Arabic channel

[aclawson]

We have a request to show the Arabic translation of the upcoming general conference but our 2nd language channel is currently set to Spanish. I have been told that Arabic is available off of the satellite but not the internet stream (which seems odd) - but Arabic is indeed not available as a selection on the live internet stream.

So two questions:

1. How do I verify if/that Arabic is available off of the satellite

2. How do I switch from the Spanish stream (which we never use) to Arabic? (If possible)

[russellhltn]

How do I switch from the Spanish stream (which we never use) to Arabic? (If possible)

Short answer: Not possible.

Long answer: Satellite audio is done as stereo pairs. For example, English on left and Spanish on right. So the languages are not available independently but must be selected as a pair. So it's not possible to trade Spanish for Arabic without sacrificing up English.

Check your satellite receiver for a second set of audio jacks. If you do, and they are unused, then it can be set for Arabic. And to do that, you need to call CHQ Satellite support - preferably during normal Utah working hours to have them set you up. It's not something you set up on your end. (Even if you could, the settings are likely to be overwritten by CHQ just before the broadcast.)

[aclawson]

It turns out that the stream is available in real time over the satellite (along with all of the other https://www.lds.org/help/support/bc/cle ... his letter. Some languages are only available to buildings that still have the older and larger satellite dishes - the stream I want is not available to the smaller dishes.

It took longer to explain what I wanted than it did for SLC to reprogram the receiver to accept the alternate stream, replacing French which was the third language on that particular receiver.

[russellhltn]

Just hope it sticks. Arrive early and verify it's still on the right channel. Have the phone number handy at the start of the broadcast in case it switches back to the old language.

Maybe it was because I was dealing with ASL, but I had a heck of a time needing multiple phone calls to get a receiver to "stick" until someone found it was still in the wrong group. After that it was all good.

[aclawson]

Interestingly enough at the first building where I made the change the two channels became

L: Arabic R: NULL

On the 2nd building where I had the change made I am told

L: Arabic R: Tagalog

Let's see what happens.

[russellhltn]

My understanding is they have the option of changing each stereo pair to "both left" and "both right" as well as the default "stereo". Perhaps they can turn a side off as well. That would explain "null".

[lajackson]

My understanding is they have the option of changing each stereo pair to "both left" and "both right" as well as the default "stereo". Perhaps they can turn a side off as well. That would explain "null".

They can. When our satellite was first installed, the FM Group hardwired both the left and right channels into the chapel sound system. We got English and Spanish and could not control or split the feed (without wire cutters).

The satellite help desk was able to turn off the right channel to temporarily solve the problem for the broadcast, and reminded us to let the FM Group know to call and have them turn it back on when they came out to properly wire the right channel.

[aclawson]

FYI - I asked the satellite group for a list of the languages that are available on the C band but not available on the Ku band dishes and was told that they don't have a printed list anywhere (apparently nobody has ever asked before) so they just check when a language is requested. The loss of Arabic on Ku as well as the exclusion from the realtime internet stream is going to be an issue in one of our stakes within the next couple of years so it is rather fortuitous that this was discovered now so plans can be made (including a possible delay of replacing the C band dish) so it doesn't sneak up on anybody.