Very Cheap French Digital Receiver

[Anton Redman]

Optex 9510 Digital Satellite Receiver

 

Most of the notes below were originally prepared for a posting on Satcure. Apologies to anybody who uses both sites.  I thought it might add some information to the cheap digital receiver debate. We are about twelve miles North of Bordeaux in France  .The reasons for purchase were to provide:

 

1. A way of listening to UK radio on SKY and videoing FTV while watching other programmes on a SKY digibox.
2. To allow us to watch French morning news and weather programmes. Anternative is a large chimney mounted pole antenna which would be more expensive

The cost excluding wall bracket and co axial cable was Euros 59, say £ 40, from the local equivalent of B & Q. So at this price I was not expecting much and I was not disappointed . The box itself is small aluminised plastic, quite robust and not bad looking. The dish is pressed aluminium and is just about strong enough.

 

First problem was that the default digital transponder set up for Atlantic Bird 3 had ceased transmitting three years ago. The process for accessing other transponder assumed their frequency and orientation was the same as the transponders already set up on other satellites. I eventually found the menu option but it, made the SKY method of adding other ITV regions seem positively user friendly.

 

In contrast to the five dishes I have aligned using a SKY digibox and the two, occasions I have set up French PTV digital systems. I could not get a signal.  NB normally I get the inclination right and the bearing right then have a small adjustment to improve matters.

 

Checked out the Optex Box connected to our dish that is aligned to Astra for Sky and found it was working perfectly. Finally in I dug out the Schneider, made in China, analogue box that the people we had bought the house from had left. Picture immediately, fine-tuned the alignment and then switched back to the Optex. Came in at 85 % strength and 65 % quality and eventually reached 90 % and 79 %.

 

One outstanding problem: Phillips video sender which had worked perfectly in UK produces totally saturated picture on receiving TV unless a second TV is attached to the Scart output from the sender unit in which case the image is perfect. I have swapped SCARTS, swapped TVs moved everything around., considered swapping Isabel for  a more flexible model. None of it improves the picture

 

It is easy to switch the on screen menu to English but you cannot download or access documentation in any languages apart from French

 

Conclusions:

 

It did the job but I doubt anybody could have aligned it without access to another system or a meter..

None of the documentation was any use for either SKY on Astra although menus were OK for set up.

I would hate to be on a support desk in UK receiving calls asking for help about this system.

The EPG is very limited versus a SKY digibox

The only thing which is better is the ease with which you can view other ITV regions/nations but apart from the Cup Final there are not many regional changes.

I have now purchased an analogue box for Atlantic Bird as it receives another couple of channels