Most current European satellite television programmes (non-DBS) are broadcast as fairly standard PAL signals, FM modulated into the satellite channel. DBS transmissions, and those from Astra satellite, will probably be of a multiplexed analogue component (MAC) format. In MAC, data corresponding to sound tracks and subtitles, etc., an
Table 22.1 Communications satellite frequencies Frequency band (GHz)Link European telecom links International telecom links
1.5–1.63.4–4.2
4.5–4.8
5.9–7.0
10.7–11.7
11.7–12.5
12.5–12.75
12.75–13.75
27.0–30.0
30.0–31.0
22.5–23.55
32.0–33.0
54.25–58.2
59.0–64.0 Down Mobile Up Mobile
Down Fixed Down Fixed Up Fixed Fixed Fixed Fixed
Down Fixed (+ Non-DBS television) Down Fixed (+ television)
Down Fixed (private links)
Up Fixed (private links)
Up Fixed
Up Mobile
Allocated for intersatellite links Allocated for intersatellite links Allocated for intersatellite links Allocated for intersatellite links
Degrees Degrees west east Table 22.2 European satellite television channels broadcast via communications satellites
27.5 51 7 1319South
Figure 22.2 Non-DBS satellite television: positions of the main non-DBS satellites relevant to the UK
3Sat Frequency11.175 H 6.65
Anglovision 11.515 V 6.6 sub-carrierArts Channel 11.135 H 6.6 BBC1/2 11.175 H 6.65 CanalJ 12.564 V 5.8 Children’s
Channel 11.015 H 6.6
CNN 11.155 V 6.65 Filmnet 11.140 V 6.6
Moscow 1 3.675 – 7.0
Moscow 2 3.0 – 7.0
Infofilm &
Video 11.015 H 6.6
La Cinq 12.606 V 5.8
Lifestyle 11.135 H 6.6
M6 12.648 V 5.8
MTV 10.975 H 6.65 Norsk
Rikskringkasti 11.644 H Digital Premiere 11.015 H 6.6
RAI-Uno 11.007 H 6.6
RTL-Plus 11.091 V 6.65 SAT1 11.507 V 6.65 Satellite
Information 11.575 H Digital Screensport 11.135 H 6.6
Skychannel 11.650 H 6.65 Superchannel 10.674 V 6.65 SVT-2 11.178 H Digital SVT-2 11.133 H Digital Teleclub 11.987 V 6.5
TV5 11.472 H 6.65 Worldnet 11.512 H 6.65 Worldnet 11.591 H 6.6
Worldnet 12.732 V 5.8
PAL
standard
Eutelsat 1 F1Satellite
PAL Intelsat VA-F11 PAL Intelsat VA-F11 PAL Intelsat VA-F11 PAL Telecom 1 F2
PAL Intelsat VA-F11 PAL Intelsat VA-F11 PAL Eutelsat 1 F1 SECAM Gorizont-12 SECAM Gorizont-7
PAL Intelsat F2 SECAM Telecom 1 F2 PAL Intelsat VA-F11 SECAM Telecom 1 F2 PAL Intelsat VA-F11
C-MAC Eutelsat 1 F2
PAL Intelsat VA-F11 PAL Eutelsat 1 F1
PAL Eutelsat 1 F1
PAL Eutelsat 1 F1
B-MAC Intelsat VA-F11 PAL Intelsat VA-F11 PAL Eutelsat 1 F1 PAL Eutelsat 1 F1 C-MAC Intelsat F2 C-MAC Intelsat F2 PAL Eutelsat 1 F1 PAL Eutelsat 1 F1 PAL Eutelsat 1 F1 SECAM Eutelsat 1 F1 NTSC Telecom 1 F2
analogue signal corresponding to chrominance and an analogue signal corresponding to luminance are transmitted separately in each broadcast line of the picture.
In order to achieve multiplexing of the three parts of the format, time compression of chrominance and luminance signals occurs beforeTable 22.3 DBS television channels
Channel
1
number
11.72748 21 12.11108
2
Frequency11.74666 22 12.13026
3 11.76584 23 12.14944
4 11.78502 24 12.16862
5 11.80420 25 12.18780
6 11.82338 26 12.20698
7 11.84256 27 12.22616
8 11.86174 28 12.24534
9 11.88092 29 12.26452
10 11.90010 30 12.28370
11 11.91928 31 12.30288
12 11.93846 32 12.32206
13 11.95764 33 12.34124
14 11.97682 34 12.36042
15 11.99600 35 12.37960
16 12.01518 36 12.39878
17 12.03436 37 12.41796
18 12.05354 38 12.43714
19 12.07272 39 12.45632
20 12.09190 40 12.47550
transmission, and they must be reconstituted at the receiver. Two main variations of the MAC format have been selected for European broadcasters, D-MAC and D2-MAC. They differ basically in the number of data channels, and hence the overall bandwidth required. Both modulate video signals in FM, and data signals in duobinary FM.