IPM HD PRO

[Mooner]

My gf bought one of these boxes the other day. Loads of useless Thai channels. I remember playing with one these in a hotel in Pattaya a year or so back and it had some english channels, some movies and documentaries but i cant find them on this device.

Anyone know anything about these boxes. Do i need a upgrade? or have they stopped the English channels.

Thanks

[RichCor]

Depends on what satellite(s) the box is set up to receive.

IPM HD Pro (website SD/HD Package options)

My IPM HD Pro is set up to automatically select multiple satellite feeds via DiSEqC 'switches' and 'splitters' with LNB feeds watching ThaiCom 5/6 C-band free view channels and NSS-6 Ku-band free view and IPM encrypted channels.

The encrypted IPM channel lineup (see the links above) have some English content, but nothing like the subscription channels available from GMMz (C-band / Ku-band), CTH, or TrueVisions.

[Mooner]

Thanks for the info RichCor. I have this one. Mybe ill plug it back in tonight a take a more detailed look

[RichCor]

Unless your satellite dish has the extra LNBs and DiSEqC 'switches' in place, any satellite set top box you connect will only receive the H/V feeds from the one satellite.

The 'links' I posted are there to show you what possible channels you can expect from each satellite provider (dependent on subscription package selected).

[Mooner]

Unless your satellite dish has the extra LNBs and DiSEqC 'switches' in place, any satellite set top box you connect will only receive the H/V feeds from the one satellite.

The 'links' I posted are there to show you what possible channels you can expect from each satellite provider (dependent on subscription package selected).

They said to purchase the bigger black sattelitte rather than the smaller orange one (not sure what difference that makes. IPM have subscription packages? Didnt notice anything on their site.

[RichCor]

Direct Broadcast satellite signals are sent over both C-band (Large Dish) and Ku-band (Small Dish), they are two different frequency spectrums. Some channels are broadcast on both C-band and Ku-band, while others are only available on C-band, or Ku-band (requiring the appropriate dish type to receive **).

There are multiple direct Broadcast satellites in orbit, with competing providers utilizing the same or neighboring satellites to deliver their packages, providing services to one or more asian countries from overhead. While many companies carry English Language content in their encrypted digital signal packages, very few are allowed to sell

subscriptions directly in Thailand (ie: Astro, out of Malaysia). Also, each satellite have several special 'spot beams' to focus where their signals are sent, known as a footprint. Some are very wide and encompass many countries, others are narrow and feed very specific regions. If you are outside of the 'footprint' then it's very unlikely you'd be able to receive the transmitted package.

IPM seems to be using the 'buy once / subscribed forever' business model, including one of three subscription offers in the price of the Set Top Box.

As seen on this Sat9 dealer page

Also note that many satellite subscriptions require you have a branded Set Top Box from that Service Provider in order to properly decode the encrypted digital transmissions for the subscribed package. Other set top box manufacturers may also be co-branded and be compatible with other providers. For example, TrueVisions requires a TrueVisions DVB-S2 set top box, while other manufacturers provide compatibility with GMMz and CTH for subscriptions. Offers are usually printed on the shipping box container. Gmmz is probably the easiest to subscribe, with TrueVisions labeled as 'sometimes difficult' and CTH as SNAFU/FUBAR.

**The 'dish' is only a collector/reflector. Many times a large dish meant for C-band can be used to 'collect' signal for Ku-band reception, but generally it's easier to have the appropriate size dish alligned/pointed for each satellite you wish to tune/receive.

[RichCor]

Just to add, may people are abandoning DVB-S2 Satellite subscriptions and instead opting for content delivered over Internet to get access to a broader/wider selection of English or Foreign Language programming.

This can be Live Streaming, Video on Demand, or download and play later content.

[Mooner]

Thanks for your help RichCor. I actually dont have all the channels advertised on the box so i got my Gf to call them and they ran her through a process on the remote control.

Then they told us the reason why the channels are missing is because the satellite guy has pointed the satellite the wrong way. Sounds like BS to me! Next step is to get the satellite installer to call them!

[RichCor]

As I mentioned, there are multiple satellites the box can receive signals from, depending on which the Dish and LNB are aligned to receive.

A satellite dish is usually only set up to receive signals from a single satellite.

The IPM channels are on NSS-6 satellite.

But many of the Thai Free-to-view channels are only on ThaiCom 5/6 satellite.

I've found that if the dish alignment is even a little bit off then some of the received channels might not be strong enough to be received.

This was especially so on NSS-6 reception. The 11542 'transponder' carries the digital stream for 32 Channels. My LNB (Low Noise Block of frequencies) downconverter was knocked off alignment ever-so-slightly by flying debris during a storm, so the signal degraded beyond the ability off the satellite set-top-box to decode the encrypted stream and I lost those channels. The other NSS-6 transponders worked fine.

After fiddling with the issue for months, I finally went out and carefully adjusted the LNB to maximize signal strength on 11542 and tightened the bolts on the LNB ring. It probably doesn't help that I'm using a C-band dish aligned to receive signals primarily from ThaiCom 5/6 at 78.5°E and popped on an additional Ku-band LNB to receive a 'side-lobe' signal off the dish for NSS-6 at 95.0°E (those satellites aren't exactly close together).

So if your dish is pointed at ThaiCom 5/6, or the LNB isn't precisely positioned then you might not be able to receive those encrypted IPM channels streamed together only on NSS-6 transponder 11542.

[Mooner]

Thanks again RichCor. One more question! If i move the sattellite to face NSS-6 transponder 11542 will i then lose the Thai channels?

[RichCor]

I previously posted the links to what channels are available on which satellites.

ThaiCom 5/6 C-band free view channels (marked in White, Yellow, and Light Blue)

NSS-6 Ku-band IPM encrypted channels.

NSS-6 Ku-Band free view channels (marked in White, Yellow, and Light Blue)

Many of the popular ThaiCom 5/6 channels are rebroadcast encrypted by IPM on NSS-6, so just pointing the dish at NSS-6 should be fine.

The primary transponders (downlink frequencies) on NSS-6 where the digital data streams are received and decoded by your satellite set top box will be: 10977 V; 11038 V; 11481 H; 11542 H.

Normally you don't have to even know about this as the Set Top Box comes pre-programmed to know this and just displays the channels that are expected to be there when signal is received. It only becomes important when one group of channels won't show up, then knowing the're all on the same 'transponder' digital stream might tell you something specific is out of whack with the antenna (or LNB). I originally thought the LNB might be bad because it showed no signal for 11542. Turns out there was just a very fine point between no signal and signal because I'm not using a Ku-band dish (metal reflector) to receive the Ku-band signal.

[Mooner]

Thanks for all your help....and patience!

[Mooner]

Reading back through your messages im starting to think i have the wrong dish. I have the big black one(C BAND?) when i think i need the small dish (KU Band) to receive the encrypted channels

[RichCor]

C-band dishes are round and usually 2.6m (8.5ft) and larger.

Ku-band dishes here are usually offset (oblong) and range from 60cm or larger.

The Ku-band signals are sent out a bit stronger, so smaller dished can be used to collect/reflect their signal into the Ku-band LNB (microwave antenna/amplifier/converter). So in reality a small or large solid dish can be used, but a large perforated C-band dish the holes may not reflect Ku-band microwave signals properly.

But if you currently have a C-band LNB and want to use NSS-6 satellite then you'll need to swap out the C-band horn and LNB for a Ku-band LNB.

I have my IPM set top box set up to receive both ThaiCom C-band and NSS-6 Ku-band. The IPM Pro STB is smart enough to display ALL the correct available channels and electronically tune the correct LNB and H/V Polarity signal feed. I did the two-satellite setup so the Thai family have a bit broader choice, as not all Thai channels are broadcast over both satellites. The Thai family like to switch back and forth between the national feeds (channels 3, 7, 8), the Thai language movie channels.

A Google android box is set up on another HDMI port to watch YouTube and other online feeds.

Edited December 1, 2015 by RichCor

[johng]

I have " inherited" one of these IPM Clear boxes does anyone know if there is software available to

edit channel lists and BISS keys on the computer and then upload to the box ?

It has an RS232 interface on the back so assume some sort of communication is possible.

[RichCor]

I've found almost nothing exists posted in English for anything IPM related.

Someone may have more luck if they fluently read Thai or Chinese.

From what I've observed/experienced, IPM delivers all the program changes OTA (though they must have something in-house to flash the boxes with initial settings). Otherwise you're stuck doing everything (that you are permitted to do) through the UI.

[johng]

Thanks RichCor I couldn't find much info either.

Entering everything via the UI is extremely tedious and error prone.

The IPM BISS keys are regularly posted online so someone has a way of extracting info from the box or maybe they use a more accessible box to listen to the IPM over the air updates and extract info from there.