ATTENTION MEMBERS: Most receivers are back up now.  There’s been mew autorolls and FTA files posted in our VIP members section for almost every receiver supported now.  New fixes & autoroll BIN files now available for:

• Coolat
• Sonicview
• Viewsat
• Captiveworks
• Captain
• Extremeview
• Skyview
• NFusion
• Visionsat
• KBox.

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ATTENTION MEMBERS: New files are out!!! Log in to the VIP members section now and download the new updated files for today, November 23, 2008. FTA files and fix updates are now being posted. New files now posted for almost every receiver we support. New fixes and autoroll BIN files now posted for Sonicview, Viewsat, Captiveworks, Captain, Extremeview, and KBox.

Please stand by for more news on the rest of the FTA files when they are officially released in our members section. Subscribe to our feed and get the latest news and updates when new files are posted in the members section. Not a member? Sign up with N2News now and get the complete package when it comes to FTA Receiver Support. Get your channels back up now.

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ATTENTION MEMBERS:   As you’ve probably already learned, the the files from the 21st are no longer working or starting to freeze up. New FTA files and autoroll BINs are now starting to be released for some receivers. Not all receivers have new files just yet but they will have some in the next few hours. Please be patient as we can only upload the files so fast.

Receivers with fixes currently in the members section for tonight’s ECM include KBox and Captiveworks. Fixes posted for all receivers should be within the next couple hours. Please hang tight.

I will post again once more receivers are up to let everyone know what’s working.

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I’m extremely glad that part one of this three part article explaining the most basic terms related to free to air was so highly acclaimed and popular. If you haven’t read part one please make sure you do before reading this. Here’s part two of "FTA Terms for Beginners". We’ve tried to improve this version visually so that it helps you understand better when reading. These improvements include more pictures and more organized text. I figures these steps had to be taken because this part will be a little more advanced then part one. Hope you enjoy.

Free to air has numerous different terms and abbreviations which all mean different things and sometimes even the computer wiz can get lost when trying to set up their FTA receiver system. That’s what this article is supposed to fix. In part one of "FTA Terms for Beginners" I tried to focus specifically on the most common of all Free to Air terms. The terms you’d most likely hear when shopping for your FTA receiver for the first time. Most of the terms explained were in reference to physical hardware. This article will try and focus more on the software / computer orientated side of FTA. Because your FTA receiver uses Flash Memory sticks to upload updates and software the use of a computer is necessary to put these files on the flash drive itself. That’s why you need to have a computer nearby if you want your FTA satellite TV to be optimized to it’s fullest capabilities when owning and operating your own free to air receiver. I am not condoning or advertising anything illegal. I am always informing on the basis of true free to air which is completely legal and encouraged. Please make sure you look into the FTA laws in your area as they are different all over. Here’s a few terms you’ll need to know when getting started with FTA on your computer.

Autoroll BIN
Autoroll BIN or sometimes called FTA file is a BIN file that you would download from the internet to your computer on a regular basis. .BIN or Binary file is the extention used for the type of file that your receiver uses when updating itself. In other words, your FTA receiver understand how to read BIN files. So you use .bin files to update your receiver or transfer information from your computer to your receiver. Autoroll basically means that the "FTA keys" automatically roll themselves and change when the keys change. So instead of having to enter the FTA keys for the satellite you are pointing at to watch TV this file will automatically change the keys when necessary so you get continual TV channels. Autoroll files, depending on what you are using them for will generally by the file you are downloading the most. By the most I mean regularily once per week. Sometimes even more then that. This is probably the biggest reason people join our site. We always have the latest autoroll BIN files for each receiver available for download in our VIP members section. Each receiver takes it’s own unique autoroll BIN programmed for that particular receiver. This can make finding autoroll BIN files difficult sometimes because not every receiver is easy to find autorolls for. Another reason why getting yourself some good FTA support for your receiver is so important.

Loader
Explaining loaders is pretty simple. Some older models of FTA receivers don’t have a USB port. They are unable to connect to a USB Flash drive. Most of these older receivers have to be connected directly to a computer via a serial cable in order to be updated. Serial cables are an older version of USB. A port used for transfering infomation. Serial ports are bigger than USB. They are wider. They also have 2 little screws that twist and screw into holes to hold the wire securely. Because you are connecting your computer to your FTA receiver to upload the new files to the receiver, you need to tell the computer to transfer the proper file. This is done through software that you will need install on your PC. The software is privately made and is different for each receiver model and make. This software is usually found where you download the autoroll BINs and FTA files for your receiver. So, an FTA loader is the software that you install on your computer that essentially loads the file to your receiver via the serial cable connecting your PC and receiver. Easy, right? Loaders are basically the same thing as FTA software.

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Attention Members: New files are now posted in the members area for all FTA receivers. Login now and download the new FTA file updates, keys, and autoroll BIN files to get your satellite TV channels back up. All receivers officially have new updates available for download now in our private members section.

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JOIN NOW and download all the latest working autoroll BIN files, keys, updates, software, and FTA files to get your channels back up so you can enjoy your free to air satellite TV. N2News always has the latest working files and downloads for all major brands of FTA receivers including Ariza, Buzz, Captain, Captiveworks, Conaxsat, Fortec, Extremeview, NFusion, Pansat, Pantec, Sonicview, Viewsat, Neusat, Neosat, Visionsat, Sonysat, Homesat, KBox, and many more FTA Receivers.

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Attention Members: New files for all FTA receivers are now being posted to fix your scrambled TV’s from today’s ECM. All receivers now have new autoroll BINs available for download in our private members section. Log in and download the new fix files now and get your TV back up in minutes.

New FTA files now released for all Ariza, Buzz, Captain, Captiveworks, Conaxsat, Neosat, Neusat, NFusion, Pansat, Pantec, Sonicview, Sonysat, Viewsat, Visionsat, and more. Private members can download the new files and get their TV channels back up now. If you are not a VIP Private member of N2News please click on this link:

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I know that owning a free to air receiver can be a pretty overwhelming and confusing situation at first. There’s so many different terms and words you’ve probably never heard before. Example: FTA, Autoroll, Nagra, firmware, software, flash cards, loaders, receivers, and many more. Hopefully after reading this article you’ll have a much better understanding of all of these words and you’ll be able to more knowledgeably navigate yourself through the setup or installation of your home Free to Air satellite TV system. Please keep in mind that I am going to keep this article as simple as possible. Free to Air satellite TV isn’t as easy as it sounds. Testing with FTA requires one to research and read up because FTA isn’t always fun. Sometimes it can be a very frustrating experience. So, before getting yourself a free to air receiver make sure you read as much on the subject as humanly possible because it will make the road to satellite TV much less bumpy for you. Alright I think we’re ready to get started now. Here is many of the most typical free to air terms you’d hear or read about.

FTA or Free to Air
Free to Air has been around for almost a decade now at least to the general public anyways. FTA is the abbreviation of the phrase “Free to Air”. FTA simply means what it says. Free satellite transmissions that are meant to be completely free to the public. Many different television networks around the world broadcast 100% free channels that anyone can intercept to watch TV in their home or business. This is sometimes referred to as “true free to air” because this is what FTA receivers are essentially designed for. Within recent years FTA has become much more than just this. The free to air satellite market is now a billion dollar industry. All over the world people have started using their FTA receivers to illegally intercept common satellite TV companies that offer channels for a cost by programming their satellite system to decrypt the signals. This is mostly how FTA gained it’s huge popularity.

True Free to Air
True FTA describes using free to air as it was intended. Intercepting satellite signals which are completely free and are in place for the general public to use at their own will. These satellites are completely legal to point your dish at. Some channels that are available for free as true free to air satellite feeds would include, weather channels, some sports channels, and other information type stations. There are some entertainment channels available as True FTA feeds. The only issue with True FTA is that there are not normally any more than one channel per satellite. This means that in order to have 10 channels of free TV you would either need to point 10 different satellite dishes at 10 different satellites or you would have to purchase and install / setup a dish motor. Dish motors are great if you set them up properly. The dish motor would mechanically move your satellite dish and point it automatically depending on which channel you decide to watch from all of the way inside the house.

FTA Receiver
An FTA receiver is a piece of electronic equipment that is connected to your television and a satellite dish pointed properly. Think of it as a cable box for your TV. Except it’s connected to a compliant satellite dish usually mounted on your roof or fence. FTA receivers come in almost unlimited makes and models. Some of the most popular brands of free to air receivers available today would include Pansat, Viewsat, Coolsat, Captiveworks, NFusion, Sonicview, and many more. Any of these brands are completely acceptable as a first receiver for anyone. Each brand has it’s own unique set of features and options. This is why, again, that reading and researching is so important when getting into the FTA “scene”. You want to pick out the receiver that you would benefit from the most. This part is completely up to you. I can’t really help you out with deciding which receiver to purchase. My only advise is get aware of what certain features are including “fast EPG” and “PVR”.

FTA Compliant Satellite Dishes

This part is easy. There are so many different satellite dishes on the market today that you could choose from to set up your FTA system. You are basically looking for any type of KU Band satellite dish. KU Band describes a style of satellite dish. You’ve definitely seen KU Band dishes before. They are the small dishes which connect to the side of someone’s house or on their roof. They are not the big ugly dishes that you may remember from the 1990’s. KU Band satellite dishes are very inexpensive and highly available. Starting out around $29.99 USD they can get as expensive as $200 USD depending on what you are looking for. Example: If you want high definition (HD) channels then you would need a dish with an extra LNB for connecting to the second satellite in space with HD channels on it. Many manufacturers sell FTA compliant dishes in electronic stores and online venues. Fortec Star and Ariza are probably the most well known dish names for FTA purposes.

LNB
LNB means low noise convertor. It’s easy to get very technical here but I’ll keep it extremely simple. The LNB is the little box at the end of the arm which extends from the actual dish part of the satellite dish. It’s the small piece of electronic equipment which points at the center of the dish. The LNB receives the signal that bounces off the satellite dish. You connect your LNB to the coaxial cable which runs directly to your FTA receiver inside your house. The coaxial cable runs down through the arm of the dish and to the FTA box. This keeps the cable protected from the elements. Most times an LNB will have 2 separate places on it’s underside to plug 2 different coaxial cables into. This basically means that you can connect two FTA receivers to the one LNB. These LNB’s are called Dual LNB’s. You will most likely want to get a dish with a dual LNB. That way you can watch satellite TV on up to two different TVs.

FTA Firmware
We’ll start with the meaning of Firmware. Firmware is essentially software which is built in to a hardware device. Firmware is built into almost all your home electronics. Even using your remote control on your television is using the TV’s built in firmware. This is the software that tells your TV to change a channel when you press “channel up” on your remote control. The firmware is usually always built directly into your electronic device’s hardware but sometimes using a flash drive that you connect to the device you can update, change or install the device’s firmware. This is what happens when you own a free to air receiver. The firmware which is installed on all FTA receivers today can be altered and changed by uploading a binary image file (BIN File) to the receiver and executing it via your FTA firmware. Your FTA receiver’s firmware is capable of opening BIN files to update, change, or rollback parts of it’s FTA firmware.

FTA Software
Because FTA receivers can be connected directly to a home PC or USB stick it’s sometimes necessary to update your FTA receiver by plugging it in to your PC with either a USB cable or Serial cable. In order for you computer to recognize and utilize the receiver connected to it, you will have to install software on your computer that properly uploads files depending on the model of box you have. Each FTA receiver has it’s own unique FTA software that you will need to download and install on your computer if you want to upload Autoroll BIN files to your FTA receiver. Depending on how old your receiver is, this may not be applicable to you. Newer FTA receivers don’t have the need for FTA software because they use USB flash drives to be updated rather than software on your actual computer.

FTA Files
You may of hear the term, “FTA files” used to explain many different types of files used by your FTA receiver. FTA files is a general phrase used to describe a number of different files, BIN files, software, firmware, and update files. Most of the time FTA files is another way of saying Free to Air autoroll BIN files. If you are going to keep your satellite TV up and running all the time you will always need to be downloading whatever new FTA files are available for your particular receiver model. By FTA files I could mean either new software, firmware, BIN, or update files. On average you will be required to download new FTA files via an FTA Support website at least once a week. This is why finding the right FTA file support is so important when owning a FTA system.

FTA Keys
Depending on what you are using your FTA receiver for, you might be interested in learning about what FTA keys are and what they are used for. FTA keys are sometimes needed in order to update your receiver’s firmware to decrypt certain channels and satellites. If you are changing your FTA receiver’s keys you should be aware of the laws and regulations in your area that in place about doing this. The only reason you’d be changing keys would be if there isn’t a new Autoroll BIN file available yet for your receiver and you really need to watch some TV. The FTA keys are a series of numbers and letters which are currently active with the satellite company for unlocking certain channels. Ultimately you would go to your FTA support website and find the new keys released that day. You would go into the menu of your FTA receiver via the remote control and your TV and change the numeric and alphabetic fields with the new or latest FTA keys.

Read Part 2

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