BSB Squarial - A trip down memory lane.

[Yorks]

With the current jousting between Richard & Rupert - (you decide who is the white knight and who is the black knight)

(http://www.satellites.co.uk/satelli...-sky-channels.html?highlight=sky+virgin+media)

it got me thinking about 1990 (or thereabouts), and the rivalry between BSB and Sly, and my deliberation over which system (my first) I should go for.

I remember reading at the time, that there would probably be only one triumphant heir to the throne (similar to the Betamax/VHS saga). Although I favoured the BSB system, with it's reported superior picture and sound quality - and it's home grown British tv programme line-up, alas my mind was made up for me and I gave my hard earned cash to Rupert!

Initially, before BSB (British Satellite Broadcasting) was completely swallowed up by Sly, who remembers such gems as Wife of the week, Sale of the century, and what was the name of that hilarious talent show? I'm sure someone knows the one I mean.

I'm sure that there are folks on here who actually had the BSB system for it's short reign, and I would welcome their knowledge on the programmes which were available, and their experience of, and opinions on the sadly deposed monarch - and on what might have been. As a matter of interest, who still has the relics of this departed era?

For those of you (young whipper-snappers) who have no idea what I am rambling on about, here is a borrowed, brief history of those bygone days:-

Around 1990 there were two competing satellite systems available in the UK. The "official" one, backed by government legislation derived from recommendations from the IBA, was BSB (British Satellite Broadcasting). Two BSB satellites were launched (Marcopolo 1 and 2, at 31 degrees West), one as a backup, providing just five channels in high quality DMAC format. But Sky had stolen a march on BSB using cheaper, simpler PAL transmissions from an Astra satellite at 19 degrees East. Both companies lost money like it was going out of fashion, and eventually they "merged" to form BSkyB. In reality Sky bought out BSB, and shut down the transmissions. The satellites were sold, one became "Thor", transmitting technically similar D2MAC signals to Scandinavian countries, the other was known as Sirius and placed at 5 degrees East. Sirius 1, defunct since 2003, was owned by Sirius Satellite, a division of Nordic Satellite AB, and transmitted basically to Sweden.




Hope this has stirred a few fond memories.

Long live King Richard! :-worship

Regards,

Yorks.

 

[2cvbloke]

I was only about 4 or 5 when BSB was launched, so I never actually got to see it in action, but I now own a BSB minidish and a BSB squarial...

 

[rolfw]

I remember installing my BSB dish whilst standing on the garage roof with a 19" TV sat next to me.

I was in the Pub game at the time, so could only watch at odd times, must have seen the same four or five films twenty times.

 

[ESAIS]

With the current jousting between Richard & Rupert - (you decide who is the white knight and who is the black knight)

(http://www.satellites.co.uk/satelli...-sky-channels.html?highlight=sky+virgin+media)

it got me thinking about 1990 (or thereabouts), and the rivalry between BSB and Sly, and my deliberation over which system (my first) I should go for.

I remember reading at the time, that there would probably be only one triumphant heir to the throne (similar to the Betamax/VHS saga). Although I favoured the BSB system, with it's reported superior picture and sound quality - and it's home grown British tv programme line-up, alas my mind was made up for me and I gave my hard earned cash to Rupert!

Initially, before BSB (British Satellite Broadcasting) was completely swallowed up by Sly, who remembers such gems as Wife of the week, Sale of the century, and what was the name of that hilarious talent show? I'm sure someone knows the one I mean.

I'm sure that there are folks on here who actually had the BSB system for it's short reign, and I would welcome their knowledge on the programmes which were available, and their experience of, and opinions on the sadly deposed monarch - and on what might have been. As a matter of interest, who still has the relics of this departed era?

For those of you (young whipper-snappers) who have no idea what I am rambling on about, here is a borrowed, brief history of those bygone days:-

Around 1990 there were two competing satellite systems available in the UK. The "official" one, backed by government legislation derived from recommendations from the IBA, was BSB (British Satellite Broadcasting). Two BSB satellites were launched (Marcopolo 1 and 2, at 31 degrees West), one as a backup, providing just five channels in high quality DMAC format. But Sky had stolen a march on BSB using cheaper, simpler PAL transmissions from an Astra satellite at 19 degrees East. Both companies lost money like it was going out of fashion, and eventually they "merged" to form BSkyB. In reality Sky bought out BSB, and shut down the transmissions. The satellites were sold, one became "Thor", transmitting technically similar D2MAC signals to Scandinavian countries, the other was known as Sirius and placed at 5 degrees East. Sirius 1, defunct since 2003, was owned by Sirius Satellite, a division of Nordic Satellite AB, and transmitted basically to Sweden.




Hope this has stirred a few fond memories.

Long live King Richard! :-worship

Regards,

Yorks.

 

[Analoguesat]

Before I close this thread that has been exhumed from a long forgotten dusty corner of the forum just a reminder that as most of the BSB archive is missing - if you happen to have any tapes with BSB programming on it there is a VERY good chance you have the last copies of something. And therefore I know a chap in an official archiving capacity who would be very interested in copying your material to save it for posterity. You will get your orignal material back - and a modern format copy if you so desire.

Please PM me if you have any BSB tapes.