Not sure if this is the correct forum but I think the picture quality / data rate must have been reduced on the CBS Action channel to a new low level causing the imfamous blocking during fast movement.

Once upon a time Digital promised a quality picture. Now the try and squeeze a gallon out of a pint pot.

Automan.

The bitrate has always been very poor on these channels going back to the Zone days. They should improve it or bring along HD as all there newer shows on Action/Drama look very pixelated.

The picture quality last night was that bad I looked out of the window expecting to see a heavy thunderstorm, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Hmmm - I haven't noticed much in the way of blocking. I watched an episode of Star Trek on CBS Action on Wednesday and I thought that the picture and sound were fine. I didn't notice any blocking issues, even through the ad. breaks.

Perhaps this is a receiver issue - I was using a Technisat box.


Clem

I've had CBS Action running on various Sky boxes (without cards) for the last few weeks, and never noticed any quality problems - it seems pretty decent.

CBS Action is one of the few channels that always gives me reception problems. But as was pointed out to me the other week, its on one of the highest frequencies used at 12560MHz (I think theres only 1 or maybe 2 higher). So if your box is marginal at that level, as mine seems to be, that might be one reason.

Just tried to tune into CBS Action tonight and I'm getting 'no or bad signal'. Normally I get a decent signal but occasionally have problems wth signal quality. Since I'm still receiveing all other channels normally it would seem to suggest that something has changed with this transponder.

I have a lot of problems with the CBS Action channel, it seems to be the group of channels on that transponder i think its on 12.560 v, i have tried adjusting my dish, but the signal seems to be always low on that transponder , i have even changed my lnb thinking it might be that, but no luck.

It is that transponder. There are a couple of frequencies nearby that supply the spot beam transmissions to Nigeria and also there a couple of europe wide feeds on those same frequencies. It's possible that this might compromise the power levels for the channels on this transponder.

Apart from CBS Action and Euronews, most of the ones here are crap anyway. ... I don't have any trouble receiving them though on my FTA non sky or freesat box.

So what you're saying here is that signals from other satellites can cause interference?

I'm slightly confused by this, I'm not saying your wrong because I don't understand enough about the technicalities of how the signals work to comment. But my layman's understanding was that the same bunch of frequencies were reused by all the different satellite TV positions since everything was so directional. Hence why aligning a dish properly is so important.

Nope. The signals are from the same satellite position (Astra/Eurobird) on a nearby frequency. Not sure how it all works, but the frequency separation is much less than some of the other transponders.
In fact there are a few that operate different polarities on the same frequency. These ones sometimes give me an issue.

I have always had trouble with CBS Reality and CBS Action channels, I got a new LMB which has improved them but they are not perfect and prone to picture break up. My mam living 9 miles away and using the same Freesat HDR as I am, never has a problem with these channels. Does my dish need to be higher? Or do I need a larger dish ?

There isn't really a problem, Astra are reusing those higher frequencies for a spot beam in Nigeria which we have no chance in hell of receiving and are completly dround out by Eurobirds signals.

Some of the Eurobird signals are marginal on poorly aligned dishes or iffy old lnb's. Setanta cheep uplink company used to really screw up there uplink at times so you at times struggled to get a stable picture on a perfectly alligned zone 2 dish.

It is weird though, beautiful cloudless sky today and absolutely nothing being picked up here from that transponder. Even in bad weather I only usually get total signal loss occasionally.

CBS Reality which is on the next frequency down is coming through perfectly with 90% signal and 40% quality and The Active Channel which is on the next frequency up is also fine with 95% signal and 60% quality.

May be we should all list the channels we are having problems receiving,i know of a few channels which i have weak signals on, CBS Action , Euronews, Horse & Country, Travel, JML Cookshop+, JML Direct, Thats a few of the ones i have signal problems on.

The channels you list are all carried on the same transponder, 12560 V from Eurobird 1, see: http://www.lyngsat.com/eb1.html

I also find the "True movie" channels, Bliss etc are very weak, along with the CBS ones previously mentioned - I expect they get a price reduction for using these "Marginal" channels.
Bob

There is definately a problem with this and the transponder that cbs reality uses as they are both in the red on my Humax box

Although a low bitrate channel giving a grainy picture most of the problems above are almost certainly down to one of 3 problems

1 An ailing or out of spec lnb (not unkown on even new lnbs
2 Poor quality or damaged cabling - a kink or very sharp bend in a cable can cause reflections of the signal at one particular frequency and so give a very much lower quality signal at that ferquency. Poor quality cable (such as "TV aerial cable" may not be able to handle the signal bandwidth required.
3 An ailing or out of spec tuner in the receiver - there was a large batch of Harvard produced freesat boxes with such a problem.

I have no major problems with this channel on any of 3 Sky boxes and 4 generic FTA boxes here with my totally self installed system.

CBS Action has reappeared for me this morning after having 'no or bad signal' since last Friday. I've not made any changes to my setup in that time. This would suggest that there has been something affecting this transponder albeit maybe only noticeable to those people whose reception was already marginal

Now back to full signal strength so who knows what`s happening.

I think the eurobird satellite has some sort of problem, its made me move my dish, change my lnb, one minute its ok next its not, i wish all the channels were on the astra satellites.

I think you are right Topvision, I don't expect too many folks watch these channels, so they get away with it most of the time.
I expect this problem will be cured by the arrival of the Astra 2C bird, which will replace Eurobird soon.
Bob

CBS Action is down in signal again tonight on mine, one minute its there then its gone again, or is it just me, i will be glad if astra 2c does come back to 28.2 , i have freesat so watch these channels a lot.

I emailed Action TV about this at the weekend, no answer yet!