[itvt] Industry Glossary
Satellites powerful enough (approximately 120 watts on the Ku-band) to transmit a signal directly to a medium or small receiving dish (antenna) at 18" and 3 feet in diameter. DBS does not require reception and distribution by an intermediate broadcasting facility and transmits directly to the end user.
The action of transmitting analog or digital signal to a satellite dish receiver on earth via a transponder on a satellite
To send information from the network to the user.
A application that allows the viewer to interactively select their television programming. The development of applications enhancing the EPG such as dynamic video selection, recording options, and more is a high growth area. Currently, the EPG allows the viewer to also access summaries of shows, the ability to set recording times, show program length and names of crew members, as well as the ability to select content via categories. More advanced EPG (also called Interactive Programming Guides -IPGs) applications enable the viewer to select shows to record over several weeks every time a show or a selected movie star appears on the schedule Ultimately, EPGs will enable the TV set to learn the viewing habits of its user and suggest viewing schedules.
The standard for bound applications is the CableLabs Enhanced Binary Interchange Format television standard, otherwise known as EBIF.
The ability to automatically send software upgrades to a set-top box network.
A term used to define a logistical area in a region covered by a cable or satellite operator, though not necessarily served directly by them. This term is also used to define the amount of space a particular piece of software or hardware takes up inside a set-top box.
The electronic control center of a cable television system- generally located at the antenna site of CATV system. The headend takes incoming signals and amplifies, converts, processes, and combines them into a common coaxial or optical cable for transmission to cable subscribers.
HDSL is a type of DSL that Transmits 2 Mbps bi-directional signals over one or two twisted copper pairs. HDSL is used in applications such as corporate Internetworking, video conferencing, and remote data center access.
A higher quality signal resolution using a digital format for the transmission and reception of TV signals. The HDTV provides about five times more picture information (picture elements or pixels) than conventional television, creating clarity, wider aspect ratio, and digital quality sound.
Any computer on a network that offers services or connectivity to other computers on the network. A host has an IP address associated with it.
A local cable TV or telephone distribution network. An HFC consists of fiber optic trunks ending at neighborhood nodes, with coaxial cable feeders and drop lines downstream of the nodes.
The rectangular area of the TV screen is scanned by an electronic beam (raster) as it is deflected horizontally and vertically and creates an interlaced video display we see as the TV picture. Referred to as interlaced scanning because the raster skips every second line on the first pass and then fills in those lines on a second pass. The interlaced scanning system may result in a screen flicker.
A protocol telling the network how data packets are addressed and routed.
Internet Protocol Television is a system where a digital television service is delivered using Internet Protocol over a network infrastructure, which may include delivery by a broadband connection. A general definition of IPTV is television content that, instead of being delivered through traditional broadcast and cable formats, is received by the viewer through the technologies used for computer networks.
