Bell Express-Vu and Star Choice are both mere shadows of the American based satellite service providers. Protected from true free market competition with American satellite service providers the Canadian providers consistently offer fewer choices and are late to offer new technologies to their customers. In short decades past Canada was once a world leader in broadcast and cable technologies, today Canada is a broadcast media banana republic, thanks in large part to the CRTC’s protection of our culture.

One of the biggest gripes to subscribers of HDTV satellite services in Canada is the lack of an HD-PVR. Bell Express-Vu uses EchoStar’s receivers, the same as the ones used by Dish Network in the US. But Express-Vu is making Canadians wait for the latest High Definition -Digital Video Recorders. The DVR-921 is a high def satellite receiver with a 250 Gig HDD, enough for 180 hours of standard definition television or 25 hours of HDTV recording it’s not available yet in Canada.

The company reported 2.509 million cumulative subscribers for the quarter ended April 30, 2010, compared with 2.605 million three months earlier.

TiVo ended the most recent quarter with 1.41 million TiVo-owned subscribers — versus 1.62 million a year earlier — and 1.10 million through pay-TV operator partners, including RCN, DirecTV and Comcast, down from 1.57 million at the end of the first quarter of 2009.

Still, TiVo noted that the decline in subscribers through TV operators has narrowed versus previous quarters. TiVo president and CEO Tom Rogers said most of the losses in the segment have been a function of DirecTV subscribers who have the older, non-HD version of TiVo. DirecTV has a new deal with TiVo under which the companies now expect to introduce a premium HD DVR by the end of 2010.

In the most recent quarter TiVo introduced the Premiere DVR line, which became available at retail in late March, featuring an interface designed for 16-by-9 TVs and enhanced search and discovery features.

Revenue for the quarter ended April 30 was $61.4 million, compared with $55.1 million in the year-ago quarter and was TiVo’s highest first-quarter net revenue in three years. TiVo reported a net loss of $14.2 million, beating its previous guidance of a net loss of $19 million to $21 million, compared with a $3.9 million net loss in the year-ago quarter. The company blamed increased legal expenses as well as research and development expenses relating to new products and distribution for the year-to-year increase in losses.

Meanwhile, TiVo is awaiting a full review by the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Federal Circuit of a previous ruling upholding a Texas federal district court’s finding that Dish Network and EchoStar were in contempt of an order to disable DVRs that were found to infringe a key TiVo patent.

Rogers, in a statement Tuesday, called the latest development in the EchoStar/Dish dispute “disappointing because the en banc process will take many months to complete.”

“In its order to grant an en banc review, the Court did not raise any specific issues with respect to the facts of our case against EchoStar,” Rogers said. “As such, we believe that this order is instead about an opportunity for the Court to clarify a number of key policy issues with respect to patent law. With that said, we remain confident in our position as we believe the facts continue to support the well-reasoned and carefully applied decision from the Texas court, just as the facts supported our case the two prior times we argued an appeal in front of Federal Circuit judges.”

Separately, TiVo has patent lawsuits pending against Verizon and AT&T, both of which have filed countersuits against the DVR company.

For the second quarter of fiscal 2011, TiVo expects service and technology revenues in the range of $40 million to $42 million, and a net loss in the range of $17 million to $19 million, which includes expected increased litigation expense and higher research and development costs due to increased product development and distribution.

Free to Air Receivers and their Uses

A few weeks back I was at a friend’s apartment. Caroline had moved to the U.S. from China in her early teens. Every time I would go to her house she would be watching a program from China. I’ve used both satellite and cable companies to get my TV fix and had never seen an option to get Chinese, or any foreign, programming. She told me about her FTA receiver and its ability to pick-up unencrypted satellite transmissions Back at home, I performed a Google search on FTA receivers. Not only was I missing out on foreign language and cultural programs, but a hodgepodge of news channels and feeds.

After doing some initial digging, I found the right receiver for me. Decidedly, I went with the Viewsat 2000 Ultra Satellite Receiver. It had HD component hook-ups (no HDMI) for quality picture and television viewing. Neither was it the basic model nor the high end model. For a newcomer like me, a middle of the road product was perfect.

Free to Air Channels

The FTA receiver picks up 229 channels. With the combination of the internet and my FTA receiver the wealth of knowledge at my fingertips increased exponentially. It had all of the major news channels; ABC, the BBC, CBS, NBC and PBS. Not to mention their news feeds, showing the moments between commercials. As I mentioned earlier, if your primary language isn’t English FTA receivers pick-up Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean and Spanish language programs. Something not offered by traditional cable or satellite companies. There’s also an esoteric mix of channels that are unheard of to the layman television viewer, including the Bloomberg feed and the Pentagon channel. NASA even has a one. If you have children there’s a PBS kids channel. Combine that with NASA’s programs and you have a huge chunk of educational programming minus the commercials. For me, a lack of commercials was enough incentive to purchase a FTA receiver review.

Free to Air Receiver Advantages

I’m going to list a few of the advantages that accompany the free to air equipment. There’s a one time price of two hundred dollars or less. You can go cheaper; some receivers are below one hundred dollars. But I have a rule when it comes to electronic equipment: initially it’s better to spend a little extra money. Purchasing a quality product rather than trying to save $50 will ensure you don’t end up with a broken instrument. Within a month of owning a FTA receiver it pays for itself. The quality in TV programs, and diversity of available channels to watch, makes this purchase ideal for everyone. There is one caveat, but it’s slight in the grand scheme of things. I would advise against dumping your cable or satellite service. ESPN and other paid networks are encrypted and cannot be decoded by a FTA receiver. Once you have a FTA receiver there’s no more costs, so your bills aren’t going to increase. Picking up a free to air receiver with its host of advantages makes it a plausible and affordable addition to any household.

Product Features:

Media Playback Video: IPTV (only available on SV 8000HD)
Music: Playback of MP3 files over the network
Pictures: View Pictures over the network
Network Communication: Supports encrypted communication over ethernet
Games: Download and play games, play against other users multiplayer (coming soon)
Firmware Upgrade: monitor sonicviewusa.com for firmware upgrades. Automatically install new found firmware.
Background Image: Change the feel of your receiver by downloading new backgrounds from sonicviewusa.com

Technical Specifications:

Architecture TCP/IP: W5100
PHY: Included in W5100
Serial: RS-232
MCU: 62K Bytes in-system programmable (ISP) Flash
Network Interface: 10/100 Mbps auto-sensing RJ-45 Connector
Protocol: TCP, UDP, IP, ARP, ICMP, MAC, PPPoE
Serial Signals: TXD, RXD, RTS, CTS, GND
Parameters:Data bits: 7,8 | Flow Control: RTS/CTS, XON/XOFF
Speed: Up to 230Kbps
Other Dimensions: 3in x 1.5in (PCB length x width)
Power Consumption: DC 5V, Under 180mA
Temperature: 0c ~ 80c (Operation), -40c ~ 85c (storage)
Humidity: 10 ~ 90%

Once you purchase your viewsat FTA receiver it will come preloaded with a factory file, the factory file it’s equipped with all the necessary options to receive free to air channels. Over time the factory files get updated and you will be required to load new updated files to improve your system and ad additional options. Viewsat satellite receivers have also been used to receive encrypted satellite signals by loading a modified file that is often called FTA file or fix file, these files will ad the additional option to view all available satellite signals. The satellite providers are aware of this situation so they are constantly changing their encryption program in hopes to stop piracy.

Since all the signals are traveling by air it is impossible for satellite providers to find out if someone is stealing their signal so all they can do is change the encryption program but the viewsat coders can write the new FTA file within a few hours. This cat and mouse game has been going on for years and the satellite providers have finally won the war by changing their encryption to Nagravision 3. The viewsat coders are working on making new FTA files but this challenge may take months or more. Most viewsat customers believe that there receiver its useless now because they don’t understand that this receiver was made to receive a free to air channels that are still available and free of charge.

A simple adjustment of the dish to receive satellite signals from the free to air satellite’s will open hundreds of free channels. There is many FTA websites that can guide you with instructions and updated factory files, currently the best available place is FTAprofessionals.tv as it is very user-friendly and has all the available information and files for your viewsat FTA receiver.

To make the set up and Viewsat FTA files update process as simple as possible visit Viewsat FTA Files.

While the Viewsat V-Link has been rumoured to be coming for many months, it is the Viewsat Weather Forecaster that has first shipped any units into the market. Some are confused by the two rumoured devices. We have tested the Weather Forecaster with the V-Link loader and were unable to get the weather forecaster and V-Link loader to communicate, signalling in fact that they have absolutely nothing to do with eachother.

The “Viewsat Weather Forecaster” as it is called is a serial to ethernet adapter that comes with its own 5 Volt power adapter and RS-232 cable. If you think it looks a bit familiar you are correct. At first glance you may think this dongle resembles the Sonicview iHub, but you would be wrong. In fact the Viewsat Weather Forecaster is an IX-X00 Dongle, that’s right, just like what is currently used for the CNX Nano 1, Mini, Duo and Trio!

While it remains to be seen what server the Viewsat Weather Forecaster solution will run on, many might be of the opinion that this will run on the same servers supporting the CNX, I-Link, Satzen and Topsat FTA receivers. Of course, this will all be known in time, should the files which are expected to be released this week get in the hands of those testers who have taken the premature leap in acquiring this new device.

As we have suggested in the past you should probably wait until the solution is tested and confirmed working before making any purchases.

Some are wondering since the Viewsat Weather Forecaster is currently selling for $109 USD if they could instead just get the CNX IX-X00 dongle.

Well the Viewsat Weather Forecaster has a serial number on it, just like the Sonicview iHub. I would think that this is not just for show. It is most likely going to be required to receive service on your Viewsats. So at this time I can not suggest anyone attempt to bypass the requirement by obtaining the CNX variation rather than the VS branded device.

For those wondering where the Viewsat Weather Forecaster can be bought here is the link for the site with all the info>>> http://www.ftaprofessionals.tv/

Viewsat N3 Channel List – Weather forcaster

In short it can be said that they have evolved from a box into a piece of equipment that allows you to watch shows whenever you wish, proving you with crisp clear picture and recording your favourite shows when ever required.

In addition to these the satellite receiver also provides for features like picking up the programme signals from the provider and presenting the same in the form of an on-screen programme guide. Many of these receivers also provide for the parental lock out options, some of them have built in video recorders which let you pause the live television show or even provide you with the option of recording it.

These satellite receivers review have been acting as direct competitors for the digital cables which have barely managed to improve upon the picture quality and extended the channel selection. With its high quality picture and sound the satellite receivers have become a popular investment. Earlier these facilities were considered as luxuries but according to the present day scenario they have become an inevitable part of our lives.

Satellites TV, satellite radio, satellite internet are some of the forms being currently used. They are offering a lot many advantages over the other forms of digital systems. The use of satellite promotes customisation as well as provides variety to the customer. It satisfies the customer needs. These satellite receivers are very easy to set up and require minimal amount of hardware. Most of the companies are not even charging for its installation. The most popular feature of the satellite receiver is the offering of the programmes with any interruption in the form of commercials. You should be very particular in the selection of the satellite receiver and select that receiver which satisfies all your requirements.

These facilities of the satellite receivers can very easily be availed by you. For this purpose satellite retailers have been designed which equip you the information regarding the same only through a click. These retailers help you find qualified technicians and services in your own area. This helps you locate the company which answers all the queries that you have in mind regarding the digital satellite services. In order to locate a satellite dealer within the facility one is required to fill in the basic information and the stores in that area will be listed, from which the consumer can make a selection as per his requirements.

In a country like the US, one major advantage to choosing satellite that practically everybody is bound to notice is the superiority in terms of sports programming and packages. Satellite is the undisputed leader here, offering sport packages that simply have no equal on the cable market; such packages are not only available for the leading national games such as basketball, football and baseball but also for games that Americans are only recently learning to have a fling for such as soccer, rugby, tennis, and so on. The shining example of such a package would have to be the NFL Sunday Ticket, which is by now the most popular and highly-regarded sport package available on television, period. The Sunday Ticket has earned its reputation thanks to the many tremendous features which it offers, including but not limited to the ability to track given players (which the home viewer can select), to receive alerts on big plays or goings on in the league, and to watch several (eight to be precise) games on one screen all at the very same time! With these features, and the fact that absolutely every game is brought into the viewer’s home, the Sunday Ticket is simply unbeatable in terms of quality coverage and there are equivalents for other leagues and other games which will be sure to put enormous smiles on the faces of fans of any and every type.

And as for movies, satellite TV has got more than any home viewer could possibly know what to do with. In addition to all the best national networks such as HBO and so on, satellite providers expand the movie-quotient of their services in two ways: first, by offering a tremendous variety of international movies (something which you’d be hard pressed to find any cable company able to do); and second, by bringing as many such channels as possible into viewers’ homes in HD image quality. All in all, including all the other such channels, satellite companies offer almost 140 channels broadcasting nothing but high def programming-a dream come true!

Owning a satellite TV is very beneficial to die hard TV fans. It has become extremely popular since the programs channeled from all over the world makes the viewers or subscribers have a wide variety of programs.

Is it better than a broadcast provider? My answer is yes. If you will notice, a program viewed from broadcast signal is usually distorted. This is because of the thousands of people getting the same signal. The signal transmitted from one house to the broadcast site has too many interruptions while in satellite TV it is the other way around. Since their system is equipped with a specially designed radio transmitter and located way above the sky, their satellite dishes gets the signal very clearly. There are instances that you get signals from programs which are not intended to be viewed by audiences. They could even get NASA activities because they also transmit their information through a satellite. But then again, this problem has been solved by television satellite companies.

Satellite TV providers came up with the idea of attracting their subscribers with a very nice package suited specifically to different types of viewers. Cable TV providers have also the same concept but literally they all have the same goal. Their mission is to get their subscribers’ money worth and satisfaction.

To be able to enjoy FTA programs, there are various things you need to know, such as:

· Which satellite supports the channel you wish to view

· The frequency of that FTA channel

· Symbol rate used by that FTA channel.

· The format of the broadcast from the FTA channel

Of course, knowing this is not the only thing you need, you will also need equipments. The gadgets or equipments you need to have include:

· Satellite dish (C Band or Ku Band)

· FTA Receivers and its corresponding file support

· If you want more than one satellite, you will need a rotor or antenna motor.

Satellite dish

You do not need a plate atop your roof that is bigger than you house, C Band or 6-foot satellite dish is a good choice. However, new FTA programs now moved to the Ku Band system, which is an FTA receiver with a remote control and a small dish (less than a meter).

FTA receiver and FTA FILES support

Depending on the source of the FTA receiver, your file support may be necessary. You will need to ensure that your FTA receiver will provide for file support system that is available on a 24/7. This is to ensure that should any problem surfaces, you will be ready and able to arrest the problem.

Rotor or antenna motor

The Ku Band system only points to one satellite, thus you will need a rotor that will allow you to point to more than one satellite. Of course, having a small satellite dish, you will need a good file support and thus the choice of FTA receiver provider is a must.

I may need to mention at this point that given the right satellite dish, FTA receiver and file support, you may be able to connect to as much as two hundred FTA satellite and digital channels and these channels comes from various parts of the world including Australia, India, Europe and New Zealand.

All the programs received via free-to-air channels are unencrypted, it is broadcasted as it is and thus, the language will be the same at it is.

No monthly fees to endure with your viewing, but you will need to watch it with lengthy introduction and some promotional gimmicks.

One particular FTA channel will give you FTA programs but will have interruptions that requests for donations. This works like the television commercial you hate receiving. Anyway, what is a commercial if you do not need to pay monthly subscription dues?

Of course, this depends you your preference. I, for one, wanted free-to-air technology.