Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location. The signals are received via an outdoor parabolic antenna commonly referred to as a satellite dish and a low-noise block downconverter .
101-604: The Viewer Access Satellite Television service, or VAST , is a satellite television platform in Australia , providing digital television and radio services to remote and rural areas, as well as viewers in terrestrial black spots. The service uses the Optus C1 and Optus D3 satellites. It is partly funded by the Australian Government and managed through a joint-venture between Southern Cross Media and Imparja Television. It
202-418: A Molniya orbit . Satellite television, like other communications relayed by satellite, starts with a transmitting antenna located at an uplink facility. Uplink satellite dishes are very large, as much as 9 to 12 meters (30 to 40 feet) in diameter. The increased diameter results in more accurate aiming and increased signal strength at the satellite. The uplink dish is pointed toward a specific satellite and
303-489: A low-noise amplifier (LNA) connected to the feedhorn at the focal point of the dish. The amplified signal, still at the higher microwave frequencies, had to be fed via very expensive low-loss 50-ohm impedance gas filled hardline coaxial cable with relatively complex N-connectors to an indoor receiver or, in other designs, a downconverter (a mixer and a voltage-tuned oscillator with some filter circuitry) for downconversion to an intermediate frequency. The channel selection
404-470: A DBS service, but are received in approximately 18 million homes, as well as in any home using the Sky Deutschland commercial DBS system. All German analogue satellite broadcasts ceased on 30 April 2012. The United Kingdom has approximately 160 digital channels (including the regional variations of BBC channels, ITV channels, Channel 4 and Channel 5 ) that are broadcast without encryption from
505-508: A children's channel in the daytime, changing over to adult programmes at 7:00 pm (originally 6:00 pm until January 2011). In May 2011, the channel's children's block was rebranded as ABC 4 Kids , and began to be treated as a separate channel timesharing in ABC2's bandwidth. On 30 October 2017, it was announced by the ABC that on 4 December 2017, ABC2 would be rebranded as ABC Comedy, ending
606-499: A day. From 4am to 7:30pm daily, the channel's bandwidth is used for the ABC Kids channel. ABC Family's programming commences at 7:30pm daily and closes at 4am, which is the same time that ABC Kids' programming starts. The channel launched with a three-dimensional logo of the numeral two. The previous idents were produced in part by Amanda Dennis (known for her work on Australia Wide , and Good Game ), and were used in some form since
707-572: A normal parabolic satellite antenna means it can only receive signals from a single satellite at a time. Simulsat or the Vertex-RSI TORUS, is a quasi-parabolic satellite earthstation antenna that is capable of receiving satellite transmissions from 35 or more C - and K u -band satellites simultaneously. In 1945 British science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke proposed a worldwide communications system which would function by means of three satellites equally spaced apart in earth orbit. This
808-641: A number of states and territories in Australia. Each VAST certified set-top box is assigned a bouquet suitable for the geographical location the set-top box is registered to. ABC Television provides digital television channels ABC TV ( ABN , ABV , ABQ , ABT , ABS , ABW , ABC Canberra , ABD ), ABC HD , ABC TV Plus / Kids , ABC Me and ABC News from 7 states and territories. SBS Television also provides SBS , SBS HD and SBS VICELAND from 7 states and territories, as well as SBS Food , SBS World Movies , NITV and SBS WorldWatch . The channels are assigned
909-472: A range of programming targeted at younger and teenage viewers. Funding issues meant that, in June 2003, ABC Television closed ABC Kids and Fly TV. Unlike its predecessors, ABC2 launched on 7 March 2005 on channel 21, independent of government funding, instead running on a budget of A$ 3 million per year. The first programme in the launch schedule was an episode of Landline – although scheduled to begin at 6.25am,
1010-414: A rooftop parabolic receiving dish (" satellite dish "), which reflects the weak signal to the dish's focal point. Mounted on brackets at the dish's focal point is a feedhorn which passes the signals through a waveguide to a device called a low-noise block converter (LNB) or low noise converter (LNC) attached to the horn. The LNB amplifies the weak signals, filters the block of frequencies in which
1111-694: A series of Soviet geostationary satellites to carry direct-to-home television, Ekran 1, was launched on 26 October 1976. It used a 714 MHz UHF downlink frequency so that the transmissions could be received with existing UHF television technology rather than microwave technology. The satellite television industry developed in the US from the cable television industry as communication satellites were being used to distribute television programming to remote cable television headends . Home Box Office (HBO), Turner Broadcasting System (TBS), and Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN, later The Family Channel ) were among
SECTION 10
#17328554401701212-487: A single dish) pointing to different satellites. A common solution for consumers wanting to access multiple satellites is to deploy a single dish with a single LNB and to rotate the dish using an electric motor. The axis of rotation has to be set up in the north–south direction and, depending on the geographical location of the dish, have a specific vertical tilt. Set up properly the motorized dish when turned will sweep across all possible positions for satellites lined up along
1313-554: A small dish less than a meter in diameter. The first satellite TV systems were a now-obsolete type known as television receive-only . These systems received weaker analog signals transmitted in the C-band (4–8 GHz) from FSS type satellites, requiring the use of large 2–3-meter dishes. Consequently, these systems were nicknamed "big dish" systems, and were more expensive and less popular. Early systems used analog signals , but modern ones use digital signals which allow transmission of
1414-445: A smaller dish antenna because of the higher power transmissions and greater antenna gain. TVRO systems tend to use larger rather than smaller satellite dish antennas, since it is more likely that the owner of a TVRO system would have a C-band -only setup rather than a K u band -only setup. Additional receiver boxes allow for different types of digital satellite signal reception, such as DVB/MPEG-2 and 4DTV . The narrow beam width of
1515-402: A special type of LNB. There are also LNBs available with a multi-switch already integrated. This problem becomes more complicated when several receivers use several dishes or several LNBs mounted in a single dish are aimed at different satellites. The set-top box selects the channel desired by the user by filtering that channel from the multiple channels received from the satellite, converts
1616-420: A specific frequency range, so as to be received by one of the transponders tuned to that frequency range aboard that satellite. The transponder then converts the signals to K u band , a process known as "translation," and transmits them back to earth to be received by home satellite stations. The downlinked satellite signal, weaker after traveling the great distance (see path loss ), is collected by using
1717-412: A tracking system to turn to follow a moving satellite. A few satellite TV systems use satellites in a Molniya orbit , a highly elliptical orbit with inclination of +/-63.4 degrees and an orbital period of about twelve hours. Satellite television, like other communications relayed by satellite, starts with a transmitting antenna located at an uplink facility. Uplink facilities transmit the signal to
1818-529: A transponder is transmitting at and on what polarisation it is using, the satellite receiver has to switch the LNB into one of four different modes in order to receive a specific desired program on a specific transponder. The receiver uses the DiSEqC protocol to control the LNB mode, which handles this. If several satellite receivers are to be attached to a single dish a so-called multiswitch must be used in conjunction with
1919-457: A wider frequency range of 2–2150 MHz. The satellite receiver or set-top box demodulates and converts the signals to the desired form (outputs for television, audio, data, etc.). Often, the receiver includes the capability to selectively unscramble or decrypt the received signal to provide premium services to some subscribers; the receiver is then called an integrated receiver/decoder or IRD. Low-loss cable (e.g. RG-6 , RG-11 , etc.)
2020-636: Is a model provided by the South African owned vendor Altech UEC , which also offers models with recording functions along with the newer offerings from Korean owned vendor Humax and a basic model "SatKing" from Australian owned vendor Phoenix Technology Group . The units with a recording function inhibit forward cuing and skipping to prevent commercials being bypassed. Unlike the Aurora service, VAST only uses Irdeto version two and three (not version one) for DVB encryption key management with each smart card locked to
2121-487: Is an Australian free-to-air television channel owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and part of its ABC Television network. The channel broadcasts a range of family and teen entertainment programming. The channel operates between the hours of 07:30pm and 04:00am AEST/AEDT daily. The channel's bandwidth is used for the ABC Kids channel for young children during the remaining hours of
SECTION 20
#17328554401702222-431: Is an even more restricted free-to-view replacement for Optus Aurora providing channels which have been absent (such as a Network Ten affiliate and digital only secondary and HD network channels) on the remote service until now. The platform uses only H.264 video encoding and 8PSK , which allows for more lower bit rate channels on the limited transponder space that's available. The EPG uses an MHEG-5 guide instead of
2323-414: Is because the LNB is translating two different circular polarizations (right-hand and left-hand) and, in the case of K-band, two different frequency bands (lower and upper) to the same frequency range on the cable. Depending on which frequency and polarization a transponder is using, the satellite receiver has to switch the LNB into one of four different modes in order to receive a specific "channel". This
2424-441: Is even more adversely affected by ice crystals in thunder clouds. On occasion, sun outage will occur when the sun lines up directly behind the geostationary satellite to which the receiving antenna is pointed. The downlink satellite signal, quite weak after traveling the great distance (see path loss ), is collected with a parabolic receiving dish, which reflects the weak signal to the dish's focal point. Mounted on brackets at
2525-425: Is handled by the receiver using the DiSEqC protocol to control the LNB mode. If several satellite receivers are to be attached to a single dish, a so-called multiswitch will have to be used in conjunction with a special type of LNB. There are also LNBs available with a multi-switch already integrated. This problem becomes more complicated when several receivers are to use several dishes (or several LNBs mounted in
2626-773: Is referred to as baseband . This baseband comprises the video signal and the audio subcarrier(s). The audio subcarrier is further demodulated to provide a raw audio signal. Later signals were digitized television signals or multiplex of signals, typically QPSK . In general, digital television, including that transmitted via satellites, is based on open standards such as MPEG and DVB-S / DVB-S2 or ISDB-S . The conditional access encryption/scrambling methods include NDS , BISS , Conax , Digicipher , Irdeto, Cryptoworks , DG Crypt , Beta digital , SECA Mediaguard , Logiways , Nagravision , PowerVu , Viaccess , Videocipher , and VideoGuard . Many conditional access systems have been compromised. An event called sun outage occurs when
2727-489: Is that the satellite's orbital period equals the rotation rate of the Earth, so the satellite appears at a fixed position in the sky. Thus the satellite dish antenna which receives the signal can be aimed permanently at the location of the satellite and does not have to track a moving satellite. A few systems instead use a highly elliptical orbit with inclination of +/−63.4 degrees and an orbital period of about twelve hours, known as
2828-464: Is used to connect the receiver to the LNBF or LNB. RG-59 is not recommended for this application as it is not technically designed to carry frequencies above 950 MHz, but may work in some circumstances, depending on the quality of the coaxial wire, signal levels, cable length, etc. A practical problem relating to home satellite reception is that an LNB can basically only handle a single receiver. This
2929-650: The Relay 1 satellite was the first satellite to transmit television signals from the US to Japan. The first geosynchronous communication satellite , Syncom 2 , was launched on 26 July 1963. The subsequent first geostationary Syncom 3 , orbiting near the International Date Line , was used to telecast the 1964 Olympic Games from Tokyo to the United States . The world's first commercial communications satellite, called Intelsat I and nicknamed "Early Bird",
3030-563: The Astra 28.2°E satellite constellation, and receivable on any DVB-S receiver (a DVB-S2 receiver is required for certain high definition television services). Most of these channels are included within the Sky EPG , and an increasing number within the Freesat EPG. India 's national broadcaster, Doordarshan , promotes a free-to-air DBS package as " DD Free Dish ", which is provided as in-fill for
3131-555: The Australian Broadcasting Authority released a report, titled Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting , recommending that the Australian Government support the early introduction of digital broadcasting as a free-to-air service with the loan of a 7 MHz channel for each broadcaster. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation stated that it wished to run up to four multichannels at different times of
Viewer Access Satellite Television - Misplaced Pages Continue
3232-581: The BBC World Service and Hope Christian radio are also provided. Satellite television A satellite receiver decodes the desired television program for viewing on a television set . Receivers can be external set-top boxes , or a built-in television tuner . Satellite television provides a wide range of channels and services. It is usually the only television available in many remote geographic areas without terrestrial television or cable television service. Different receivers are required for
3333-505: The BBC World Service were transitioned to the new satellite platform over a two-month period from the existing Aurora platform and were the final channels to make the transition. February 2014 was when the last Aurora uplink ended. Anyone is entitled to access ABC and SBS channels on the VAST service, after completing a successful application, regardless of location within Australia. Several different groups of people are currently entitled to use
3434-440: The C-band (4–8 GHz), K u -band (12–18 GHz), or both. The leg of the signal path from the satellite to the receiving Earth station is called the downlink. A typical satellite has up to 32 K u -band or 24 C-band transponders, or more for K u / C hybrid satellites. Typical transponders each have a bandwidth between 27 and 50 MHz. Each geostationary C-band satellite needs to be spaced 2° longitude from
3535-481: The C-band frequencies and the dishes required were large; typically over 3 meters (10 ft) in diameter. Consequently, TVRO is often referred to as "big dish" or "Big Ugly Dish" (BUD) satellite television. TVRO systems were designed to receive analog and digital satellite feeds of both television or audio from both C-band and K u -band transponders on FSS -type satellites. The higher frequency K u -band systems tend to resemble DBS systems and can use
3636-573: The Gorizont communication satellites later that same year. These satellites used geostationary orbits . They were equipped with powerful on-board transponders, so the size of receiving parabolic antennas of downlink stations was reduced to 4 and 2.5 metres. On October 18, 1979, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began allowing people to have home satellite earth stations without a federal government license. The front cover of
3737-685: The Northern Territory Football League . The Women's National Basketball League and W-League Women's Football Competition was broadcast live every week. In addition the channel also broadcast the Fed Cup and the Tiwi Islands Football League Grand Final annually. ABC Family is available on all of ABC Television 's terrestrial television transmitters in 576i SD Digital , as well as on most satellite and cable services. ABC Family does not broadcast 24 hours
3838-790: The Regional and Remote Western Australia license area are provided by Seven West Media , WIN Television and West Digital Television . Unlike the Remote Central and Eastern channels, they are all available in Western Standard Time and are assigned typical regional virtual channel numbers. Standard-definition channels Seven Regional WA , 7two, WIN 's Nine Regional , 9Gem, 9Go!, 9Life , 10 West , 10 Bold and 10 Peach are provided as well as high-definition channels 7mate, WIN HD 's 9HD and 10 HD . Home shopping and sport data-casting channels ishop TV , Racing.com and TVSN are also provided by
3939-541: The attack on HBO's transponder Galaxy 1 by John R. MacDougall in April 1986. One by one, all commercial channels followed HBO's lead and began scrambling their channels. The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA) was founded on December 2, 1986, as the result of a merger between SPACE and the Direct Broadcast Satellite Association (DBSA). ABC TV Plus ABC Family
4040-405: The geostationary orbit directly above the equator. The dish will then be capable of receiving any geostationary satellite that is visible at the specific location, i.e. that is above the horizon. The DiSEqC protocol has been extended to encompass commands for steering dish rotors. There are five major components in a satellite system: the programming source, the broadcast center, the satellite,
4141-466: The intermediate frequency ranges of 950–2150 MHz to carry the signal from the LNBF at the dish down to the receiver. This allows for the transmission of UHF signals along the same span of coaxial wire at the same time. In some applications ( DirecTV AU9-S and AT-9), ranges of the lower B-band and 2250–3000 MHz, are used. Newer LNBFs in use by DirecTV, called SWM (Single Wire Multiswitch), are used to implement single cable distribution and use
Viewer Access Satellite Television - Misplaced Pages Continue
4242-453: The morning show , ABC News Breakfast , on 3 November 2008, a three-hour news program running every weekday. The program no longer airs on the channel, but is simulcast on ABC TV and the ABC News channel . The channel also previously ran ABC Asia Pacific News , which is produced for ABC Australia . In May 2011, with the move of ABC News Breakfast to ABC TV , children's programming
4343-469: The satellite dish , and the receiver . "Direct broadcast" satellites used for transmission of satellite television signals are generally in geostationary orbit 37,000 km (23,000 mi) above the earth's equator . The reason for using this orbit is that the satellite circles the Earth at the same rate as the Earth rotates, so the satellite appears at a fixed point in the sky. Thus satellite dishes can be aimed permanently at that point, and do not need
4444-424: The 1979 Neiman-Marcus Christmas catalogue featured the first home satellite TV stations on sale for $ 36,500. The dishes were nearly 20 feet (6.1 m) in diameter and were remote controlled. The price went down by half soon after that, but there were only eight more channels. The Society for Private and Commercial Earth Stations (SPACE), an organisation which represented consumers and satellite TV system owners,
4545-771: The 401-420 virtual channel range. Most terrestrial analog and DAB radio channels from ABC and SBS are provided as audio-only DVB channels. A number of niche radio channels such as Faith FM , Niche Radio Network, Radio TAB , Aussie Flashbacks, 2RPH , Vintage FM and Vision Radio Network are also provided, as well as community radio channels from regional Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia are also provided, such as Yolngu Radio, CAAMA Radio, Gumala Radio, Radio Larrakia, 2CUZ FM, RadioNGM, PAKAM Radio, PAW Radio, Radio 5NPY, QRAM Central Radio, TEABBA Radio, TSIMA Radio and Waringarri Radio 6WR. A number of community radio channels from Community Broadcasting Association of Australia such as CRN , NIRS , RPH ,
4646-651: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation announced the introduction of live coverage and programme content on ABC2 from the Australian Film Commission , Opera Australia , and the Australian Ballet . On 8 February 2008 ABC2 was rebranded with a new slogan and yellow-coloured logo, complementing the new ABC TV logo, which was concurrently revamped as ABC (formerly ABC1). The channel also moved from channel 21 to channel 22. The rebrand
4747-578: The US most condominiums, neighborhoods, and other homeowner associations tightly restricted their use, except in areas where such restrictions were illegal. These restrictions were altered in 1986 when the Federal Communications Commission ruled all of them illegal. A municipality could require a property owner to relocate the dish if it violated other zoning restrictions, such as a setback requirement, but could not outlaw their use. The necessity of these restrictions would slowly decline as
4848-470: The VAST service to receive commercial stations : - It was previously possible to apply for the Optus Aurora service instead, and then move to VAST before the 6-month period preceding digital switchover in the applicable licence area. Viewers accessing the service must use a VAST certified satellite television set-top box and smartcard , and go through an application process. The original set-top box
4949-612: The WA commercial broadcasters. As well as government and commercial channels, VAST provides Indigenous Community Television (ICTV) for remote communities in Northern Territory and Western Australia, as well as religious channels 3ABN International , ADTV , Amazing Facts , Angel TV , Daystar , GOD TV , Hope Channel , SBN International , TBN Inspire , TBN Pacific and Victory Channel . The Remote Central and Eastern commercial television channels carry minimal local news content due to
5050-409: The broadcaster cited "audience research which shows our co-viewing family audience with older children grows around that time of day". The move garnered criticism from parents who were familiar with the 7:30 pm closedown time for ABC Kids; due to viewer feedback, the startup time moved to 7 pm on 6 February 2023, and then reverted back to 7:30 pm on 13 February. On 9 May 2024, it
5151-531: The channel's launch, until the 2008 rebrand. The channel's original slogan was "More Choice, More Often" . All promos featured the "Big 2" placed in famous, and iconic Australian locations, such as Sydney Harbour , the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre and the Northern Territory . The "Big 2" was somewhat similar to the on air mascot of BBC Two in appearance. ABC2's logo was modified for
SECTION 50
#17328554401705252-480: The channels. The signal is then sent to the uplink where it is transmitted to the satellite. With some broadcast centers, the studios, administration and up-link are all part of the same campus. The satellite then translates and broadcasts the channels. Most systems use the DVB-S standard for transmission. With pay television services, the data stream is encrypted and requires proprietary reception equipment. While
5353-457: The company reactivates it. Some receivers are capable of decrypting the received signal itself. These receivers are called integrated receiver/decoders or IRDs. Analog television which was distributed via satellite was usually sent scrambled or unscrambled in NTSC , PAL , or SECAM television broadcast standards. The analog signal is frequency modulated and is converted from an FM signal to what
5454-544: The country's terrestrial transmission network. It is broadcast from GSAT-15 at 93.5°E and contains about 80 FTA channels. While originally launched as backhaul for their digital terrestrial television service, a large number of French channels are free-to-air on satellites at 5°W, and have recently been announced as being official in-fill for the DTT network. In North America (United States, Canada and Mexico ) there are over 80 FTA digital channels available on Galaxy 19 (with
5555-490: The day or alternatively offer a high-definition television channel. The corporation claimed that up to A$ 100 million would be needed to prepare for these services, half of which would need to be government-funded. In August 2001 the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched the ABC Kids channel , with Fly TV following in November 2001. The two multichannels, available only through digital terrestrial television , broadcast
5656-417: The day. The channel was launched on 7 March 2005 as ABC2 . It was rebranded as ABC Comedy on 4 December 2017, with a format focused on comedy programming. On 1 January 2021, it was rebranded as ABC TV Plus and returned to a general entertainment format. In May 2024, it was announced that the channel would rebrand as ABC Family on 3 June 2024. The history of the channel can be traced back to 1998 when
5757-519: The dish's focal point is a device called a feedhorn or collector. The feedhorn is a section of waveguide with a flared front-end that gathers the signals at or near the focal point and conducts them to a probe or pickup connected to a low-noise block downconverter (LNB). The LNB amplifies the signals and downconverts them to a lower block of intermediate frequencies (IF), usually in the L-band . The original C-band satellite television systems used
5858-526: The dishes got smaller. Originally, all channels were broadcast in the clear (ITC) because the equipment necessary to receive the programming was too expensive for consumers. With the growing number of TVRO systems, the program providers and broadcasters had to scramble their signal and develop subscription systems. In October 1984, the U.S. Congress passed the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 , which gave those using TVRO systems
5959-691: The early days of satellite television reception to differentiate it from commercial satellite television uplink and downlink operations (transmit and receive). This was the primary method of satellite television transmissions before the satellite television industry shifted, with the launch of higher powered DBS satellites in the early 1990s which transmitted their signals on the K u band frequencies. Satellite television channels at that time were intended to be used by cable television networks rather than received by home viewers. Early satellite television receiver systems were largely constructed by hobbyists and engineers. These early TVRO systems operated mainly on
6060-565: The first satellite in history. The first public satellite television signals from Europe to North America were relayed via the Telstar satellite over the Atlantic ocean on 23 July 1962, although a test broadcast had taken place almost two weeks earlier on 11 July. The signals were received and broadcast in North American and European countries and watched by over 100 million. Launched in 1962,
6161-534: The first to use satellite television to deliver programming. Taylor Howard of San Andreas , California , became the first person to receive C-band satellite signals with his home-built system in 1976. In the US, PBS , a non-profit public broadcasting service, began to distribute its television programming by satellite in 1978. In 1979, Soviet engineers developed the Moskva (or Moscow ) system of broadcasting and delivering of TV signals via satellites. They launched
SECTION 60
#17328554401706262-488: The indoor receiver to the satellite television dish and LNB, and that the technology for handling the signal at L-band and UHF was far cheaper than that for handling the signal at C-band frequencies. The shift to cheaper technology from the hardline and N-connectors of the early C-band systems to the cheaper and simpler 75-ohm cable and F-connectors allowed the early satellite television receivers to use, what were in reality, modified UHF television tuners which selected
6363-471: The majority being ethnic or religious in nature). Other FTA satellites include AMC-4 , AMC-6 , Galaxy 18 , and Satmex 5. A company called GloryStar promotes FTA religious broadcasters on Galaxy 19 . Satellite TV has seen a decline in consumers since the 2010s due to the cord-cutting trend where people are shifting towards internet-based streaming television and free over-the-air television . The term television receive-only , or TVRO, arose during
6464-417: The market. Some countries operate satellite television services which can be received for free, without paying a subscription fee. This is called free-to-air satellite television. Germany is likely the leader in free-to-air with approximately 250 digital channels (including 83 HDTV channels and various regional channels) broadcast from the Astra 19.2°E satellite constellation. These are not marketed as
6565-423: The modern television standard high-definition television , due to the significantly improved spectral efficiency of digital broadcasting. As of 2022, Star One D2 from Brazil is the only remaining satellite broadcasting in analog signals. The satellites used for broadcasting television are usually in a geostationary orbit 36,000 km (22,000 mi) above the earth's equator . The advantage of this orbit
6666-432: The next satellite to avoid interference; for K u the spacing can be 1°. This means that there is an upper limit of 360/2 = 180 geostationary C-band satellites or 360/1 = 360 geostationary K u -band satellites. C-band transmission is susceptible to terrestrial interference while K u -band transmission is affected by rain (as water is an excellent absorber of microwaves at this particular frequency). The latter
6767-548: The programme was delayed ten minutes. The channel was officially inaugurated by former Minister for Communications, Senator Helen Coonan , at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra on 10 March 2005. Weekly video gaming and technology programme Good Game was launched on 19 September 2006, becoming one of the first programmes in its genre to be broadcast on free-to-air television in Australia . Similarly in
6868-454: The promotion of the channels launch, and for various sporting events, notably the channel's launch, where the logo appeared under-construction, and during the promotion of Australians Women's Netball where it took on the appearance of a netball. On 8 February 2008, ABC2 (now ABC TV Plus) updated to a yellow logo, and slogan to "Connecting 2" , as well as moving its digital terrestrial broadcast from Channel 21 to Channel 22. In addition to this,
6969-475: The quality of the coaxial wire. The shift to more affordable technology from the 50 ohm impedance cable and N-connectors of the early C-band systems to the cheaper 75 ohm technology and F-connectors allowed the early satellite television receivers to use, what were in reality, modified UHF television tuners which selected the satellite television channel for down conversion to another lower intermediate frequency centered on 70 MHz where it
7070-493: The residence using cheap coaxial cable . To transport the signal into the house at its original K u band microwave frequency would require an expensive waveguide , a metal pipe to carry the radio waves. The cable connecting the receiver to the LNB are of the low loss type RG-6 , quad shield RG-6, or RG-11. RG-59 is not recommended for this application as it is not technically designed to carry frequencies above 950 MHz, but will work in many circumstances, depending on
7171-466: The right to receive signals for free unless they were scrambled, and required those who did scramble to make their signals available for a reasonable fee. Since cable channels could prevent reception by big dishes, other companies had an incentive to offer competition. In January 1986, HBO began using the now-obsolete VideoCipher II system to encrypt their channels . Other channels used less secure television encryption systems. The scrambling of HBO
7272-899: The same virtual channel numbers as terrestrial areas, but are also assigned 3-digit virtual channel numbers for out-of-area or interstate viewers. Southern Cross Austereo , Imparja Television and Central Digital Television provide commercial digital television channels to VAST viewers in the Remote Central and Eastern Australia license area, which covers all states and territories except Western Australia . Standard-definition digital television channels 7 Central , 7two , Imparja Television, 9Go! , 10 Central and 10 Peach are each split into two separate feeds based on Australian Eastern Standard Time and Australian Eastern Summer Time respectively. High-definition digital television channels 7mate , 9Gem and 10 Bold are also available. Commercial digital television channels for VAST viewers in
7373-551: The same year, programmes produced included Australia Wide , Short and Curly , dig tv and Late Night Legends . Genre restrictions imposed by the Australian government on digital multichanneling were lifted along with the media ownership laws passed through the Australian parliament on 18 October 2006. Previously limited in the subjects it could cover, ABC2 was henceforth able to carry shows identified as comedy, drama, national news, sport or entertainment. On 1 January 2008
7474-434: The satellite over a narrow beam of microwaves , typically in the C-band frequency range due to its resistance to rain fade . Uplink satellite dishes are very large, often as much as 9 to 12 metres (30 to 40 feet) in diameter to achieve accurate aiming and increased signal strength at the satellite, to improve reliability. The uplink dish is pointed toward a specific satellite and the uplinked signals are transmitted within
7575-475: The satellite television channel for down conversion to a lower intermediate frequency centered on 70 MHz, where it was demodulated. This shift allowed the satellite television DTH industry to change from being a largely hobbyist one where only small numbers of systems costing thousands of US dollars were built, to a far more commercial one of mass production. In the United States, service providers use
7676-404: The satellite television signals are transmitted, and converts the block of frequencies to a lower frequency range in the L-band range. The signal is then passed through a coaxial cable into the residence to the satellite television receiver, a set-top box next to the television. The reason for using the LNB to do the frequency translation at the dish is so that the signal can be carried into
7777-718: The satellite's transponders drowns out reception. Direct-to-home (DTH) can either refer to the communications satellites themselves that deliver service or the actual television service. Most satellite television customers in developed television markets get their programming through a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) provider. Signals are transmitted using K u band (12 to 18 GHz) and are completely digital which means it has high picture and stereo sound quality. Programming for satellite television channels comes from multiple sources and may include live studio feeds. The broadcast center assembles and packages programming into channels for transmission and, where necessary, encrypts
7878-411: The serial number of the provided set-top box. VAST is designed to provide the same number of digital television and radio channels available in metropolitan terrestrial areas. A minimum of 17 digital television channels are currently available to eligible viewers. The service also provides a minimum of 39 digital radio channels and a number of niche channels. The channels are sorted into bouquets based on
7979-481: The service was only available to viewers in and around Mildura, Victoria, to coincide with Australia's first analog television switch-off. On 15 December 2010, the service was made available to viewers in the existing Remote Central and Eastern Australia and Mt Isa licence areas. In April 2011, the Western VAST service began for Regional and Remote Western Australia viewers. From December 2013, CRN , NIRS , RPH , and
8080-409: The signal to a lower intermediate frequency , decrypts the encrypted signal, demodulates the radio signal and sends the resulting video signal to the television through a cable. To decrypt the signal the receiver box must be "activated" by the satellite company. If the customer fails to pay their monthly bill the box is "deactivated" by a signal from the company, and the system will not work until
8181-547: The size of the licence area. Southern Cross Austereo came to an agreement with the Federal Government to provide the VAST Regional News service, a group of 20 channels broadcasting news bulletins and updates from over 40 regional television stations. The stations send their news programs to a playout centre in Canberra, ACT , operated by Southern Cross Austereo. A menu placeholder on virtual channel 4 directs viewers to
8282-401: The slogan "More Choice, More Often" was replaced with "Connecting 2" . After concerns in some sections of the media that the 43-year-old Lissajous curve brand was to disappear completely, ABC management reaffirmed that it would remain in use by the corporation. On 1 April 2011 the logo was rebranded to look similar to that of the logo used by the ABC channel (then ABC1), and the ABC2 slogan
8383-418: The sun lines up directly behind the satellite in the field of view of the receiving satellite dish. This happens for about a 10-minute period daily around midday, twice every year for a two-week period in the spring and fall around the equinox . During this period, the sun is within the main lobe of the dish's reception pattern, so the strong microwave noise emitted by the sun on the same frequencies used by
8484-478: The two types. Some transmissions and channels are unencrypted and therefore free-to-air , while many other channels are transmitted with encryption. Free-to-view channels are encrypted but not charged-for, while pay television requires the viewer to subscribe and pay a monthly fee to receive the programming. Modern systems signals are relayed from a communications satellite on the X band (8–12 GHz) or K u band (12–18 GHz) frequencies requiring only
8585-417: The underlying reception technology is similar, the pay television technology is proprietary, often consisting of a conditional-access module and smart card . This measure assures satellite television providers that only authorized, paying subscribers have access to pay television content but at the same time can allow free-to-air channels to be viewed even by the people with standard equipment available in
8686-409: The uplinked signals are transmitted within a specific frequency range, so as to be received by one of the transponders tuned to that frequency range aboard that satellite. The transponder re-transmits the signals back to Earth at a different frequency (a process known as translation, used to avoid interference with the uplink signal), typically in the 10.7-12.7 GHz band, but some still transmit in
8787-471: The use of gallium arsenide FET technology enabled the use of smaller dishes. Five hundred thousand systems, some costing as little as $ 2000, were sold in the US in 1984. Dishes pointing to one satellite were even cheaper. People in areas without local broadcast stations or cable television service could obtain good-quality reception with no monthly fees. The large dishes were a subject of much consternation, as many people considered them eyesores , and in
8888-577: The use of the ABC2 name after 12 years, and focus on a range of comedy programming supplemented with repeats of popular ABC TV programmes. With this announcement, the channel also moved up its start time to 7:30 pm instead of 7 pm. On 25 November 2020, it was announced at the ABC's 2021 upfronts that ABC Comedy would be rebranded as ABC TV Plus and return to a general entertainment format on 1 January 2021. On 1 January 2023, ABC TV Plus moved its startup time up an hour from 7:30 pm to 6:30 pm, led as before with Spicks and Specks ;
8989-400: The usual more compatible DVB EIT. On 10 January 2010, the Australian Government announced a new satellite service to deliver digital television and radio channels to Australian viewers who reside in remote and rural areas, or who can't obtain adequate television signal in an existing metropolitan or regional terrestrial broadcast area, commonly referred to as being in a black spot . Initially,
9090-633: Was Canada 's geostationary Anik 1 , which was launched on 9 November 1972. ATS-6 , the world's first experimental educational and direct broadcast satellite (DBS), was launched on 30 May 1974. It transmitted at 860 MHz using wideband FM modulation and had two sound channels. The transmissions were focused on the Indian subcontinent but experimenters were able to receive the signal in Western Europe using home constructed equipment that drew on UHF television design techniques already in use. The first in
9191-515: Was announced that ABC TV Plus would rebrand as ABC Family on 3 June, with a focus on family co-viewing. ABC Family is required by charter to meet certain programming obligations. To allow automated operation of the channel without the complications of variable length live news broadcasts, prior to the launch of the ABC News channel , the channel broadcast hourly ABC News updates titled News in Brief produced for ABC Online . The channel also launched
9292-473: Was controlled typically by a voltage tuned oscillator with the tuning voltage being fed via a separate cable to the headend, but this design evolved. Designs for microstrip -based converters for amateur radio frequencies were adapted for the 4 GHz C-band . Central to these designs was concept of block downconversion of a range of frequencies to a lower, more easily handled IF. The advantages of using an LNB are that cheaper cable can be used to connect
9393-399: Was demodulated. An LNB can only handle a single receiver. This is due to the fact that the LNB is mapping two different circular polarisations – right hand and left hand – and in the case of the K u -band two different reception bands – lower and upper – to one and the same frequency band on the cable, and is a practical problem for home satellite reception. Depending on which frequency
9494-432: Was established in 1980. Early satellite television systems were not very popular due to their expense and large dish size. The satellite television dishes of the systems in the late 1970s and early 1980s were 10 to 16 feet (3.0 to 4.9 m) in diameter, made of fibreglass or solid aluminum or steel , and in the United States cost more than $ 5,000, sometimes as much as $ 10,000. Programming sent from ground stations
9595-645: Was intended to capture a younger audience than ABC1, along with programming shifts bringing across original shows such as the popular Good Game and controversial Double the Fist . On 4 December 2009, coinciding with the launch of the new youth multichannel ABC3 , the children's programming block on ABC2 was relaunched as ABC For Kids on 2 , and shifted its positioning to focus exclusively on preschool programmes. With new channel controller Stuart Menzies (formerly of ABC TV documentaries) joining in July 2010, ABC2 continued as
9696-519: Was launched into geosynchronous orbit on April 6, 1965. The first national network of television satellites, called Orbita , was created by the Soviet Union in October 1967, and was based on the principle of using the highly elliptical Molniya satellite for rebroadcasting and delivering of television signals to ground downlink stations. The first domestic satellite to carry television transmissions
9797-445: Was met with much protest from owners of big-dish systems, most of which had no other option at the time for receiving such channels, claiming that clear signals from cable channels would be difficult to receive. Eventually HBO allowed dish owners to subscribe directly to their service for $ 12.95 per month, a price equal to or higher than what cable subscribers were paying, and required a descrambler to be purchased for $ 395. This led to
9898-519: Was published in the October 1945 issue of the Wireless World magazine and won him the Franklin Institute 's Stuart Ballantine Medal in 1963. The first satellite relayed communication was achieved early on in the space age, after the first relay test was conducted by Pioneer 1 and the first radio broadcast by SCORE at the end of 1958, after at the beginning of the year Sputnik I became
9999-631: Was relayed from eighteen satellites in geostationary orbit located 22,300 miles (35,900 km) above the Earth. By 1980, satellite television was well established in the US and Europe. On 26 April 1982, the first satellite channel in the UK, Satellite Television Ltd. (later Sky One ), was launched. Its signals were transmitted from the ESA 's Orbital Test Satellites . Between 1981 and 1985, TVRO systems' sales rates increased as prices fell. Advances in receiver technology and
10100-622: Was relocated to ABC Kids and ABC Me . An overnight ABC News Update which was replayed from the ABC News channel was formerly the last televised program to be played on ABC TV Plus before the channel's overnight closure, until its rebrand to ABC Family in June 2024. The channel formerly broadcast exclusive national coverage of many sporting competitions, which include the New South Wales Rugby Union , Queensland Rugby League , Victorian Football League , South Australian National Football League , West Australian Football League , and
10201-419: Was replaced with "Always Brighter" . On 20 July 2014 following the main channel's rebrand to the 1974 Lissajous curve logo, new variants of the ABC2 logo were introduced to fit with the classic Lissajous curve. However, the 2011 logo remained in use on-screen with it and the 2014 variant used interchangeably. On 4 December 2017, after 12 years of being known as ABC2, the channel underwent a major rebranding and
#169830