Satellite TV glossary A collection of terms used in our hobby thx to duwgati.com
A/B Switch:
A switch that selects one of two inputs (A or B) for routing to a common output while providing adequate isolating between the two signals.
Access Control System - ACS:
Access Control System/s, comprising all conditional access components such as S/1, IDAC, ISAC, minicons, etc...
ACS number:
This is the version number of the cards software.
There are several different software versions: 1.2, 1.4, 1.6 en 3.82, 3.83.
Versions 1.4 and 1.6 are almost identical.
Adaptation Header:
A block of data that forms an extension to a transport packet header. It may be of fixed format and/or of general data
Adjacent Channel:
An adjacent channel is immediately next to another channel in frequency. For example, PAL channels 5 and 6 as well as 8 and 9 are adjacent.
Alignment:
The process of fine tuning a dish or an electronic circuit to maximize its sensitivity and signal receiving capability.
Alphacrypt:
The Irdeto successor, decodes both Irdeto and Betacrypt.
AM:
An abbreviation for amplitude modulation.
Analog:
A system in which signals vary continuously in contrast to a digital system in which signals vary in discrete steps.
Analogue-to-Digital Converter:
A circuit that converts analogue signals to an equivalent digital form. The varying analogue signal is sampled at a series of points in time. The voltage at each of these points is then represented by a series of numbers, the digital value of the sample. The higher this sampling frequency, the finer are the gradations and the more accurately is the signal represented
Antenna:
A device that collects and focuses electromagnetic energy, i.e., contributes an energy gain. Satellite dishes, broadband antenna and cut-to-channel antennas are some types of antennas encountered. In the case of satellite dishes, gain is proportional to the surface area of the microwave reflector.
Antenna Efficiency:
The percentage of incoming satellite signal actually captured by an antenna system.
Aperture:
The collection area of a parabolic dish.
Aperture Blocking:
An obstruction such as the feed assembly which causes a blocking of the incoming signal.
Asciiserial:
The number that identifies the card. It is also printed on the card in bar-code.
Although it is accessible by software, to my knowledge it is never really used.
It only serves identification purposes.
Aspect Ratio:
The ratio of television screen width to height. The standard aspect ratio is 4 to 3.
Aston Seca:
Although the real name for the coding system is Mediaguard, it is often referred to as Seca or Aston Seca. Mediaguard is developed by Seca, so the also used name Seca Mediaguard is more suitable. Aston is a company that builds the CAM's (among others) that are used to decode the Mediaguard system.
The Seca Mediaguard coding is used by the Canal + organization which is no wonder. Canal + is shareholder in the Seca organization and it also takes part in the development of the Mediaguard coding system. Because of the influence of Canal +, the Seca Mediaguard system is very popular in France.
Attenuation:
The decrease in signal power that occurs in a device or when a signal travels to reach a destination point (path loss).
Attenuator:
A passive device which reduces the power of a signal. Attenuators are rated according to the amount of signal attenuation.
ATR:
Answer To Reset, or ATR for short, is the string a smart card sends to the receiver upon every reset. The ATR of each smart card conforms to the ISO7816-3 specifications. The ATR contains information about the card, for instance information on how the receiver should communicate with the card: Voltage, Amp, Baudrate, Synchronous or Asynchronous communication etc.
Audio Subcarrier:
The carrier wave that transmits audio information within a video broadcast signal. Satellite transmissions can relay more than a single audio subcarrier in the frequency range between 5 and 8.5 MHz.
Auto Update:
The auto update (AU) technique makes sure the card is kept up to date in order to provide the correct keys to the CAM when requested. Providers will regularly change their operational keys and unless you have a valid set of management keys, you will soon be left with a black screen. For different coding systems, the actual keys that are used for decoding, have different names. For instance, in Irdeto they are called Plainkeys and for Seca they are called Operational Keys.
Automatic Brightness Control:
A television circuit used to automatically adjust picture tube brightness in response to changes in background or ambient light.
Automatic Fine Tuning:
A circuit that automatically maintains the correct tuner oscillator frequency and compensates for drift and for moderate amounts of inaccurate tuning. Similar to AFC.
Automatic Frequency Control - AFC:
A circuit that locks an electronic component to a chosen frequency, so that the the tuning will not drift from that chosen frequency.
Automatic Gain Control - AGC:
A circuit that uses feedback to maintain the output of an electronic component at a constant level. This is achieved by locking the gain onto a fixed value and thus compensating for varying input signal levels keeping the output constant.
Azimuth-Elevation (Az-El) Mount:
A dish mount that tracks satellites by moving in two directions: the azimuth in the horizontal plane and elevation up from the horizon.
Azimuth:
A compass bearing expressed in degrees of rotation clockwise from true north. It is one of the two coordinates, azimuth and elevation, used to align a satellite dish.
Band:
A range of frequencies.
Band Separator:
A device that splits a group of specified frequencies into two or more bands. Common types include UHF/VHF, Hi/Lo-band and FM separators. This device is essentially a set of filters.
Bandpass Filter:
A circuit or device that allows only a specified range of frequencies to pass from input to output.
Bandwidth:
The frequency range allocated to any communication circuit.
Baseband:
The raw audio and video signals prior to modulation and broadcasting. Most satellite headend equipment utilizes baseband inputs. More exactly, the composite unclamped, non-de-emphasized and unfiltered receiver output. This signal contains the complete set of FM modulated audio and data subcarriers
Beamwidth:
A measure used to describe the width of vision of a dish. Beamwidth is measured as degrees between the 3 dB half power points
Betacrypt:
A coding system very similar to Irdeto and used by the German provider Premiere World.
Bit Error Rate - BER:
The number of errors in a data stream usually expressed a ratio to the total number of bits in which an error occurs. For example, 1 in 10 7 or 10 -7
Bits per Second - BPS:
The number of bits transmitted each second
Blanking Pulse Level:
The reference level for video signals. The blanking pulses must be aligned at the input to the picture tube.
Blanking Signal:
Pulses used to extinguish the scan illumination during horizontal and vertical retrace periods.
Block Downconversion:
The process of lowering the entire band of frequencies in one step to some intermediate range to be processed inside a satellite receiver. Multiple block downconversion receivers are capable of independently selecting channels because each can process the entire block of signals.
Blocker:
Every now and then, some providers will send signals that will effect pirate cards only. The intention of these signals is to disable pirate cards. In order to make sure these unwanted signals don't reach and disable your original card, you can use a blocker. There are 2 ways to block signals: software- and hardware blockers.