4050H.

I RECEIVE ALL C BAND PALAPA SIGNALS AT NEAR 100% QUALITY AND STRENGTH FROM BANGKOK WITH 4 METER DISH, YET NO SIGNAL WHATSOEVER ON 4050H.

COULD IT BE THAT THIS TRANSPONDER IS TRANSMITTING ONLY A FEW HOURS A DAY

(WHEN I AM NOT TESTING) ?

SIAM GLOBAL

From the Dish

Lyngsat late

NEWS

New Skies creates complete service offering for launch of Reliance Infocomm’s international long-distance telephony business

From Press Release

30 January 2003

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, January 30, 2003 -- New Skies Satellites N.V. (AEX, NYSE: NSK), the global satellite communications company, today announced that it has signed a multi-year, multi-transponder deal with Reliance Infocomm Ltd, one of India’s leading telecom companies offering basic (fixed and CDMA mobile), national long distance, international long distance and data services.

The agreement creates a complete, end-to-end value-added service enabling Reliance to launch international long-distance telephony services to the United States. The bundled offering includes multiple transponders on the NSS-703 satellite, uplinking/downlinking services at New Skies’ partner mediaport northwest of London, and local loop as well as trans-Atlantic fiber capacity linking the European gateway with Reliance’s facility at 60 Hudson Street in New York City. The service will be used along with Reliance’s growing fiber network, which covers over 600 cities across India.

Ajeet Varma of Reliance Infocomm Ltd said: “We selected New Skies for the launch of our international long distance service because of the excellent reputation of its highly reliable network. Also, as we launch our international services, New Skies’ strong technical expertise and customer support will help us be successful in this very competitive business.”

Srini Prasanna, vice president of sales for India, the Middle East and Africa, said: “We are very proud to be associated with Reliance, the largest business group in India, and to be a part of the roll out of their international voice services. This is one the largest value-added service offerings New Skies has developed and exemplifies the seamless integration of the world-class resources we are putting in place to meet the dynamic requirements of our customers.”

About Reliance Infocomm

Reliance Infocomm offers a complete range of telecom services, covering mobile and fixed line telephony including broadband, national and international long distance, data & a wide range of value added services and applications that will enhance productivity of enterprises as well as individuals. Reliance has a mission of ushering in a digital revolution in India by becoming a major catalyst in improving quality of life and changing the face of India. It aims to achieve this by putting the power of information and communication in the hands of the people of India at affordable costs.

About New Skies Satellites

New Skies Satellites (AEX, NYSE: NSK) is one of only four fixed satellite communications companies with truly global satellite coverage, offering video, voice, data and Internet communications services to a range of telecommunications carriers, broadcasters, large corporations and Internet service providers around the world. New Skies has six satellites in orbit, ground facilities around the world and one additional spacecraft under construction. The company also has secured certain rights to make use of additional orbital positions, including four serving the Americas. New Skies is headquartered in The Hague, The Netherlands, and has offices in Beijing, Johannesburg, New Delhi, São Paulo, Singapore, Sydney and Washington, D.C. Additional information is available at www.newskies.com.

News Corp poised for China venture

From http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,5915734%255E462,00.html

NEWS Corp subsidiary Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings has set up a joint venture to sell advertising and programming to mainland Chinese broadcasters, a company executive said today.

The deal, between Phoenix's business agent in China, Sino Television Co, and the Guangdong Television Broadcasting Development Centre, will allow Phoenix to collect advertising revenue from the mainland, said Roger Uren, vice president for international affairs at Phoenix.

The broadcast centre is a unit of the mainland government's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, in southern China's Guangdong province.

Financial details regarding the joint venture, to be called Guangdong International Media, were not announced.

Broadcasts of Phoenix, which is 37.6 per cent owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. television subsidiary STAR, have been available in Guangdong since 1996.

Chinese authorities recently granted formal approval for broadcasts of Phoenix's 24-hour Chinese-language news channel, Phoenix InfoNews, and other foreign broadcasts to limited locations nationwide.

But without official approval for the broadcasts, Phoenix and the other foreign networks had been unable to collect advertising revenue, as local operators tended to run their own ads during the Phoenix shows and kept the money.

Phoenix said in a statement that it believed the venture would "open the way to a major boost in Phoenix's income from advertising and the sale of programming."

Industry executives have estimated that China's television advertising market could be worth more than $US2 billion ($3.4 billion).

Lifting Asia’s Capacity?

From http://www.asiatele.com/ViewArt.cfm?Magid=4&Artid=18514&Catid=5&subcat=41

8.04pm, Guiana Space Center, Dec 17, 2002: Technical staff from a cross-section of the satellite industry have just breathed a collective sigh of relief, as they do following any successful satellite launch.

But this time, there was perhaps more tension involved. When an Ariane 44L rocket took off with its payload—a Lockheed Martin A2100AX model satellite built for New Skies Satellites—a lot was at stake. A week earlier, Arianespace, the European commercial launch services provider, had seen the failure of its latest generation rocket—the Ariane 5 ECA—on its maiden voyage. The consequences of a second failure were unthinkable.

A lot was also riding on a successful launch on the customer’s part, as NSS-6 is seen as the missing link in New Skies’ global plans, giving it the capacity to finally target the potentially lucrative Asian market. teledotcom technology editor Geoff Long was at the launch and spoke to the players involved for this special report.

View from the Top

Now located at the prime orbital slot at 95° east longitude, NSS-6 enjoys a good view of Asia, with six broad Ku-band beams that will offer coverage of India, China, the Middle East (including Cyprus and Southern Africa), Australia, Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia.

Another 12 Ka-band uplink spot-beams will serve what News Skies considers the major media, content and communications cities of the Asia-Pacific region with two-way interactive broadband services: specifically Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, Melbourne, Shanghai, Beijing, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Wuhan, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

New Skies Satellites CEO Dan Goldberg does not underestimate the importance of this added capacity in the region, suggesting that it is central to the company’s future plans.

?NSS 6 is a critical satellite for us for different reasons. Firstly, it covers markets that we already participate in—India, the Middle East, Australia, Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia—but where we are capacity-constrained, particularly in India and the Middle East,” he says.

?Secondly it is going to be one of the principle engines for our growth in 2003 and 2004 and beyond, so having this new capacity is critical if the company is going to continue to grow its revenues,” Goldberg adds.

Another feature of NSS-6 is that it has the capability to move capacity to areas within its footprint where it is most needed. Rick Masoni, executive vice president, Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, describes building a satellite of this size and incorporating its flexible design as “very challenging”, but he notes that satellite operators today need such capability.

?I think it is important because the operators need the business flexibility to respond to changing markets. As a manufacturer, we see that sort of flexibility as an important characteristic of the satellite,” he says.

Goldberg says that one of the most promising markets for the company is India, where it has already sold some 15% of the satellite’s capacity to Data Access, a joint venture between PCCW of Hong Kong and India’s SPA Enterprises, for international long-distance telephone services. “There are other opportunities in Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, but some of those opportunities though are not as mature as what we have seen in India and the Middle East,” he says.

One area that comes under the “non-mature” opportunity is China. New Skies recently opened a representative office in Beijing and had announced an agreement to partner with Chinasat in the China market, but Goldberg believes that further work will be needed to take advantage of the opportunities.

?I think that is a market that has huge potential but I also think it is a market that you need to work on to establish good connections with the government and the regulators as well as local partners. It is going to take a bit of time. They need capacity there, they need Ku-band capacity in particular, but I think that is going to be a market where we need to be persistent.”

The CEO also suggested that traditional video distribution and telephony services, the “meat and potato” satellite offerings, would be in more demand in the near-term than newer applications such as streaming, multicasting and two-way Internet services.

He suggests it will be a couple of years before this next wave of applications become core offerings.

Asia is often said to have an oversupply of capacity and many local satellite operators are struggling, but Goldberg believes that the company’s global reach coupled with the capabilities of the new satellite will ensure its success.

?I believe that this satellite is qualitatively better than the other satellites that are presently serving the region. It covers a larger area and has higher power than most. Fundamentally, it has flexibility and interconnectivity that none of the other satellites have up there and I think that when people have commercial requirements and they compare our satellite versus some of the satellites that are there, I think we are going to have a competitive edge.”

Other operators may not be so lucky, however, and Goldberg believes that there will be more consolidation in the industry—with New Skies a potential player.

“It has taken longer than most people had anticipated, but I do think there will be some more consolidation.

We are, in some ways, suited to being a consolidator because we have a totally unleveraged balance sheet today and strong operational cash flows. It is not an imperative for the company…but we do look at different things from time to time and if something is a good fit and a fair price, we would be interested in taking advantage of that.”

Meanwhile, New Skies also announced that its NSS-5 satellite, previously named NSS-803, has completed its transition from the Atlantic Ocean Region to 183° east longitude over the Pacific Ocean.

From here, it will deliver video, telecom and Internet services throughout the Pacific Rim as well as provide trans-oceanic connectivity to the West Coast of the United States. The satellite commenced commercial transmissions on Dec 15, 2002, two days before the launch of NSS-6.

While New Skies’ technical challenges are almost over, the same cannot be said for Arianespace, which now has to prove to the market that its new generation of Ariane 5 rockets are as reliable as the older series.

The next Ariane 5 mission is targeted for Feb 24 using a baseline Ariane 5 rocket.

However, the newer and higher-capacity Ariane 5 ECA may be grounded for six months. Arianespace has some 50% of the market for commercial satellite launches but faces increasing satellite launches but faces increasing competition from the likes of Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Russian services using the Proton launcher.

The inquiry board’s investigation of the Dec 11 failure has pinpointed the problem in the Vulcain 2 cryogenic main engine’s cooling system. The report says leaks in the nozzle’s cooling tubes occurred early in the flight, leading to overheating that caused a loss of flight control and the forced termination of Ariane 5 ECA’s maiden mission.

Teething Problem

Jean-Yves Le Gall, Arianespace CEO, says that he is confident that the company could rebound, adding that the Ariane 4 also suffered setbacks when it was first introduced.

?I think you cannot compare pears with apples. If you want to compare reliability of Ariane 5 with the reliability of Ariane 4, you have to compare it with the reliability of Ariane 4 in the early years. “Do not forget that in the early years of the Ariane 4, we experienced four major failures,” he argues.

The final Ariane 4 rocket is due to launch on Feb 12, when it will deliver a satellite for Intelsat. But despite its reliability, there are no plans to continue using the system, essentially because it is no longer economically viable. “We have stopped the production life because the economical rationale of Ariane 4 is very bad,” notes Le Gall.

?The flight vehicle of yesterday does not compete well with the current market prices. It is too expensive. Ariane 4 was a nice launch vehicle, but it was too expensive and that is why it has been decided to stop its production.”

Le Gall also notes that Arianespace has a backlog of 41 satellites to be launched, adding that the company has received messages of support from its international customer base following the December failure.

Geoff Long is technology editor, teledotcom. Based in Bangkok, he can be reached at glong@c2o.org

30/01/03

Tv Korea on B3, Globecast, changed to YTN24? programing looks more interesting. talking of Globecast they were in the Chatroom and said 2 new channels coming next month...

A few changes to report on Sky NZ

B1, 12706V

Sbo movies 61 moved here Vpid 2305 apid 2306 sid 1041
Sbo movies 62 moved here Vpid 2307 apid 2308 sid 1040
Playboy moved here Vpid 512 apid 650 sid 1042
Spice moved here Vpid 513 apid 651 sid 1043
Nat Geo left moved to 12644 V Vpid 516 apid 654 sid 1012
Discovery left moved to 12671 V Vpid 513 apid 651 sid 1013
Animal Planet left moved to 12671 V Vpid 512 Apid 650 sid 1048

From my Emails & ICQ

From Doug

hi all

on Optus B1 12430 V 6670 3/4 there is trotting horses its the first race now
on Optus B1 12379 H 6620 3/4 heineken classic golf

doug

From Dave Knight

Optus B1 feed ch9 - Bushfires.

B1 12524 h 6110 3/4
Channel 9 are using this frequency for bushfire crosses.
The audio is OK, but the video is in slow motion and jerky.

Signal has gone now, seems to be active around news times only (11am, 6pm).

Anyone know why the video is in slow motion ?.
I am using an EmTech receiver. (46-49% signal quality).

From the Dish

Palapa C2 113E 11132 V All channels in the Trueworld mux are encrypted again.

Palapa C2 113E 4050 H "Guangxi TV and EDTV Channel Europe" have started , Fta,SR 13330, FEC 3/4, PIDs 308/256 and 309/257.

Yamal 102 90E 3725 L It's TV Guberniya on , not SET.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3685 H The Indiavision promo has left again.

Eutelsat W5 70.5E 11242 V Very strong test carrier . (guys in Northern and Western Australia check for this)

NSS 703 57E 3872 R "Fashion & Style" is still on , time sharing with Action TV tests.

NEWS

Foxtel pirate fined $20,000

From http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,5910672%5E15319%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html

A MELBOURNE man was convicted and fined $20,000 for distributing pirated pay TV decoders yesterday, marking the first investigation of its kind in Victoria.

At the Sunshine Magistrates Court Roger Rivo, 38, of no known address, admitted to making pirated Foxtel smart cards which enabled users to tune in to the pay TV network.

He pleaded guilty to charges of possessing a machine to make false documents, making a broadcast decoding device and distributing a broadcast decoding device.

In a police summary, the court heard Rivo told police he generally sold the smart cards for $250 individually or as part of a satellite package he installed for $1,200.

In an interview with police, Rivo admitted to making 60 of the cards last year until his arrest outside a Footscray hotel on June 12, the court heard.

Prosecutor Senior Constable Sharon Hayhoe said police had observed Rivo trying to sell 20 smart cards to a third man in the Plough Hotel for $10,000.

After they arrested him, they found a laptop computer and encryption device used to illegally encode the cards in his car and later seized more computer gear from his home.

Once encoded, the cards would allow viewers to receive more than 100 satellite programs without paying, Senior Const Hayhoe said.

The court heard Rivo later told police he purchased the blank smart cards for $20 each over the internet, then used the codes from two genuine Foxtel cards to clone templates onto the blank smart cards.

It is believed the cards later became inoperable as a result of anti-piracy measures adopted by Foxtel.

Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association executive director Debra Richards said today's case was the first investigation begun in Victoria although subsequent cases had already been dealt with.

Ms Richards hailed the $20,000 penalty, noting pirate pay TV subscriptions were costing the industry an estimated $50 million annually.

"This is a very significant penalty, it sends a strong message to people: `this a crime'," she said.

On a separate count of driving while disqualified, Rivo was given a 12-month jail term wholly suspended for two years by magistrate John Doherty.

US Air Force Launches a New GPS Satellite

From http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200301/30/eng20030130_110974.shtml

U.S. Air Force put a Global Positioning System satellite into orbit Wednesday to help with the war on terror.

The top of Boeing's unmanned Delta rocket was decorated with a decal bearing the words "Let's Roll!" and "Spirit of 9-11."

The satellite will join 26 other GPS spacecraft circling Earth and providing the military and civilians with precise navigational information.

"We believe that GPS spacecraft is going to play a huge role in the war on terrorism," said Air Force Lt. Col. Brad Broemmel, the launch director.

The $90 million GPS mission was delayed in October after the rocket was damaged in a launch pad accident. Because of miscommunication, a crane operator tried lifting the upper portion of the rocket after it had already been bolted down. The repairs cost nearly $3 million, Air Force officials said.

A $40 million "microsatellite" from the Air Force research laboratory hitched a ride on the rocket in order to fly around and observe the spent second stage.

Max to be seen in neighbouring countries during World Cup

From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k3/jan/jan170.htm

MUMBAI / NEW DELHI: Max is spreading its wings. At least for the duration of the World Cup that is. Max will be available to cable viewers in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives from the tournament's kick-off on 8 February till it concludes.

"We think cricket is a nice property with which we can launch Max in other countries," Rajat Jain, Max business head, said at a press conference in the capital today, after announcing a new NDTV-produced programme (first reported by indiantelevision on Monday under the headline Max to herald World Cup with Jung World Cup Ki).

In three other territories - Pakistan, Singapore and Malaysia - the Max signal has been sub-licenced to local broadcasting / media companies, Jain said.

While Jain provided no details, what this means is that SET Satellite (Singapore) Pvt Ltd. which is the satellite, pay TV and DTH television rights holder of ICC-organised cricket not only for India, but for the neighbouring region too, has worked out two packages for the cricket telecast outside India.

In Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, what will be on air is the Max branded feed.

For Pakistan, Singapore and Malaysia, the arrangement is quite different though. In Singapore, the sub-licencee would be Singapore Cable Vision, in Malaysia it would be Measat-promoted Astro and in Pakistan it would be Taj Sports which also owns the Ten Sports channel.

According to Jain, cricket could help the channel establish in other countries in the initial phase. "Cricket and (Hindi) movies are great properties and we expect this combination would work nicely for us as Max will be presenting cricket with an element of entertainment around the actual game," Jain said.

As things stand though, information available with indiantelevision.com indicates that this present deal will not apply beyond the World Cup. There are reportedly still some issues regarding telecast rights of the movies that Max will eventually get back to beaming that have to be sorted out first. Unless this is resolved, viewers in countries like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will not have access to the Max feed once the tournament ends.

SET Max set to enter Asian markets through Cup

From http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/comp/articleshow?artid=35876794

NEW DELHI: SET Max, the movie-cum-action channel in the Sony bouquet, is going international. For the first time, SET Max is poised to enter markets in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Singapore, Maldives, Malaysia and Pakistan with live action from cricket fields of the forthcoming ICC World Cup in South Africa.

“This is the first time that we are entering markets outside India,” said Rajat Jain, executive vice-president, SET Max. Apart from interest in cricket all these markets have a good appetite for Bollywood movies and film-based programmes, points out Jain.

Sony will directly market the World Cup in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives while it has sub-licensed its telecast rights for the tournament to Ten Sports in Pakistan, Singapore Cable Vision in Singapore and Astro in Malaysia.

In Pakistan, Singapore and Malaysia the India feed would be visible with a different set of advertisers, channel executives said.

Sony India has the seven-year cable and satellite telecast rights for ICC World Cup events from 2002 to 2007 for India and the subcontinent. This includes two World Cup tournaments (2003 and 2007), two Champions Trophy and under-19 tournaments.

Jain said that revenue generated from advertising and subscription in the new markets is not likely to be substantial, to begin with. “For the time being we are just looking at having a presence in these markets,” Jain said. As for the potential, Jain points out that movies and sports are key drivers of pay TV worldwide. “There is a huge interest in cricket and movies in these markets. For instance, the World Cup tournament is being marketed in Singapore at a retail price of around $55 per household,” he said.

After the World Cup, the channel would focus on its staple fare of Bollywood blockbusters, film-based programmes and live events and concerts.

Incidentally, Sony Entertainment Television (SET), the entertainment channel in the bouquet, reaches out to over 70 markets across the globe. SET Max on Wednesday announced the launch of an NDTV-produced six-part interactive show, Jung World Cup Ki, as a run up to the World Cup.

Anchored by Rajdeep Sardesai, the one-hour show goes on air on February 3.

Jain said that Sony has sold off most of its advertising inventory for the World Cup. The latest to join the cricket bandwagon is Reliance Infocomm. Other sponsors include Pepsi, Samsung, Hero Honda and two HLL brands - Close Up and Clinic All Clear.

Other advertising bands such as Extraa Innings and live features such as action replays are sold out to sponsors that include brands like Hyundai, Jaguar, Yamaha, Sony and HLL brands. “Only around 25 per cent of ad spots remain to be sold which we plan to settle even before the first ball is bowled in the World Cup,” Jain maintained. In all, a seven-hour match offers advertising inventory of around 4,500-5,000 seconds.

Not willing to reveal revenue targets from the World Cup, Jain said that the network expects to garner around 85 per cent of the advertising spend on television related to the World Cup. The remaining would go to terrestrial broadcaster Doordarshan and its marketing agents WSG Nimbus.

Advertising industry professionals and broadcasters have pegged a figure of around Rs 400 crore as advertising spend during the two-month long World Cup tournament.

Jain said that Sony expects a major jump in its viewership during the World Cup. “Out of 40 million cable and satellite homes, we hope to reach out to over 35 million households in the course of the tournament,” Jain said.

Following the World Cup, Jain expects the share of subscription or pay revenue to the total pie to increase from around 15 per cent to 25 per cent. Sony India had earlier announced that in the current financial year, 2002-03, it hopes to cross the Rs 1,000-crore mark in terms of revenue. The network had recorded a turnover of around Rs 500 crore in the last previous financial year.

As part of its strategy to prepare for life after cricket, Sony Entertainment Television plans to keep viewers glued on with a spate of big budget Bollywood blockbusters. Among the latest acquisitions is the blockbuster hit of 2002 and India’s nomination to the Academy Awards, Devdas.

Ten Sports to air World Cup in Pakistan

From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k3/jan/jan171.htm

MUMBAI: In India it may be Max that has C&S telecast rights for the World Cup, but in Pakistan it is Ten Sports.

Ten Sports has secured exclusive cable and satellite rights for Pakistan from SET Satellite (Singapore) Pvt, which is the satellite, pay TV and DTH television rights holder of ICC-organised cricket not only for India, but for the neighbouring region too.

Max had no choice but to sell really considering the fact that Indian channels are banned in Pakistan. While no details of the terms of the deal are available to indiantelevision.com, industry sources have indicated that the agreement is one that both parties can live with.

Ten sports is distributed by ARY Leo Communications in Pakistan, while on-air sponsorship selling for the channel is managed by IMG.

29/01/03

Not much to report today, chatroom was a bit strange lastnight.Seems to be one of those days when not much is going on.

From my Emails & ICQ

From Iwan

New Channels on Palapa C2

This is a confirmation on Craig's request:

Palapa C2 4050 H 13330 (65% SS; 70% SQ)in Banyuwangi, East Java,
Indonesia. This freq carries CCTV 1 (PIDs: 308/256/8190)and Dubai TV
(309/258/8189).

Enjoy,
Iwan

From the Dish

Lyngsat not in yet

NEWS

Maori TV gets funding boost

From http://onenews.nzoom.com/onenews_detail/0,1227,164692-1-7,00.html

The government has announced that the Maori Television Service (MTS) will get an annual budget increase of $7.075 million a year, and broadcast on UHF and satellite.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen says the increase will give MTS an annual operating budget of $12.98 million.

Cullen says that was the amount sought by MTS and accurately reflects the costs of setting up and maintaining the service.

Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia says using the UHF platform means MTS will own and control its transmission facilities and will be able to move to a digital platform in the future.

It will also mean that MTS is using the frequencies reserved for Mäori language broadcasting since 1989.

Initially, the service will reach 75% of the general population and 70% of the Maori population. The second stage will expand coverage to 86% of the Maori population.

The government says an estimated 800,000 homes already have UHF aerials to receive Prime, Sky TV and regional television services.

(Craigs comment, no details yet of the satellite service)

ZEE-Turner to launch Reality TV in India

From http://agencyfaqs.com/www1/news/stories/2003/01/29/5555.html

Prisoners of War never saw the light of the day. Raah (a real-life adventure show involving five couples) managed a few shows, and was canned for life.

ZEE is trying its hand at reality TV one more time. In a strategic alliance with London-based international thematic channel producer and distributor Zone Vision, channel distribution conglomerate ZEE-Turner is ready to launch Reality TV in India. While the alliance was forged in December 2002, the channel will go on air on February 1, 2003.

The Reality TV channel broadcasts 24 hours a day to cable and satellite homes across Europe, the Middle East, Turkey, Israel and Africa, and was launched in the UK in October 2002. After the launch of the channel in India in 2003 and across the Asia Pacific region thereafter, Reality TV will be available to 27 million subscribers in total. In fact, the feed is fully cleared for broadcast across Asia, Australia and New Zealand where further deals are imminent.

While Reality TV is fully localised for its audience with subtitles or dubbed versions of the channel available across the broadcast region, in India it will telecast all the programmes in English. Talking to agencyfaqs!, Sunil Khanna, CEO, ZEE-Turner, said, “We are confident that Reality TV in India will be successful. Some of the reality shows on channels such as AXN and Discovery have been doing pretty well in India. Though these programmes have a very limited timeframe, they have an audience that is really interested in this kind of programming. In fact, Reality TV in some of the competitive UK markets, has gone ahead of channels such as National Geographic, Discovery etc in the 16-34 years age group.” He added, “Most of these programmes have visuals with high impact and so language is secondary.”

But are Indian audiences ready for reality television yet? Khanna believes Indian audiences are no different from the others in the region. “ZEE is present in the Middle East and so is Reality TV. We have received great feedback from our viewers in the Middle East.” However, the programming line-up of Reality TV for the India feed is going to be different from the current line-up in the others markets. “Programmes suitable for the Indian audiences have been picked up from library,” says Khanna. These would include High Impact, Cheaters and Natural Disaster.

Because of the phenomenal growth of Reality TV since its inception in 1999, Zone Vision has high expectations for the channel in the Asia Pacific Region. ZEE, of course, is also optimistic about the new venture. When Subhash Chandra, chairman, ZEE Telefilms, signed the deal last year, he had said, “The channel (Reality TV) brings a completely new genre of programming to our existing bouquet of channels and we are confident that viewers in India would be glad to subscribe alongside other channels being distributed by ZEE-Turner.”

Yet, the fact remains, reality television in India has enticed many, and turned off many more. Take AXN’s Survivor, with which Indian audiences had their first experience of reality television. “Survivor, in its 8-10 weeks of running, had a TVR of only about 0.3 or so,” reminds a media planner. “Culturally, Indians differ from their western counterparts,” he continues. “While a soap such like Kyunki would ignite the imagination of the Indian masses, a show like Channel 4’s Wife Swap (which currently enjoys an enviable 5 million viewership in the UK) would be dammed as blasphemous. Stark naked reality is not appetising enough for the Indian viewers; it has to be blended with fiction.” Which might explain why Sony’s much hyped ‘Shubh Vivaah’ simply slipped down the popularity charts.

So, will Reality TV be able to lure the Indian viewers away from the endless saas-bahu saga on television? Only time will tell.

ISRO to put in orbit a satellite for Singapore

From http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/comp/articleshow?artid=35797728

NEW DELHI: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be launching a satellite for Singapore. This is the fifth foreign satellite to be launched by ISRO.

The Antrix Corporation of the Department of Space and the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore have signed an agreement to this effect.

The satellite, a remote sensing 100 kg class micro X-SAT being developed by the Nanyang Technological University, will be employed for earth observation and imaging in visible spectral bands. Land and coastal observations through multi-spectral imaging will be possible. The three-axes stabilised satellite will have deployable solar panels. An official release said, the satellite will be launched by ISRO’s polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV).

28/01/03

Two interesting links

CNN USA and Fox News high speed video streams

http://www.itcom.itd.umich.edu/streaming/ram/avs03.ram
http://umtv-live.rs.itd.umich.edu/itcom/avs01.ram

From my Emails & ICQ

From Geoff

Hi Craig,

Thanks for posting my comment re the receivers. No it is not a typo.
Visit http://www.eisen.co.kr/english/index.htm or probably better still
http://www.satellitesuperstore.com/enthusiast.htm

Regards,
Geoff.

From the Dish

PAS 8 166E 3769 V "Discovery Channel Hong Kong" has started , PowerVu, SID 85, PIDs 410/400.
PAS 8 166E 3890 H "Discovery Channel Taiwan, Animal Planet Taiwan and Discovery Travel & Adventure SE Asia" left.
PAS 8 166E 3890 H "Discovery Channel Australia" has started on SID 51 and 2260/2220, PowerVu.

Agila 2 146E 4070 H Occasional feeds on , PIDs 1860/1820.

Palapa C2 113E 11132 V All channels in the Trueworld mux are Fta.J-Wave and X-Japan have left this mux, replaced by test cards.

ST 1 88E 3582 H All channels in the Hong Kong TV mux are now encrypted,except TVB 8.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3554 V "Herbalife Asia" has started Fta, PIDs 514/642.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3585 V "Satsangh Channel" has started testing, Fta, PIDs 513/641.

NSS 703 57E 3872 R "Fashion & Style" has left again, replaced by Action TV tests.
NSS 703 57E 3886 R "Reminiscent TV Network mux" Sr16277 and Fec 1/2 is New frequency, SR and FEC:

NEWS

Pay TV wins in the battle of the boxes

From Afr.com

The rollout of digital television remains in limbo after the federal government rejected plans for commercial networks and their pay TV rivals to share set-top boxes.

Communications Minister Richard Alston has told the biggest media companies, industry lobby groups and equipment manufacturers that he will not make laws requiring a common set-top box.

A common box, allowing viewers to receive high-quality digital television services from free-to-air and pay TV networks, was heavily promoted as a solution to reverse the disastrous take-up of digital TV.

But in a letter circulated to more than 20 organisations, obtained by The Australian Financial Review, Senator Alston said the lack of agreement in the media industry on the specifications and operation of a common box made it unviable.

The decision is a victory for pay TV group Foxtel and its shareholders - Telstra, Kerry Packer's Publishing and Broadcasting and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp - which are set to roll out their $600 million digital service in October.

The Ten Network, Kerry Stokes's Seven Network, the ABC, SBS and regional broadcasters like Prime and Southern Cross Broadcasting are now pinning their digital aspirations on negotiating with Foxtel to have their signals retransmitted on the pay TV group's digital cable and satellite networks.

PBL's Nine network has already struck a retransmission deal with Foxtel.

If the other free-to-air networks can't reach a similar agreement, they potentially face a costly $1 billion rollout of their own set-top boxes.

The networks had previously claimed that mandating a "dual tuner", worth between $40 and $100, would allow people signing up to pay TV to receive the free-to-air networks' digital services without having to buy separate and costly decoders, which are worth $600 each.

However, Foxtel argued that a common set-top box would make Australia unique, add extra costs, and eliminate any economies of scale in the production of boxes.

"It is clear that global development of a common box solution is not occurring and there is no 'universal solution' that would satisfy the requirements of the total Australian marketplace," Senator Alston's letter says.

Since the launch of digital television in 2001, only 15,000 of the 6 million TV homes in Australia have bought digital-TV decoders for free-to-air television.

Only 22 per cent of the nation's homes have analog pay TV set-top boxes, but Foxtel hopes the recent deal to share programming with Optus and a separate deal for Telstra to bundle pay TV, telephone and internet services will drive subscriber growth in preparation for the digital upgrade in October.

In the letter, Senator Alston sends the media industry back to the drawing board on digital television, and calls for new submissions by the end of this week regarding the costs and benefits of requiring digital tuners to be installed in television receivers.

The US government recently mandated that manufacturers include high-definition digital tuners in all new television sets by 2007, costing an additional $US16 to $US100 ($27 to $170).

Senator Alston does leave open the potential for using a common set-top box in rural areas where satellite retransmission of regional free-to-air digital services may hit capacity and cost constraints.

A Seven spokesman said yesterday: "Our key concern has been to ensure that all Australian homes can access the full range of free-to-air television services. This continues to be the core issue, and we'll continue to explore all avenues to ensure that all homes - including pay TV homes - have equal access to the full range of free-to-air services."

Ten executive chairman Nick Falloon had previously claimed that the adoption of a common box was essential to prevent the costly rollout of separate boxes for free-to-air and pay TV signals.

He said such a move would mirror the disastrous $2 billion rollout in the mid-1990s of pay TV cable by Optus and Telstra, where in some circumstances the rival companies followed each other up the same streets.

Mr Falloon has said the dual tuner would cost up to $40 extra per box.

However, News Ltd chairman Lachlan Murdoch has said that the cost will be double that or more.

The issue of a common set-top box was raised by Ten, Seven and John Fairfax Holdings in opposing the Foxtel-Optus deal, which received regulatory approval late last year.

The free-to-air stations wanted future boxes to have a separate tuner so that they would have their own gateway to consumers, allowing them to operate independently from Foxtel when new interactive services and revenues were developed.

They claimed Foxtel would attempt to control the "gateway" into Australian homes.

However, in the letter, Senator Alston says: "Information provided by submitters did not support the view that a single industry participant is likely to control a monopoly gateway to the home in the short to medium term."

Under the terms of the Foxtel-Optus deal, the Foxtel partners - Telstra, News Corporation and Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd - have guaranteed to open up their network to competitors under comprehensive access regimes for Foxtel's current analog and its future digital service.

The common set-top box issue is expected to feature in a report to Senator Alston by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on the future regulation of the Australian communications industry, which is due to be released over the coming weeks.

The letter from Senator Alston comes after he wrote to key players in the pay TV, free-to-air and equipment manufacturing industries last June seeking their views on the merits of a common set-top box.

27/01/03

Hrt 3 is running on Globecast mux on Optus B3 it seems to have replaced the other HRT channel that was running. Seems to have a lot of sports content.

Power is up on Optus B1, maybe something to do with atmospheric conditions, smoke in the upper atmosphere??

A little contest just for fun , read the details below for more info. I have also included a link for a testcard / Colour Bars creator it's very simple to work once you have the final product set it to fullscreen press the printscreen key and then paste it into your paint program for furthur alterations. Yes its fine also to put up "Joe Bloggs satellite services" as an advert card etc. Multiple entrys are fine also.

http://www.apsattv.com/files/testbeeld.zip

Just for some fun,

When Impactv starts its testing, instead of dull old colour bars on every channel (besides some channel tests) Anyone who wishes to create their own "Testcard" is welcome to. What I mean by Testcard is a 720x576 or 800x600 formatted image which can be anything you like (within reason ,legality etc)

yes load up the paintshop program get out the digital camera and scanner and see what you can create. The best ones will go up on air (yes if you want you can put your ugly mug up there or pics of rover etc) I think there will also be some free decoders going out as prizes as well.

A tip, while working on your picture do not save it as jpg until you have the final product, tiff is a good format as its not lossy (to much jpg compression creates jagged images)

P.S please supply the final image as a JPG image with as little compression as possible. And please no testcards with _uck you arbs _ankers no matter how tempting it is.

Here is a very good example created by D.P at %50 size for display purposes.

From the Dish

PAS 2 169E 4087 V "Pink Plus" has started Fta, PIDs 517/645.

PAS 8 166E 12686 H "CNBC Asia" is back, Fta, PIDs 1910/1920.

Optus B1 160E 12397 H The occasional 7 Network feeds are still on , SR 7200, FEC 3/4.

Agila 2 146E 3675 H "OLN" Sr 6110 Fec 3/4

Palapa C2 113E 3760 H New SR, FEC and PIDs for all test cards in the Global Vision mux on: 28121 and 7/8. For PIDs, see the chart. SIDs added: 1-11.
Palapa C2 113E 11132 V "J-Wave" has started, Viaccess 2, SID 12, PIDs 74/75.ESPN Asia has started on PIDs 68/69, 13-22 UTC.
Palapa C2 113E 11132 V "X-Japan" has started, Viaccess 2, SID 13, PIDs 176/177.

ST 1 88E 3582 H "CTI TV has replaced Super TV" Fta on , PIDs 38/39.

Intelsat 906 64E 3668 R "TV Africa Francais" is fta

NSS 703 57E 3872 R "Fashion & Style" has started , Fta, SR 4192, FEC 3/4, PIDs 308/256, East hemi beam.

NEWS

Musharraf launches Paksat-I

From http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php?newsId=en16174&F_catID=&f_type=source

ISLAMABAD, Jan 25: Pakistan entered the space age with the formal launching of Paksat-I by President Gen Pervez Musharraf at an impressive ceremony here on Saturday.

The president emphasized that Paksat-I must serve as a link between Pakistan and the Muslim world to help the spread of knowledge.

"I am really delighted to note that Pakistan's space programme now is a reality and our scientists must build our own indigenous satellite within three years instead of five years," he said. The president pointed out that four educational channels will aid the government to provide free education.

The satellite hired by Pakistan was relocated at 38 degree east by the country's own space scientists. With a lifetime of five to eight years, it will mainly transmit educational programmes.

Inaugurating the satellite, the president described it as a truly historic achievement for Pakistan and Pakistanis. "This marks a tremendous achievement demonstrating the skill and technical excellence of the country's manpower."

"Pakistan's space programme is now ahead of India after the formal launching of Paksat-I and this is due to the hard work of our scientists and I am sure Indians would take another 30 months to do the job," Gen Musharraf claimed.

Referring to Pakistan's achievement in information technology and communication, the president said Internet facilities were now available in 1,000 towns and cities.

The budget for science and technology, he pointed out, had been increased by 4,000 per cent and the bandwidth rates reduced from $86,000 to $3,800 per annum. "And who does not know that there is a 50 years tax holiday for the IT sector."

The president expressed the confidence that the present government would carry on the space and communication development programme from where it was left by the previous regime.

APP adds: The president told the higher education commission and the education ministry to dovetail their efforts with the ministry of science and technology to project Pakistan beyond its borders.

T S I C H A N N E L N E W S - Number 4/2003 26 January 2002 -

A weekly roundup of global TV news sponsored by TELE-satellite International

Editor: Branislav Pekic
Edited Apsattv.com Edition

A S I A

AUSTRALIA

INTERACTIVE AUSTRALIAN OPEN

NDS, is working with Tennis Australia to make the Australian Open 2003 an
interactive experience. During Australian Open 2003, Tennis Australia
showcased digital interactive television via a demonstration designed by
NDS - a unit of News Corporation and a provider of technology solutions for
digital pay TV. The Australian Open boasts a significant international TV
audience, with a home reach of more than 497 million and broadcast to 177
territories across the globe. During Australian Open 2003 viewers were able
to select through their television remote control between four live matches
or even watch all four at once, display match statistics on the players,
follow current players through the draw and access further detailed
information on the player. In addition to this, Tennis Australia showed
future t-commerce services, including the ability for viewers to purchase
memorabilia such as t-shirts.

INDIA

NO PLANS TO PRIVATISE DOORDARSHAN

India's Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Ramesh Bais has
told the press there are no plans to privatise Doordarshan or All India
Radio (AIR). "The two organisations have a social cause attached to them,
and their basic aim is not to make profits but entertain and inform," he
said during a visit to the holy town of Shirdi. He stated that Doordarshan
reaches 92% of the television audience, and 65% of radio listeners tune in
to AIR.

NEW ZEALAND

PROFITS UP AT TV3

A strong quarterly result for broadcaster CanWest's New Zealand television
operations has provided further evidence that the once-struggling TV3 has
turned the financial corner. Canada-based CanWest said that combined
operating profit for TV3 and TV4 for the three months to November 30 was
C$7.2 million, up from C$700,000 for the same period the previous year.
Revenue from the New Zealand television businesses was also up strongly,
from C$18.4 million to C$26.2 million. In November last year TV3 reported a
full-year operating profit of $3.2 million, compared with an $8.5 million
loss the previous year. But TV4 remained a problem - its full-year
operating loss last year was $6.3 million.

THE PHILIPPINES

CABLE TV FIRMS TO USE SCRAMBLERS

Cable TV operators are expected to shell out around P500 million to have
their programs "scrambled" and provide their subscribers with decoder boxes
to eliminate illegal taps that result in millions of pesos in losses each
year. Philippine Cable Television Association president J. Manuel Dabao
said in an interview it was difficult for the cable television industry to
determine exactly how many cable subscribers were in the country because of
piracy. There is at least one illegal subscriber for every paying
subscriber, and this number can even be higher, he revealed. Local cable
operators have decided to reformat their program packages and shift to a
"tiered" system that will put together selected channels in different
groups instead of the existing all-in-one package that cable subscribers
receive. With the tiered system, there will be four packages that
subscribers can choose from: starter, basic, premium and international. The
starter package comes with all the free-to-air channels, plus one channel
each from different genres like sports, news, English movies, Tagalog
movies and science. Each succeeding package will have more channels in it
and will be priced higher than the package before it.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

AJMAN TV TO LAUNCH ENGLISH PROGRAMME

The UAE Radio and Television from Ajman on January 20 launched a two-hour
English programme which would target English speaking audience of Channel
Four. Abdullah Mohammed Murad, Board Chairman of Ajman Television, said
that the seven-to-nine evening programme would reflect the concerns of the
English speaking people and would also highlight the UAE's culture and
history. He added that the programme would be extended to four hours in
future. Murad said that the Television was seeking to attract UAE citizens
capable of producing media material in English.

RAK TO SET UP TWO SATELLITE TV CHANNELS

The Ras Al Khaimah Government announced the setting up of two satellite TV
channels; one entertainment and the other educational. Khalid bin Saqr Al
Qasimi, Ras Al Khaimah Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler, said the
entertainment channel will be named Ras Al Khaimah Satellite Channel and
the other Julphar Satellite Channel. He said the Julphar channel will be
the first professional educational channel in the GCC. The channels are
being set up on the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin
Sultan Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi,
Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, to activate the
role of the media in the UAE to improve all aspects of life. He said the
channels will promote the emirate and highlight its capabilities to attract
local and foreign investment.

26/01/03

No update Sunday

25/01/03

No site update today taking a break back Monday

24/01/03

Very little to end the week on, hopefully some more Impactv news to announce late next week.

From my Emails & ICQ

From Geoff

Hi,

I drift by your site occasionally and read the note by Girish Ng about auto SR receivers.

My understanding is that there is a Newwave NW-9000 - an upgraded version of the RSD-302 - that has autosearch for SR, FEC and PIDs,etc.

Something to add to your list perhaps.

Best regards,
Geoff

(Craigs comment, thanks for that it is sure to help the feed hunters, not sure about the name of that unit maybe Nextwave?)

From Iwan

Hi all,
good news for sportsmania. STAR SPORTS is FTA on ST-1 3582 H 12860,
VPID 36; APID 37; PCR PID 36.
64% Signal Strength; 80% signal quality in Banyuwangi, East Java,
Indonesia on 9 feet mesh dish.

Cheers,
Iwan

From Jeff

For those "Everybody Loves Raymond" fans

If You are a fan of ELR and understand Chinese ,He is on Phoenix Chinese on Asiasat 3.
usually starts at 6:30 pm weekdays Perth time.If only the english soundtrack
was available like how Star Sports does it.

Jeff in Perth.

From the Dish

Optus B1 160E 12391 V "Test cards have started" Fta on , SR 20500, FEC 1/2, PIDs 308/256
Optus B1 160E 12418 V "Test cards have started" Fta on , SR 20500, FEC 1/2, PIDs 308/256

ST 1 88E 3582 H "Asia Plus, TTV and CTS" have started, Fta, PIDs 34/35, 40/41 and 42/43. TVBS has left this mux. All channels are now Fta

NEWS

NDS in iTV tennis trial

http://www.advanced-television.com/pages/pagesb/newsdaily.html

NDS, is working with Tennis Australia to make the Australian Open 2003 an interactive experience. During Australian Open 2003, Tennis Australia showcased digital interactive television via a demonstration designed by NDS - a unit of News Corporation and a provider of technology solutions for digital pay TV.

The Australian Open boasts a significant international television audience, with a home reach of more than 497 million and broadcast to 177 territories across the globe.

During Australian Open 2003 viewers were able to select through their television remote control between four live matches or even watch all four at once, display match statistics on the players, follow current players through the draw and access further detailed information on the player. In addition to this, Tennis Australia showed future t-commerce services, including the ability for viewers to purchase memorabilia such as t-shirts.

Massey behind New Zealand’s maiden satellite voyage

From http://masseynews.massey.ac.nz/2003/press_releases/23_01_03.html

New Zealand’s first space satellite will launch from Russia in 2005 at the initiative of an amateur satellite group and backed by the University.

A research fellow at the University’s Albany campus, Fred Kennedy is leading the design and construction of KiwiSat, a cube-shaped satellite weighing between 5-10kg. Slightly larger than a basketball, the spring-loaded satellite will launch attached to a larger Russian satellite and settle into an 800km polar orbit.

Travelling as one of approximately 30 “Oscar” satellites (orbiting satellites carrying amateur radio), the satellite will connect global amateur radio stations whilst maintaining ‘rental space’ for a scientific experiment. Senior physics lecturer Dr Scott Whineray is providing technical support and says the satellite is an ideal vehicle from which to study the ozone layer.

Satellites are typically built with magnets that lock into the earth’s magnetic field and hold them in orbit. KiwiSat, however, will be free to tumble in its orbit, relying upon a series of in-built sensors to monitor its position. Solar panels will boost batteries expected to fuel the satellite for three to four years.

KiwiSat will provide an invaluable research opportunity for Mr Kennedy whose next challenge lies in developing software to hold future satellites in position without magnets.

Massey’s involvement with satellite design began with the construction of the Southern hemisphere’s receiving station for a project connecting four African countries via a Portuguese microsatellite. The project, initiated by Dublin’s Trinity College, is nearing the end of a four year run and the receiving station will become KiwiSat’s command station.

Fore more information please contact: Stephanie Gray 06 350 5185 021 534 562 or Fred Kennedy 09 443 9799 ext 9678

Vyvx to Deliver Super Bowl to Broadcasters for 14th Consecutive Year

From http://www.prnewswire.com

Market Leader in Sports Broadcast Transmission Service Helps Deliver Game To Global Audience

TULSA, Okla., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Vyvx(R), a market leader
in providing fiber-optic and satellite transmission solutions to the media and
entertainment industry, will provide the Super Bowl's broadcast transmission
services for the 14th consecutive year,

WilTel Communications Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: WTEL) announced today. Vyvx is a
division of WilTel. On Jan. 26, Vyvx will transmit the live broadcast of
Super Bowl XXXVII(R) over the award-winning WilTel fiber-optic network,
enabling broadcasters to deliver the game to millions of viewers worldwide.

During the game, Vyvx will provide 11 fiber-optic transmission paths from
Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego to the broadcasters' production facilities,
where the broadcast will then be distributed to the end viewers. ABC is
broadcasting the game live domestically, while NFL Films will distribute the
game internationally to more than 180 countries. In addition to the primary
live feeds of the game, Vyvx will provide remote video feeds for ESPN and Fox
Sports Net for the networks' various programming originating from San Diego
leading up to and following the game.

Broadcasters and sports leagues regularly entrust WilTel's Vyvx division
to carry their most highly viewed live events over the company's fiber-optic
network. In addition to the Super Bowl, Vyvx recently provided broadcast
transmission services for 17 of the college football bowl games, including the
national championship game from Tempe.

Vyvx's history and experience providing transmission services for live
sports broadcasts is significant -- it was the first company to transmit a
live broadcast event over a fiber-optic network in 1990 and currently provides
broadcast transmission services for 80 percent of all live professional sports
events. The Super Bowl is one of nearly every major sports event broadcasts
that Vyvx carries, providing world-class customer service. Overall, Vyvx
provides more than 200,000 video feeds for its customers annually.

(Craigs comment, probably a feed up on I701 as well, Pas 2??)

23/01/03

Not much today, a few reports of B1 activity.

From my Emails & ICQ

From Bill Richards

0715 UTC

Optus B1 12391 V, Sr 20500, Fec 1/2 No PIDS or PAT

Optus B1 12418 V, Sr 20500, Fec 1/2 Vpid308 Apid256 SID1 Colour Vert Test Pattern "TWO CARRIES TEST"

Regards
Bill

From "Anon"

Hi Craig

Optus B1 has or had 2 new carriers on Vertical.

12.390 20500 1/2 No Pids noted
12.420 20500 1/2 Color bars + 2 audio

From Girish NG

Subject: Auto SR receivers

1)satcruiser digital receiver has auto symbol rate function,user needs to enter only the frequency and the rest will be done by the receiver

2)pacific satellite dsr 2882 series and 2880 series have three user settable symbol rates to perform an automatic search.the search range(start frenquency and end frequency)alone needs to be entered by the user,the receiver will find transponders in that range which uses any of the three user selected symbol rates.after the transponder is found,the receiver will search for channels in that transponder.

3)similar features of user settable symbol rates are found in aston xena,aston simbha,some echostar models,some ADT receivers,coship has recently demonstrated a model called cdvb 3188c with blind scan feature,which according to company sources needs only the scan range to be feeded by the user and nothing else.

4)enthusiast satellite receiver nw 9000 vici sold by satellite superstore is advertised to have auto symbol rate function.

5) some nokia models do have blind acquisation (auto symbol rate)function

6)teko 4000 satellite receiver is advertised to have very fast auto symbol rate search function.

From the Dish

Optus B1 160E 12610 H FEC for the ABC Western mux is : 7/8.
Optus B1 160E The occasional feeds have left tp 10.

JCSAT 3 128E 3960 V "Taiwan Service International" has left .

Palapa C2 113E 4043 H "Guangxi TV and Guangxi People's Radio" have left .
Palapa C2 113E 4053 H The test card has left .

Telkom 1 108E 3500 H "MTV on Sky 101.6 FM and RRI Pro 2 FM" have left .

ST 1 88E Updates in the MMBN mux on 3632 V:Scholar Business Network has replaced Wan Sheng on PIDs 5169/5153, Fta.The Soundtrack Channel Pacific has left this mux.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3600 H "Sanskar TV" has started Fta, PIDs 519/647.

http://www.sanskartv.info/

Intelsat 906 64E 3760 L "Occasional Zee TV" feeds on , Sr 2790, Fec 7/8, NW zone beam.

NEWS

Nothing to report!

22/01/03

Chatroom was fun last night thank you all who showed up.

ImpacTV website is up www.impactv.co.nz please note its NOT ".COM"

Sorry not much news around today.

From my Emails & ICQ

From Dale Sharp

some missing screenshots from Pas 8

BBC World, TVBS-Newsnet USA, and Myx

From Various

Mystery signal on Optus B1 12410 V Sr 29473???? fec 3/4 "Auto 6Mbit/s" ?? with colour bars

(Craigs comment, strange no sign of this signal here in NZ!)

From Chris Pickstock

The signal that was on B1 12410 V, is now on 12420 V. The sr appears to be 20500, however the Satcruiser seems to accept a wide range of sr. ( eg from 20100 to 20900) When using Auto sr it just gives up and nothing loads.

Colour bars there at present. Channel is labelled " Two Carries T " and Vpid is 308, Apid is 256 and is a very strong signal.

Chris P

From the Dish

PAS 2 169E 4087 V Both KISB 1 have left , replaced by a test cards.

PAS 8 166E 3860 H All radio channels in the Taiwanese mux are still Fta.

Agila 2 146E 4070 H "Cinema Network TV and PN TV" have left , replaced by test cards.

Palapa C2 113E 11132 V All channels in the Trueworld mux on are now encrypted.Star Sports Asia has replaced Phoenix Chinese on PIDs 68/69.CTV has left PIDs 74/75.

NEWS

Seven starts talking to Foxtel

From http://finance.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,5860014%255E14309,00.html

THE Seven Network has become the third commercial TV network to begin negotiations for its digital TV signal to be retransmitted by pay-TV group Foxtel.

The Australian understands discussions began last week, despite the fact that Seven has launched a $2 billion-plus legal action against the pay-TV group and others.

The move follows the agreement struck between the Nine Network and Foxtel, 25 per cent owned by Nine Network parent Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd, two days after Christmas. Ten is believed to have entered initial discussions shortly afterwards.

Foxtel has agreed to retransmit Nine's standard definition digital TV signal on its cable and satellite services, plus any interactive applications offered by Nine. Foxtel chief executive Kim Williams said when the Nine deal was announced that Foxtel was keen to finalise agreements with Ten, Seven, the ABC and SBS over "the next month or so".

"Foxtel is seeking to establish an ongoing co-operative relationship with our commercial and national broadcast colleagues that will benefit Foxtel subscribers in providing a seamless broadcast offering between the cable, satellite and terrestrial broadcast domains," he said.

Foxtel will be able to carry the digital signals once it digitises its pay-TV network later this year.

Seven is seeking a deal on the same terms as Nine's, and also wants to ensure Nine does not get any preferential treatment in terms of its placement on Foxtel's electronic program guide.

Retransmission of all free-to-air TV channels on digital pay-TV would provide an instant boost to the decidedly sluggish changeover from analogue to digital TV. While only a handful of consumers have so far bought a digital TV decoding box, the availability of digital free-to-air on Foxtel puts the technology in almost 25 per cent of all TV viewing homes.

The Australian

Intelsat Signs Agreement for REACH Teleport in Asia; Completes Assembly of
Worldwide Terrestrial Infrastructure

From Press Release

Honolulu, Hawaii, 20 January 2003 - Intelsat announced today at the Pacific
Telecommunications Conference (PTC) that it has signed an agreement with
REACH to lease teleport services from the company's Stanley Teleport in Hong
Kong. The signing of this agreement represents the completion of Intelsat's
assembly of its global terrestrial infrastructure that is used in offering
GlobalConnexSM Solutions, its portfolio of end-to-end, integrated network
services.

Intelsat customers will be able to use the teleport facilities in Hong Kong
for uplinking, downlinking and DVB platforms, in addition to Internet and
private line services. The teleport's location in Hong Kong gives it
visibility of Intelsat satellites in both the Pacific and Indian Ocean
regions, thereby serving a large number of customers worldwide.

Some of Intelsat's GlobalConnexSM customers, including the Civil Aviation
Authority (CAA) of Mongolia, currently use REACH's Stanley Teleport as one
component of their end-to-end communications solutions. CAA, one of
Intelsat's Internet Trunking customers, is using the Stanley Teleport in
combination with the Intelsat 601 satellite.

"The completion of Intelsat's complementary worldwide terrestrial
infrastructure is an important step in the evolution of our company from
strictly offering space segment to being a flexible and reliable end-to-end
solutions provider," stated Ramu Potarazu, President and COO, Intelsat
Global Service Corporation. "Customers worldwide have wanted solutions that
make their lives easier and businesses more efficient, and we answered their
call to action by evolving our network to directly meet their needs."

In addition to Hong Kong, Intelsat's end-to-end network infrastructure now
includes teleports in California, Maryland and Germany as well as fiber
interconnected Points of Presence in Los Angeles, New York, Frankfurt and
London.

21/01/03

Livechat tonight 9pm NZ and 8.30 pm Syd time.

First up I hope none of my readers are having trouble with the bush fires.

Asiiasat 4 now has a customer (see news section for details) Not sure if they will supply any actual tv channels or not sounds like it could be similar to the Speedcast service on Asiasat 3.

About the ImpacTV website, its in the process of moving to a new server. Please note its a TEMPORARY setup until ImpacTV is up and running.

Sky NZ has a note in the E.P.G of the Skys Sports Extra channel (12 on the remote) saying Sky Sports 3 coming soon, supposedly this channel will run the Cricket World Cup. No announcement about it on Skys website yet.

From my Emails & ICQ

From Telsat, SatelliteTV@telsat.co.nz

T E L S A T(r) C O M M U N I C A T I O N 'S L T D
Garage Sale

Hi All,

We have our family home on the market and have some surplus Satellite TV hardware up for offer. We will consider any reasonable offer.

1 x BEC-3500 Benjamin Analogue Manual Receiver.
1 x DB-6600CI Benjamin FTA Dual CI Slot IRD.
1 x SPACE IRD When authorised, to receive Space TV from Palapa C2M Satellite.
1 x Vidcrypt Thomson Decoder - As used by SKY TV NZ Analogue UHF service.
1 x DRAKE ERSR-2000XT Analogue, Az/El Positioner New, but missing the remote control, all functionality available via Front panel.
SAD-2000 DLS Sat TV Dual Band Combiner.
GIANTEX SMATV 4 way Power Divider - All ports power passing.
2 x CTB-500 Cypress Time Base Corrector/Frame Synchroniser PCB
2 x HDM-3A Cypress Vidiplex decoder (Digital Effects Buster).
2 x WR-110 Winersat VideoPlexer.
VS-83 Wisi VHF/UHF Amplifier.
VS-56 Wisi VHF/UHF Amplifier.
OV-55 UHF Sat Channel Processing Module c/w Modulator.
OV-43 VHF/UHF Channel Converter.

POWER SUPPLIES:

240V 50Hz- 12VDC 300mA
240V 50Hz - 12VAC 400mA
240V 50Hz - 12VAC 1A
220V 50Hz - 15VDC 450mA
240V 50Hz - 13V 800mA
230-240V - 8VDC 1A
240V - 9V 210mA
240V - 9V 500mA
230V - 3V 880mA
240V - 4.2 770mA
100-240VAC 50-60Hz - 5V 1.5A
230VAC 50Hz - 12V 1200mA
220VAC 50-60Hz - 13.8VDC 25mA
240VAC 50Hz - 8.5VDC 240mA
110v 15vDC 450mA

3 x Digital FTA Receiver PCB's
1 x Switched Mode Power Supply.
1 x Panasonic Answerphone - SOLD
1 x Kodak DC-210 Digital Camera - slightly out of focus image - SOLD
1 x CoSat Digital receiver
1 x Hyundai HSS-100 FTA Receiver
1 x HSS-100 Remote Control Unit
1 x Drake ESR-600E receiver/positioner
1 x Drake ESR-700E receiver/positioner
1 x Drake IOA Inclined Orbit controller
3 x 24" Actuators - suitable for parts only
4 x 17K Cal-Amplifier Professional !! Extended C Band LNB's. Have been taken out of service.
X meters of combo cable, 1 RG 6, 4 actuator and three Polarotor cable - SOLD.
2 x Plessey B-MAC Decoders
1 x Goodwin FTA Receiver - has fault
2 x GoldSats FTA Receivers - operational but may have a small Power Supply issue
2 x 5.5" pipe with mounting tripod base. Purchaser to collect from warehouse
1 x Winnersat WCR-100 Rack Mounting Analogue Receiver

NOTE: The above items are available from our Palmerston North warehouse.

We are taking offers on the above equipment/hardware. Our decisions will be final. Freight costs to be met by the successful purchaser. Full payment with order, No charge accounts. All offers Plus GST and local freight. Sale concludes 1st Febuary, 2003 or when goods on offer have been sold.

No warranty is implied or given. All items are sold on a "as is - where is". Although most are in the original cartons and should function 100%.

From the Dish

Optus B1 160E 12348 V "Internet? or data service?" Sr 7000, Fec 7/8

JCSAT 3 128E 3960 V "MAC TV" has left , replaced by a test card.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3551 H An RR Sat promo has started Fta, PIDs 1025/1026.

NEWS

AsiaSat says Reach 1st user of AsiaSat 4

From http://www.forbes.com/technology/newswire/2003/01/20/rtr852443.html

HONG KONG, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Asia Pacific's leading satellite operator, Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co Ltd, said it has signed telecoms carrier Reach Ltd as the first subscriber on its AsiaSat 4 to be launched in March.

Reach, a 50/50 joint venture between Telstra Corp <TLS.AX> and Pacific Century CyberWorks <0008.HK>, will lease one C-band transponder on AsiaSat 4, the companies said in a joint statement on Monday.

"This new deal signals the beginning of the revival in demand for transponder capacity in the region and an improvement in the Asian economy," AsiaSat's Chief Executive Peter Jackson said in the statement.

The sluggish global economy and severe downturn in the media and telecommunications sector are hurting satellite operators. The utilisation rate of the firm's AsiaSat 2 and AsiaSat 3 fell to 63 percent in mid-2002 from 65 percent at the end of 2001.

Shares of Asia Satellite closed at HK$9.70, down HK$0.20, on Monday and were untraded early on Tuesday. The stock has risen about three percent in the past three months but fallen about 33 percent in the past year.

AsiaSat 4, which will replace the retiring AsiaSat 1, is scheduled for launch in the second half of March after being postponed twice from May and September in 2002 due to technical issues, a spokeswoman of AsiaSat said.

Reach currently uses AsiaSat 2 to offer satellite service solutions to global carriers, broadcasters and corporate customers. It also provides tracking, telemetry and control services to AsiaSat from its Hong Kong teleport facility.

AsiaSat4 will carry 28 C-band and 20 Ku-band transponders including the four broadcast satellite service transponders to be used for Hong Kong's direct-to-home services.

Asia Satellite is 68.9 percent controlled by a joint venture between Chinese conglomerate China International Trust and Investment Corporation and Luxembourg's SES Global <SESF.LU>, the world's biggest satellite operator.

New Skies strengthens Asia-Pacific offerings with REACH agreement

From http://www.newskies.com.au/news/releases/newskies%20&%20reach.htm

New Skies Satellites N.V. (AEX, NYSE: NSK), the global satellite communications company, and REACH, Asia’s largest international carrier of combined voice, private line and IP data services, have signed an agreement that will combine the capabilities of New Skies’ newly launched NSS-6 pan-Asian satellite and REACH’s world-class satellite gateway in Hong Kong.

Under the terms of the agreement, REACH will install a 13-meter Ku-band antenna at its Hong Kong gateway, providing dedicated access to New Skies’ NSS-6 satellite for the delivery of voice, video, data and Internet services throughout the Asia Pacific.

The NSS-6 spacecraft was launched on December 18, 2002 and is located at the strategic position of 95 degrees east longitude, where it covers more than half of the world’s landmass, from the Middle East to Japan, and two-thirds of the world’s population. In-orbit testing on NSS-6 is on schedule and the satellite is expected to commence commercial services shortly.

REACH is the only teleport operator with a genuine pan-Asian presence via two major hubs, including the Hong Kong gateway, and this agreement will further enhance its position as one of Asia’s leading connectivity providers.

?This deal with REACH will give our customers a real advantage,” said Maurice Liu, New Skies’ senior sales director, Asia Pacific. ”REACH’s strategically located and well-established teleport facility, combined with our state-of-the art NSS-6 pan-Asian satellite will give New Skies’ customers access to the region’s best technical resources for transmissions from a major Asian business center to any location between Southern Africa and the Middle East across to Japan and Australia.”

Rob Kenny, REACH’s commercial director, said the agreement represents a significant expansion of the company’s already extensive Ku-band teleport service capability.

?Through the combined resources of the powerful new NSS-6 satellite and the largest commercial satellite teleport complex in Asia, REACH and New Skies can offer tailored voice, video, Internet and data transmission services across Asia and around the world,” he said.

NSS-6 is an A2100AX model satellite built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems and is equipped with 60 x 36 MHz-equivalent Ku-band transponders. From the prime orbital slot at 95 degrees east longitude, NSS-6’s six broad Ku-band beams will offer coverage of India, China, the Middle East (including Cyprus and Southern Africa), Australia, Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia.

The agreement with REACH builds on New Skies’ comprehensive strategy of partnering with leading teleport operators throughout the world for the global transmission and distribution of customer broadcast feeds, cable programming, IP traffic and voice and data services.

In addition to REACH, New Skies has also announced agreements with Singapore-based ST Teleport and the United Kingdom’s Kingston inmedia. New Skies also operates its wholly owned Washington mediaport, which provides access to the Americas and offers co-location facilities as well as local loop connectivity to several major metro video hubs and a North American fiber network. Together, the facilities compose a worldwide mediaport network providing first-class connectivity to New Skies’ global satellite fleet, one of the industry’s most reliable networks.

About Reach

REACH is a 50-50 joint venture between Hong Kong-based PCCW Limited and Australia’s Telstra Corporation Limited. It is Asia’s largest international carrier of combined voice, private line and IP data services. It is also one of the world's top ten carriers of international voice traffic. REACH’s products and services include an extensive portfolio of voice, data, IP and satellite connectivity. The company has interests in more than 50 submarine cable and satellite systems (including Asia’s largest teleport), and operating licenses and landing rights in most major markets including Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, North America and Europe. REACH is headquartered in Hong Kong, with a significant presence in Australia and substantial businesses across Asia, North America and Europe. The company posted annualized revenue for fiscal 2001 of US$1.396 billion and EBITDA US$434 million. For further information, please visit www.reach.com

About New Skies Satellites

New Skies Satellites (AEX, NYSE: NSK) is one of only four fixed satellite communications companies with truly global satellite coverage, offering video, voice, data and Internet communications services to a range of telecommunications carriers, broadcasters, large corporations and Internet service providers around the world. New Skies has six satellites in orbit and ground facilities around the world. The company has one additional spacecraft under construction, which is planned to serve the Americas from a new orbital location. The company also has secured certain rights to make use of additional orbital positions, including four serving the Americas. New Skies is headquartered in The Hague, The Netherlands, and has offices in Beijing, Johannesburg, New Delhi, São Paulo, Singapore, Sydney and Washington, D.C. Additional information is available at www.newskies.com.

For additional information, please contact:
Jeff Bothwell, New Skies Satellites
Tel: +31 70 306 4239 Mobile + 31 6 11 31 01 83
jbothwell@newskies.com

Raj TV to go pay from Feb 1

From http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/comp/articleshow?artid=34948717

Raj TV plans to go pay with effect from February1. Also on the anvil, is a revamp of its current programming mix. It is in the process of setting up a new Tamil music channel, and get into film production, reports an online media and advertising website.

As part of the value additions the long delayed music channel from Raj TV, tentatively titled Melody, intends a soft launch around Valentine's Day. It would offer primarily Tamil music (70 per cent) while other regional fare would comprise about 30 per cent.

Having made three mid-budget films, feature length film production is also a venture Raj TV plans to explore. The intention now is to get bigger budget films produced with popular stars.