Silvercrest SL 65 Receiver

[jaabjwb]

I recently purchased the above system from lidi stores and have it tuned into Hotbird 13.E and Astra 19.2.E. I get a really good picture on both but one thing puzzles me,when i change up and down channels with remote control the signal strength display is usually 93% but the picture quality is often between 50 and 60%.Why when the picture is so good do i get such a low picture quality reading?

[rolfw]

The quality reading refers to signal quality, not picture quality, with a digital channel, as long as the signal is received above a certain signal strength and quality, then the picture will to all intents and purposes, look perfect. A very slight reduction caused by bad weather could well cause the picture to start breaking up and pixellating though, so you ought to perhaps look at tweaking the dish alignment or LNB skew to see if you can improve the signal quality reading. .

PS. Please consider where you are posting your questions, as i had to move this from the links section.

[spiney]

Digital tv reception - sat and terr - is "all or nothing", either the picture's perfect or not there at all! That is, apart from a very small received signal level difference, around the "failure strength", where there's pixilation, ie you get "flashing squares" and occasional bits of picture.

This is because, going towards complete failure, as signal strength falls and digital errors rise, the error correction system just works increasingly harder, until the point where it very suddenly can't correct any greater amount of errors and completely fails.

The "quality" reading is the inverse of received bit error rate, ie, as errors rise - with falling sig level the errors go up - so "quality" goes down.

Added. Note that errors aren't just from a "bad" signal, noise is statistical, and all digital tv needs error correction to work at all, even on very high strength signals.

[JAMBOliam]

hey guys,

going to buy a silvercrest SL 65 on monday from lidl, im completely new to satellites, so could someone answer the following questions for me:

is the picture usually good quality?
how many channels can be recied on this particular satellite?
Can italian channels be recieved?
are most channels free? or is some kind of card or password required?

thanks !

[spiney]

I also have the SL65, it's an excellent receiver!

I'm in the Midlands, and get all Astra2, all Astra1, and much Hotbird, on a tiny Sky minidish. I can also get a few channels on other sats, eg Hispa etc, but it's not really worth doing with my size dish, so I just stick to "the big three".

However, up where you are, you will need a bigger dish, certainly 60cm at least, and 80cm would be better!

The SL65 will "tune into" any DVB-s1 (ie, not new HD channels!) signal, but show no picture on encrypted feeds (although, sometimes, you'll still get the epg/teletext). So, just go for free to air only, there's many of them! If you scan for FTA on the "big 3" sats alone you'll get about 500 tv channles (and loads more radio channles, but I only scan for tv!). Transponders change frequently, so it's worth doing an update scan on each sat once a week, the new channels just get added to the database.

For details of what's there, you can look at www.satcodx.com, but in any case the SL65 will just find most stuff automatically (unless a very unusual symbol rate, but there's not many).

As explained above, digital reception is all or nothing, so if you get it at all, ther picture's perfect (occasionally, if borderline, the picture may "pixillate").

[JAMBOliam]

thanks for the reply mate!

the dish which comes from lidl is 57cm, and what kind of channels do you get free to air? i mean are they the same as on freeview (just lots more) or what?

thanks again

[spiney]

Hang on, I hadn't finished the above post ...... was going to say, you can see the technical principles in my "guide" at http://www.satellites.co.uk/php-bin/...ad.php?t=60042 .

Lots of free RAI - and other Italian - channels on Hotbird.

For what's there, just goto www.satcodx.com , look at Hotbird at 13E, and Astra1 19E. The free stuff is clearly shown, in different colour, so you can scroll through.

I assume the (dish) version you've got is the monobloc one, which will get both Hotbird and Astra1 on the fixed dish, but can't also get Sky on Astra2 (for which, you'd probably be best with a motorised dish, which the SL65 will drive, having Diseqc built in). Which means, what you've got can't easily get the free Sky English channels, unless you point the dish at Astra2, in which case you won't get Astra1/Hotbird.

At your location, with a 60 cm dish, it's probably about the same as at mine with 40cm, so you might find you don't get some Hotbird channels, or get fewer in bad weather, but hard to predict, so you'll just have to try it and see!

You can find maps of sat "footprints", showing how field strength from different satellites varies across the UK, but they don't help very much with reception prediciton, better just to try it!

[JAMBOliam]

so u think the 57" will be enough ?

[spiney]

The only possible answer is, try it and see!

(besides dish size, there's many variables, including cable type/length, lnb noise figure, lnb gain (which can vary quite a bit between batches), receiver input sensitivity, etc ....).

But, yes, you should at least be able to get all Astra1. From memory, I think WDR has the weakest signal ..... ?

[JAMBOliam]

thanks a lot for ure help - will try it out on monday and keep u updated!

[JAMBOliam]

hi guys, just baught the silvercrest sl 65 and need a bit of help setting it up:

it comes with a twin lnb, with two connectors on it, im guessing one goes direct from it to the reciever, but what do i do with the other connection from the lnb?

also, it came with a small thin cable on it, i dont know what to do with that, its about 20 cm.

also, when i switch on the reciever, turn it to the av channel i get absolutly nothing, not even a menu, what am i doing wrong?

im totally new to this and the instructions were no good at all, would appreciate some help !

[rolfw]

The second LNB output is for a second receiver if you have one, the small cable is designed for through window connection, if you have sash windows and don't want to drill the wall or window frame, this will run underneath the bottom of the window, otherwise don't use it.

PS. If you connect the scart lead to the output labelled TV and then connect to your TV, switching on the box should bring up a no signal message, pressing the menu button should bring up the menu. If you have no picture, press the TV/SAT button on the top of the remote.

[spiney]

Don't panic, we'll get you there, but need more info .....

The receiver will work with any lnb arrangement, single, monobloc, or several lnbs with diseqc switch. Which is yours?

When you get the receiver, it should normally have a default stored channels list (which won't be up to date). I can't quite remember, but on remote, I think the top right button will give you the already stored channels. The menu button will give most of the other options (I don't have the remote with me now).

You may have to set up the diseqc, depending on the lnb arrangement, but again that's just going through a few on screen menus.

Once you've got a signal, then it's menu, edit satellite, re-scan .... and it will find everything there!

Don't worry, you can't break it! Even if you accidentally delete all the currently stored channels - which requires entering the default access code - all you have to do is get a sat signal, then re-scan.

If this is new, then there's a lot to take in, but play around a bit!

(if you're not getting a tv picture, via the scart lead, obviously that's the 1st thing to sort out! However, a channel number should still show on receiver display, that will tell you it's working!).

[JAMBOliam]

spiney - The LNB i have on it is pretty big, on the box it says its dual, and it has to outputs underneith - thats all i know to be honest.

When i switch on the tv and put it on av i dont get anypicture at all, just the blue screen. But i know the reciever is gettin thru to the tv because when i switch the reciever on and off the tv responds by going back to the analouge channels itself.

Reading FC guy - thanks for clearing up the lnb thing, im easily confused!

[spiney]

Yes, well then the scart lead is connected (wd that be pin 8 workin?, without lookin it up ... !).

The next step is SCART video format, your tv may give a choice of CVBS, RGB, YUV, try all 3 ..........

PS, that's the tv scart? although, there SHOULD be o/p also on video one.

I'm still confused by your lnb, but let's get a picture first .....

(rolf suggests it's a monbloc, but 2 outputs, anyway we'll find out).

[JAMBOliam]

if u want to know more about my lnb go to lidl.co.uk cuz i dont know anything about it.

managed to get past the scart problem - im not getting the menu up on the screen (no signal if course)

have not attached my satellite to the outside yet, but any position i try i get absolutly no picture, attached a satellite finder to the cable and no matter which direction i point it i get absolutly nothing

any ideas?

[rolfw]

The LNB is a twin, have one in front of me from my purchase today.

You need to have the satbeeper in line between the satellite receiver and LNB (that's what the other short length of cable is for), with the receiver switched on, otherwise the satbeeper will not work.

The biggest mistake most beginners make is pointing the dish too high, the dish face shouldn't be far off the vertical.

[spiney]

Yep.

I'm not sure what a twin lnb is! Does that mean there's a separate diseqc switch?

Yes, the dish should LOOK as if it's pointing horizontally, then - in fact - it's really pointing 26deg upwards. If you then keep it like that, but swing from side to side east/west, you should fairly quickly find several sats, the bleeper will change its pitch.

Not sure what's happening with the SCART connection, but must log out now.

[JAMBOliam]

thanks guys - got most of the channels on astra sat - raiuno, al jazeera etc, quite happy!

thanks alot guys!

[Milkybarkid]

thanks for the reply mate!

the dish which comes from lidl is 57cm, and what kind of channels do you get free to air? i mean are they the same as on freeview (just lots more) or what?

thanks again

I was put off with the 57cm dish, I like them a bit bigger for the north of the UK. I myself would probably have gone for a receiver only and then got the 85cm dish and an LNB. Mind you the twin LNB in the complete sat system sounds handy.

[JAMBOliam]

well i havnt mounted it on the roof yet (didnt come with the fittings) so ive got it on my shed roof, and plugged in the sat beeper thing that came with it, found astra sat (i think) and am getting about 200 german channels, al gazeera, Raiuno, tv5 etc.

Raiuno is great, but unfortunatly i cannot seem to get hybird satellite, which has a lot more italian channels by the looks of it, which would be perfect.

what do you guys suggest? think i should return the lot, then buy the individual reciever, and find a bigger dish?

what about a motorised dish? also, i have broadband, is there a way i can plug that into a reciever to help in some way?

sorry as i know absolutly nothin on this subject!

[Milkybarkid]

Keep the stuff you've bought,it includes the twin LNB. If you wanted an 85cm dish as well and there are some left it's only £15.

[JAMBOliam]

i think the LNB is just a regular one, with 2 outputs.

i either get all the uk digital terrestial channels, or if i move the satellite a bit i get al gazeera, rai, german channels etc.

its just a pitty i cant get all of the channels together, any ideas?

[gameboy]

You should be Ok to receive all the main 'high power' satellites. Hotbird is next to the old Astra Sky analogue satellite and should work fine.

The new Astra Sky satellite that you're getting freeview off is to the left of the other two (when looking from the back of the dish).

Part of the fun is finding the different satellite. If you have fixed your mount and find a satellite mark the dish position on the mount. Move to another and do the same. soon you will have a number of positions to view.

If you can get the freeview channels without satellite I would move to the old Astra/Hotbird positions, loads of FTA channels.

The LNB has two outputs but they both receive the same satellite (the one the dish is pointed at, at the time).

Don't think the receiver has two LNB inputs so a second LNB option may not be practical.

If you get hooked then you could add a motor to the dish and scan the skies. Then you would be better with a larger dish to get the best results. Just check that have no obstruction across the south horizon before you invest any more hard earned cash.

[JAMBOliam]

does a big tree count as an obstruction?, other than that there isnt really any obstructions, just back gardens.

so far ive had the german challels, (RTL etc,) TV5, al jazeera and rai, in all there was about 200 channels i think.

and when i move it a bit, i was getting the uk channels, plus abu dhabi and all that (about 400 channels)

what id like is the hotbird (i think) where they recieve the Media Set, RAI etc, does that mean moving my satellite a lot or just a tad like before?

what are the advantages of a bigger dish? does it mean i could recieve all of these at once?