TRANSPONDER MONITOR
Interspace’s in-depth study of European satellite activity, compiled by Mike FallonKey
Key:
D – Digital
A – Analogue
All times in UTC unless otherwise stated.
SR – Symbol Rate
FEC – Forward Error Correction
VPID – Video Programme Identifier
APID – Audio Programme Identifier
62 degreesE:
Intelsat 602
A On February 5 at 14:30 a relay of a news programme from the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation in clear Secam was carried on 4166MHz RHCP.
60 degreesE:
Intelsat 604
A At 14:35 on February 5 a feed from an unidentified south Asian location was fed over 4188MHz RHCP in clear Pal.
57 degreesE:
NSS-703
A RTNC from the Democratic Republic of Congo on 3801MHz RHCP appears to have switched permanently to Pal from Secam.
45 degreesE:
Europe*Star-1
D There is a GlobeCast caption being relayed on 12529MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 5/6, VPID 1160, APID 1120 in clear MPEG-2.
42 degreesE:
Turksat 1C & Eurasiasat 1
D Eurasiasat-1 has burst into life with Eksen Istanbul carrying out test transmissions on 12592MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256 in encoded MPEG-2.
A Unmodulated carriers have been noted on 11881MHz and 11919MHz vertical as tests are carried out on the new Turksat-2A. TRT Gap has left 11585MHz horizontal and has entered a transponder share with TRT 3 on 11465MHz horizontal. TRT Avrasya has been renamed TRT Turk on 11553MHz horizontal. Mega Radyo appears to have left the 7.38MHz audio sub-carrier on the back of Show TV at 11046MHz vertical and at 11122MHz horizontal Radyo Sahin has left 8.10MHz behind Samanyolu TV.
36 degreesE:
Eutelsat W4 & SESAT
D A programme for the German channel Sat 1 entitled “GirlsCamp” is being fed live from a location in Spain on 11097MHz horizontal, SR 6109, FEC 3/4, VPID 33, APID 34, ID: “Service 1” in clear MPEG-2 at various times throughout the day and night. On February 6 at 12:00 an encoded Italian feed was noted on 10959MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256, ID: “ITA-114 TELESPAZIO”. Also on the 6th, live skiing from St Anton for ORF was fed over 11105MHz horizontal, SR 6109, FEC 3/4, VPID 512, APID 4112 at 17:35.
31 degreesE:
Turksat 1B
D Mega Music Channel is currently broadcasting in clear MPEG-2 on 10972MHz horizontal, SR 3600, FEC 5/6, VPID 4130, APID 4131. It is accompanied by Radyo Mega on APID 4132, which is also free-to-air. The Medical Channel has replaced ISTV Kanal Tek on 11136MHz vertical, SR 2244, FEC 5/6, V515, A512. Popcorn, a Turkish children’s and music channel, is free-to-air at present on 10976MHz horizontal, SR 2170, FEC 7/8, V33, A34.
28.5 degreesE:
Eutelsat II-F4
D The two Czech Republic domestic channels, CT1 and CT2, which have been free-to-air for several weeks in the CzechLink bouquet on 11554MHz horizontal have returned to Cryptoworks encoding.
28.2 degreesE:
Astra-2A, 2B & 2D
D Astra 2D has taken over from Astra-1D on schedule. 1D is moving slowly westwards towards 19.2 degrees East where it will join the other Astra constellation. There have not been any frequency changes as a result of the switch. A new interactive service from the florist service, Interflora, has launched on 12304MHz horizontal, VPID 2355, APID 2356. Richard Branson is coming to Sky Digital with his own creation, Virgin Travelstore TV. The new channel, which unsurprisingly will concentrate on Virgin Airways and Virgin Travel deals, is expected to launch next month and will air for 24 hours a day. Red Hot Amateur is a new soft porn channel from the providers of Red Hot Films and Red Hot Euro. The new channel has launched on 12110MHz horizontal, VPID 2320, APID 2321. A new radio channel, The Storm, has launched on 12324MHz vertical, APID 656, Sky Channel 952. LBH Radio on 12110MHz horizontal has undergone an identity change. It is now known as The Scene. Troubled MBI Europe has returned to 11973MHz vertical, VPID 2316, APID 2318 after another enforced absence. The channel, which emanates from Nigeria, was off air for several months last year following technical problems with their PAS-3R C-Band feed which is used to deliver the signal here. Alpha TV Bangla has been replaced by Zee Bangla on 11973MHz vertical, VPID 2307, APID 2308 in Videoguard encoded MPEG-2. Both The Adult Channel and Playboy TV UK have vacated 10921MHz horizontal and have relocated to 12480MHz vertical. B4U Direct Channels 1 & 2 have been testing recently on 12402MHz vertical, VPIDs 2304/2306, APIDs 2305/2307, Sky Channels 818 and 819 in place of U Direct Film Channels 12 & 13. It looks like ITV’s move onto the Sky Digital package may be further delayed. Sky is bound to carry the channel by the time that analogue terrestrial TV is no more but apparently the two organisations are unable to come to agreement about carriage costs. The delayed Music Choice Interactive service is now slated for a March launch on Sky Channels 480 and 481. Rapture TV has moved in the Sky EPG from 187 to 458. The move, which coincides with Rapture’s change in direction from a youth general entertainment channel to much more of a music channel. The EPG move will place the channel in the music section of the EPG.
26 degreesE:
Arabsat 2A & 3A
D EuroSport News has joined Manchester United TV on 12563MHz horizontal, VPID 523, APID 760 where the two channels share a stream. The Jordan Satellite Channel, also on 12563MHz horizontal, has been replaced by ART Hekayat via PIDs V517, A700.
A Arab News Network – ANN has left 11977MHz vertical from where it had been broadcasting in clear Pal for some considerable time.
21.5 degreesE:
Eutelsat II-F3
D On February 9 at 08:45 a live feed from the Anglo-French summit was fed over 11691MHz horizontal, SR 5630, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256 in clear MPEG-2 for the Sky News “Sunrise” programme.
19.2 degreesE:
Astra 1A-C & E-H
D Viva Zwei has opened on 12552MHz vertical, VPID 171, APID 172 in free-to-air MPEG-2. A Pon Kanaal testcard has appeared on 12604MHz horizontal, SR 22000, FEC 5/6, VPID 351, APID 352 in free-to-air MPEG-2. Tele Francais Juive has commenced regular programming on 12012MHz vertical, V162, A89 in Mediaguard encoded MPEG-2 within the Canal Satellite Numerique package. M2 from Hungary, the second domestic channel, has launched on 11992MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 171, APID 102 within the Polish Wizja package in Cryptoworks encoded MPEG-2. This channel can be found free-to-air in Pal on Hotbird at 13 degrees east, 12130MHz horizontal. Also on 11992 MHz horizontal E! Entertainment and Wizja Cinema appear to have left the bouquet. On 11876MHz horizontal TVN is now encoded.
A More BSkyB analogue channels are about to depart forever. On March 31 Discovery, Discovery Home & Leisure, Challenge TV, Animal Planet, Living, UK old, Trouble, Sci-Fi, Bravo, The History Channel and UK Horizons will all be switched off. In the past week or so Granada Plus, Granada Men & Motors, Shop America and Tamil Broadcasting have all left 11244MHz horizontal. Fox Kids UK and National Geographic UK have been replaced by the German music channel Viva Zwei on 11303 MHz horizontal in clear Pal. On 11244MHz horizontal a caption stating “RTL SHOP STARTS ON 1.3.2001, ANALOGUE AND UNENCODED” is currently displayed when a promo loop is not running.
16 degreesE:
Eutelsat W2
D On February 3 at 13:00 a handball match between Serbia and Sweden being played in Paris was fed over 12553MHz horizontal, SR 5632, FEC 3/4 in clear MPEG-2.
13 degreesE:
Hotbirds 1/2/3/4/5
D TV d’Algerie has been replaced by a promo channel called TPS & Vous on 11034MHz vertical, VPID 1020, APID 1030 in clear MPEG-2. The Moroccan channel 2M has launched a full service on 12475MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 in clear MPEG-2. At present the output here is in parallel with 2M’s original outlet on Intelsat-706 at 53 degrees West. ItaliaSat has started regular programmes on 12092MHz horizontal, VPID 4600, APID 4601 in clear MPEG-2. Russian language Radio Melodia in the Telespazio package on 12673MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 has changed audio PID to 406. Radio Sedaye Iran has launched in the Iranian digital platform on 12597MHz vertical, APID 2124. A UBN test card has appeared on 12092MHz horizontal, VPID 4610, APID 4611 in free-to-air MPEG-2.
A On the back of Duna TV at 12130MHz horizontal two Hungarian radio services have appeared. They are Radio Budapest/Kossuth Radio – 7.38MHz and the regional station, Magyar Radio Regionalis es Nemzetisegi Adasok on 7.56MHz.
10 degreesE:
Eutelsat W1
D ESA TV, the European Space Agency channel which airs live coverage of Ariane launches from Kourou plus live relays from NASA TV during Shuttle flights, has changed PIDs to V33, A34. NASA TV can usually be found on NSS-K at 21.5 degrees West during Shuttle flights. On February 1 several European basketball playoff matches were played. On 11079MHz horizontal, SR 6111, FEC 3/4, V308, A256, ID: “CCS ETTD-6” carried the Barcelona V Benetton game for Spanish television. The same match was carried on 11070MHz horizontal for an Italian network with the same parameters. 11003MHz horizontal, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, V308, A256, ID: “ITA-114 TELESPAZIO” was used to relay the Bologna V Estudiantes. Also on the 1st, the soccer match between Graafschap and Ajax from the Netherlands was carried on 10960MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, V771, A781 in clear Pal at 19:00. On February 4 at 16:00 a Iliabum V Benfica basketball game in the Portuguese league was relayed on 11070MHz horizontal, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, V308, A256, ID: “MEDIA LUSO UPLINK”.
A The three Turkish radio stations, Metro FM, Kral FM and Super FM have all returned to 11178MHz vertical via the 7.02, 7.20 and 7/38/7.56MHz audio sub-carriers on the back of InterStar. The Herbalife Network continues to use Eutelsat-W1 capacity for its regular promotional programmes. On February 7 at 1915 the service was on 11163MHz horizontal in clear Pal with its usual collection of multiple language soundtracks – English (6.50MHz), German (7.02MHz), French (7.20MHz), Italian (7.38MHz), Spanish (7.56MHz), Russian (7.74MHz), Czech (7.92MHz) and Polish (8.10MHz). There have been some changes to the radio line-up on the back of Samanyolu TV at 11625MHz vertical. The current configuration is Burc FM (7.20 MHz), Dunya Radyo (7.38 MHz), Maramara Radyo (7.92 MHz). In addition, the 7.74MHz audio sub-carrier is relaying a Turkish Islamic radio station with Koranic readings. This is believed to be Akra FM. At least part, if not all, of a soon to be released movie called Lonely Hearts, which stars Hugh Grant was fed over 11133MHz horizontal, SR 5699, FEC 3/4, VPID 1160, APID 1120 on February 9 at 20:00.
7 degreesE:
Eutelsat W3
D Some of the output from the Turkish channel Islik TV is encoded in Conax on 11492MHz vertical, SR 30000, FEC 3/4, VPID 2109, APID 2211 though most of the programming remains free-to-air. A new interactive service from Turkey has opened on 11513MHz horizontal, SR 30000, FEC 3/4 entitled Oxopixo ITV.
5 degreesE:
Sirius 2/3
D ICTV from Ukraine has commenced regular programming on 12634MHz vertical, SR 3222, FEC 7/8, VPID 3601, APID 3604 in free-to-air MPEG-2. On 12111MHz horizontal, VPID 52, APID 53, a Nimrooz TV promo has launched in clear MPEG-2. Russian ORT has left 12684MHz horizontal, SR 4959, FEC 7/8 where it had been available in MPEG 4:2:2 for Scandinavian cable headends. Simaye Azadi Iran National TV has launched within the UK based Merlin Communications multiplex on 12111MHz horizontal, VPID 57, APID 64 in clear MPEG-2. This Iranian channel is also available via the Kingston TLI multiplex on 12453MHz horizontal, SR 18052, FEC 3/4, VPID 133, APID 132.
0.8 degrees/1 degreesW:
Thor 1, 2 & 3 & Intelsat 707
D Denmark’s version of Big Brother has launched regular transmissions on 11677MHz horizontal. There are three streams here which are all encoded in Conax. Chinese channels CCTV 4 and CCTV 9 are switching in and out of Conax encryption on 11174MHz horizontal in readiness for full time encoding.
5 degreesW:
Telecom 2C
D Muslim TV Ahmadhiyya International has launched on 3785MHz RHCP, VPID 2221, APID 2231 in clear MPEG-2.
8 degreesW:
Telecom 2A/D
D The PIDs for Homebase FM and Tiles FM on 12527MHz vertical have changed to 102/4097 respectively. On February 9 at 19:00 a live relay of the Belgian football match between La Louviere and Club Brugge was fed over 12725MHz vertical, SR 5630, FEC3/4, VPID 100, APID 110, ID: “TV” in clear MPEG-2. Some coverage of the UK Cross Country Championships was carried on 12513MHz vertical, SR 11800, FEC 3/4, ID: “Test” on February 10 at 12:30 for Sky Sports. On February 11 at 13:00 two streams were active on 11601MHz horizontal and 11676MHz horizontal, SR 6109, FEC 3/4, VPID 4194, APID 4195, ID: “SRG FLAVIA 2” (parameters identical for both streams) with live Davis Cup tennis between Switzerland and USA.
11 degreesW:
Express 3A & Telecom 2B
D The first activity from Telecom-2B since its recent arrival here was a feed on 12697MHz horizontal, SR 6109, FEC 3/4, VPID 512, APID 4112, ID: “FTR/F.14/1/6111SDI” on February 9. However, this was encoded.
21.3 degrees/21.5 degreesW:
NSS-803 & NSS-K
D The World feed for the Superbowl from the US was carried on 11503MHz horizontal, SR 9999, FEC 3/4 on January 28. Unfortunately this was encoded for the entire game. Another encoded feed from the same venue for the German channel Premiere Sport was carried on 11553MHz horizontal, SR 9999, FEC 3/4. Some clear coverage was shown on the Reuters Washington stream at 11464MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4. On January 31 at around 23:55 highlights of two Brazilian soccer games were relayed on 11549MHz horizontal, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, VPID 522, APID 650, ID: “BrightStar London”. These were the Rio de Janeiro V Sao Paulo game and the Palmeiras V Flamengo match. The regular WWF/WCW wrestling feeds for Sky from the US continue to appear here. On January 31 at 01:30 WCW “Thunder” was relayed on 11559MHz horizontal, SR 5630, FEC 3/4 in clear MPEG-2. During the current Space Shuttle mission to deliver equipment to the International Space Station live and recorded coverage of the mission can often be seen, courtesy of NASA TV, on 11464MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4 and/or via one of the GlobeCast streams on 11590MHz vertical.
27.5 degreesW:
Intelsat 605
D CineNova has commenced regular programming within the BT multiplex at 11665MHz horizontal, SR 30500, FEC 3/4, VPID 1460, APID 1420 in encoded MPEG-2.
30 degreesW:
Hispasat 1A/B/C
D Canal Parlamento has launched on 11931MHz horizontal, VPID 4312, APID 4313 in clear MPEG-2. Retelsat has opened on 11931MHz horizontal, V4464, A4465 in free-to-air MPEG-2. Both SporTV on 11811MHz horizontal and Canal Panda at 11811MHz vertical are now encoded. Radio Maria has launched on 12172MHz vertical via APID 1200. Two of the Spanish terrestrial channels, TVE La Primera and TVE La 2 continue to broadcast in free-to-air MPEG-2 on 11731MHz vertical though there has been some testing of encryption methods here. The Spanish regional TV channel, Canal 47 Sevilla, has also joined the line-up on 11731MHz vertical via VPID 3105, APID 3106 in clear MPEG-2. The Spanish regional channel, TV3 Catalunya, uses Hispasat capacity to feed live OB traffic for their early evening magazine programme.
31.5 degreesW:
Intelsat 801
D Live coverage of the Birmingham City-v-Ipswich Town soccer match for Sky Sports was fed over 10952MHz vertical and 10974MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, ID: “TES 24” in free- to-air MPEG-2 on January 31 at 19:00. A soccer match between Barcelona and Atletico Bilbao was fed over 11730MHz vertical, SR 28120, FEC 5/6, ID: “Programa 2” in free-to-air MPEG- 2 on February 3 at 20:00. On the 9th the Lyon-v-St Etienne game in the French Premiership was carried live on 10965MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256, ID: “BT TES 11”. Another stream, 10999MHz vertical (same parameters), ID: “5.632 Msymbs/s 4:2:0” was also relaying this game in parallel.
37.5 degreesW:
Telstar 11 & Columbia 515
D The Studio, a new movie channel from Universal Studios which has just launched on the NTL cable service in the UK, is being fed eastbound from the US here. The channel, which is encoded, is using 11534MHz vertical, VPID 515, APID 670.
40.5 degreesW:
NSS-806
D The Venezuelan TV channel, Programacion VTV, is currently free-to-air on 3877MHz RHCP, SR 18333, FEC 5/6, VPID 1160, APID 1120.
53 degreesW:
Intelsat 706
D ORTB from Benin in Africa has left 3975MHz RHCP from where it had been available in clear MPEG-2 for several months. The channel has changed over to digital compression.
A ORTB Benin has launched in clear MPEG-2 on 3828MHz RHCP, SR 4339, FEC 3/4, VPID 33, APID 35.