Wasn't much of the attraction the fact that you were watching something you weren't supposed to be watching and maybe a feeling of "oneupmanship" (in a nice way) over friends who couldn't. I could subscribe to the films and sport on Sky but don't.
People wanted Premiere more in them days because you could hear and partly see what was going on. It was the same with Filmnet to, hearing the sound played a big part in people wanting to watch it. This is why in the later days they encrypted it using digital audio and then d2mac Eurocrypt. It's not so fun these days because you get no sound and no partial picture to look at. Can you imagine what it would be like if Showtime on 7w was available on a 45cm dish on 28e using old analogue type of encryptions? You would get most of the UK trying their dam best to decode the signal.
You would get alot of viewers tuning into Sky Sports to listen to the audio.
I also tuned into Premiere alot because N-Joy Radio was broadcasting on the same transponder.
I also tuned into Premiere alot because N-Joy Radio was broadcasting on the same transponder.
Yeaah! I was a regular on Premiere, just for that radio station! I used it as an alarm to wake up in the morning! My receiver tuned in, the hi-fi set turned on and the VCR - connected to the hi-fi - scheduled to turn on at the desired time!
Yeaah! I was a regular on Premiere, just for that radio station! I used it as an alarm to wake up in the morning! My receiver tuned in, the hi-fi set turned on and the VCR - connected to the hi-fi - scheduled to turn on at the desired time!
That is actually a great idea.
Didn't you just love the sound from analogue satellite. Sounded so much better than the compressed stations of digital.
I could get Filmnet and TV 1000 and MTV on a previous setup ie: Paraboliic 1mtr dish with CAL amp LNB Pace IP500 analogue receiver sourced from TurboSat. The receiver the same as the SKY subsidized box but with onboard positioner. TV was a Mitsibushi manufactured in the UK (Haddington East Lothian former Tandberg plant) This set was manufactured for Europe nad could auto manage the Pal variants and Secam. It would initialise in black and white and within a couple of seconds or so reset to the required colour transmission format.
I had TV1000, TV3s (Filmnet was replaced by Canal+ I think), NRK1, NRK2, DR, DR2, TV4, Kanal Fem (5) and various others (from Multichoice) when they moved to 1w. I had (still have) an original Macab D/D2Mac decoder, a very good little device it was too. I'll not say where I got the card(s), but encryption key changes were a doddle to sort out.
Before I got my kit, I used to connect up my converted BSB box to 19e and watch the Scandinavian stuff on there.
I had the Ferguson BSB conversion. It couldn't do NRK1 though, which I think was D-MAC, as opposed to D2-MAC. I then went out and bought a Philips CTU900- I still have it- can't give the thing away!!
I had a couple of those Ferguson BSB converter chips... one cost £18 from Sendz components and made the box simply tune up or down - no menus or anything... but it allowed reception of free D2Mac channels... then I got a Trac satellite BSB upgrade chip which made the Ferguson have full menus and options.... on the later versions of a Ferguson BSB it even could unscramble 'soft encrypted' programes, in particular Canal plus on 19w which was in a sort of test phase for some time....they only soft scrambled for a few months and I could get films and the most disgusting adult programming i'd ever seen! - and in anamorphic widescreen too.
Most remarkable was being able to receive the France Telecom HDMAC test broadcasts, a standard D2Mac receiver picked up HDMAC and viewed as standard definition and some test broadcasts would have 4 smaller widescreen channels running in one normal sized TV screen (the HDMAC receivers allowed you to view on of these 'channels' (essentially a quarter of the screen with 4 audio soundtracks broadcast and selectable) and it would still be 625 line standard definition with stereo sound. Remarkable for around 1992.
Sadly my video recordings of these tests are lost. :mad:
I wish I had recorderd more TV channel DOG's and idents in the later 80's early 90's. It was not so easy then though with only having VHS tapes to record onto.
Comments
You would get alot of viewers tuning into Sky Sports to listen to the audio.
I also tuned into Premiere alot because N-Joy Radio was broadcasting on the same transponder.
Ahhh N-Joy radio - I remember them! Started on 04/04/1994 at 4:44PM! They were being broadcast live on N3 that night and I had a mention on it!
I also passed my driving test that day too! LOL
Yeaah! I was a regular on Premiere, just for that radio station! I used it as an alarm to wake up in the morning! My receiver tuned in, the hi-fi set turned on and the VCR - connected to the hi-fi - scheduled to turn on at the desired time!
That is actually a great idea.
Didn't you just love the sound from analogue satellite. Sounded so much better than the compressed stations of digital.
Thats pretty cool!:D
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nhUqwu1Y7A
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3asJsOBqKY
Recorded in 1995 when the service was unencrypted and showing promos.
Before I got my kit, I used to connect up my converted BSB box to 19e and watch the Scandinavian stuff on there.
I had the Ferguson BSB conversion. It couldn't do NRK1 though, which I think was D-MAC, as opposed to D2-MAC. I then went out and bought a Philips CTU900- I still have it- can't give the thing away!!
Most remarkable was being able to receive the France Telecom HDMAC test broadcasts, a standard D2Mac receiver picked up HDMAC and viewed as standard definition and some test broadcasts would have 4 smaller widescreen channels running in one normal sized TV screen (the HDMAC receivers allowed you to view on of these 'channels' (essentially a quarter of the screen with 4 audio soundtracks broadcast and selectable) and it would still be 625 line standard definition with stereo sound. Remarkable for around 1992.
Sadly my video recordings of these tests are lost. :mad: