Mpeg-2 DVB Reception

For pricing & availability on Pansat, Coolsat and Viewsat receivers, please visit our "Models & Prices" page.

1 - The Services

First introduced in 1994, digital reception has come a long way since its appearance in the consumer market.

The services offered through the hardware offered in this section are not the same as the services offered through Star Choice and ExpressVu (see our Star Choice and ExpressVu sections for information on these systems).

These services are different because they are not linked to a particular broadcaster (like Star Choice or ExpressVu) and because they are mostly free-to-air (FTA).

A FTA is a service that is freely available, as long as you can receive a proper signal, not unlike short wave radio. To receive free-to-air services, you must use a satellite receiver that is specifically made for this kind of reception.

For scrambled international services, you will need a receiver with built in Common Interface (CI) slots, that are able to accommodate the various types of decoder modules & smart cards available on the market.

• All Pansat, Coolsat, Viewsat, Sonic View and NFusion receivers can receive FTA services broadcasted in the Mpeg-2 DVB format.
  
  Ku Satellites is the oldest Pansat dealer in Canada. We are also an authorized Coolsat dealer and carry their full line of receivers. We import Viewsat, Sonic View and NFusion receivers from the largest and genuine US distributors to guarantee the lowest prices on the market.
  
  
• For subscription based services, please visit our Star Choice or Bell ExpressVu sections.

Over the recent years, almost all countries in Europe, Asia and Africa have adopted Mpeg-2 DVB for the broadcast of digital services. In America, almost 90% of all FTA services are broadcasted in the Mpeg-2 DVB format.

The availability of a particular service in your area depends on your ability to receive the signal, through a satellite dish that will vary in size, depending on the service.

Note: If you are here for information on the World Radio Network (WRN) or Radio Finland, please visit our International section.

2 - For The Right Reason

You can obtain a FTA Mpeg-2 DVB system in two different ways:

1. Based on the specs of the receiver
   
   In this case, we assume that you are familiar with the technical requirements and the availability of the service(s) you are looking for or that this receiver is for "hobby" purposes and that you plan to use it to simply receive as much as possible!
   
   
2. Based on the availability of a specific service
   
   In this case we will give some indications relative to the long-term availability of the service in question and we will recommend a dish size and type of LNBF for perfect reception in your area. Visit our international section for more details.

You should not get a FTA Mpeg-2 DVB system for the wrong reasons:

1. To get pay-TV services for free
   
   FTA services that are not linked to a particular service provider and that intend to stay in FTA mode over the long term, constitute a good reason to invest in a FTA system (see our international section for a list of these services).
   
   We can not say the same for service that are also available through a pay-TV service provider.
   
   If a service is available through Star Choice, ExpressVu or a national service provider in your region, you should get it through that service provider. If the service is also available in FTA mode at the time you do your research, it will not stay that way for very long... it's common sense!
   
   
2. To get services from any country in the world
   (without looking at our international section)
   
   You will only be able to receive a specific country if that country broadcasts its services in FTA across its borders. Countries that do not maintain a satellite link between "home" and North America are not available here.
   
   In the past 3 years, the number of countries offering a FTA service in North America, has grown exponentially, thanks to Mpeg-2 DVB. Foreign services are continuously making their appearance in North America.
   
   If your country does not already offer a channel from home, you should bookmark this site and come back from time to time for updates.
    

3 - The Receiver Selection

New for Winter 2008 are:

• The Pansat 9200HD,
• The Sonic View 4000 and
• The NFusion nova receivers!

Other best sellers include:

• The Coolsat 7000 PVR. This receiver is extremely easy to use and can record hundreds of hours of television with an external USB-2 Hard Drive.
  
  
• The Viewsat Pro offers Component outputs (YPbPr), USB-2 capability and more!

Unlike many low quality brands on the market, Pansat and Coolsat receivers are internationally known for their high quality, reliability and sensitivity... buyer beware!

4 - Daily Operation

Pansat & Coolsat receivers are suited for all types of installation, as long as they can receiver a proper signal, starting with the fixed 24" Ku band dish, all the way to the 12' C band system.

Note: You should not consider using a Pansat or Coolsat receiver (or any Mpeg-2 DVB receiver) if you currently have a C-Band system that is not working properly in analog mode. If you current system does not work well in analog mode, it may not receive anything in digital (or give very poor results at best).

All receivers come pre-programmed with transponder data from most satellites accessible in North America. Once the satellite you want has been scanned, the receiver will assign channel numbers to all the available channels.

Channel names are assigned to every channel in the channel list, according to the channel information supplied in the transponder data stream. The user can assign custom channel names to any channel in the list.

For preferred channels, the receiver has a "favorite channels" list, which can be used instead of the "all channels" list.

Mpeg-2 programs are available in PAL and in NTSC. All Pansat receivers can either display all channel in NTSC, or in PAL, or switch between systems, according to the source signal. The conversion capability eliminates the need for a multi-system set.

Audio channels are listed in a separate channel list. The user can switch between the video channel list or the audio channel list using a key on the remote control. When multiple audio carriers (layer 1 or 2) are available with a video signal, the "audio" button lets the user switch between carrier.

For setups with multiple LNB inputs (dual Ku band, dual C band, C and Ku band), there are many possibilities to switch between the LNBs. A manual A / B switch, or a 0 / 12 V switch, or a DiSEqC switch (preferred method, with as many as 4 inputs) may be used.

If you intend to move your dish around in order to receive some of the different satellites available in the sky, you may also want to consider a DiseqC motor.

The Pansat receiver may be used in conjunction with an existing analog receiver without the need for cable switching by using the TV/SAT button which switches between the receiver's VHF modulator and the VHF input connector (equivalent to the TV/VCR feature on a VCR).

For connection diagrams, please visit the installation section of this website.