intelliGEORGE

I have read posts wondering what the f@#$ EMU's have to do with satellite TV, I just thought they were found in the bush and on our Coat of Arms. So to make sense of what everyone is talking about I thought I'd post some of the common terms that are thrown around.

Beam:
A satellite transmission pattern. It may be wide, narrow or spot. This affects the satellites footprint.

Bird:
An alternative name for a satellite.

C-band:
Signal frequency range (3.70-4.20ghz).

CAM (Conditional Access Module):
CAM is an electronic device, usually incorporating a slot for a smart card, which equips a STB with the appropriate hardware facility to view conditional access content that has been encrypted using a conditional access system.

CAS (Conditional Access System):
CAS is a system by which electronic transmission of digital media, especially satellite television signals through cable, is limited to subscribed clients. This is called conditional access. The signal is encrypted and is unavailable for unauthorised reception.

Clarke Belt:
Named after its founder Arthur C. Clarke, the Clarke Belt is an orbit used by satellites at a height of 36,000 km, in which satellites make an orbit in 24 hours, yet remain in a fixed position relative to the earth’s surface.

Diplexer:
A device that combines two input signals into a single output. It may also be used the other way to split a single input into two outputs. Often used in satellite systems to combine a satellite signal with an antenna or cable signal, for reception of local channels. A second diplexer is then needed to split the signals at the receiver location.

DiSEqC:
DiSEqC (Digital Satellite Equipment Control) system, is a communication bus between satellite TV system receivers and peripheral equipment using only the existing coaxial cable. DiSEqC can be integrated into consumer satellite installations to replace all conventional analogue switching, providing a standardized digital system with non-proprietary commands and enabling switching in multi-satellite installations.

Dual LNB:
A dual LNB has two coax connections. You can operate up to two satellite television receivers with a dual LNB.

DVB:
The Digital Video Broadcast is the broadcast standard for digital radio and television, using MPEG II and MPEG 4 compression.

ECM (Entitlement Control Message):
ECM is an encrypted message that is used to prevent unauthorised reception for such services as cable or satellite television.

EMM (Entitlement Management Message):
EMM is an encrypted message that contains private conditional access information about the authority a viewer has to acquire reception for such services as cable or satellite television.

EPG:
Electronic Program Guide is a chronological listing of all available programming covering an extended time period (typically covering a period of a few days). This listing displays on your TV screen.

Elevation:
How high a satellite is from the horizon. The angle of elevation refers to the upward tilt of a satellite dish antenna that is required to aim it at the communications satellite, measured in degrees.

Feed Horn:
A device which collects the signals at the focus of the satellite dish and channels them to the LNB.

Footprint:
An area of the earth that is able to receive a particular satellite’s signals. This depends on the satellite's beam.

Geostationary:
Satellites orbit the Earth 36,000 km above the Equator and rotate at the same relative speed and direction as the Earth's surface. Therefore, the satellites appear stationary. There are well over 300 geostationary satellites around the globe.

IRD (Integrated Receiver Decoder):
A satellite TV system receiver with a built-in decoder for unscrambling subscription channels. It is usually called a satellite receiver.

Ku-band:
Signal frequency range between 11 and 14 GHz; it is often used by communications satellites.

L-Band:
An L-Band is the frequency range from 0.5 to 1.5 GHz. All satellite TV systems use this frequency (950 to 1450 MHz) to carry the satellite signal from the dish to the receiver.

LNB / LNBF:
Low Noise Block down-converter with integrated feed; amplifies received signals and converts them from microwaves to lower L-band frequency signals which are then sent along a cable to the satellite TV system receiver.

Multi-switch or Matrix-switch:
If you want to hook up more receivers than your dish can accommodate, you can use a multiswitch to split up the satellite feed without compromising signal quality. Some multiswitches allow you to add over-the-air broadcasts or cable feeds, to send both signals to each viewing area via a single coax cable. You will need a diplexer for each viewing area to split up the signals again.

NDS (VideoGuard):
VideoGuard or NDS is a digital encryption system for use with conditional access television broadcasting. It is used almost exclusively on digital satellite television systems operated by News Corporation, which owns the majority of NDS.

OTA - Over the Air:
This is the acronym commonly used to describe standard television broadcast signals received by a rooftop antenna, sometimes called off-air.

PVR:
A Personal Video Recorder PVR satellite receiver has a built in hard drive for digital recording of satellite television programs. Dual tuners allow the user to record one program while watching another or record two programs at the same time.

RG-6:
The type of coaxial cable recommended for digital satellite TV installations. RG-6 is a larger-size cable than the lower-grade RG-59 cable. RG-59 has a small center conductor, a small insulating dielectric, and typically, a single outer shield. By comparison, RG-6 has a larger center conductor, a dual or quad shield, and a much larger insulating dielectric, ensuring greater bandwidth, and lower frequency.

Splitter:
A splitter is a passive device or diplexer (one with no active electronic components) which distributes a television signal carried on a cable in two or more paths and sends it to a number of receivers simultaneously.

Spot Beam:
A spot beam is a satellite transmission that is focused on a specific area within the footprint, or broadcast area, of the satellite.

Please feel free to add more as I am also learning, this should make a good reference point to come back to, also saves me giving g0o0gle a work out

LeroyPatrol

Nice work. That should help a few newbies that have suddenly appeared.

Leroy

madmee

great post
it should help many who are new
thanks

Godzilla

Thumbs up for George.