New provider since Aug 2nd. 2007

rato

This new provider in Portugal is transmitting on Eurobird 9ºE on two transponders(11727GHz Vertical 27500 5/6; 11766GHz Vertical 27500, 5/6).

In Portugal, the provider recommends a 60cm to 80cm dish, but a 65cm dish is furnished by Tv Tel. I have tried with a 60cm dish and you do lose about 10% quality in terms of signal, but the 65cm gives you a 100% signal quality. For the Azores & Madeira Islands, a 1,10m to 1,25m dish would be a good ideia. This sat used to be Hotbird 2 at 13ºE, and was moved to 9ºE during the spring of this year. This footprint map may be a little off in terms of EIRP readings, since this sat has a few transmitting years on it.

The package contains 18 Channels Conax encrypted plus two FTA "Test" channels.
Conax encrypted:
RTP 1

RTP 2

SIC

TVI

Canal Panda

Discovery Channel Iberia

People + Arts Iberia

Odisseia

Canal de Historia

The Biography Channel Spain & Portugal

MTV Portugal

VH1 Europe A

Canal Hollywood

MGM Brazil

ESPN Classic Europe

NASN Europe

Travel Channel (UK)

FTA:
Viva (Germany)

Fashion TV

Prices:_http://www.tvtel.pt/satelite_servicos.html



80 Euros for the kit(STB, monoblock LNB, 65cm dish). Included in the price is the 25 Euros for activation, so the rental option is not very favorable(25 euros activation plus 2,50 euros/monthly) . Installment by a professional is 80 Euros for up to 30 meters cable. There is only one package,(the above channels listed), which is 12,90 Euros a month. For the first 5000 customers, it´s 7,95 Euros a month for the first year.



They also include another 25 FTA channels but on Hotbird 13ºE. The package contains the receiver: a Technotrend model TT-micro S201; a 65cm dish and a monobloc LNB for receiving Eurobird 9ºE + Hotbird 13ºE. The STB is a little limited, but you can use it for controlling up to 4 sat via DiSEqC. No motor control. The image output doesn't give you a jaw falling effect, but for that 8 year old CRT tv tht you use for your camper, it's great. It a almost clone of the TV Cabo Octal micro DVB receiver, known as the "Powerbox". At least it doesn't think it's a toaster(I've put it through a 5 day always on marathon), this STB just warms milk. It's too early for fault's on this one, but weak signals(quality below 50%), it starts to break up & go away, so this tuner is no better than the Tv Cabo's Powerbox.

Customer support is also too early to have a say, but the web site seems to be updated now, and with info on the sat package.

You can use the card in a Matrix Reborn CAM or a Dragon CAM(haven't tried it in a Diablo yet), and view the package in your favorite receiver, and yes, the image quality shines out a little more than the Technotrend.

For now it's a small offer they have, but the channels have great quality image output: at least it's in the PAL norm of 720 x 576, in comparison to the TV Cabo package which cramms up the transponders with so many channels and reduces to the resolution of 480 x 576 and 540 x 576 to save bandwidth! Believe me, at that point on certain plasma and LCD screens, the image quality gets very poor. I have compared watching CSI on Five, and then changing the channel to the Portuguese TV Cabo package which runs CSI at the same time and believe me, it's on the Tv Cabo channel!!! At least here in Portugal you can have a choice between two sat providers, which is a start, so the market here will start to have some shifting in terms of prices, receivers & packages to offer. There will be a option for a Conax CAM + card instead of the receiver, which is very good news to who don´t wants another STB and wants to use there own receiver.

UPDATE Aug 30th: Dealer's around the Setubal & Lisbon area are sold out on STB TV Tel boxes & cards! One dealer showed me his 30+ signed contracts waiting for STB + cards. The word of mouth is that another STB model is being shipped(probably a Kaon?) but these are just rumors. The CAM + card are on demand at dealers, and the reply from Tv Tel is that the subject of shipping out this option is almost out but with no confirmed date.

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HB13DISH

Thank you rato for this excellent and detailed masterpiece.

Can you please inform me where to get the amazing footprint map ?
I saw examples from several threads by different members, so there must be a good source for it.

rato

Hi HB13DISH!

I got the footprint map from the eutelsat web site:
_http://www.eutelsat.com/satellites/satellite-fleet.html

rato

Looks like TvTel is running out of STB boxes and ran to a distributor in the North of Portugal(Tv Babo). They came out with a deceased in 2003 box @star ASR 3202 MACI. Why the heck did they come out with a out-of-production box is beyond my knowledge. They are just starting to launch the sat service and it would of been more sensible to just sell a card with a Conax CAM. Oh well....

The @star has a better tuner for sensitive & weaker signals than the Technotrend. It comes with a Conax embedded slot + 2 CI slot for CAM's. The software has been a little messed with to show the TVTel logo at boot up and include the channel lineup by default. It has some flaws: the @star does crash from time to time, and you have to do a reboot with the on/off switch at the back of the box. The DiSEqC 1.0 protocol commands for more than one LNB works, but the DiSEqC 1.2 and the USALS does not. The software that is available at the TV Babo web site has nothing to do with this version so be careful if you download & try to install it. Tv Babo should have a warning on their website NOT to download to TvTel altered @star box.

What´s positive about this situation is that the TvTel card that comes with the kit is pre-activated for one month. After receiving the subsciption at TvTel, and if this @star crashes, you can always use it in another Conax embedded receiver or a Conax compatible CAM. If the card is "married" or has to go to the original stb box once in a while(like the Sky card with the T-Rex CAM), that it came with, I have no ideia. If someone knows if the Conax encryption works as the Sky cards(returning to the original receiver), it would be useful also to post that info here also.

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rato

Tested with the TvTel card with working results in the following CAM's:

Conax 4.00e

Dragon w/Pred 3.59

Matrix Reborn 3.07; 3.12

kiko12

and about of dreambox ??? its works??

rato

Yes, it does. More info in the Dreambox(Portuguese) section.