FTA Terms for Beginners - Part 3 of 3

by  Sammy Satellite. – Staff Writer for n2news

• ATSC – Advanced Television Systems Committee.   This really means a digital signal that is broadcast in a local market, usually from the top of tall building or a mountain.   These broadcasts can be encrypted but are generally free and contain network programming and local interest programming.
• A/V – Audio and Video.  Generally used in reference to the signal going into the TV.
• Azimuth – The angle of ration that a ground based antenna must be rotated through in order to point to a specific satellite.  This really means how for left and right to turn your dish while pointing it.
• Bin – Short for Binary File or the software information used by your receiver to access the full functionality it is capable of.
• Bird – This is slang for Satellite
• CONUS – The 48 states making up the CONtinental United States.
• Codec – This is the name of a computer method used to encode or decode the video in a way that saves space.  An AVI file on your computer may use a codec to compress the video.  In the same way, some signals, especially HDTV signals use advanced codecs to compress the picture and save bandwidth allowing more tv programs on the same satellite.    Not all stations are created equally.  Popular stations may be allocated more room and less popular stations may use a Codec with more compression resulting in a blockier looking picture.   Your PVR also uses a codec to save space for video files.
• Charlie – A nickname affectionately given to a specific satellite company based on the loveable long time CEO.
• ECM – Electronic Counter Measures.   In order to counter-act the misuse of FTA hardware, some signal providers change the signal or insert some other signal in an attempt to confuse or disable unauthorized hardware.
• EL - Elevation
• EPG – Electronic Programming Guide – Think of this as a copy the Sunday Paper placed right on your screen showing what is on the air right now on every channel.   Some EPG systems color code movies and can search for your favorite actors.
• FTA – Free To Air refers to any signal designed to be received over the public airwaves and watched without decryption.
• FSS – Fixed Satellite Service
• HDTV – High Definition T.V. generally  means signals set at 720p, 1080i or 1080p.
• Key – A key or keycode is a digital value u
• MPEG – This is a type of compression used to reduce the amount of information it takes to transmit a TV signal.  Most stations transmit using MPEG-2 Compression but some are using MPEG-4 which are not the same.
• OTA – Over the Air
• PPV – Pay Per View
• PQ – Picture Quality
• PVR – Personal Video Recorded.  Refers generically to any system or device that allows a show to be recorded and watched again at a later time. 
• RG6 – This is a type of Coax cable that is used to move the signal from one location to another.  An RG6 cable is a little thinker than normal Coax (RG-58) and is dual shielded to prevent interference. 
• Spot – Sometimes called SB or Spot Beam.   The same frequency on a satellite may contain entirely different programming depending on what part of the country you are in.   A specific transponder may carry a group of East coast locals in one part of the country and west coast locals in another part of the country.
• STB – Set Top Box.   The STB is generally talking about your receiver that you use although it can be used to talk about a receiver provide by a cable or satellite company.
• Stream – The data information sent over the satellite company.   Usually used in reference to an ECM such as, “There is an ECM in the stream, you may need to U/L and new bin”.
• Tiers – Satellite providers group signals into Tiers that represent the way they are packaged and sold or the way they intend for them to be group and displayed in the receiver.
• TP – Transponder
• U/L – Upload or transfer from your computer to the receiver
• YPrPb – Another way to talk about Component Video Cables.

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