DSTV in the Middle East
 

Not sure about the actual switch off date, but when I tried to renew my subscription today the local provider in Abu Dhabi wouldn't take my money. I have been a subscriber in Abu Dhabi for almost 10 years through the same local agent, but he showed me an email today saying that the service to the M.E. was being discontinued. :sad:
Anybody finds a way around this, I would be glad to know.
Thanks.

Hmmmmm....

If the email that ExiledScot refers to is genuine, then it appears that MCA (Multichoice Africa) are looking at switching to Ku Band. The reason for the switch is that Ku Band has a tighter footprint within Africa and less 'bleed' into the Middle East - effectively cutting off illegal subscribers....

If anyone can post up details of any adverts that MCA will run on switching to Ku Band for Africa.... let us know please?

Currently, there is a working hack for MCA using a Dreambox and a card share but this is based on C Band transmissions. If MCA switch to Ku Band, then the signal will no longer reach the ME, so setting up a dish and a Dreambox etc. is void.

The only other option then, is to find someone who can stream MCA over the internet (in my experience IP TV is crappy at the best of times).....

Definitely gone. Received this e-mail from Space TV today:

Just renewed mine for a month only with my company in SA. They said defo 31 May cut off
:{

I believe DSTV is switching to Ku Band and releasing their lease on C band transponders from Intelsat i.e. switching off C band...

Oh well....!

Wouldn't the answer be a 'sling box'?

Orbit/Showtime doen't show ANY Formula 1. If you have a sat dish getting Nilesat, Abu Dhabi sports channel show it as do, I thing, Bahrain but obviously with Arabic commentary.
If you get Hotbird, I imagine there are several European channels with it.
Some SA and British rugby, but didn't have any of the 6 Nations :eek:

If you get anything good, PLEASE let us know :ugh:

H-D

Don't know much about slingbox, I looked it up onthe internet and it's not that clear. I understand that the way it works is that you have your satellite receiver in location 'A' and feed the signal through the 'slingbox' over the internet so that you can receive it in location 'B'.

In this case, location 'A' would be ZA where you can legally receive DSTV and are subscribed to it, and location 'B' .... I'll leave that to your imagination!

I hope someone with a bit more knowledge can inform you better than I.

Slingbox
 

Hi CT, setting up a slingbox in SA will require a good upload bandwidth of at least 1Mb with a static IP to feed a stream to destination B. As we know currently bandwidth is costly in SA, and mostly promises a download speed, rather than a stable upload speed. In the UK etc, where I know peers who run this system, there is no problem, as both the service and costs are favourable. :ugh:

6 Nations WAS available on Jazeera Sports Channel +3 with BBC commentators .
I watch Formula 1 on Abu Dhabi Sports 2 , turn the sound down , and tune BBC Radio 5 extra to the laptop for BBC commentary. Or watch it on BBC 1 player via my VPN .

I've got a slingbox, and as Sharkykzn says you need an upload of at least 1mbps to get a good picture and sound. Anything less then 500kbps and the picture becomes 'blocky'. Thats for a standard def image - for HD you will need probably a 7mbps+ upload. You can watch the stream on your laptop/PC and if you can hook it up to your tv and watch on there. Or you can also purchase a 'sling catcher' which you can permanently hook up to your tv direct. Has a remote etc

The only thing i'll contradict with Sharkyksn is that you don't need a static IP, or i never did anyway...

If your slingbox is in the UK and suitably close to an exchange use o2 or Be Braoadband as your isp, both offer 2.5mbps upload speeds :ok:

Oh and if you have an iPhone and purchase the slingbox app you can watch on there as well over a 3G network (and the quality is more than adequate)

DSTV!
 

Anyone have anymore news?

Does the KU band footprint cover the ME?

Anybody tried looking for covereage.

No luck in Bahrain!!!

SatBeams - Satellite Coverage Maps - Sat Footprint Eutelsat W4 / Eutelsat W7

The west coast of Saudi might get it, but not the other side of the Gulf.

Mutt

Actually got a message on screen last night - If you are still on C band signal lost on 31 May. Need to change to W7 or E7 Satts.
Not that I didnt believe it, but seems it really is happening.

Mutt
That shows the Eurasia beam squarley on us, or is DSTV only on the Sub Saharan and Sth Africa beam? Its the same Sattelite?

I'm also seeking a solution, this chart shows the MultiChoice is only on the Sub Sahara and Africa beams.

MultiChoice Africa on Eutelsat W7 at 36.0°E - LyngSat

Mutt

Guys, it's going. I got cut off on 20th when my subs ran out. have had to subscribe to showtime - not a bad package - I watched the 2 Super 14 semi's last week and they do televise it all - no 7's though!!!!!

jumbo1......i beg to differ on your comment of "no 7's though".......Showsports showed the IRB London 7's last week and this weekend they're showing the IRB Edinburgh 7's.........

Wun
Quite right - I see it's on today as well. CANCEL LAST!
Happy viewing
J

Clarification
 

@ Mutt

You are right.... The Ku beam appears to hit the SW corner of Saudi only.

@ Dixons Cider

MNET will only buy transponder space on the two transponders that cover south Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. They will not broadcast on the Eurasia transponder. This is how they will limit the signal to those countries that have MNET broadcast licence's

@ Capetonian

Yes - the Slingbox will only be 'workable' if the upload speed is in excess of 1Mb/s and provided the guy providing the 'service' is happy to set his decoder on the channel of your choice. Not a workable solution in my opinion.

What could be workable however, is if a friend in South Africa (or any MNET covered country) were to record the sports you wanted (ripping from their PVR/DVR) and then uploading these files to an ftp server. You could download the .avi file and watch it on your TV using the Western Digital WD Live multimedia box. Messy - but workable.

But live MNET as we used to know it here in the ME is sadly now part of history....

A mate in the TV business in Media City told me that since OSN have lost the Premier League rights next season, expect to see an improved selection of other sports. NRL is a classic example.

halas