4DTV
Encyclopedia
4DTV is the name of a Television receive-only
(TVRO) consumer satellite television
tuner technology manufactured by Motorola
for use with large-diameter parabolic satellite dish
antennas on the C and Ku
frequency bands on multiple satellites. It can tune both analog NTSC/VideoCipher 2 and digital DCII satellite signals.
, now the broadband division of Motorola. The 4DTV format is contemporary to the DVB-based digital television
broadcast standard but its completion came before that of DVB and thus it is similar but incompatible with the DVB standard. The DigiCipher 2
encryption system is used in digital channels much like the VideoCipher
and VideoCipher II systems were used for analog encrypted transmissions.
viewing circles, 4DTV is essentially synonymous with signals that use the DigiCipher 2
standard of signal encryption and compression, also owned by Motorola, although the receivers are also capable of handling analog channels.
DigiCipher 2 was originally intended to be the digital signal compression standard for digital television and audio signals beamed to North America
, but cannot be considered a de facto standard, due to the large number of DVB satellite signals available in North America.
Four models are available, either new or refurbished:
service by Comcast and will continue to do so in 2011 and beyond. The HITS
services use the Comcast
Subscription Authorization Center (SAC) for the channels being broadcast on the AMC 18 satellite located at 105 degrees West (W5 or X4 tile on 4DTV). In Canada, Dr. Sat is now the primary provider for HITS
subscription services offered on C-Band after Satellite Communications Source ceased operations.
Television receive-only
Television receive-only, TVRO, or Big ugly dish , is a term used in North America to refer to the reception of satellite television from FSS-type satellites, generally on C-band analog; free-to-air and unconnected to a commercial DBS provider...
(TVRO) consumer satellite television
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
tuner technology manufactured by Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
for use with large-diameter parabolic satellite dish
Satellite dish
A satellite dish is a dish-shaped type of parabolic antenna designed to receive microwaves from communications satellites, which transmit data transmissions or broadcasts, such as satellite television.-Principle of operation:...
antennas on the C and Ku
Ku band
The Kμ band is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies. This symbol refers to —in other words, the band directly below the K-band...
frequency bands on multiple satellites. It can tune both analog NTSC/VideoCipher 2 and digital DCII satellite signals.
History
4DTV technology was originally developed in 1997 by General InstrumentGeneral Instrument
General Instrument was an electronics manufacturer based in Horsham, PA specializing in semiconductors and cable television equipment. The company was active until 1997, when it split into which was later acquired by Vishay Intertechnology in 2001, CommScope and NextLevel Systems General...
, now the broadband division of Motorola. The 4DTV format is contemporary to the DVB-based digital television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
broadcast standard but its completion came before that of DVB and thus it is similar but incompatible with the DVB standard. The DigiCipher 2
DigiCipher 2
DigiCipher 2, or simply DCII, is a proprietary standard format of digital signal transmission and encryption with MPEG-2 signal video compression used on many communications satellite television and audio signals...
encryption system is used in digital channels much like the VideoCipher
Videocipher
VideoCipher is a brand name of analog scrambling and de-scrambling equipment for cable and satellite television invented primarily to keep consumer Television receive-only satellite equipment from receiving TV programing except on a subscription basis. It was invented in 1983 by Linkabit...
and VideoCipher II systems were used for analog encrypted transmissions.
Usage
In big dish satellite televisionSatellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
viewing circles, 4DTV is essentially synonymous with signals that use the DigiCipher 2
DigiCipher 2
DigiCipher 2, or simply DCII, is a proprietary standard format of digital signal transmission and encryption with MPEG-2 signal video compression used on many communications satellite television and audio signals...
standard of signal encryption and compression, also owned by Motorola, although the receivers are also capable of handling analog channels.
DigiCipher 2 was originally intended to be the digital signal compression standard for digital television and audio signals beamed to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, but cannot be considered a de facto standard, due to the large number of DVB satellite signals available in North America.
Receiver/Decoders
4DTV receivers were designed to receive analog NTSC (except the DSR-905) in the clear or VideoCipherII channels and feeds, as well as digital Digicipher 2 signals as a TVRO satellite system on both C and Ku bands.Four models are available, either new or refurbished:
- DSR-920 (discontinued as of 2003)
- DSR-921 (discontinued as of 2003)
- DSR-922 (made available in Fall 2000, discontinued)
- DSR-905 A.K.A. sidecar, was designed to work in tandem with a dish mover or slaved to an analog satellite receiver as a dish mover. It can only receive digital 4DTV DCII channels.
High definition access
The HDD200 decoder interfaces with the 4DTV receiver via the Multi-Media Access Port (MMAP), allowing access to several high definition channels available on the 4DTV system. This unit is no longer in production.Programming providers
In the United States, National Programming Service, LLC (NPS) was the primary provider of subscription programming to 4DTV and C band/Ku band users. They ceased operations as of December 26, 2010 after making a controversial attempt of converting all of their customers over to Dish Network which failed. The largest providers are now Satellite Receivers, Ltd. (SRL) and Skyvision who sell programming from the Headend In The Sky (HITS)Headend in the Sky
Headend in the Sky is Comcast's satellite multiplex service that provides cable channels to cable television operations.At a traditional cable television headend, multitudes of satellite dishes and antennas are used to grab cable stations from dozens of communication satellites...
service by Comcast and will continue to do so in 2011 and beyond. The HITS
Headend in the Sky
Headend in the Sky is Comcast's satellite multiplex service that provides cable channels to cable television operations.At a traditional cable television headend, multitudes of satellite dishes and antennas are used to grab cable stations from dozens of communication satellites...
services use the Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
Subscription Authorization Center (SAC) for the channels being broadcast on the AMC 18 satellite located at 105 degrees West (W5 or X4 tile on 4DTV). In Canada, Dr. Sat is now the primary provider for HITS
Headend in the Sky
Headend in the Sky is Comcast's satellite multiplex service that provides cable channels to cable television operations.At a traditional cable television headend, multitudes of satellite dishes and antennas are used to grab cable stations from dozens of communication satellites...
subscription services offered on C-Band after Satellite Communications Source ceased operations.
Advantages
The 4DTV system's main selling point is that it makes use of first-generation digital master feeds on several satellites and hundreds of channels. Therefore, a high quality signal is received, compared to other programming options that are typically compressed and re-uplinked. Being a C-band system the 4DTV has the advantage of signal stability, great satellite footprint and no rainfade. This is a problem with services such as Dish Network and DirecTV satellite providers since they re-uplink on Ku and Ka bands.External links
- Motorola 4DTV Home Defunct Website