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4DTV FAQ

Table of Contents

1. General
1.1 What is 4DTV?
1.2 What receivers can be considered to be 4DTV receivers?
1.3 What digital receivers are not 4DTV receivers?

2. Digicipher II
2.1. What is Digicipher II?
2.2. What is the difference between DVB and DCII?

3. Frequently asked questions.

3.1 What can I do if the IPG is not downloading?
3.2 What can be done about the weak HBO/Max digital channels?
3.3 How can I set the remote to control the volume on the receiver?
3.4 Which VideoCipher modules are compatible with 4DTV?
3.5 How should I prepare for a Master Reset?
3.6 How do I interpret the meaning of the Diagnostic Screens?
3.7 What are the real names of the satellites in the 4DTV chart?
3.8 What are the differences between a DSR 920 and a DSR 922?
3.9 What are the differences between a DSR 920 and a DSR 921?

4.0 Autoresponders
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1. General

1.1 What is 4DTV?
4DTV is a consumer level satellite receiver designed to receive a digital
transmission format which was created and developed by General Instruments.
4DTV has been manufactured under different company names, such as Next
Level, G.I, and Motorola. G.I is currently owned by Motorola. Next Level
was only a subdivision of G.I and this name is no longer in use.

1.2 What receivers can be considered to be 4DTV receivers?
All 4DTV receivers are currently manufactured by the General Instruments
division of Motorola. Current 4DTV models are:

DSR 920 (US IRD)
DSR 921 (Canadian IRD)
DSR 922 (Newer model US IRD)
DSR 905 (DCII digital sidecar)
Other StarChoice Canadian Receivers possibly may be considered to be 4DTV.


1.3 What digital receivers are not 4DTV receivers?
Only General Instrument consumer level receivers are called 4DTV receivers.
G.I. also produces commercial and educational receivers that are able to
process Digicipher II signals, but they are not called 4DTV. This is only
due to the nomenclature used by G.I.

DSS and DBS small dish receivers definitely are not 4DTV receivers. Dish
Network, DirecTV and Bell ExpressVue receivers for example do not process
Digicipher II signals and there for are not 4DTV or Digicipher II.

MPEG 1.5 and MPEG DVB receivers are not 4DTV or Digicipher II.

Although 4DTV receivers have a renewable security slot, this slot currently
serves no purpose. Any receiver that uses a CAM, H-Card or Hu-Card is not a
4DTV receiver.



2. Digicipher II

2.1. What is Digicipher II?
Digicipher II is Motorola's (G.I's) MPEG-2 based distribution system.
It's used by about many of "cable" channels in North America to distribute
their video to cable headends, DCII is also used by Canada's StarChoice
direct-to-home service.

2.2. What is the difference between DVB and DCII?
Where DVB and DCII are really different is in how the channel definitions
get into the receiver. DCII was designed before the DVB standard was
ratified and General Instrument (now a part of Motorola) designed their
own scheme without any interfacing to the work being done by the DVB team.

For detailed information on Digicipher II and MPEG DVB see:
http://www.coolstf.com/mpeg/index.html#dcii



3. Frequently asked questions.

3.1 What can I do if the IPG is not downloading?
http://my4dtv.tripod.com/ipgfix1.htm

3.2 What can be done about the weak HBO/Max digital channels?
These channels can be very difficult or impossible to receive. In many
areas of the country it appears that a 10' dish is needed. If you have
a dish smaller than 10' it needs to be peaked to the arc and properly
tuned. There is a chance that you will not be able to receive these
channels no matter what is done.

For info on peaking the dish see:
http://www.geo-orbit.org/sizepgs/tuningp2.html

3.3 How can I set the remote to control the volume on the receiver?
For this information and other help with the remote see:
http://prestocomm.netfirms.com/remotehelp.html

3.4 Which VideoCipher modules are compatible with 4DTV?
VCII (or VideoCipher II) was the original VideoCipher technology, which was
compromised very early on. Many people modified the VCII module in order to
watch subscription programming without paying for it. This technology was no
longer manufactured after 1989, and was completely replaced by the VCII+
technology in 1993. VCII modules were black. VCII modules are not compatible
with 4DTV IRD's.

The following modules are compatible with 4DTV, but there have been a few
people reporting they have had difficulty getting the VCII+ module to work
with a 4DTV. The VCII+ module should be compatible, but no absolute promises
can be made.

VCII+ (or VideoCipher II Plus) was a more secure technology mainly because
GI integrated a bunch of separate chips into a single secure chip. The VCII+
boards also supported more scrambled channels than the VCII (256 tier bits
instead of only 56). VCII+ modules were originally the lighter color blue,
and then changed to pink to denote that they were covered by the Consumer
Security Protection Plan (CSPP), which guaranteed a free upgrade to VCRS
if the VCII+ security was compromised within the first three years of
ownership. These began shipping in 1990 and stopped shipping in 1992.

VCRS (or VideoCipher Renewable Security) was an enhancement to the basic
VCII+ technology, but added the security card (known as TVPassCard), which
is the replaceable security. The VCRS is shipped without a TVPassCard, but
is designed to accept a card if the base module becomes compromised. In that
event, all base modules without a card would no longer be able to decrypt
the signals. VCRS boards are navy blue or purple to denote that they can be
exported out of the US. The purple modules were known as VCRSi, but were
functionally the same. All VCRS boards were covered by the three year CSPP.
They began shipping in 1992, and stopped being manufactured in 1998.


3.5 How should I prepare for a Master Reset?
http://my4dtv.tripod.com/mr.htm

3.6 How do I interpret the meaning of the Diagnostic Screens?
http://home.austin.rr.com/drlev/Diagscrn/diagscrn.htm

3.7 What are the real names of the satellites in the 4DTV chart?
http://www.4dtvforum.com/sat_chart.shtml

3.8 What are the differences between a DSR 920 and a DSR 922?
http://members.rogers.com/4dtv/
http://members.rogers.com/4dtv/922/index.html

3.9 What are the differences between a DSR 920 and a DSR 921?
The DSR 920 is a US IRD and can only be authorized for US programming
providers. The DSR 921 is a StarChoice Canadian IRD and can only be
authorized by StarChoice. The hardware and firmware in these 2 models
are identical.


4.0 Discussion Forum Info
Below is a list of links the archived messages at
http://www.satforums.com . This list also can be
found at http://www.macross.com/~drlev .

Installation Information and Discussions
http://www.macross.com/~drlev/InfoInstDisc.html

Common Questions, Tips and Information
http://www.macross.com/~drlev/CommonTipsPart1.html
http://www.macross.com/~drlev/CommonTipsPart2.html

Reception Problems, Discussions and Information
http://www.macross.com/~drlev/RecProbDiscInf.html

STARCHOICE 921 IRDs
http://www.macross.com/~drlev/SC921.html

DSR 905 Info.
http://www.macross.com/~drlev/905Info.html