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entry level high def programming package. The largest high definition programming package available from Dish Network features thirty high def channels which is otherwise unheard of in the industry. Even more high definition channels can be added onto any of the high definition television programming packages in the form of local high definition television channels for an additional small monthly fee. Dish Network also provides plenty of standard definition television channels along with the high definition channels in its high definition programming packages. High definition televisions are perfectly capable of displaying standard definition programming, and since the programming available in high definition is relatively limited, this addition will allow you to enjoy the best television technology available without missing out on many of the programs that you know and love. The high definition television channels included in Dish Network's high def programming packages cover a large variety of subject matters. As mentioned above, there are several high definition versions of established TV networks.
HIGH DEFINITION CHANNELS With all of the high technology that goes into high definition television, or HDTV as it's often called for short, it's really not surprising that it's the television technology of the future. It's also not surprising that high definition television also requires the television programming of the future in order to do it justice. That's because the old fashioned standard definition television format can support the standards of high definition television with its wide screen aspect ratio, high resolution picture, and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound native sound format. Recognizing the demand for high quality high definition television programming, many established networks are creating high definition television versions of their programming and many start up networks are offering exclusive high definition television programming. There are also channels that specialize in remastering older movies and TV shows to meet the high def standards and then broadcasting them. The satellite TV provider Dish Network is doing its part too by offering high definition television programming packages and supplying complementary high definition television receivers along with them, all at an affordable monthly rate. Right now Dish Network offers more high definition television channels than any of its competitors. While the most high def channels any other television service provider can provide is twenty two or twenty three channels, Dish Network provides a minimum of twenty five in its
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The Highly Circulated Satellite Magazine
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Making The Choice Between Satellite and Cable Satellite TV programming is the latest technology and simply the way of the future in the field of programming service. When you sign up for cable service you are confined to what they can give you and no more than that. With satellite TV programming you aren't hooked up to the cable but rather you are connected to a satellite receiver and system that you can upgrade as time moves on with new and better types of high tech signal receiving equipment such as high performance dishes that can allow you to get literally hundred of different channels from all over the globe. Over the years cable companies have acquired a well earned reputation for substandard customer service. They were the only alternative to standard TV programming that you would get through a simple antennae on you roof and they had no incentive to cater to their customers in terms of service. Satellite TV programming service providers have always existed in a highly competitive business climate and they had no choice but to provide stellar customer service. J.D. Power and associates has given both of the top satellite TV service providers Dish Network and Direct TV high ratings on customer service. In fact they have ranked them higher than any of the cable companies for the last five years. There is one type of viewer that might do better with cable and that is the TV viewer that only watches a couple of shows a week and lives in an area where a base level cable SEPTEMBER
service package is very cheap. However, for the person who wants to watch a large variety of programming and can appreciate the higher quality of picture and sound quality you will get from an entirely digital format and has the capacity for high definition there is simply no other choice but satellite TV service. Particularly after you compare pricing and the flexibility and choices that Satellite TV program providers make available to you. In comparisons in virtually every area of service cable falls in behind satellite service and as time moves on they seem to be falling even further behind. When it comes to providing the most viewing channels there is simply no comparison. Dish Network and Direct TV both provide up top thirty high definition channels in some viewing areas and cable companies don't even come close to that.
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Inside view
Internet Protocol over Satellite or IPoS, is the most widely deployed satellite broadband standard and has become the first global standard for the industry.
DBS TV is the name for the broadcast delivery system commonly referred simply as "Satellite TV". It's a satellite communications technology that allows use of a small (18 inches to 3 feet in diameter) receiver dish typically put on the consumer's roof, as well as a receiver unit positioned by a TV so the consumer can receive satellite television signals from the dish.
Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) DBS has a huge channel capacity. With DBS, several standard analog television signals are digitally compressed allowing hundreds of channels to be received (though different subscription services exist and not every DBS subscriber would get hundreds of channels.) With special dishes that point to two or even three positions simultaneously, this number may eventually be increased to up to 500 channels. Sky is a major DBS company in the UK. Sky offers the best Interactive TV. (The UK
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is the most advanced country in terms of Interactive Television.) There are primarily two U.S. DBS providers, DIRECTV and DISH Network (EchoStar). DISH, a pioneer in Interactive Television, offers the best Interactive Television in the US of the two. One way to experience interactivity while watching satellite TV is to watch it on your PC. First you'll need to install a DVBS receiver card for your PC. This is assuming the satellite TV service you subscribe to uses DVB-S or DVB-S2 for data distribution.
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The Highly Circulated Satellite Magazine
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The History and Future of
Satellite TV
1980 was a year that seen an enormous growth of satellite TV. The previous decades had produced a trend of computerization and technology with control systems becoming smaller than ever had been imagined. Then the satellite receiver equipment was born. At that point in time, there were only a handful of companies that were broadcasting TV shows through satellite, including the Home Box Office. There were many more lining up to be included in this phenomenon though. As popularity and demand grew, the cost of obtaining a satellite dish drastically dropped and the number of users continued to rise. It was quickly obvious that this was going to be a monster of an industry. However, the satellite equipment was difficult to operate, they were very large and required just as big amount of bandwidth to run. The advances in computer technology made way for the possibility of the signals to be transformed into digital. This was much more user friendly and used less bandwidth at the same time. It wasn't small enough, though. The study and development was continually growing to compress these signals, and once they finally did it, smaller
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satellite dishes were able to be used. By 1992, companies were able to encrypt signals well enough that Pay-Per-View was developed and released to the public. Millions of people have flocked to satellite TV, and the dishes are small enough to be used by anyone today. They can be bought at very small sizes, even 18inch and there will probably be even smaller ones in the near future. Satellite TV is here to stay, especially with advance being made everyday that allow the home user to interact with the source. No one can say what exactly is going to happen, but you can bet that it is coming soon! Television that comes through communication satellites is referred to as satellite television. Digital signals are beamed from satellites to users and these are of three primary types: signals received directly by the viewer, that received by local television affiliates for distribution, or reception by headends for distribution through cables. What is free to a first time user is the equipment needed to capture the TV signals. Otherwise one has to pay for viewing and choose a package that suits personal requirements. Many companies and online sites offer free services and enticing satellite TV deals but most of these are scams. Beware of traps and believe in the maxim "nothing in life is for free."
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The Highly Circulated Satellite Magazine
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I digital television satellite system. Unlike cable television, digital television satellite system only uses a satellite dish that is usually installed outside your home. The digital television satellite system may have started out with bigger satellites but have evolved to smaller ones which can not detract from your homes view. All installations are done by professionals as well as maintenance repair works to ensure that you will be enjoying great digital television satellite entertainment in no time at all.
Digital TV Satellite System: To Buy or Not to Buy! Cable systems have limited reach unlike the digital television satellite system. Many people residing in rural areas in the United States have yet to enjoy a wide variety of television programs. They usually settle for the channels picked up by their ordinary television antennae. With the popularity of digital television satellite system, these people would now have a greater chance of experiencing ultimate home entertainment that only a digital television satellite system can deliver. At the same time, they still get to enjoy living in the country while being kept abreast of the latest news and information that a digital television satellite system can offer. Another important factor to consider when choosing between cable television and digital television satellite system is flexibility. Obviously, cable televisions do not offer much flexible selections to its subscribers. Unlike the digital television satellite system, customers get to choose channels they want on their television.
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Depending on the plan they subscribe too, customers with children would be able to limit television programs to family-friendly shows. Aside from this, digital television satellite system comes with a receiver that could has a prenatal lock which can be used to ensure that your children will not be able to watch programs not suitable for them. These digital television satellite receivers also have specials features and functions, which makes it even more advanced than the standard cable receiver. You can perform functions like recording your favorite shows, pausing live television and even watching several shows in one screen. With the advances in technology, many digital television satellite system providers guarantees digital signal in all types of weather conditions. Unlike cable television, all channels feature high quality images and sound. Some providers even offer maintenance repair costs as part of the subscription fee. Installation has also become easier with the
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The Highly Circulated Satellite Magazine
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With a range of infrastructures being deployed, pay TV services will need to secure their content over multiple network types. Few emerging markets remain for pay TV and those that do exist are subject to much competition. Industry analysis firm Media Authority predicted that by year-end 2017 the sub-Saharan Africa region, which has a population of around 800 million, will see the number of television households grow to 62 million, offering operators, primarily in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya
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such extreme poverty, laying cables or any equipment of value on or underground seems like a practical challenge. Fibre, which is less attractive as a salvage commodity, may be the preferred choice in the wealthier parts of the regions and Hiband of Nigeria is showing innovation by using the growing reach of LTE to facilitate and monetise its digital TV services. Huawei and Microsoft's recent joint announcement of their plans to launch a sub-US$150 MS8 Huawei smartphone in
illegal installers willing to take the necessary risks to capture a market not yet served by legal broadcasts. There are many approaches being taken by operators who have taken it upon themselves, with certain government support, to try preventing piracy where they can.
Securing African Pay TV and Uganda, an exciting, fresh market to deploy multi-channel digital TV services. By the end of last year, the region already had 8.7 million pay-TV subscribers, primarily on DTH services from Canal Plus, MyTV, Zuku and MultiChoice. Media Authority confirms that 66% of the region's pay TV households will have access to a digital signal within the next four years, including those from the ambitious Middle Eastern telecom operator Etisalat, which is expanding its multi-channel distribution throughout the region. These digitisation efforts offer operators the opportunity to monetise new, interactive, multi-screen TV services for which they need to create a return path. In a region of
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Africa is significant. Not only does this place smartphones within reach of a large percentage of the population but, when combined with LTE networks, this creates an extraordinary opportunity to fuel the growth of affordable, IP-based OTT services and vibrant t-commerce business. With such strong growth and opportunities, operators need to take a multi-network approach to monetising their pay-TV services and putting security at the heart of their strategy. Piracy of legacy conditional access (CA) systems in Africa has been well documented and is (according to Media Authority figures) costing the industry US$10 to US$20 million annually, with
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The Highly Circulated Satellite Magazine
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g n i d r o c e R R V D y s a E
with Analog, Digital, or Satellite Television
Television and video are terms that are sometimes used interchangeably, but differ in their technical meaning. Video is the visual portion of television, whereas television is the combination of video and audio modulated onto a carrier frequency (i.e., a television channel), so that the signal can be delivered to the receiver (TV or computer/PVR with a TV tuner). The DVR resolutions differ from the way in which a video is recorded. Analog television in NTSC, PAL or SECAM formats, analog cable, or regular VHS tapes use a signal that is fed directly to the electron beam within the television set. There are a number of details on how this is done, but in essence each line in each frame corresponds to a specific fraction of time within the signal. To record an analog signal a few steps are required. A TV tuner card tunes into a particular frequency and then functions as a frame grabber, breaking the lines into individual pixels and quantizing them into a format that a computer can comprehend. Then the series of frames along with the audio (also sampled and quantized) are compressed into a manageable format, like MPEG-2, or WMF, usually in software. Some TV tuner cards like the DVR-250/350 or the TiVo chip deliver an MPEG-2 or other compressed stream directly to the computer, performing both the frame grabbing and compression in hardware. This greatly reduces the load on the CPU allowing an overall cheaper implementation. Digital television contains audio/visual signals that are broadcast over the air in a digital rather than analog format. Recording digital TV is generally a straightforward capture of the binary MPEG-2 data being received. No expensive hardware is required to quantize and compress the
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signal (as the television broadcaster has already done this in the studio). The MythTV DVR supports both international DVB signals and American ATSC signals while the TiVo Series 3 supports only the ATSC signals. In the U.S., the FCC attempted to place a road-block before digital DVRs with its "Broadcast flag" regulation. Digital video recorders which had not won prior approval from the FCC for implementing "effective" digital rights management would have been banned from interstate commerce as of July 2005. The regulation was struck down on May 6, 2005. DVD-based PVRs available on the market as of 2006 are not capable of capturing the full range of the visual signal available with high definition television (HDTV).
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The Highly Circulated Satellite Magazine
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Cable Comes Back Stronger Than Ever Many TV viewers in are looking for ways to get the most entertainment for the money that they spend. For years now, cable TV has taken a back seat to other technologies when it comes to that pursuit. But in recent years, the cable TV industry has added a number of different features that are driven by new types of technology and have the potential to add a lot to the TV entertainment experience of those who demand the best from their TV service providers. Digital TV is the basis for all of the other technology that makes cable TV competitive with- and in many ways superior to- other types of TV services out there. Digital TV essentially relies on computer technology to transmit TV programing. The result of digital TV on its own is a clear picture and high quality sound, just like what you'd get from a DVD. However, digital TV also forms the basis for numerous other options like software that provides an on screen program guide, parental controls, and the Graphic User Interface that's used to program DVR's. Digital TV is also the foundation on which HDTV and Video On Demand technologies are built!
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It should be mentioned that digital TV also enables various kinds of video compression technology that can be used to fit more channels onto existing cables. This in turn leads to a greater choice of programming, which makes an on screen program guide extremely handy to have access to. The on screen program guide informs viewers about what's on each and every channel in their programing package. It's also often used as the interface for a Digital Video Recorder. The same information that goes into creating the on screen program guide can also be read by parental control software and be used to determine whether or not any given program should be displayed on the screen without a special password. The whole point of this software is to keep children from inadvertently stumbling onto programs that their parents don't approve of. The DVR is another great option that most cable TV companies in provide. DVR's are easy to program and capable of recording TV shows to be watched later. All of the video that they record is stored on a large hard drive for easy access, and many of these devices allow viewers to do things like skip commercials and pause live TV.
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ASTRA satellites, operated by SES, offer a comprehensive portfolio of digital TV and radio broadcast and satellite broadband solutions for customers in Europe and beyond. ASTRA broadcasts SDTV, HDTV and 3DTV and radio programmes directly to millions of homes, and provides satellite broadband internet access and network services to governments, large corporations, small- to medium-sized enterprises and individual households. When you choose satellite TV from ASTRA, you're choosing the original European direct-to-home operator, with a history of innovation and performance from the very first days of satellite TV in the home. Our unsurpassed satellite fleet, extensive channel choice, and large European audience make us the leading satellite TV operator in Europe. The transmission techniques and technology used on our satellites are
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designed especially for reception in the home, to ensure that the quality of the pictures and sound on your TV is second to none. The high-power transmitters we use in our satellites ensure that the signals arrive at your home with the minimum of interference and distortion. The channels are digitally encoded and compressed to industry standards and transmitted in an internationally agreed format so all receivers can produce the best pictures and sound on your TV, as the broadcasters intended. Not only can you watch TV dramas with the clarity and realism of the theatre, and sports events as though cheering on your team from the grandstand but, if you have a large screen home entertainment system and multi-speaker Dolby Digital surround sound system, you can experience movies with the same all-encompassing involvement found in top-class cinemas.
This realisable excellence in your home extends even further when you watch the increasing number of high definition TV channels on the ASTRA satellites, providing a realism and quality unsurpassed by any other broadcasting medium. ASTRA was the first to use high-powered satellites to deliver multi-channel services to viewers across the whole of Europe and we continue to push the boundaries of satellite technology to improve and extend your satellite TV experience. Astra satellites carried the first digital TV and the first commercial high definition broadcasts in Europe, and ASTRA continues to deliver an ever-increasing number of standard definition and HDTV channels. In viewers' homes, we were behind the development of the two-satellites-at-once Duo LNB, single cable LNB distribution systems, and even the Universal LNB that is now standard issue for dishes in millions of homes across Europe.
ASTRA Satellites SEPTEMBER
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The Highly Circulated Satellite Magazine
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Broadcast television systems are encoding or formatting standards for the transmission and reception of terrestrial television signals. There are three main analog television systems in current use around the world: NTSC, PAL, and SECAM. These systems have several components, including a set of technical parameters for the broadcasting signal, an encoder system for encoding color, and possibly a system for encoding multichannel television sound (MTS). In digital television (DTV), all of these elements are combined in a single digital transmission system.All but one analog television system began as black-and-white systems. Each country, faced with local political, technical, and economic issues, adopted a color television system which was grafted onto an existing monochrome system, using gaps in the video spectrum
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monochrome signal, which carries the color information. The color information is called chrominance or C for short, while the black and white information is called the luminance or Y for short. Monochrome television receivers only display the luminance, while color receivers process both signals. Though in theory any monochrome system could be adopted to a color system, in practice some of the original monochrome systems proved impractical to adapt to color and were abandoned when the switch to color broadcasting was made. All countries now use one of three color systems: NTSC, PAL, or SECAM.Ignoring color, all television systems work in essentially the same manner. The monochrome image seen by a camera (now, the luminance component of a color image) is divided into horizontal scan lines, some number of which make up a single image or frame. A monochrome image is theoretically
Broadcast Television Systems (explained below) to allow color transmission information to fit in the existing channels allotted. The grafting of the color transmission standards onto existing monochrome systems permitted existing monochrome television receivers predating the change over to color television to continue to be operate as monochrome television. Because of this compatibility requirement, color standards added a second signal to the basic
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continuous, and thus unlimited in horizontal resolution, but to make television practical, a limit had to be placed on the bandwidth of the television signal, which puts an ultimate limit on the horizontal resolution possible. When color was introduced, this necessity of limit became fixed. All current analog television systems are interlaced; alternate rows of the frame are transmitted in sequence, followed by the remaining rows in their sequence.
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Does
l a i r t s e r r e T
I
V T
Have A Future? Your view about the future of terrestrial TV probably depends on where you live. If you live in a large, sparsely populated country, satellite TV is very attractive even if it is supplemented by terrestrial transmitters in densely populated regions. On the other hand, if you come from the Netherlands or Belgium, where more than 95% of homes are connected to cable TV, you might feel that terrestrial TV has no future. But if you come from France, Spain, Italy or the UK, you are much more likely to say that terrestrial TV is important. In many countries, the use of cable and satellite delivery systems has been dramatically increased by the advent of digital TV. In an era when TV programmes are often viewed via the Internet, you might conclude that terrestrial delivery is about to disappear. However, there are many contrary examples, one being the arrival of digital terrestrial TV in Germany which actually increased the number of households using terrestrial TV. Similarly, a recent study from GfK Media indicated that 17.8% of households in the US now rely exclusively on terrestrial transmitters to get their TV, compared with 15% in the previous year. Figures from the UK regulator Ofcom show
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that, despite very strong competition from cable and satellite services, digital terrestrial TV became the UK's dominant delivery platform in 2007 and is projected to hold 40% of the primary TV set market in 2020 — with an even higher share of secondary TV sets. Such figures cast doubt on the idea that terrestrial TV is a dwindling market. However, TV viewing is no longer restricted to “TV sets”. Delivering TV signals reliably to mobile and portable devices is a huge challenge, especially to millions of such devices simultaneously. In fact, it is impossible for mobile-phone networks to cope with the projected demand for video delivery — even if they divert most of their users to Wi-Fi networks. Nevertheless, many broadcasters are now delivering their services via the Internet. The BBC's iPlayer is one of the most successful services: it offers live streaming of all BBC radio and TV programmes, as well as a “catch up” facility which gives access to every programme transmitted within the past seven days. Although many broadcasters around the world offer similar services, the BBC is probably unique in that, every month, it publishes comprehensive statistics about usage of the iPlayer.
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Evolution of Cable Television Cable television (originally called CATV or community antenna television) was developed in the late 1940's for communities unable to receive TV signals because of terrain or distance from TV stations. Cable television system operators located antennas in areas with good reception, picked up broadcast station signals and then distributed them by coaxial cable to subscribers for a fee. In 1950, cable systems operated in only 70 communities in the United States. These systems served 14,000 homes. By December 2011, there were more than 5300 systems serving approximately 60 million subscribers in more than 34,000 communities. Cable systems are operating in every state of the United States and in many other countries, such as Canada and Australia, and throughout Europe and much of East Asia. Channel capacity in the industry has
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increased dramatically in recent years; most cable subscribers now receive service in excess of 100 channels. On average, cable systems offer about 80 expanded basic service channels as well as more than 50 digital channels. The channel capacity of a cable system makes it possible for a cable television system operator to provide many services. In addition to over-the-air television broadcast signals, cable systems offer a wide variety of programming networks, including, for example, news, weather, business information, movies, sports, general and special entertainment services, and programming designed for specific audiences such as children, women, and ethnic and racial groups. Cable systems also offer programming on an on-demand and pay-per-view basis, and increasingly are allowing their subscribers to access programming on mobile devices. Over 90
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percent of all cable subscribers have access to systems that offer a full-range of telecommunications services, including high-speed Internet access and telephone service. Some cable operators also create their own local programming and provide access channels for public and institutional uses. They also provide leased access channels for "rent" to those wishing to show specific programs. Electronic banking, shopping, utility meter reading, and home security are some of the home services that are possible using the two-way transmission capabilities of cable television systems. Cable television is a video delivery service provided by a cable operator to subscribers via a coaxial cable or fiber optics. Programming delivered without a wire via satellite or other facilities is not "cable television" under the Commission's definitions.
The Highly Circulated Satellite Magazine
2013
20 YEARS OF GENEROUS PUBLICATIONS
Despite ongoing investment in broadband infrastructure in the ground across their most lucrative markets, and despite longstanding predictions that their business stood on the verge of decline, left behind by IP-based video and the explosion in available bandwidth back on Earth, the satellite business has continued to prosper and shows little sign of slowing down. Yohann Leroy, director of strategy at leading satellite operator Eutelsat, which shares the bulk of the DTH market in major European countries with Luxembourgbased rival SES and recently reported a record backlog and strong first-half growth, points out that the satellite TV business continues to grow on the back of overall expansion in TV penetration, with DTH now representing 20% of TV households worldwide, up from 14% in 2006. “In terms of volume, satellite TV channels worldwide are set to increase from over 31,000 in 2011 to 38,000 in 2021. Almost 30% will be HD by this time. This extra content means that satellite operators should continue to plan for sustained capacity demand and to ensure we are developing the right reach and service at the
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I
right neighbourhoods,” says Leroy. Growth comes from different sources. Leroy sees Russia, the Middle East and Africa as the fastest growing at the moment, where the cost of deploying a service by satellite is compelling for service providers. “In emerging markets, DTH continues to grow for both pay TV platforms and free-toair channels. Moreover, its costeffectiveness of oneto-many distribution is an inherent competitive advantage of satellites,” he says. “For a pay TV platform serving four million subscribers, the cost of broadcasting a digital channel by satellite is a few cents per month per home. In the terrestrial world – ADSL, DTT networks – distribution costs become less cost-effective as population thins out, making it economically less attractive to attempt to serve all users.” To strengthen its hold on growing DTH markets, Eutelsat plans to strengthen its capacity at the key 7° West, 8° West and 36° East orbital slots over the next few years. Over 90% of additional Eutelsat capacity planned for 2012-15 is for these high-growth territories, according to Leroy. In more mature markets of western Europe, Eutelsat sees growth coming from HD and ultimately Ultra HD, which it has attempted to promote by launching a demonstration channel in January.
Future investment
for satellite TV Monthly Magazine
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k r o
In little more than a generation, the launching of a satellite has gone from stopping the nation's business to guaranteeing that it runs like clockwork. Today, satellites, like clocks, telephones, and computers, are commonplace tools of technology. They help us navigate, communicate, monitor the environment, and forecast weather. Appropriately, the word satellite means an "attendant." In 1957, the launching of the Russian satellite Sputnik changed the course of our nation. The United States immediately launched massive efforts to compete in a breakneck Race to the Moon. That sense of discovery has muted over time as we became accustomed to the miracles of space travel. The launching of a Space Shuttle mission may not even come up in a class discussion of current events, yet satellites bring those same students the ability to watch the Olympics, the weather, and news of other events from around the world that are considered "newsworthy." Communications antennae, radio receivers and transmitters enable the satellite to communicate with one or more ground stations, called command centers. Messages sent to the satellite from a ground station are "uplinked"; messages transmitted from the satellite to Earth are "downlinked." Many satellites are powered by rechargeable batteries, taking advantage of the ultimate battery charger, the sun. Silvery solar panels are prominent features on many satellites. Other satellites have fuel cells that convert chemical energy to electrical energy, while a few rely on nuclear energy. Small thrusters provide attitude, altitude, and propulsion control to modify and stabilize the satellite's position in space. Specialized systems accomplish the tasks assigned to the satellite. These often include sensors capable of imaging a range of wavelengths. Telecommunications satellites
w
ellites W t a S
I
Ho
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require no optics, while environmental satellites do. Environmental satellites transmit images as numbers to a computer on Earth, which translates this digital data into images. Some of the data can be enhanced to look like photographs. Bright colors (false colors) are often added to enhance the contrast, make details stand out, or allow us to see what was recorded in the wavelengths beyond our visual range. The false colors do not necessarily correspond to the colors we expect to see. For example, a field of wheat might look pink; clear water may appear black. A satellite in a high-altitude, geostationary orbit circles the Earth once every 24 hours, the same amount of time it takes for the Earth to spin on its axis.
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In Bangkok, few buildings and neighborhoods have "cable" TV like in many western cities, and you depend upon a small satellite dish only about a meter in width which you the "cable" company will affix to your roof (often attaching the cable to the side of the building, such as down a corner), apartment terrace, or condominium roof such as in the photo on the left. You may have a coaxial cable connection on your wall, but that's usually just to an antenna on the roof for radio or Thai TV, or possibly a satellite dish to an alternative satellite. For some reason, True hasn't made arrangements with many (if any) buildings to have one dish to many residents. There is also no TV cable going down the street on telephone poles for tapping.
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wrong). Most people all around Thailand just use True/UBC. However, you may find alternatives in your area. Like American TV, the brighter side of Thai TV is some of the commercials, which have great graphics. Given the value and cost per second of advertisements, that makes lots of sense (or lots of cents). Indeed, I'm aware of several American companies who have outsourced their advertising graphics offshore to Thai companies. However, all this doesn't matter much to foreigners, since Thai TV is in the Thai language, and since most readers can't understand Thai well, then you will only be interested in getting English language TV. There is plenty of that, but only in cable and satellite TV. After the 1991-92 military coup and subsequent civilian takeover, a new TV
Satellite TV in Thailand Most people get just the regular satellite TV which True offers. However, it may be worth mentioning that True is also one of the two competing phone companies in Bangkok, and another website of theirs for their high speed. There are various other satellite TV providers in the Asia region, but they're not well supported all over Thailand as far as I can see (and please correct me if I'm
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channel was created called iTV, for independent TV. It became very popular among Thais and was quite high quality. However, in 1999 when the upcoming multibillionaire Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra was funding his plan to take over Thailand, one of the things he did was gain a controlling interest in iTV in the year 2000, and as expected its news became biased and the journalists whose loyalty couldn't be bought were fired or marginalized.
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Satellite
TV
Platforms
Satellite TV platforms (both analogue and digital) will overtake cable TV in terms of users in Western Europe by 2015, according to a new report from German research firm InfoCom, with satellite platforms expected to total 52.4mn households in the region compared to cable's 47.6mn. At the end of 2010, Western Europe had more than 182mn TV households, of which 40% were watching TV via analogue and digital terrestrial platforms, 27% were watching via cable TV, about 26% via satellite and around 7% via IPTV. Currently, the two largest satellite TV markets in the region are Germany with almost 16mn satellite TV households, and the UK with around 11mn satellite TV households. Both countries are described as having “significant” free-to-air satellite TV viewers, and UK satellite TV operator BSkyB is named as the leading DTH provider with over 10mn subscribers by the end of last year. Since 2008, cable TV is believed to have been experiencing a declining subscriber base: cable TV operators in Western Europe had a combined 49.8mn customers by the end of 2010, and this figure is expected to continue declining at 1% annually between now and 2015. IPTV meanwhile is expected to post an average annual subscriber growth rate of 10% over the same period, and by 2015
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there are expected to be over 20mn IPTV subscribers in Western Europe. The emergence of connected TV and overthe-top (OTT) video may further affect the take-up of these established TV platforms in the future: OTT TV is described as continuously expanding to the point where most of the content available on subscription TV is also available ondemand on connected TV sets. Under this scenario, cord-cutting is believed to be a possibility which is “no longer unlikely”. Europe has more cable networks than satellite TV services, and while many of the latter have been digital since launch, some cable TV networks are yet to be upgraded to digital. The UK has been a trailblazer in digital TV services, largely through the existence of three technological options following the relaunch of Freeview DTTV and the digitisation of satellite services. All countries in the EU are required by the European Commission (EC) to set time frames and strategies for the migration from analogue to digital terrestrial TV.
Monthly Magazine
59
The Highly Circulated Satellite Magazine
2013
20 YEARS OF GENEROUS PUBLICATIONS
Undecided which cable or satellite TV you'd like to get? There are several factors you might want to consider before signingup to any of these cable/satellite companies. Do you have a budget in mind? Do you have a set of specific cable channels you'd like to watch? Are you a foreigner/expat in the Philippines? When it comes to budget, the cheapest plan would be SkyCable's Pre-Paid Plan. For 99 pesos, you get all the channels included in SkyCable Silver Plan. The catch? You can only watch them for 3 days and you must have a SkyCable DigiBox installed. SkyCable recently launched SkyCable Select which allows cable subscribers to select additional channels together with the subscriber's current plan. You start off with the Starter Plan for 280 pesos inclusive of DigiBox minus the installation fee. Other plans include the Silver Plan for 780 pesos, Gold for 1000 pesos (previously 850), and the platinum packs (HBO or Metro Pack) for 1,350 pesos. See our SkyCable Select Calculator to compute for the prices of the additional channels. You can get Global Destiny cable for 500 pesos a month exclusive of the installation fee. If you refer one of your friends (or at least anyone you know) to subscribe to Global Destiny, you get one month subscription for free. Cablelink is another cable company in the market. You can get a Cablelink subscription starting at 495 pesos a month exclusive of installation fees and other miscellany fees (1 month advance, 1 month deposit, and additional fees for extensions/lines). Cablelink only cover specific areas: Las Pi単as, Para単aque, Muntinlupa, Taguig, Pateros, Pasay, Imus, and Bacoor. According to them, they have the most number of quality movie channels in the market (Hallmark, PBO, HBO, Star Movies, and Flip TV). Dream Satellite is a DTH (Direct-to-Home) satellite provider in the Philippines. Before you subscribe to Dream Satellite TV, you must purchase a decoder box which cost 5,900 pesos. Among their price packages are Dream 390, Dream 690, and Dream 890. Dream Satellite subscription is only advisable if you are living in an area where coverage of cable TV is limited or far from the reaches of civilization. Another satellite provider is Cignal Digital
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I
TV. It comes at a highly expensive price starting at 4,700 pesos with a monthly service fee of 390 pesos. This does not include the 1,000 pesos installation fee.
Which Cable Or Satellite Provider Is Right For You?
Monthly Magazine
78
The Highly Circulated Satellite Magazine
2013