Satellite Abbreviations Dictionary

4DTV

digital TVRO communications satellite receiver manufactured by Motorola. 4DTV is essentially synonymous with signals that use the DigiCipher 2 standard of signal encryption and compression (which is also owned by Motorola); though the receivers are also capable of handling analog channels. NPS is the primary provider of subscription programming to 4DTV and C-Band/Ku-Band customers.

Antenna

Satellite Dish

Autoroll/Key Autoroll

The reciever automatically updates the IDEA KEYS when the provider changes them so you don't have to enter them with your remote control.

Azimuth

The Left/Right positioning of the satellite dish

Back Haul

Live Feed / Up link feed (E.G. Sporting events, News , Etc.) (Meant for station affiliates only.) Note: Never call trouble number on the screen it's for TV stations only! (If they know you can see it, they may move it!.)

BB

Blackbird

BIN

A file in a BINary format suitable for flashing a ROM

Bird

A satellite

Bouquet

A group of channels

BOX KEYS

Secret keys that are in each receiver's firmware that identify the particular reciever.

BOOTSTRAP

Code that allows the receiver to power up and access the programming on the TSOP.

BSS

Broadcast Satellite Service. Also called DBS (Direct Broadcast Service). This is a satellite service that is uplinked for the specific purpose of reception directly by consumers. This includes XM/Sirius Radio, Direct TV, OffLimit, Off Limit, and Dish Network. Off limit, though a BSS service, actually operates in the FSS portion of Ku-Band.

BUD

Big Ugly Dish

Cable on a stick

Another name for the small dish

CAM

Conditional Access Module. With Dish/Off limit receivers, it is built-in. With FTA receivers such as Dreambox, it is a removable unit. CAMs process the information from the smart card and allow the receiver to decrypt channel information.

C-Band

3700-4100 MHz (downlink) and 5925-6945 MHz (uplink) Frequency. Also the general name used for the big dish. Used mainly for commercial purposes: linking feeds to network affiliates and cable systems. Most of these are not intended for general use but you can subscribe to them and many of them are not encrypted.

Charlie

Charlie Ergen, DISH Network CEO. Also known as Dish Network. Sat slang pirate synonyms: Charlie, DIK

CI Slot

Commmon Interface Slot, CAM is inserted in this

Clarke Belt

Another name for the satellite belt. Named after it's discoverer, Arthur C. Clarke

Clean Feed

No commercials (Back hauls usually) E.G. Watch the Zambonie clean the ice.

CLONING

Changing the IRD number, box keys, bootstrap etc. in a receiver's TSOP to match another.

Closed

Encrypted or Scrambled channel

Composite Video

Phono (RCA) Video

Conditional Access

System in which access to a particular channel requires unit (box) information and channel tier information before decryption can take place. Used by Dish Net/Off limit receivers and CAM-equipped FTA receivers.

DAVE

Digital Audio Video Entertainment. Also known as DirecTV.

DISH Network

Digital Information Sky Highway Network

DBS

Digital Broadcast Satellite

Digicipher 2

Encryption system and video standard created by Motorola. Used by StarChoice, 4DTV, and Digicipher 2 free-to-air (not the same as MPEG2 FTA).

Direction

Also called Azimuth

DiSEqC

Digital Satellite Equipment Control

DL Freq.

Delivery Frequency / Downlink Frequency

DSS

Digital Satellite System. Video standard used by Direct TV.

DVB

Digital Video Broadcast. Video standard used by Dish Network, Off Limit, PowerVu, and MPEG2 free-to-air.

ECM

Electronic Counter Measure

Elevation

The Up/Down positioning of the satellite dish

Encrypted

Digital Video and/or Audio have been encoded and require special keys or processes to make it visible.

EPG

Electronic Program Guide

FIRMWARE

Software in the TSOP that allows the receiver to run.

FLASHED

Software program that reads the TSOP bin and makes changes in specific locations such as; the IRD number, Box Keys, Bootstrap etc.

FSS

Fixed Satellite Service. Satellite service intended for commercial applications, such as transmitting feeds from an uplink facility to a downlink facility where it can then be processed for other uses. With few exceptions, FSS transmissions are usually not intended for consumers directly.

FTA

Free To Air, Non-encrypted channel (digital)

GHz

Abbreviation for GigaHertz

IKS

Stands for Internet Key Sharing and is used by NFusion Nova FTA Receivers. The Caveat is that you could potentially be traced by your IP address. The server is located outside of US and decreases the likelyhood of someone being able to raid the server and obtain IP addresses. If you are going to use an IKS receiver, go through a proxy if you are worried about being traced.

IRD

Integrated Receiver Decoder

IR

Infra-Red

ITC

In The Clear, Non-scrambled channel (analog)

JKEYS

Software used to read a receiver's box keys

JTAG

Joint Team Action Group. A device made of five resistors and a DB-25 connector that allows the receiver to communicate with a computer. (JTAG is used to read from or write to the receiver's TSOP)

Ka-Band

stands for "kurz-above". Frequency 17.7-20.2 GHz (downlink). Will soon be the standard for broadband internet via satellite and may even become useful for DBS at some point in the future.

Ku-Band (BSS)

12.2-12.7 (downlink) and 12.7-14.5 GHz (uplink). Used for Direct TV, Off Limit, and Dish Network. This portion of the Ku spectrum requires a circular LNB.

Ku-Band (FSS)

stands for "kurz-under". The 10.7-12.2 GHz (downlink) and 12.7-14.5 GHz (uplink) portion of the satellite frequency spectrum. In North America, this portion of the Ku spectrum requires a linear LNB.

L-Band

1000-1500 MHz satellite band. Most commonly used for Radionavigation (GPS) and weather satellite use.

LNB

Low Noise Block converter

LNBF - LNB Feedhorn

Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) and many Ku (FSS) dishes use an LNBF, which integrates the antenna's feedhorn with the LNB. Small diplexers are often used to distribute the resulting IF signal (usually 950 to 1450MHz) "piggybacked" in the same cable TV wire that carries lower-frequency terrestrial television from an outdoor antenna. Another diplexer then separates the signals to the receiver of the TV set, and the IRD of the DBS set-top box.

L.O. Frequency

Local Oscillator Frequency (C-band = 5150, Ku Linear = 10750, Ku Circular = 11250)

LOOPED

A card that has lost its ATR (Answer to Reset)

MCPC

Multi Channel Per Carrier

MHz

Abbreviation for MegaHertz

MPEG II

Moving Picture Experts Group II, A system for compression of digital data

MUX

A group of channels on same frequency

NAG

An on screen error message

NAGRA 1&2

Nagravision encryption (Dish Network )

NTSC

National Television Standards Committee. TV standard used in North America, Japan, and most of Latin America.

Open

In The Clear or Free To Air

Open Access

System in which access to a provider's entire network is accomplished by entering the public and parity keys. Used by the popular Fortec and Pansat receivers, as well as DVB-S cards.

P4 & P5

Videoguard encryption (Direct TV, Sky Mexico systems)

PAL

Phase Alternating Line. TV standard used in most parts of the world, including Asia, Europe, and Australia.

P-Band

200-1000 MHz satellite band used for amateur DXing and weather satellite use. 200 MHz is the lowest satellite frequency possible because frequencies lower than that bounce off the ionosphere.

PCR

Packet Clock Rate

PID

Packet Identifier

Pizza Dish

Generic name for the small dish

Polarization

The physical orientation of the waveform from the satellite. R/L are right and left 'circular' rotation similar to a corkscrew. H/V are horizontal/vertical similar to a fishing line cast either overhand or sidearm.

Rain Fade

When rain or snow affect the satellite signal. Also called attenuation.

RF

Radio Frequency

S-Band

2310-2690 MHz frequency. The 2310-2360 MHz portion is used for XM and Sirius Radio. The higher portion (2500-2690 MHz) is allocated for DBS television service; but due to the small size of the spectrum, it has not been used.

SCPC

Single Channel Per Carrier

Scrambled

Analog video has been manipulated so that it is not intelligible.

SECAM

Another TV standard used primarily in France and Russia.

SKEW

Rotation (Clockwise / Anti-Clockwise) of the LNB or LNBF

Smart Card

A credit-card sized card with a microchip containing decryption information. A smart card is read by a CAM.

SOFTWARE FIX

A software upgrade that gets around a NAG or ECM

Symbol Rate (SR)

Size of the digital package transmission

TP

Transponder

TP Autoroll

The reciever automatically updates the channels to the correct transponders when the provider moves channel around on the transponders.

TSOP

Thin Small Outline Package (The memory chip within the receiver, which contains the software to run it

UHF

Ultra High Frequency

V-Band

Frequency 47.2-275 GHz. V-band is actually a generic term for the several FSS bands that exist in that huge portion of the spectrum.

VC

Virtual Channel

VC II+

VideoCipher II + decoder

Wild Feed

Show that is not yet scheduled to air. (Meant for station affiliates only.) Note: Never call trouble number on the screen it's for TV stations only! (If they know you can see it, they may move it!) Also, you will probably see "dead Air." (black screen) This is where the TV stations insert thier local commercials

X-Band

7250-7750 MHz (downlink) and 7900-8400 (uplink) frequency. Used for military purposes.