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Digital v Analogue
One of the first forms of digital transmissions what invented by Alexander Bain a Scotsman when he invented the fax machine. Later versions included an analogue addition by allowing grey scale. But all early digital systems Morse, Packet Radio, Slow scan TV, all sent and received a single signal.
Combining digital with analogue, has been done, with both teletext on TV and RDS on Radio and in both cases the receiver could select what part of the transmission it used.
However the new digital transmissions have gone one step further by combining many broadcasts in one transmission and there are two systems being used in the UK.
DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast) and DVB (Digital Vision Broadcast) the latter is split again to DVB-t (Terrestrial) and DVB-s (satellite).
The DVB-s is also split into three FTA (free to air) which has no restrictions to viewing FTV (free to view) which can only be watched in UK and needs a card to decode the encryption and “Sky” an encrypted service which transmits programs which require continues payment in some way.
The DVB-t also is split into Freeview service, and an encrypted service called “Top up TV”.
So the so called “Set Top Boxes” have sometimes two slots one for encryption card the other I think is for something called a CAM (“Conditional Access Module”) but I don’t know what that really does.
The Satellite boxes also may have a connection to a rotator so it can move the dish to receive different satellite clusters.
OK so far so good but then I get into the cloud called EPG (Electronic Program Guide) and here I get totally lost.
My TV and “Set top box” with freeview receive the guide and put all the programs in set order with the same number against them. My Computer card does not number the programs like the set top box but does have a separate guide giving the weeks programs. One FTA box does a very good now and next but seems to give very little else and the programs are not ordered as one would find in paper guides it does give a longer plan but seems very hit and miss as to when it works. The other is no where near as good and only does now and next for the program one is watching. The Sky box however does a full weeks guide for encrypted and FTV channels but nothing for FTA channels and to watch the FTA channels one has to have a FTA box to get the info to program in the channels in the first place.
Can someone explain how one selects a FTA box with a good EPG? The same really goes for set top boxes for freeview as these also seem to vary vastly in the way the EPG works. Also is there a list of extra FTA programs available to Sky boxes using the Astra cluster. I found the channel 5 after a lot of hunting. What I would like is a box which would list all the programs like the Sky box but would allow you to delete those one does not want to watch or can’t watch because they are encrypted.
I would not expect a details description on here but I bet if I knew where there are sites on internet to help? So some links please.
One of the first forms of digital transmissions what invented by Alexander Bain a Scotsman when he invented the fax machine. Later versions included an analogue addition by allowing grey scale. But all early digital systems Morse, Packet Radio, Slow scan TV, all sent and received a single signal.
Combining digital with analogue, has been done, with both teletext on TV and RDS on Radio and in both cases the receiver could select what part of the transmission it used.
However the new digital transmissions have gone one step further by combining many broadcasts in one transmission and there are two systems being used in the UK.
DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast) and DVB (Digital Vision Broadcast) the latter is split again to DVB-t (Terrestrial) and DVB-s (satellite).
The DVB-s is also split into three FTA (free to air) which has no restrictions to viewing FTV (free to view) which can only be watched in UK and needs a card to decode the encryption and “Sky” an encrypted service which transmits programs which require continues payment in some way.
The DVB-t also is split into Freeview service, and an encrypted service called “Top up TV”.
So the so called “Set Top Boxes” have sometimes two slots one for encryption card the other I think is for something called a CAM (“Conditional Access Module”) but I don’t know what that really does.
The Satellite boxes also may have a connection to a rotator so it can move the dish to receive different satellite clusters.
OK so far so good but then I get into the cloud called EPG (Electronic Program Guide) and here I get totally lost.
My TV and “Set top box” with freeview receive the guide and put all the programs in set order with the same number against them. My Computer card does not number the programs like the set top box but does have a separate guide giving the weeks programs. One FTA box does a very good now and next but seems to give very little else and the programs are not ordered as one would find in paper guides it does give a longer plan but seems very hit and miss as to when it works. The other is no where near as good and only does now and next for the program one is watching. The Sky box however does a full weeks guide for encrypted and FTV channels but nothing for FTA channels and to watch the FTA channels one has to have a FTA box to get the info to program in the channels in the first place.
Can someone explain how one selects a FTA box with a good EPG? The same really goes for set top boxes for freeview as these also seem to vary vastly in the way the EPG works. Also is there a list of extra FTA programs available to Sky boxes using the Astra cluster. I found the channel 5 after a lot of hunting. What I would like is a box which would list all the programs like the Sky box but would allow you to delete those one does not want to watch or can’t watch because they are encrypted.
I would not expect a details description on here but I bet if I knew where there are sites on internet to help? So some links please.
