Mystagogue
@cox.net
| Free Satellite Signals?
Is there such a thing as free signals to my satellite dish? If yes, what kinds of signals do they carry (ClearQAM, ATSC, etc) and how can I determine which ones are available in my area?
I live in Phoenix Arizona. I will be adding a TV tuner to my PC, and I'm interested in receiving anything I can get free and legal (from my antenna, from my COX cable, from the dish on my roof). |
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cdru
Go Colts
Premium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
| All satellite signals are free. You just have to pay to legally decode some of them. 
Seriously though, there are free channels. They are usually referred to as Free To Air or FTA. You can get a list of FTA channels here or there is an active community dedicated to FTA over at SatelliteGuys.us among other places. There isn't much FTA talk here. |
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guhuna
R.I.P Mike
Premium
join:2001-03-31
Brentwood, CA | reply to Mystagogue
Nine times out of ten your dish on your roof will not get *true* FTA signals. |
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Hayward
K A R - 1 2 0 C
Premium
join:2000-07-13
Key West, FL
2 edits | reply to Mystagogue
And also largely stuff likely you aren't going to want to watch...unless you have international interest, plus on east coast for Europe or West coast for Asian,If you can achive a very low look angle. In middle America likely not able to receive ether as the birds would be below horizon. You will find nothing on normal sat or cable as free to air... unless you are into shopping and religious channels... with they expetion of like the NASA chanel and maybe still the main channel/nat feed of PBS. Though both are digital now do you would need a digital FTA receiver.
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»haywardm.com (Hayward's Key West)
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PCInTech
In another place and time.
Premium
join:2004-06-07
Massena, NY
clubs:
 ·VoicePulse
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| Hayward pretty much summed it up. You'll need an FTA receiver, a 36" dish with a linear LNB and a motor. You'll find oodles of channels, in languages you've never heard of, lots of religion and home shopping, and NASA. AFAIK, none of the PBS feeds are FTA anymore. FTA is a fun hobby, kind of like shortwave radio was when I was a boy. It's all about the challenge as to "what you can get", but for normal North American TV viewers, would be an exercise in futility. It's a "hobby", nothing more. |
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Automate
join:2001-06-26
Atlanta, GA
·Comcast
| reply to Mystagogue
Here is a list of the English channels: »www.ftalist.com/english.htm
Most of them you can already watch from streaming internet feeds. The only somewhat interesting ones I see that are not streamed on their web sites are:
ION
Biography Channel
History Channel |
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Dude111
An Awesome Dude
Premium
join:2003-08-04
USA
1 edit | reply to Mystagogue
Is there anything really "GOOD" on FTA?
EDIT:
Just checked that list and nothing good in my opinion!! (Although i didnt really expect there to be) |
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DanHo
Premium
join:2002-05-20
Seattle, WA | Ah man! No '80s channel!!!
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