VAST and Austar simultaneously same dish

[gordon_s1942]

You shouldnt have to change the LNB as the VAST stb is working happily (so far) on my 10700 Austar lnb even though VAST recomended the 11300 but ships the stb preset to 10700.

[phatal]

As soon as the matchmaster switch comes in I will give it a go without changing anything and post my results.

[gordon_s1942]

If the Matchmaster is the electronic multiswitch I think it is, It will have no effect on the LNB setting as all it does is detect and select the correct H-V connection.

[88978123]

.

[phatal]

The matchmaster multiswitch works. I currently have it working with Mystar HD and the VAST decoder. The VAST decoder hasn't been unlocked yet so it is only ABC and SBS however it works fine.

I called Austar again on Friday and basically got a no it can't be done but I don't think they understood what I was getting at. I have sent an email explaining things clearly so hopefully it gets passed onto someone that knows what's going on.....

[Farmsky]

Geez!

Why bother with Austar, just go out and a delight your customers.

[phatal]

Trust me I would love to do that. Shouldn't even need to get in the ceiling at all = me happy.

However if we go ahead and do 100 + installs and Austar crack it we will be shafted

[gordon_s1942]

I doubt either Austar or Foxtel will come to the party regarding connecting of 'their' dish to a VAST stb for very obvious commercial reasons.
While they would quote possible interference to their service which can happen and they might have to pay to have it fixed, the other even bigger worry is that the customer might suddenly decide after seeing whats on VAST, they could terminate their PayTV subscription.
In the old Austech postings were reports of Foxtel installers deliberatly cutting cables from privately owned dishes and one case where a UBI customer had their dish 'Comandered' by Foxtel to service a customer in an other unit.

[phatal]

The other side of that is also the fact they are trying to get a decoder on the market that is austar AND Vast compatible from the same unit.

The thing that I am leaving some hope for however is that we may be classed as remote customers. If this is the case then everything bar the Austar decoder is the property of the householder (as per Austar terms and conditions from their website) therefore it should be a free for all on using the dish.

[gordon_s1942]

Both VAST and Austar can work off the one Dish BUT like both Austar and Fox, once you put TWO of anything on the ONE dish, modifications HAVE to be made !!
If you only have a single Austar/Foxtel stb on a single cable/LNB or a Mystar/IQ on a dual LNB/cable, the appropriate device must be installed to allow the VAST stb to work.
The question is, do you the customer pay for the installation of the VAST because I dont think either PayTV company will simply because it isnt in their best intersets nor do they get any recompence by its use.
The is the same as Aurora,UBI,Selecttv etc.
Because I have 3 stbs, they installed a 4 way multiswitch so I just 'hived' off the unused port.

[phatal]

Just a question (I will go and confirm this later anyway) is Austar and VAST definitely a different polarity? And if you have multiple Austar boxes do you definitely need a multiswitch or can multiple Austar boxes be ran off of splitters. I have a guy here trying to tell me that he has seen Mystar installs that are simply two cables coming of the LNB which go to 2 X 2-way splitters to produce one Mystar and two standard Austar decoder points. He thinks that they work fine.

I am assuming that he is mistaken and that you definitely need the multiswitch.

If I test this theory of using simple splitters will this damage the LNB or decoders if both decoders are trying to get different polarities at the same time?

[gordon_s1942]

YES and NO, hahahaha.
VAST like Aurora are all Vertical polarity where as Austar/Foxtell use both which is why you cant run two of either Austar or Foxtel stb's on a one cable/LNB.
PayTV was always just Horizontal untill the November 2008? changeover when they mixed them both.
Mixing the polarities wont damage the STB or the LNB but as they use the diffence in Voltage to 'switch' polarities in the LNB, one is 14V, the other is 18V.
Say the horizontal is 18V and Vertical 14V (I cant remember which), if both STB's are on a vertical channel at 14V, as soon as you change one STB to Horizontal, the LNB gets the 18V and changes polarity so the Vertical signal is gone.
But wait and read what those more expert can comment on the layout your friend described to you.
There are all sorts of splitters/combiners available that I have no knowledge of and he may well be right.

[OSIRUS]

Most Foxtel/Austar channels are Horizontal Polarity,

But Foxtel/Austar has some services on a few Vertical transponders

e.g

ABC & SBS channels
111 Hits +2
Lifestyle You +2
Disc Turbo+2
Food +2
Setanta Sports
Ovation
NITV
ACC
TVN
CCTV
Al Jazeera
etc....

(not sure if Austar gets all the above channels)

About Splitters,

I have seen many posts of problems connecting STB's using splitters,

they seem to work OK, but then, they find out they are missing some channels on one or more STB's etc...,

A STB seems to work best with its own independent H & V input cable

(but try for youself.....)

[gordon_s1942]

Basicaly Austar has the same channels as Foxtel but Austar takes Al Jazeera on 651 which I dont believe Foxtel does or do they now and we dont get the 'City' option on 600 SkyNews.
This H/V combination is why they say that 'Not all channels are available to all homes' etc.This is aimed more at multiple dwellings/Hotels/motels etc that dont have the abilty to service each STB individualy.
Many still think that Austar and Foxtell have seperate transponders and that there is a 'Border line' that you cant cross over with either STB but it all comes down of C1/D3, its oinly how they direct the STB's as to who sees what and where (channel numbers) on their STB's.

[phatal]

Thanks guys. As I thought it is a possibility but obviously not the best idea to run splitters. I would be installing switches any way however it is something to be aware of on older installs.

All this obviously is potentially pointless anyway as soon as Austar give me their sure to be negative answer to my questions.

[earlsdon]

Just a question (I will go and confirm this later anyway) is Austar and VAST definitely a different polarity? And if you have multiple Austar boxes do you definitely need a multiswitch or can multiple Austar boxes be ran off of splitters. I have a guy here trying to tell me that he has seen Mystar installs that are simply two cables coming of the LNB which go to 2 X 2-way splitters to produce one Mystar and two standard Austar decoder points. He thinks that they work fine.

I am assuming that he is mistaken and that you definitely need the multiswitch.
If I test this theory of using simple splitters will this damage the LNB or decoders if both decoders are trying to get different polarities at the same time?

Foxtel / Austar use both Vertical and Horizontal transponders. VAST and Aurora only use Vertical.

Austar install a multi-switch if the client has more than one decoder.

e.g. I have two Mystar HD boxes - the dish has a twin LNB - the two leads from the LNB go to the multi-switch - it has two inputs - it has individual leads from the four multi-switch outputs - two leads to each box.

I changed the Austar supplied multi-switch for an eight output SPAWN multi-switch so I could add an additional two boxes for Aurora and recently one for VAST - still leaving me with one spare.

Each box automatically selects Vertical or Horizontal depending on what channel the particular box is tuned to.

[phatal]

The multi switch that I am currently experimenting with is an 8 output so that should be plenty big enough for most installs. These are only around $130 from memory.

I am guessing that the splitter install that I got told about was a pre 2008 install before Austar began using both polarities.

[OSIRUS]

Multiswitches from under $20.00 + postage on ebay,

Spaun SMS281F 2x8 Satellite NON POWERED multiswitch LNB

[phatal]

Wow that is pretty cheap. Any disadvantages of using the cheaper multi switch?

[OSIRUS]

Wow that is pretty cheap. Any disadvantages of using the cheaper multi switch?

I got one, about a year ago..... works great....

& I think when I bought mine for about the same price,

(I think it also said Foxtel & Austar approved)

but not saying that now.


edit: I guess you need to checkout the return policy, if you feel its necessary....send them an email etc...