ABC/SBS on Optus Aurora

[Ext User(Justin)]

Not strictly FTA I know, but I was wondering why they don't use the digital
feeds for ABC/SBS (& the others on there)? It means that C1 is carrying at
least 10 versions of the ABC & SBS (when you include Foxtel). Would it be
technically possible to combine the Aurora & Foxtel common channels & have
them accessible on both? That would free up some serious room.

Also, the radio services are duplicated as well (I assume).

Thanks,

Justin

[Ext User(tom2402)]

Who nows what Foxtel will do with channel assignments when the D series
satellites become established.

If the channels were "shared", and Foxtel chose to move the ABC services to
11GHz,
existing Aurora customers would be stuck with FA, by virtue of the 11300 LO
LNBs they are all using.

Good point however...

"Justin" <justinnospam@nospamlogicalfusion.com.au> wrote in message
news:43b9a681$0$17707$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.a u...
> Not strictly FTA I know, but I was wondering why they don't use the
> digital feeds for ABC/SBS (& the others on there)? It means that C1 is
> carrying at least 10 versions of the ABC & SBS (when you include Foxtel).
> Would it be technically possible to combine the Aurora & Foxtel common
> channels & have them accessible on both? That would free up some serious
> room.
>
> Also, the radio services are duplicated as well (I assume).
>
> Thanks,
>
> Justin
>

[Ext User(Gregory Kleverlaan)]

I don't see why not. They already beam the true digital versions ABC & SBS
with all the extra channels like ABC2, dig, dig jazz, sbs news SBS epg, sbs
radi 1 & 2 etc free to air on the OPTUS B1 Satellite. So they already have
the structure available to broadcast it.


"Justin" <justinnospam@nospamlogicalfusion.com.au> wrote in message
news:43b9a681$0$17707$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.a u...
> Not strictly FTA I know, but I was wondering why they don't use the
> digital feeds for ABC/SBS (& the others on there)? It means that C1 is
> carrying at least 10 versions of the ABC & SBS (when you include Foxtel).
> Would it be technically possible to combine the Aurora & Foxtel common
> channels & have them accessible on both? That would free up some serious
> room.
>
> Also, the radio services are duplicated as well (I assume).

[Ext User(100246.2055@compuserve.com)]

Most of the relay stations in country areas both self-help systems and
the RABs service as well as ABC and SBS transmitters use the Aurora
platform and not the B1 feeds which are digital only(Widescreen) and
meant for major centres.
The Aurora channels are scrambled as well and are not FTA. This is a
legal
requirement so that programming for say WA cannot be seen in other
states or
sports coverage is embargoed in a particular state..
This function has also been used when coverage of a trial has been
allowed in all
states except where the trial is occuring.
The Irdeto cards are non compatible as well so it would not be easy to
arrange to get both
Aurora and Foxtel channels on the same card even if Foxtel made the
channels FTA.
The signals on B1 are not the same as the signals on C1 Aurora as well
so new set top boxes would be required to watch those signals.

[Ext User(Justin)]

<100246.2055@compuserve.com> wrote in message
news:1136270937.754766.167720@z14g2000cwz.googlegr oups.com...

> Most of the relay stations in country areas both self-help systems and
> the RABs service as well as ABC and SBS transmitters use the Aurora
> platform and not the B1 feeds which are digital only(Widescreen) and
> meant for major centres.

I don't think people in RAB areas would be too concerned about getting the
digital feed cut to 4:3 (which is pretty much what they get now). It would
also allow people with their own dishes access to widescreen & the extra
channes (ABC2 & SBS news) & radio services (DIGs) without needing a second
dish or receiver.

> The Aurora channels are scrambled as well and are not FTA. This is a
> legal
> requirement so that programming for say WA cannot be seen in other
> states or
> sports coverage is embargoed in a particular state..
> This function has also been used when coverage of a trial has been
> allowed in all
> states except where the trial is occuring.

For the commercial channels that is true, but we're talking about ABC/SBS.
You get all 5 versions of both no matter where you are. Very handy during
daylight savings as you can miss something from the South East (NSW) feed,
but catch it on SA (+0.5), QLD (+1), NT (+1.5) or WA (+3).


> The Irdeto cards are non compatible as well so it would not be easy to
> arrange to get both
> Aurora and Foxtel channels on the same card even if Foxtel made the
> channels FTA.

However, Austar still use irdeto so similcasting of encryption occurs on all
normal "Foxtel" channels anyway. It wouldn't take much to extend it to the
ABC & SBS channels. It would also allow Vic & Tas the option of watching
their own news & not the Sydney news (from the SE feed).

> The signals on B1 are not the same as the signals on C1 Aurora as well
> so new set top boxes would be required to watch those signals.

They're all DVB-S - what are you referring to? Frequency? Polarity?

[Ext User(100246.2055@compuserve.com)]

If you take a look at Lyngsat (which you obviously have) it lists
all of the services but have a look at the symbol rates and the
FEC. S/R 14294 and FEC 7/8 for 23Mb/s clearly indicates that it is in
fact QPSK but the data rate is the standard 23.052 Mb/s of
terrestrial DTTB transmission and the tables are DVB-T tables.
If the tables were standard DVB-S tables a terrestrial IRD
on a VHF or UHF retransmission would be trying to tune to
a satellite frequency with QPSK instead of COFDM!
Additionally the size of dish that these signals are intended to
be received with is 3.7 or 4.6 metres and not with small DTH dishes.
The Aurora signals as are Foxtel are full transponder signals with
heavy (usually 2/3) FEC to work with small dishes.
The legal requirements apply just as much to the ABC and SBS
as to the commercials.
The Irdeto scrambling is dependant on the broadcaster ID in the
card as well as other things. The Simulcrypt used to allow the
simultaneous use of NDS and Irdeto on the Foxtel/Austar channels
is one thing, but it dosn't allow for Aurora cards to be enabled
on the Foxtel Irdeto system so the Austar, Foxtel and Optus Aurora
Irdeto scrambling systems would have to be combined to allow
common cards to be used.
Fat Chance!.

[Ext User(Justin)]

<100246.2055@compuserve.com> wrote in message
news:1136346783.586248.208150@f14g2000cwb.googlegr oups.com...
> If you take a look at Lyngsat (which you obviously have) it lists
> all of the services but have a look at the symbol rates and the
> FEC. S/R 14294 and FEC 7/8 for 23Mb/s clearly indicates that it is in
> fact QPSK but the data rate is the standard 23.052 Mb/s of
> terrestrial DTTB transmission and the tables are DVB-T tables.
> If the tables were standard DVB-S tables a terrestrial IRD
> on a VHF or UHF retransmission would be trying to tune to
> a satellite frequency with QPSK instead of COFDM!
> Additionally the size of dish that these signals are intended to
> be received with is 3.7 or 4.6 metres and not with small DTH dishes.
> The Aurora signals as are Foxtel are full transponder signals with
> heavy (usually 2/3) FEC to work with small dishes.

I was aware of the dish size situation, but wasn't aware that you needed a
special receiver for B1.

> The legal requirements apply just as much to the ABC and SBS
> as to the commercials.

Agree, but you get all ABC & SBS zones no matter where you are using Aurora.
Let's face it, the Aurora smart card is a token effort - it never has to be
renewed & it's very easy to register one at a remote address to use it in a
metro area (or activate it for a 'caravan').

> The Irdeto scrambling is dependant on the broadcaster ID in the
> card as well as other things. The Simulcrypt used to allow the
> simultaneous use of NDS and Irdeto on the Foxtel/Austar channels
> is one thing, but it dosn't allow for Aurora cards to be enabled
> on the Foxtel Irdeto system so the Austar, Foxtel and Optus Aurora
> Irdeto scrambling systems would have to be combined to allow
> common cards to be used.
> Fat Chance!.

But when you consider that you can get all the ABC & SBS digital services
from B1 now, why not unencrypt the ABC/SBS digital services from
Foxtel/Austar & eliminate the need for carrying them on Aurora too? Keep the
Aurora card for the commercial channels & specialty services.