Intelsat 901 27.5w coming to the end?
Apr 6th 2024, 6:28 pm
#31
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Joined: Mar 2014
Location: East Algarve
Posts: 1,015
Re: Intelsat 901 27.5w coming to the end?
All may not be completely lost ..... yet.
Amongst all the various forum chatter, there is some speculation that those to the West of the Iberian peninsular (i.e. Portugal ) and Northern Spain MIGHT be able to receive the Telstar12 beam (referred to as the North Sea beam) with the satback channels.
Some of the websites which show coverage of satellite beams do suggest that this beam coverage might usefully extend as far south as the Algarve. The issue that could scupper this is that there is an adjacent beam (known as the Med West beam) from the same satellite, which would "overwhelm" where they overlap. The glimmer of hope is that there is one user in Asturias who has reported success but no one yet from Portugal as far as I can find ..... Users in Italy and the Canaries have reported no success.. I wont be able to "play" with my setup for at least a week or so but I'll be keeping track of the various satellite forums for any updates.
Even if possible, those receivers that have relied on "flashing software" e.g. Icecrypt 1600 will likely not work unless/until someone develops a new firmware package. I fear, given the age of these, it might never happen. Those that use Enigma2 programmable type boxes will have to make a few changes themselves .... We shall see and live in hope.
Apart from IPTV type services, legal or otherwise, there is another Satellite service with a number of UK channels, some HD, which might need further investigation. Called Kabelio, a Swiss service, requiring a prepaid CI+Cam package, on Hotbird 13E. I know nothing about it
Amongst all the various forum chatter, there is some speculation that those to the West of the Iberian peninsular (i.e. Portugal ) and Northern Spain MIGHT be able to receive the Telstar12 beam (referred to as the North Sea beam) with the satback channels.
Some of the websites which show coverage of satellite beams do suggest that this beam coverage might usefully extend as far south as the Algarve. The issue that could scupper this is that there is an adjacent beam (known as the Med West beam) from the same satellite, which would "overwhelm" where they overlap. The glimmer of hope is that there is one user in Asturias who has reported success but no one yet from Portugal as far as I can find ..... Users in Italy and the Canaries have reported no success.. I wont be able to "play" with my setup for at least a week or so but I'll be keeping track of the various satellite forums for any updates.
Even if possible, those receivers that have relied on "flashing software" e.g. Icecrypt 1600 will likely not work unless/until someone develops a new firmware package. I fear, given the age of these, it might never happen. Those that use Enigma2 programmable type boxes will have to make a few changes themselves .... We shall see and live in hope.
Apart from IPTV type services, legal or otherwise, there is another Satellite service with a number of UK channels, some HD, which might need further investigation. Called Kabelio, a Swiss service, requiring a prepaid CI+Cam package, on Hotbird 13E. I know nothing about it
Last edited by BillBullock; Apr 6th 2024 at 6:31 pm.
Apr 7th 2024, 4:39 am
#32
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Joined: Jul 2021
Location: Abergele, Alges and Faro (boat)
Posts: 284
Re: Intelsat 901 27.5w coming to the end?
It appears BBC iPlayer is closing down tomorrow so no watching on computer via vpn - BBC iPlayer app shuts down for good tomorrow - full list of devices facing block (msn.com)
Apr 7th 2024, 4:52 am
#34
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Location: Abergele, Alges and Faro (boat)
Posts: 284
Apr 7th 2024, 8:01 am
#36
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Joined: Nov 2021
Posts: 109
Re: Intelsat 901 27.5w coming to the end?
I watch iPlayer mostly in HD and sometimes it looks UHD, I am watching mammals at the moment and quality is stunning. iPlayer adjusts the quality of the stream to the equipment of the user so maybe you need to upgrade your equipment. Sometimes quality drops to SD for short periods maybe due to network congestion, not sure but most of the time the quality is excellent.
Apr 7th 2024, 9:26 am
#37
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Joined: Mar 2014
Location: East Algarve
Posts: 1,015
Re: Intelsat 901 27.5w coming to the end?
I watch iPlayer mostly in HD and sometimes it looks UHD, I am watching mammals at the moment and quality is stunning. iPlayer adjusts the quality of the stream to the equipment of the user so maybe you need to upgrade your equipment. Sometimes quality drops to SD for short periods maybe due to network congestion, not sure but most of the time the quality is excellent.
Apr 7th 2024, 5:50 pm
#38
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,722
Re: Intelsat 901 27.5w coming to the end?
Have you checked your actual DL speeds when using your VPN?
There is a comment here ref your VPN
https://www.vpnmentor.com/reviews/smart-dns-proxy/
Apr 7th 2024, 6:23 pm
#39
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Joined: Mar 2014
Location: East Algarve
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Re: Intelsat 901 27.5w coming to the end?
Hi wellinever. Smartdnsproxy is permanently on and my MEO download speed is a steady 220 Mbps. I have been using smartdnsproxy for many years, probably from their beginnings. They still charge me only §20 a year as promised. Thanks for the link to the article which confirms that it is fit for my purposes. I was worried that it was the reason I am not seeing HD on iPlayer, ITVx, SkyGo etc but I am not sure now. Am I the only one not receiving HD in Portugal, in which case, there must be something wrong with my PCs and I need to fix the problem?
Apr 7th 2024, 6:49 pm
#40
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Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 67
Re: Intelsat 901 27.5w coming to the end?
Still early days but the glimmer of hope grows !
From various satellite "enthusiast" forums I've seen a post from someone midway between Lisbon and Coimbra that reports picking up the feed with a 1m dish. Although only under ideal conditions (clear sky and at night).
Another, all the way over in Alicante, reports signal quality (SNR) at 47% and strength (AGC) at 88% with a 1.8m dish. This is not great BUT looking at the published beam contours (if correct) the signal throughout Portugal, including the Algarve, should be quite a bit better than Alicante ... but not as good as Coimbra .... ... Of course "one swallow doesn't make summer" ..... !
Looks likely we're going to need bigger dishes !
From various satellite "enthusiast" forums I've seen a post from someone midway between Lisbon and Coimbra that reports picking up the feed with a 1m dish. Although only under ideal conditions (clear sky and at night).
Another, all the way over in Alicante, reports signal quality (SNR) at 47% and strength (AGC) at 88% with a 1.8m dish. This is not great BUT looking at the published beam contours (if correct) the signal throughout Portugal, including the Algarve, should be quite a bit better than Alicante ... but not as good as Coimbra .... ... Of course "one swallow doesn't make summer" ..... !
Looks likely we're going to need bigger dishes !
Apr 7th 2024, 7:08 pm
#41
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,722
Re: Intelsat 901 27.5w coming to the end?
Hi wellinever. Smartdnsproxy is permanently on and my MEO download speed is a steady 220 Mbps. I have been using smartdnsproxy for many years, probably from their beginnings. They still charge me only §20 a year as promised. Thanks for the link to the article which confirms that it is fit for my purposes. I was worried that it was the reason I am not seeing HD on iPlayer, ITVx, SkyGo etc but I am not sure now. Am I the only one not receiving HD in Portugal, in which case, there must be something wrong with my PCs and I need to fix the problem?
I only have an android phone with a free VPN, so using mobile data speeds of maybe 30mbps max, and I get HD on Iplayer.
Watched the start of the Japanese GP highlights on the phone yesterday ll in HD....
But on occasions, as was posted earlier, I do sometimes see the picture quality reduce. I guess to SD, but only on BBC Iplayer,
What size TV do you use?
But as I only watch it on the 6" screen it still looks OK
Apr 7th 2024, 7:14 pm
#42
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2021
Posts: 109
Re: Intelsat 901 27.5w coming to the end?
I am with NOS and if they, and other ISPS's, detect that you are using a VPN then they throttle your internet and reduce your speed at peak times. (in my experience they throttled my connection all the time). I am with NordVPN and the default VPN protocol is their own Nord protocol. So to stop my ISP detecting that I am using a VPN I changed the protocol to OpenVpn TCP. After I did this I got my full download speeds for torrents and IPTV and no more throttling. I found the TCP protocol fine and did not try the UDP protocol but it will probably also be fine. If you have not already done this then perhaps give it a go and see if it helps. I am in Portugal.
Apr 7th 2024, 7:19 pm
#43
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Joined: Mar 2014
Location: East Algarve
Posts: 1,015
Re: Intelsat 901 27.5w coming to the end?
My TV screen size is 50 in and so it clearly shows a difference between HD and SD. Mammals was only SD last night on BBC1 and so was rugby on ITVx in the afternoon. No restrictions on smartdnsproxy; I'm probably one of their first customers and I remember them saying $19.99 pa for life.
Apr 7th 2024, 7:25 pm
#44
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2021
Posts: 109
Re: Intelsat 901 27.5w coming to the end?
My TV screen size is 50 in and so it clearly shows a difference between HD and SD. Mammals was only SD last night on BBC1 and so was rugby on ITVx in the afternoon. No restrictions on smartdnsproxy; I'm probably one of their first customers and I remember them saying $19.99 pa for life.
Apr 7th 2024, 7:26 pm
#45
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Joined: Mar 2014
Location: East Algarve
Posts: 1,015
Re: Intelsat 901 27.5w coming to the end?
Hi 1Steve. On MEO fibre and using smartdnsproxy, there is no throttling of download speed and no restrictions as with NOS mobile phone masts. I'm still investigating my equipment and will report back later. I suspect something like my video card is reducing the video.
