Build Your Own Free-to-Air (FTA) Satellite TV System

Build Your Own Free-to-Air (FTA) Satellite TV System

by Dennis C. Brewer
Released December 2011
Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill Education TAB
ISBN: 9780071775168

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Book description

LEGALLY TAP INTO ABSOLUTELY FREE SATELLITE TV!

Replace or expand your paid TV services with Free-to-Air television programming with ease. Build Your Own Free-to-Air (FTA) Satellite TV System shows how to affordably put together your own subscription-free home entertainment center from start to finish.

Find out how to choose the right components, set up a satellite dish and receiver, fine-tune reception, add local over-the-air stations, and go mobile with your FTA TV system. You'll get full details on recording to the latest digital devices, installing a TV card in your PC, viewing video over the Internet, and integrating theater-quality audio. Photos and diagrams illustrate each step along the way. Comprehensive lists of technical terms and definitions, available channels and satellites, and dish-aiming steps are also included in this practical guide.

COVERAGE INCLUDES:

  • Equipment, component, and tool selection
  • Satellite dish and FTA receiver installation
  • Stereo, 5.1, and 7.1 sound
  • Dish alignment and synchronization
  • Local over-the-air channel reception
  • Video over the Internet and movies on demand
  • DVD players, DVRs, PCs, and VCRs
  • Mobile, RV, and remote Free-to-Air TV

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Build Your Own Free-to-Air (FTA) Satellite TV System
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. About the Author
  6. Contents at a Glance
  7. Contents
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. Introduction
  10. 1 Navigating Your Way Through the Jargon Jungle
  11. 2 Tools and Equipment
    1. Ordinary Hand Tools
      1. Large Pliers
      2. Small Pliers
      3. Screw, Nut, and Bolt Drivers
      4. Wrenches and Socket Sets (Metric and English)
      5. Drills, Saws, and Cutters
      6. Measures, Squares, and Levels
    2. Specialized Tools
    3. Miscellaneous Equipment
    4. Conclusion
  12. 3 What’s Out There? Available Free Channels and Satellites
    1. Satellite Channel Reception in North and South America
      1. FTA Highlights by Programming Type
      2. FTA Highlights by Network Logo or Call Sign
    2. Discovery
      1. Advertising and Pay-for-Service Products
    3. Conclusion
  13. 4 Antenna Basics
    1. How Antennas Work
      1. Signals Have Sources
      2. Signal Strength or Power
      3. Frequency
      4. Wavelength
      5. Antenna Size
      6. Gain
      7. The Antenna’s Work
    2. Antenna Variations
      1. OTA TV Antennas
      2. How Satellite Dish Antennas Work
      3. Types of Satellite Dish Antennas
    3. Dish Assembly
    4. Tools
    5. Assembly of Dish, Feedhorn (LNB), and Adjustment Flange
    6. Mounting the Flange, Toothed Clamp, and Braces
  14. 5 Necessary Accessories
    1. Airwave Inputs
    2. Device Outputs and Cable Types
    3. Cable Quality
      1. Assembling RG-6 TV/Satellite Cable with Seal F-Connectors
    4. Switches
    5. Amplifiers
    6. Junctions
    7. RF Modulators
  15. 6 Guide to Satellite Receiver Selection
    1. Preferences
      1. Brand
      2. Dealer
    2. Receiver Features
    3. Operational Worldwide
    4. On-screen Menu Display with Multilingual Support
    5. Processor Speed
    6. Operating System
    7. Standard Definition or High Definition
    8. Digital Video Broadcast Receiver Decoding
    9. Supported Screen Formats
    10. Audio Output
    11. Receives SCPC and MCPC
    12. LNB-Switching Control
    13. Motor Support: DiSEqC 1.2/1.3 (USALS/Go to X)
    14. Video Outputs
    15. PVR
    16. Seven Days Electronic Program Guide (EPG)
    17. Channel Scanning
    18. Videotext Decoder
    19. Upgrade Software
    20. Parental Lock
    21. Card Readers
    22. Internet Interface
    23. SCART
  16. 7 Getting the Signals: Aim and Synchronize the Dish
    1. Earth and Satellite Geometry Basics
      1. Pinpointing Receiving Locations
      2. Pinpointing Satellite Locations
    2. Dish Aiming
      1. Tools and Information
      2. Choose a Lookup Table
      3. Set the Dish Elevation
      4. Set the Dish Azimuth
      5. Synchronizing LNBF Skew Angle
    3. Motorized Setup
  17. 8 Using Multiple LNBs and Dishes
    1. Setting Up a DiSEqC-Compliant 4×1 Switch
    2. DiSEqC-Compliant Switch Configurations
    3. Multiswitches and Diplexers
    4. Wiring Diagrams for Switches, Multiswitches, and Diplexers
    5. A Few Last Notes
  18. 9 Picking Up Free Local OTA Stations
    1. OTA Market Area
    2. Requirements
      1. Nearby Stations
      2. DTV-Capable Television
      3. OTA Antenna
    3. Research
      1. Tools and Supplies
      2. Mark Up a Map
      3. ZIP Code Lookup
      4. DTV.GOV
    4. Choose the Best Options
      1. RF Line Preamplifiers and DVRs
  19. 10 Selecting the Optimal TV Simplified
    1. Choosing TV Features
      1. Quantity
      2. Budget
      3. Screen Size and Display
      4. Viewing Angles
      5. Viewing Locations
      6. Screen Resolution
      7. Refresh Rate
      8. Green Factor
      9. 3D and 3D Glasses
    2. Available I/O Connection Types
      1. Component Connector Jacks
      2. VGA (Computer) Connectors
      3. Composite Video Connectors
      4. S-Video Connector
      5. Coaxial Audio Digital Output
      6. ANT (Antenna) Connector
      7. HDMI
    3. Web-Enabled or Internet-Enabled TVs
    4. Portability
    5. Ratings by Others
  20. 11 Easy Ways to Integrate DVR, DVD, PC, and VCR
    1. List the TV’s Available Inputs
    2. Determine Available Interface Outputs from the Video Devices
    3. Determine the Available Input Jacks on TVs or Intermediate Devices
  21. 12 Adding Stereo, 5.1, or 7.1 Sound
    1. Sound Formats
      1. Mono
      2. Stereo and 2.1 Sound System
      3. 5.1 Sound System
      4. 7.1 Sound System
    2. Understanding Speaker Specifications
      1. Impedance
      2. Frequency Response
      3. Sensitivity
      4. Power Handling
      5. Size
      6. Maximum SPL
    3. Types of Speakers
    4. Connecting the Audio Outputs
  22. 13 Installing a Satellite Card FTA Receiver/Tuner in a PC
    1. Know the Candidate Computer Intended for Adding an FTA Card
      1. Know the Candidate FTA/TV Card
      2. Broadcast Standards Supported
      3. System Requirements
      4. Card Features
      5. Installing a PCI-e Card in a Computer
  23. 14 Watching TV, Movies on Demand, and Video over the Internet
    1. Getting Internet Service to Your Residence
      1. Speedy Internet Connection
      2. Shopping for Broadband
    2. Internet Protocol Communication Device
      1. Desktop Computer
      2. Laptop Computer
      3. Blu-ray Disc Player (Internet Enabled)
      4. Wii
      5. TiVo
      6. ROKU
      7. Xbox 360
      8. PS3
    3. On-line Sources for TV, Movies, Entertainment, and Educational Video
      1. Netflix
      2. YouTube
      3. Amazon Instant Video Prime
      4. Pandora
      5. hulu and huluPLUS
      6. TV Programs, News, and Special Reports over the Internet
    4. Basic Configuration
  24. 15 Putting It All Together for Your Home Theater Experience
    1. Features
    2. System Core
    3. Implementation in the Environment
    4. Connection Plan
      1. 5.1 Processor with No HDMI Input TV
      2. 7.1 Processor TV with HDMI Inputs
  25. 16 Taking It with You: Mobile, RV, and Remote FTA Installations
    1. Scale or Portability
    2. Power Consumption
    3. Setup Time
    4. Choosing On-the-Go FTA Components
      1. Mobile and Remote Power Supplies
      2. TV
      3. Dish
      4. Cable
      5. FTA Receiver
      6. OTA Receiver and Antenna
    5. Rapid Setup
    6. Installing Mobile or Remote Electrical Power Sources
    7. Installing Cable Connections in RVs or Travel Trailers
  26. A Product Sources
  27. B A Few of the Best Web Sites for FTA
  28. Index

Product information

  • Title: Build Your Own Free-to-Air (FTA) Satellite TV System
  • Author(s): Dennis C. Brewer
  • Release date: December 2011
  • Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill Education TAB
  • ISBN: 9780071775168