CBS DVB-S2 feeds 99w Ku

[nc-jay]

CBS recently switched to DVB-S2, 4000SR, and 1080i for most of their 99w Ku feeds. I notice that my December software X2 Premium struggles with these feeds - it appears to it that the signal is weak, and the video regularly breaks up in a way that makes it appear blocky-pixely.

This is a real surprise, since I haven't found any ITC 4:2:0 video that the X2 can't handle, and especially surprising since the Vantage 1100S handles the CBS feeds with ease - but struggles on other signals. A friend with the same receivers is noticing the same thing.

Is this something we can get looked at, please?

Thanks
nc-jay

[jkara]

Also observed video pixellation on same channels with APR. 2013 FW.

I'm using 8' CM SMC dish w/orthomode feed and NJR LNBs.

jkara - NY

[Costactc]

Any specific tp?

[jkara]

Any specific tp?

Most Ku CBS S2 Vertical TPs that are HD and SR 4000. Compare these with CBS Newspath DVB-S and you'll see.

When you add up their bad weather, a non-commercial receive dish and S2 on Ku = possible errors..

Still having fun with this STB despite some bugs!

[Costactc]

I'll have a look and report back.

[Costactc]

Of all of the hd CBS feeds and there are quite a few on G16, only was glitchy but with strong signal quality on my 4' dish:

11806 V 4000

[el bandido]

CBS recently switched to DVB-S2, 4000SR, and 1080i for most of their 99w Ku feeds. I notice that my December software X2 Premium struggles with these feeds - it appears to it that the signal is weak, and the video regularly breaks up in a way that makes it appear blocky-pixely.

This is a real surprise, since I haven't found any ITC 4:2:0 video that the X2 can't handle, and especially surprising since the Vantage 1100S handles the CBS feeds with ease - but struggles on other signals. A friend with the same receivers is noticing the same thing.

Is this something we can get looked at, please?

Thanks
nc-jay

How did you test the Vantage against the X2? Did you watch the X2 until it started breaking up and then immediately replace it with the Vantage using the exact same antenna cable?

[nc-jay]

How did you test the Vantage against the X2? Did you watch the X2 until it started breaking up and then immediately replace it with the Vantage using the exact same antenna cable?

A valid question. The signals on the X2 were breaking up from tunein, no waiting involved. But first a note about the (satellite) RF topology here.

Eight dishes in the yard, each with its own LNB, are cabled into an array of 4x8 multiswitches, and from those to eight DiSEqC switches, each of seven feeding one receiver, each with its own dedicated monitor. (The eighth is on a Prof 7500 attached to a Windows box.) So I can use the same dish/LNB combo - in this case, the dish is a steerable Prodelin 1.8m offset - and watch on as many receiver/monitor combos as I choose. In my report at the top of the thread, I was comparing reception on the same signals simultaneously as received by the X2 and the Vantage.

Unfortunately - or perhaps fortunately - I was unable to reproduce the video breakup today on any of the six CBS S2 HD feeds present at the moment - 11775, 11780, 11791, 11804, 11820, and 11836 (all Vertical and 4000 SR). So for the time being I guess we can consider this one less of a priority. If I see something different at another time, I'll follow up here.

jkara, what are you seeing?

nc-jay

[Costactc]

A valid question. The signals on the X2 were breaking up from tunein, no waiting involved. But first a note about the (satellite) RF topology here.

Eight dishes in the yard, each with its own LNB, are cabled into an array of 4x8 multiswitches, and from those to eight DiSEqC switches, each of seven feeding one receiver, each with its own dedicated monitor. (The eighth is on a Prof 7500 attached to a Windows box.) So I can use the same dish/LNB combo - in this case, the dish is a steerable Prodelin 1.8m offset - and watch on as many receiver/monitor combos as I choose. In my report at the top of the thread, I was comparing reception on the same signals simultaneously as received by the X2 and the Vantage.

Unfortunately - or perhaps fortunately - I was unable to reproduce the video breakup today on any of the six CBS S2 HD feeds present at the moment - 11775, 11780, 11791, 11804, 11820, and 11836 (all Vertical and 4000 SR). So for the time being I guess we can consider this one less of a priority. If I see something different at another time, I'll follow up here.

jkara, what are you seeing?

nc-jay

I'll start by saying that sounds like a real nice setup you have. Cbs feeds are still a bit glitchy for me today.

[el bandido]

A valid question. The signals on the X2 were breaking up from tunein, no waiting involved. But first a note about the (satellite) RF topology here.

Eight dishes in the yard, each with its own LNB, are cabled into an array of 4x8 multiswitches, and from those to eight DiSEqC switches, each of seven feeding one receiver, each with its own dedicated monitor. (The eighth is on a Prof 7500 attached to a Windows box.) So I can use the same dish/LNB combo - in this case, the dish is a steerable Prodelin 1.8m offset - and watch on as many receiver/monitor combos as I choose. In my report at the top of the thread, I was comparing reception on the same signals simultaneously as received by the X2 and the Vantage.

Unfortunately - or perhaps fortunately - I was unable to reproduce the video breakup today on any of the six CBS S2 HD feeds present at the moment - 11775, 11780, 11791, 11804, 11820, and 11836 (all Vertical and 4000 SR). So for the time being I guess we can consider this one less of a priority. If I see something different at another time, I'll follow up here.

jkara, what are you seeing?

nc-jay

This is a nice system you have but it has too many variables to condemn the X2 and say that it is the reason you are having problems with the 4000sr Ku CBS feeds at 99W. You will need to swap receivers and use the exact same cabling when the problem occurs again, or you may trade places now, putting the X2 where the Vantage is, and move the Vantage to where the X2 is. Doing this would allow you to see if the problem follows the X2. Doing this might narrow it down a bit.

Moisture can be a problem in connectors this time of year and your antenna system has a bunch of connectors in it. A bad cable somewhere could do the same thing. The problem you have described seems to be a moisture or cable type problem. It is also possible that your C/Ku lnb combo may not be illuminating the whole dish.

I find the CBS feeds on 99W to be not as strong as most other transponders on that satellite. It would not take a lot of signal attenuation before I would see pixelation or breakup on these CBS feeds using a 1.8 meter Ku dish.

C/Ku Lnb combinations are almost always some form of a compromise that results in one or both bands losing signal as compared to a single C or Ku lnb being optimized on the same dish. It is pretty common for the Ku lnb of a C/Ku combination to only illuminate about 1 meter of the dish, regardless of the dish size. EB