FTA Satellite TVFTA satellite TV, or free-to-air satellite TV as it is more widely known, is a satellite signal that can be legally received without a subscription. The downside of FTA satellite is that it is not encrypted which means that your signal can be broken, but it is encoded with something called MPEG-2. This is short for Motion Picture Experts Group 2. MPEG-2 enables digital television broadcasters to transmit video streaming with a higher quality picture and also enables clearer audio sound. FTA receivers usually look very similar to a DirecTV receiver. You need a few more things to complete your FTA satellite system; a satellite dish, which can be a C-Band, or a KU-Band (which is now the most widely used type of dish), a free-to-air satellite receiver, an LNB (Low Noise Blocker), and an antenna motor. Note: You will only need an antenna motor if you would like to receive signals from more than one satellite. First, let's get to the satellite dish. The KU-Band uses uplink and downlink technology. Uplink means the signal path that travels from an earth station to an orbiting satellite. The opposite of this is downlink, which is the signal path that travels from the satellite to the earth. KU-Band satellite dishes transmit much better than the previously mentioned C-Band. The KU-Band is also much smaller than C-Band dishes and typically varies in diameter from about 2' to 5'. Second we have the FTA satellite receiver, which is a receiver that is able to receive unencrypted signals. There are many manufacturers of FTA receivers. Some quality producers include Fortec, Ultrastar, and DigiWave. Next, you need an LNB (low Noise Blocker). The LNB amplifies radio signals from the satellite after it has been reflected from your satellite dish which allows for a clearer signal since you are using free-to-air satellite and it sometimes is not as crisp as a digital satellite picture. Finally, you need your antenna motor if you wish to receive channels from more than one satellite. This is the option most people go for as it allows for programming from all over and a larger selection of channels. |
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