Astra 2b signals driving me mad

P

pilchard

Member
My Satellite Setup
Bush Freesat Box, Home Build PC, dual core intel 2200,2gb mem, Nvidia Geforce
My Location
Essex, UK
Hi all, this is driving me mad.
I live in central Italy and originally was using a UK skybox to view basic fta channels but once the new white cards where starting to be issued we lost the signal (Sky box said). I then tried some things on my Liberty MCCI 2500+ box, 1.2 motorized dish and managed to pick up TT on 4 which has now stopped, so I searched through various channels to find that I could see ITV (12402 v 27500) & Channel 5 (12422 v 27500) signals on Astra 2b, 2a, Eurobird but were encrypted, so I stupidly purchased a Bush Freesat box in the hope that I would be able to view them, NO. I cannot receive Astra 2d now as footprint has moved or signal to weak with my current dish or wind in the wrong direction possibly.
My question is does anyone know who is beaming these signals, because I enquired online about purchasing a white sky card for £60 but was told by the supplier that if I could not get Astra 2d then my Sky box will not receive these signals, so who are they beaming the signals to and by whom. For a quiet life and not have to translate from Italian into English, I would love to be able just to view one of the terrestrial uk channels, CAN ANYONE HELP PLEASE
:confused:
 
Even if you could get 2D ok, a Card of any colour wouldn't be of value in that respect because most of the non-subs stuff on 2D is Free To Air anyway ie If you could actually get the signal, no Card is needed to decode it.

But the Card might help for the FTV versions (Not on 2D) of some of the Channels, as mentioned by Analoguesat.

As to who is beaming the signals and to whom, SES-Astra own and operate 2D (and 2A, 2B) and the traffic is managed to take advantage of a relatively narrow beam focussed on UK/RoI (With well known overspill across parts of the rest of Europe). This narrow beam means Encryption is not required to enable the "Terrestrial" Broadcasters to meet their Programme Rights obligations - The bottom line being that much of the Rights are acquired on the basis of UK/RoI (as applicable) viewing.
 
Thanks for the links, very interesting. BUT I am still not quite sure why I can see a listing for ITV & 5 with an excellent signal but they are part of a package from someone, possibly Sky?
 
Because the ones you can see arent transmitting off Astra 2D! They are on the widebeams of Astra 2A & 2B and therefore have to be scrambled for rights issues.
 
Sorry I should have mentioned that the channels listed on the thread from analoguesat are the channels that I see but cannot view as they come up with a dollar sign, tried the 12480v and c4 +1 etc not listed or found. This seems strange as I can get a good signal for 12480v but no new channels are added ?
 
Analoguesat said:
Because the ones you can see arent transmitting off Astra 2D! They are on the widebeams of Astra 2A & 2B and therefore have to be scrambled for rights issues.
Click to expand...

Sorry again but posts delayed.
Just out of curiosity, why dosent Sky box pick up signals from 2a or 2b. Is it that the sky box is looking for 11778 ?
 
11.778 is the default frequency. All sky boxes look for this at switch on and will load the epg. The transponder transmits on 2A North Beam.
 
satelliteman said:
11.778 is the default frequency. All sky boxes look for this at switch on and will load the epg. The transponder transmits on 2A North Beam.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information, but I am at a loss why my sky box just says no signal when my liberty box can see all astra channels except 2d. Problems started when sky reset box and then kept showing how to apply for and insert the new white card, then no signal message ever since. I should probably be asking these questions on a different forum but is kind of related to original post.
Thanks for all the replies they are helping if not solving my questions
 
pilchard said:
Problems started when sky reset box and then kept showing how to apply for and insert the new white card, then no signal message ever since.
Click to expand...
That's because the card is related to a region. When you take the card out so the nag messages disappear the box switches to the default regional channels, which you can't receive.
 
Have you heard of dreambox
 
hello, i saw this and wanted to say the white card is not activated.
just buying a card and pluging it in will not do it at all.
the card must be mated and cativated by sky for the box.
tv 5 on 105 is a freeview but if your card is not mated it will not work.
just because you are geting the epg..the guide dosen't mean you can receive it.
the bbc and itv is on astra 2 d and you need a big dish.
the itv on 12402 v is a extra transponder, but if the card is not active you will not pick it up.
if your card was set up for basic you will receive sky 1 on 106 tv 5 on 105 as well as and itv 1 e-4, ch 4 as well as the plus 1 hour.
this will have to be loaded in the added channels
ralph:)
 
ralphmagno said:
tv 5 on 105 is a freeview but if your card is not mated it will not work.
Click to expand...

Five is only fta if your card is issued in southern and central England, (not London - see below) Wales and Northern Ireland.

Scotland, Northern England and London is still mapped to the ftv versions on the widebeams. Therefore if the card expires or is switched off these cards wont get C5 on the epg.
 
I have heard of the Dreambox but don't like the price :)
 
Thanks for the info, but I have not purchased a white card and currently have the old blue card which according to (Huevos above) is the main reason that I can no longer get my Sky box to receive a signal as the footprint has now moved directly over UK and seems to be searching for Astra 2D.
My original idea was to purchase the white Sky card from the net (which states is not locked to any particular box, other than must be a Sky box £60.00), but no point if the C5, C4, Fiver, 5US (which I can see on my Liberty box, good epg and good signal) is not accessable to my current Sky box because the stupid thing is looking for Astra 2D. Sky was not setup for subscription, just free stuff.
 
Sky Box doesn't "look for 2D". The Footprints have not moved. They always have differed since first becoming operational - 2D focussed on UK with variable overspill in other parts of Europe and 2A,2B, Eurobird more or less pan-European. Nothing has changed.

It sees all the 28E birds it is in the footprint for. The BSkyB EPG etc. is carried on 11778 V, which is on 2A (North Beam).

A Sky viewing Card enables decryption of scrambled (but subscription free) versions of Five, Fiver, Five US, ITV that are NOT on 2D.

Channels on 2D are FTA, so the Card is irrelevant.

Also, 2D is not easy for you to get - If you don't get BBC1, 2, 3, 4 or ITV 2, 3, 4 then you can simply forget 2D.

The Blue Card with the Yellow House is (probably) defunct and a White Card is required in order for you to get the Channels you are after. Also, as Analoguesat reminds us, you'd need a Card issued to a Scottish, Northern English or London Postcode.

Encryption is not required for Channels carried on 2D because of the UK centred beam.

The other birds require Rights Protected Channels to be Encrypted as that is the only other way of reducing viewing outside the geographical areas for which those Rights have been established. That is why some ITV 1 Regions are FTA ('cos they are on 2D) and others are Encrypted ('cos they are not on 2D).
 
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