CRC Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 As you may have heard, Joe Sensors (in Bloomington) is no longer able to broadcast Sioux home hockey games. As a U of M alum and recovering Gopher fan (I married a die-hard Sioux fan and have been dedicated to my step-team for quite a few years now), I am very disappointed in this turn of events. I have a friend who runs the TVs at Sensors, and here is the story. The Ralph has decided to switch from an analog signal to a digital signal to broadcast the games to local (Grand Forks) TV, apparently as a cost saving measure. Unfortunately, no one (anywhere) has the equipment to pick up this signal. He is looking into getting the management at Sensors to buy the equipment needed. We hope that if they are reminded about how much money the Sioux fans bring in every weekend when watching the games, they will buy into the idea of getting the new equipment. Give them a call and let the manager know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoteauRinkRat Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Friday's game is on CSTV, which is on DirecTV, therefore any bar with DirecTV should be able to carry the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamStrait Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 They don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Smith Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Well with this news being announced it has freed up my weekends til the end of season. I really liked going to Sensors and seeing all the Sioux fans. I would guess that the Sioux-Bison football game wouldn't be effected by this because of the different station that covers the game. What channel number is this CSTV? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UMDDogz Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Do they have CSTV on Dish Network?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 As much as I would have enjoyed going to Sensor's, I had planned to go this weekend until this news, I suspect they will go digital before long, especially as other venues/networks do the same. I agree that UND fans poured a bunch of money into that place, especially for big games/series. I'll call Sensor's later and express my interest in spending some money there. I wonder if Grandma's or the Newsroom are digital. Newsroom has banks of TVs, and I seem to recall they had a number of different college hockey games last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoteauRinkRat Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 CSTV Channel 610 on DirecTV I don't think it is on Dish Network yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Smith Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Nice. Thanks! Now to pray that there is no storm to knock out my Direct tv. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamStrait Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Incidentally, I've been looking for a way to get the hockey broadcasts at home. I think the following link may be able to provide the necessary equipment at a farily reasonable price: http://mysatpros.gemspot.com/cgi-bin/mysatpros/00500.html If there are any satellite experts out there that can render an opinion on whether this stuff will do the job, I'd be really interested in hearing it. As of now, I'm leaning towards ordering it. If I follow through, I'll let anyone that's interested know how it works out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Commodore Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 If there are any satellite experts out there that can render an opinion on whether this stuff will do the job, I'd be really interested in hearing it. As of now, I'm leaning towards ordering it. If I follow through, I'll let anyone that's interested know how it works out. I checked out this link and am also very interested in finding out whether a package like this will pick up Sioux hockey broadcasts. It doesn't pull in scrambled channels and if the Ralph hasn't scrambled them yet, I'm guessing they will soon... but maybe not, who knows. I don't know what station holds the broadcasts though none on the lists look too promising. If it works and I could get a statement saying that they don't plan on scrambling the channel, I'd plunk down 180 bucks for even 4 or 5 seasons of Sioux hockey broadcasts. With technology the way it is today, there's got to be a way that Sioux fans outside of the GF area can watch Sioux hockey on our own televisions. This webcast crapola is not going to cut it, because no matter how good the video feed quality eventually becomes, there's no changing the fact that you feel somewhat pathetic putting on your jersey, cracking a beer, and settling down in front of a computer for the evening to watch the game. Maybe we could get some sort of formal petition together. How many signatures would we need to show to the TV/cable/satellite providers and to the UND broadcast team to convince them to extend their service to at least the Twin Cities metro area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoteauRinkRat Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 I'm not promoting this, but would a de-scrambler work if they do become scrambled? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UMDDogz Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 I don't think it is on Dish Network yet. I'll have to write them a letter...Sounds like they have some pretty good matchups shceduled for their friday night hockey!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamStrait Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 I don't know what station holds the broadcasts though none on the lists look too promising. I guess I don't understand what you mean by this. From what I understand, REA pays the satellite owner (which I believe is PanAmSat) to carry the signal for the games. As far as I know, there is no other "station" involved, but I'm probably not properly understanding your usage of the term. As far as scrambling goes, I don't see how that would benefit them unless they were to able to be carried on a pay-service satellite system (like DirectTV) or by a cable operator. As far as I know there is not a simple way to scramble a feed and then charge individuals that may want to view the feed. They'd just be scrambling it and nobody could watch it, so why broadcast via satellite at all? I'm pretty sure that the investment necessary to get DISH or DirectTV to add them is pretty substantial. They may be offering the unscrambled feed in hopes of building up enough of a market to be attractive to DISH, DirectTV or a regional or niche network (maybe CSTV?). In any case, it will take time, and for $200, you don't have to make many trips to Senser's before you've spent that much. If I could be sure of getting a couple seasons out of it I'd feel it was worth while. My biggest fear is putting down the $200, only to find out that significantly more equipment (which means $) is really needed before you can see the games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Commodore Posted October 15, 2003 Share Posted October 15, 2003 I guess I don't understand what you mean by this. From what I understand, REA pays the satellite owner (which I believe is PanAmSat) to carry the signal for the games. As far as I know, there is no other "station" involved, but I'm probably not properly understanding your usage of the term. As far as scrambling goes, I don't see how that would benefit them unless they were to able to be carried on a pay-service satellite system (like DirectTV) or by a cable operator. As far as I know there is not a simple way to scramble a feed and then charge individuals that may want to view the feed. They'd just be scrambling it and nobody could watch it, so why broadcast via satellite at all? I'm pretty sure that the investment necessary to get DISH or DirectTV to add them is pretty substantial. They may be offering the unscrambled feed in hopes of building up enough of a market to be attractive to DISH, DirectTV or a regional or niche network (maybe CSTV?). In any case, it will take time, and for $200, you don't have to make many trips to Senser's before you've spent that much. If I could be sure of getting a couple seasons out of it I'd feel it was worth while. My biggest fear is putting down the $200, only to find out that significantly more equipment (which means $) is really needed before you can see the games. By "station" I just meant that I checked out that satellite equipment on the website posted earlier, and it had some links to see what "free" stations you'd pick up with the given equipment. None of the names of the stations looked like they were the one with the Sioux games, but I was looking at some other satellite, Lingsat or something. You're probably right as far as the scrambling is concerned. I really don't know much as far as satellite TV is concerned. Hopefully someone on here would be able to enlighten us more than just with guesses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRC Posted October 16, 2003 Author Share Posted October 16, 2003 FYI - Per the DJ/TV guy at Sensors in Bloomington, they will have the Sioux hockey game on Friday night at the Eagan and Roseville locations. It will not be on at Bloomington (he didn't say why). I called to confirm this with the manager in Eagan and he said the game would be available there. Didn't check with Roseville, so you might want to call them if you plan to head over there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UNDLAW Posted October 16, 2003 Share Posted October 16, 2003 Hopefully I can clear some of this up... There are, essentially, two types of satellite signals... C band and Ku band. These bands are so named based upon the frequency that they fall into. For the most part, C band is "analog," and Ku is "digital." Now... just as in phones... C band has a greater reception range. These types of signals are known as BIG DISH signals. However, because it is not digital, it is more likely to have reduced clarity, but is less likely to lose the signal completely(but... wait,and I will explain further below). Ku is broadcast, for the most part, in digital format and is used, for example, by DishNetwork and DirecTV i.e. LITTLE DISH. The advantage of KU is "full-time" digital quality. The down side... you either have the signal or you don't i.e. rain storm, snow storm, etc. can block the signal. As for the broadcasts from The Ralph, they are known as "wild" feeds. They are free... you just need to "tune" your BIG or Small dish to the right satellite coordinates. On the BIG dish, the dish may actually have to "move" around. On KU, for the most part, you just point to the SW skies and it gets relayed to you. Regarding "quality" of reception, although analog is typically not as "clear" as digital, a C band broadcast is still MUCH clearer, on average, than even a digital channel on, say, DirecTV. Why... I will explain. Imagine you have a bunch of straws in your hand. Inside each straw is hollow. With DirecTV... they have to fit all of their channels into the straws in your hand. With a "pure" C band (and even non-affilliated Ku satellite systems), they can use every straw in your hand to broadcast just ONE channel. In short, DirecTV has to compress as many channels as they have into the broadcast range they have. With a "pure" feed, it is like you are getting the actual "live" version of the broadcast. So, in conclusion, and to get to the point... C band and Ku band nonaffiliated systems are still better than Ku-based DishNetwork and DirecTV. However, a "good" combination C/Ku band system with a BIG DISH (which requires at least a 8'... preferably 10' dish) will run about $1000-$1500. Expensive, but, for a couple hundred dollars more on the receiver, you will also have a fully functioning HDTV-Digital(Ku)-Analog© system which means you can basically watch anything at anytime... some for free... at only pay for what you watch. I am getting one next year... as soon as I convince my wife to let me put it in the backyard! Hope this helps. PS - Look for a bar with a BIG DISH on the roof, and then bring them the coordinates and see if ANYTHING comes in. If a "blue" screen appears, it normally means they GET the channel, but nothing is being broadcast at that time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyeagle Posted October 16, 2003 Share Posted October 16, 2003 Wow, very impressive synopsis UNDLAW. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamStrait Posted October 23, 2003 Share Posted October 23, 2003 UNDLAW, I have some specific questions that I hope you can answer. You seem to have more knowledge about the topic than anyone else frequenting this board. Did you get a chance to look at the system I referenced in an earlier post? The link, for convenience, is listed below: http://mysatpros.gemspot.com/cgi-bin/mysatpros/00500.html I'm only interested in picking up the Sioux hockey games off satellite, nothing else (I already have cable). It will work for unscrambled FTA (Free-To-Air) DVB (Digital Video Broadcast, I believe) MPEG-2 broadcasts. It will not work for feeds using the Digicipher-2 protocol. Is it your understanding that this system will work for picking up the Sioux hockey feed? Also, I have not been able to find the referenced frequency on either of the free directories (such as LyngSat) for satellite feeds. Should this be of any particular concern? Any help you can provide will be much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UNDLAW Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 UNDLAW, I have some specific questions that I hope you can answer. You seem to have more knowledge about the topic than anyone else frequenting this board. Did you get a chance to look at the system I referenced in an earlier post? The link, for convenience, is listed below: http://mysatpros.gemspot.com/cgi-bin/mysatpros/00500.html I'm only interested in picking up the Sioux hockey games off satellite, nothing else (I already have cable). It will work for unscrambled FTA (Free-To-Air) DVB (Digital Video Broadcast, I believe) MPEG-2 broadcasts. It will not work for feeds using the Digicipher-2 protocol. Is it your understanding that this system will work for picking up the Sioux hockey feed? Also, I have not been able to find the referenced frequency on either of the free directories (such as LyngSat) for satellite feeds. Should this be of any particular concern? Any help you can provide will be much appreciated. I looked at the site and... good news - bad news... good news... the have the equipment needed to pick up the Ku broadcasts from "free-to-air" (i.e. wild feeds). The bad news... on their "complete systems" link that I came to, I can't tell what equipment can do what... as they are prepackaged. My advice... call the company and play dumb. Say "Hey, I need to watch some hockey games that are broadcast on what I think is a wild feed at Galaxy C3/Ku, Transponder 18 on some Friday and Saturday nights... do you have a cheap system that can handle that type of broadcast?" Also, if you do get a Ku system, you will have EVERYTHING that DishNetwork or DirecTV has... except you will have one better... the ability to pick and, more importantly - pay, for your channel line-up ONE CHANNEL AT A TIME IF YOU WISH. In short, ditch you cable and pick and choose the channels you want. If I do the same with a BIG dish that has C and Ku and drop my DishNetwork (and I have EVERYTHING but Showtime and a couple other channels) I will still drop from $68 a month to $51 AND have about an extra 75 "wild feed" channels to go along with that. Again... call... play dumb... give the coordinates... get the price... order immediately! Remember... the satellite you get has to be able to "move" - not "fixed" like dish/direct. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamStrait Posted November 1, 2003 Share Posted November 1, 2003 Well, I played the guinea pig and went ahead and got the digital Ku band satellite system ($199 incl. shipping). Pointing it in the right direction proved to be hopeless for a novice like myself, though I gave it several hours worth of effort. I contacted a professional that came over (with a nifty sat finding instrument) and he had it dialed in in about 5 minutes. Cost me another $30, but it was money well spent. Even got to watch most of the second half of the UNO-UND football game (no sound though)! Now I'm all set up for the hockey game tonight and hopefully far into the future! I'm pretty damn happy how things have turned out so far. GREAT PICTURE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mksioux Posted November 1, 2003 Share Posted November 1, 2003 This thread peaked my curiosity a while back. I would very much like to watch Sioux hockey games at home in my living room, but I'm extremely technologically challenged. My worry is that I'd spend the money and have the equipment delivered, but then I wouldn't have a clue on how to install it or operate it. I see that the website you linked has a list of installers and one happens to be in the town I live in...so maybe that's an option. DamStrait, did you get the system that you linked earlier in the thread? You'll have to let me know how this works out for you and give me your opinion on whether someone like me should take the risk of ordering one. I think the price sounds reasonable considering that a season pass for dataflix is about $150. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
U2Bad1 Posted November 2, 2003 Share Posted November 2, 2003 I think the price sounds reasonable considering that a season pass for dataflix is about $150. plus, dataflix is not that great at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mksioux Posted November 2, 2003 Share Posted November 2, 2003 plus, dataflix is not that great at all. Very true. And even if the quality improves on dataflix, (like someone else said), I still have to sit down at my desk and watch it in my office. I'd like to be able to invite people over to watch it with me from the comfort of my living room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
U2Bad1 Posted November 2, 2003 Share Posted November 2, 2003 I can't wait until i grow up and can afford some of this stuff!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamStrait Posted November 2, 2003 Share Posted November 2, 2003 mksioux, Yes, I did buy the system I had earlier posted a link for. The guy (a good scotsman, by the way, who looked and sounded like he could have been Jackie Stewart's son) who aimed my dish for me offers complete installation for $125. Other than the aiming, it's all pretty routine stuff. If you can say assemble a kid's bicycle and hook up a vcr, you can probably do the rest yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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