[NEWS] RTPi portuguese service upgrade to DVB-S2

[DrSat]

Please be advised that on July 7th 2014 at 7am Portugal time, transmission parameters for the RTPi Portuguese service currently on Intelsat 805 @ 55.5W (C-band) will change from DVB-S to DVB-S2 and from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 video.

All viewers currently viewing RTPi using a C-band dish aimed at 55.5W will have to add or update the transponder parameters and rescan in order to continue receiving RTPi. The new transponder parameters are as follows:

Satellite: Intelsat 805 @ 55.5W (C-band)
Frequency: 4101
Polarity: Vertical
Symbol rate: 2320
FEC rate: 8/9
Modulation: DVB-S2 QPSK
MPEG4 video 4.2.0 SD

Customers still using legacy DVB-S MPEG-2 FTA satellite receivers will need to purchase a new receiver that supports DVB-S2 and MPEG-4.


Please note that RTPi viewers using a Ku-band dish aimed at 97W will NOT be impacted by this change as the channel will remain DVB-S MPEG-2 on Galaxy 19 as this time. However, as that channel will eventually upgrade to MPEG-4, we strongly recommend that our Portuguese customers only purchase FTA satellite receivers which support DVB-S2 MPEG-4 for any new system from now on.



Information in Portuguese follows:

REDE BASE: 6 SATÉLITES   O serviço nestes satélites é de receção livre (sinal não codificado)



Informação: os parâmetros técnicos da emissão da RTP Internacional América no satélite Intelsat 805 vão mudar no próximo dia 07 de Julho, pelas 07 horas (Hora de Lisboa).

Os novos parâmetros que deve colocar no seu receptor de satélite são:

Satélite Intelsat 805 (Banda C, Digital)
Posição Orbital: 55,5º Oeste (304,5º Este)
Transponder: 16/16
Frequência: 4 100,6 MHz
Polarização: vertical
Modulação: QPSK
Formato: DVB-S2
FEC: 8/9
Symbol rate: 2,3196 Msps
Codificação de vídeo: MPEG-4 4:2:0
Codificação de áudio: MPEG-1 Layer II
PID do vídeo: 103
PID do áudio: 203
PID da rádio: 413

Não é necessário fazer qualquer alteração na antena parabólica: verifique se o seu receptor é compatível com a norma DVB-S2. Caso não seja, deverá substitui-lo por um compatível.

[DrSat]

Are they having problems with the Uplink due to weather?
 
 This morning RTP on the Openbox is gone (on Galaxy 19 -- 97 degrees) -- blank screen.
 
 Please advise.

Just checked and there are no issues on RTPi's 97W feed. The 55.5W feed changed to the new parameters as scheduled and works great after adding the new transponder and rescanning. Comparing the picture quality on the new feed v.s. the existing one on 97W, video on the new 55.5W feed is significantly clearer with almost no visible compression artifacts.

[DrSat]

Their dish is pointed at IS805 but would I be able to save from buying a new receiver if I were to point the dish at Galaxy 19? It's a long shot but i'm not sure what type of signal RTPi was using previously.

As others have mentioned, your existing DVB-S MPEG-2 receiver will work to receive RTPi on Galaxy 19 if it is reconfigured with a properly aligned satellite dish capable of receiving Ku-band. However, it is best to upgrade to a DVB-S2 receiver now rather than install a new dish to 97W due to the following reasons:

• The RTPi feed on Intelsat 805 55.5W C-band has better picture quality than the one on Galaxy 19 97W Ku-band due to the fact that 97W actually rebroadcasts the 55.5W feed. If you compare both channels on 2 TV's side by side, you will see that the 97W feed has more "mosquito noise" than the one on 55.5W.
• Unlike Ku-band, C-band does not suffer from rainfade so you will not lose service during a heavy downpour.
• As with many FTA channels and just recently with RTS Serbia, RTPi on 97W will eventually upgrade to MPEG4 as it allows to provide better picture quality at a reduced satellite uplink cost for the broadcaster.
• 55.5W offers several Brazilian Portuguese and Latin American Spanish channels which might be of interest to Portuguese viewers. These channels are unavailable on 97W

As for repointing their existing dish to 97W, I would certainly not recommend that as most likely it only has a C-band LNB or LNBF installed on it so you would have to buy a Ku-band LNBF designed for prime focus dishes. Also, Ku-band is much harder to align on a big dish due to the more narrow beam-width associated with a big dish.

I spoke to to an installer a few moments ago, who happens to be Portuguese as well and he said the cheapest option would be to purchase a 39" dish an point it towards 97W.

It's only cheaper if you install the dish yourself. If you have to pay someone to install it for you, it will cost more. Furthermore once RTPi eventually upgrades to MPEG4 on 97W, you will need to buy a new receiver anyways.

[DrSat]

is there a time frame on when gal 19  97 w plans doing the switch

Nothing yet but it will happen sooner rather than later as it is more cost effective to broadcast in MPEG 4 v.s. MPEG 2 and the picture quality is better.  RTS Serbia also on 97 w already switched to MPEG 4 earlier this year so it's just a question of time before other broadcasters follow suit.

If you are using an existing DVB-S MPEG 2 receiver and it still works fine, you can keep on using it until the upgrade happens.  However, if it breaks down or you need to purchase a new receiver, only receivers supporting DVB-S2 and MPEG 4 should be considered in this day and age. 

At Dr. Sat, we haven't carried obsolete DVB-S MPEG 2 receivers for almost 2 years now so you have nothing to worry about if purchasing from us.