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Welcome and thanks for visiting. Please feel free to browse around and learn all you can. Our goal is to make a comprehensive resource for all things Free to Air (FTA)so that those new to this technology can learn fast and not have such a learning curve. We welcome as much community involvement as possible and hope to make this site stronger from the collaborative knowledge of our contributers.

This site is just growing now. If your questions aren't answered here, try to stop by ABAdss Free to Air Community which is a free resource to ask questions and get interactive help with any FTA problems and questions.

Content


What is Free-To-Air Satellite Technology?

Free-To-Air (FTA) is a television or radio broadcast that is unencrypted. Mostly free-to-air programs are multilingual, no translation as mentioned earlier.

Free to air is a technology that transmits satellite signals, which people may receive without necessity of registration. Mostly, free-to-air channels are broadcasted from international sources and from small producers.

FTA satellite programs are transmitted using C-band, large satellite dishes or Ku Band, small satellite dishes. You will need a rotor, however, to receive more than one satellite channel.

What you will need to receive FTA broadcasts?

• A satellite dish (either C Band or Ku Band)

• Satellite receiver or PC card

• A rotor or an antenna motor to receive more than one satellite

What are the popular FTA Channels and Digital Satellite Channels?

• LyngSat

• King Satellite

• Sadoun

• PBS, a public education broadcaster

• SBS and ABC of Australia

• Maori Television

• Television New Zealand 1 and 2


These are only a few of the satellite channels you may possibly receive. However, because various countries such as Australia, India, Europe and New Zealand have FTA channels, there are more than two hundred channels you may view using FTA Satellite Technology.

Of course, there is a need for you to know the frequency of the channel and what satellite channels you wish to receive. You will also need to know the format of the FTA channel to help you receive them clear enough.

Free-to-air is a modern technology that follows the original concept that signals are send up to the satellite and send down to earth. Even small satellite dishes may receive FTA signals without necessarily paying for monthly subscription, which most Americans do. FTA is a good satellite technology; if you want free television then FTA is for you.


Free-To-Air satellite transmission, otherwise known as FTA or MPEG-2 transmissions, was introduced to the masses of the world several years ago on the Asian continent and quickly spread to the United States with the sales of the first FTA Satellite receivers.

Years ago, before digital satellite reception there was analog reception which is much slower than digital and was really incapable of sending much reception out at all. Analog television encodes television and transports the sound and picture information to and from as an analog signal. It does this all by varying the amplitude and/or frequencies of the signal that was originally broadcast.



Analag Television

Analog television (or analogue television) encodes television and transports the picture and sound information as an analog signal, that is, by varying the amplitude and/or frequencies of the broadcast signal. All systems preceding digital television, such as NTSC, PAL or SECAM are analog television systems. Broadcasters using analog television systems encode their signal using NTSC, PAL or SECAM analog encoding and then modulate this signal onto a VHF or UHF carrier. An analog television picture is "drawn" on the screen an entire frame each time, in the manner of a motion picture (cinematograph) film, irrespective of the picture content.

Analog television was the norm until the early 90’s when Asia and the Pacific Rim introduced MPEG-2 to the satellite market. MPEG-2 stands for Motion Picture Experts Group –2, and is a compression standard for digital television.


MPEG-2

What MPEG-2 does is it enables digital television broadcasters to transmit video streams with higher resolution and audio streams with higher quality sound while using as little bandwidth as possible. MPEG-2 is also capable of reducing the amount of bandwidth utilized by as much as 55 to 1. MPEG-2 is utilized by DVB, HDTV, and DVD MPEG-2 has been adopted as ISO Standard 13818-1.

MPEG-2 satellite reception was way faster than analog transmissions and was also far more reliable. The new MPEG-2 could even hold up to ten different television stations per one signal. These changes to MPEG-2 from analog caused a great increase in consumers purchasing satellites, thus causing digital satellites to quickly become a norm for not only people in Asia but in the United States as well. A huge change from previous numbers.



Years ago, when Satellite television first came to light one of the biggest turn offs about the entire service was the fact that consumers had to purchase massive Satellite dishes and large oversized television antennas to even make a few dozen channels work correctly. Now, satellites are inexpensive and small enough to be perched on the side of your home, easily removable and hardly noticeable. Thus, skyrocketing FTA popularity all over the world. Digital video broadcasting was already highly popular in places such as Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, but now national public broadcasters in other parts of the world have adopted MPEG-2 because it's the cheapest way to send out the signals with the lowest cost.

When it comes to public broadcasters sending out signals they can either be scrambled or in the clear depending on whether or not your satellite provided wishes for their transmissions to be encrypted or not- otherwise, paid programming or free of charge. The term "In the Clear" is known in the digital TV / DSS world as FTA ( Free-To-Air), or free.

Free-to-air is a term used to describe television and radio broadcasts which are broadcast unencrypted allowing them to be picked up by any receiver that is suitable. FTA should not be confused with what is referred to as free-to-view. FTV describes a form of television that is indeed available without a paying subscription but is encoded. This encoding can, however, restrict the transmissions geographically. Neither service, FTA or FTV, should be confused with Pay-Per-View, which is a subscription service provider that is also encrypted.

The term usually refers to delivery by satellite television, but in various parts of the world where encrypted digital terrestrial television channels exist, broadcast on UHF or VHF bands, it can also be applied to those systems.

Even though FTA channels are described as being free ultimately the consumer does still end up paying for them even if the payment isn’t straight out payment for the transmissions. Some ways that these stations are paid for are by payment of a licensing fee or by donations. Other payments are made indirectly by viewers paying for consumer products and services where the costs go towards sponsorship and/or advertising.

Now, years after the original Hyundai Satellite receiver model there are now a vast selection of receivers on the market. All of the selection available in compatible free-to-air systems has presented the opportunity for a great number of channels to become available to North American television viewers. What happens if a free-to-air channel becomes encrypted and is no longer free? When a channel becomes encrypted, arrangements are usually available with one of the small dish DBS services, like Dish Network, to sell a subsidized priced receiver when making a long-term commitment to a subscription.

With there being various satellite cable providers like Dish Network, amongst many others, there are generally always a few channels in the transition between in-the-clear and subscription transmission mode. Ultimately, these service providers aim at making all of their channels subscription based there are generally some channels that remain in-the-clear for months and even years before reverting to scrambling.

Satellite TV Systems

What we know is satellite tv actually had its origins in the space race which began with the launching of the satellite Sputnik by the Russians in 1957. The first communication satellite was developed and launched by a consortium of business and government entities in 1963. It was known as Syncom II and achieved an orbit at 22,300 miles over the Atlantic. The first satellite communication was between a U.S. Navy ship in the harbor of Lagos, Nigeria and the U.S. Army located at the naval station at Lakehurst, New Jersey on July 26, 1963.

Telephone companies began using satellite communication for communicating as land based distribution methods became overloaded. Television began using satellites on March 1, 1978 when the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) introduced Public Television Satellite Service. Broadcast networks adopted satellite communication as a distribution method from 1978 through 1984. As the use of satellites for communication and broadcast purposes increased, it became evident that everyone had the potential to receive satellite signals for free.

Direct to Home (DTH) satellite receivers were developed in the early 1980's. Rural areas thus gained the capacity to receive television programming that was not capable of being received by standard methods. With the development of television receive only (TVRO), broadcasters began to complain that reception of their signals were being either received illegally or pirated. The position of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was governed by its "open skies' policy. It was the FCC's position that users had as much right to receive satellite signals as broadcasters had the right to transmit them.

The broadcasters, in response to this government policy, began to use developed technologies which allowed them to scramble the signals they were broadcasting. Users, in turn, had to buy a decoder from a satellite program provider that packaged programs similar to the packages provided by cable systems. Ideas began to abound about the potential market for satellite television. The FCC, following the World Administrative Radio Conference of 1979, in 1980 established the plans and policy for a new service, direct broadcast satellite or DBS. This new service was to consist of a broadcast satellite in geostationary orbit, facilities for transmitting signals to the satellite and equipment needed by individuals to access the signals.

Early successful attempts to launch satellites for the mass consumer market were led by Japan and Hong Kong in 1986 and 1990, respectively. The first successful attempt by the United States was made by a group of major cable companies and was named Primestar. Next came Direct TV. Echostar Dish Network entered the market in the Spring of 1996 offering cheaper prices and forcing all of its competitors to do likewise.


Free View

is the operator of free digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom, using the DVB-T standard. The Freeview brand name, owned by DTV Services,[1] is used to promote the free digital terrestrial television service as a whole and those services operated by companies who rent capacity from Freeview Consortium shareholders. Contents


  • 1 Overview

o 1.1 Service costs o 1.2 High Definition on Freeview Planned o 1.3 Coverage and reception o 1.4 Freeview Playback

  • 2 Freeview channels

o 2.1 TV channels o 2.2 Radio stations o 2.3 Text and interactive services o 2.4 Former channels

  • 3 See also
  • 4 References
  • 5 External links

Overview

Freeview was launched on 30 October 2002 at 6 am when it took over the digital terrestrial television (DTT) licence to broadcast on three multiplexes from the defunct ITV Digital (originally called ONdigital).

The founding members of DTV Services were the BBC, National Grid Wireless and British Sky Broadcasting. On 11 October 2005, they were joined by ITV plc and Channel 4. The Freeview service broadcasts free-to-air television channels, radio stations and interactive services from the BBC, Sky and other broadcasters. 2007, Q3, UK's 60 million TV sets (not homes, Ofcom figures) 2007, Q3, UK's 60 million TV sets (not homes, Ofcom figures[3])

As of the end of December 2006, 30.4% of first sets and 25.6% of all TV sets in the UK use Freeview. 7,703,000 of the 25.3 million UK homes are 'Freeview only', with 15.3 million Freeview enabled TVs (and integrated digital televisions) in 10.5 million homes.


The Freeview model has been copied in a number of countries including France and Spain.[citation needed]

Service costs

Freeview offers no premium or pay-per-view channels and no subscription channels. The name distinguishes the service from ITV Digital, cable and satellite digital TV services. To receive the Freeview services, a set-top box (typically available from £20) or a new television with an integrated digital tuner is required. DTT reception cards for computers are also available for a similar price. Some viewers also need an aerial upgrade which can cost around £80 to £180. In addition, the annual television licence must be purchased, as is required for all viewers of broadcast television in the UK irrespective of the method of reception.

In addition to Freeview, a subscription-based service, Top Up TV, launched in March 2004 using unused channel space on Multiplexes that were owned by parties, who at the time, were not members of the Freeview consortium. The Top Up TV service is not connected with the Freeview service; it simply runs alongside it on the DTT platform. It was possible to receive Top Up TV selected Freeview set-top boxes or televisions equipped with a card slot or CI slot, however, this was discontinued in 2006 in favour of "Top Up TV Anytime", a service which depends on a proprietary set top box.

The Digital TV Group made up of all the multiplex owners, is responsible for co-ordination between Freeview and Top Up TV services.

High Definition on Freeview Planned

There are currently no hi-def chanels on Freeview, but as of January 2008 it appears that there are plans to roll out hi-def channels on a regional basis, starting in 2009. According to The Producer, a Sony publication for professionals: "on 21 Nov 2007 Ofcom proposed a reorganisation of the three public service digital multiplexes to allow free-to-air HD services to launch by late 2009. It has backed a scheme to clear multiplex B for this goal (currently used by the BBC to carry CBeebies, BBC Parliament, three interactive video services, ten radio and two data services). The process strips the BBC of a significant amount of spectrum, and gives Ofcom the power to decide who gets what in the subsequent carvup. The day before the announcement the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five signed a "non binding memorandum of understanding" to reorganise their DTT spectrum to ensure an HD launch on Freeview within the existing spectrum capacity, in an attempt to control their own destiny. Offcom is backing a near-doubling of efficiency by two means. These are, first, through coding squeezing more into the same spectrum by using MPEG4 rather than the current MPEG2. Secondly it is backing a new transmission standard DVB-T2, an update from existing DVB-T, this alone promises to deliver a 30 percent increase in capacity to a multiplex. Together the two moves increase the capacity of a multiplex by 160 percent. Ofcom expects to award four blocks but with three starting in 2009/2010 and a fourth starting 2012. It is expected that the first three will be BBC HD, ITV HD, and Channel 4 HD. The HD services will also be available on Freesat." Freesat, which will parallel the Freeview service on a new dedicated satelite platform, is expected to start in 'Spring 2008'.

The Ofcom proposal and the consultation responses can be found here. Ofcom DTT Future

Coverage and reception

Approximately 73% of households are in a location that can receive Freeview broadcasts. Maximum Freeview coverage of the UK whilst analogue and digital services are running in tandem has now been reached. The British government plans to switch off analogue transmitters region-by-region, starting in 2007, to allow for an increase in both Freeview coverage and transmitter power. The government estimates that the coverage level of the three public service broadcasting multiplexes will reach 98.5% of the population (the same as analogue television) and six-multiplex reception will cover 90% of the population once the digital switchover has been completed in 2012.

Freeview Playback


Freeview Playback is a consumer brand created in the UK by the DTG Group to "raise consumer awareness and promote sales" of Freeview-capable digital video recorders. Players which meet specified quality and functionality criteria are permitted to carry the Freeview Playback logo, and benefit from joint marketing and consumer confidence.

Freeview channels

A full list of digital terrestrial television channels in the UK is also available, which includes the additional Top Up TV and Setanta Sports services.

TV channels

  1. . BBC One (some regional variations in programming)
  2. . BBC Two (some regional variations in programming)
  3. . ITV1, STV or UTV (some regional variations in programming)
  4. . Channel 4 (except Wales) or S4C Digidol (Wales only)
  5. . Five
  6. . ITV2
  7. . BBC Three
  8. . Channel 4 (Wales only) or TeleG (Scotland only)
  9. . BBC Four
  10. . ITV3
  11. . Sky Three
  12. . UKTV History (available between 0600 and 1800)
  13. . Channel 4+1
  14. . More4
  15. . QVC (reduced hours in Wales)
  16. . The Hits (rebranding to 4Music by end of 2008)
  17. . Dave
  18. . Virgin 1 (available between 1800 and 0600)
  19. . TMF
  20. . Ideal World
  21. . bid tv (reduced hours in Wales)
  22. . price-drop tv
  23. . ITV4
  24. . E4
  25. . E4+1
  26. . ITV2+1
  27. . Film4
  28. . Five US
  29. . Five Life
  30. . SmileTV (available between 0300 and 0700)
  31. . Nuts TV
  32. . Gems TV (available between 0945 and 1245)
  33. . The Jewellery Channel (available between 1900 and 2100)
  34. . Lottery Extra
  35. . CBBC Channel
  36. . CBeebies
  37. . CITV Channel (not available in Wales)
  38. . BBC News 24
  39. . BBC Parliament
  40. . Sky News
  41. . Sky Sports News
  42. . S4C2 (Wales only)
  43. . Community Channel (available between 0600 and 0900)
  44. . Teachers' TV (available between 1600 and 1700)

Radio stations

  1. . BBC Radio 1
  2. . BBC Radio 1Xtra
  3. . BBC Radio 2
  4. . BBC Radio 3
  5. . BBC Radio 4 (FM version)
  6. . BBC Radio 5 Live
  7. . BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra
  8. . BBC 6 Music
  9. . BBC 7
  10. . BBC Asian Network
  11. . BBC World Service (English language European service)
  12. . The Hits Radio
  13. . Smash Hits (not available in Wales)
  14. . Kiss 100
  15. . Heat
  16. . Q
  17. . 102.2 Smooth Radio
  18. . BBC Radio Scotland
  19. . BBC Radio nan Gaidheal
  20. . Mojo
  21. . Kerrang!
  22. . talkSPORT
  23. . Clyde 1
  24. . Premier Christian Radio
  25. . U105
  26. . Virgin Radio
  27. . Heart 106.2

Text and interactive services

  1. . Teletext
  2. . Teletext Holidays
  3. . Teletext Cars
  4. . Teletext Games
  5. . Teletext on 4
  6. . BBCi
  7. . Sky Text
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