FTA stands for "Free to Air"- meaning that the signal is not encrypted with conditional access.MPEG-2 is not an encryption method although encryption can be added.

• Dish Network uses the Nagra system of encryption,
  
• DirecTV uses a News Data system,

These include Saudi TV, Abu Dhabi, Thai TV, Kuwait TV, Syria TV, Taiwan, Iran, and as we go to press, Bloomberg TV all on Telstar 5, Ku, which can be received on a .7 meter dish. The list changes now and then but these and more can be seen today.

GE-1 is the home of a bouquet of channels from Paxton Communication's PAX TV. PanAmSat 9 at 58 degrees west is home to the RTP, EWTN,  CCTV China, NHK, Deutche Wella, an Arab bouquet in PAL, and a channel from Colombia. 

:: FREESATCARE SATELLITE SYSTEM

Antenna

The satellite transmitting antennas are highly directional, high-gain, narrow-beam antennas. The parabolic shape of the antenna collects the very weak microwave signals transmitted from the satellites and reflects them toward the central area of the LNBF.

Antenna Performance Measure

The overall performance of an antenna system is referred to as G/T (merit factor), which measures the gain over the noise temperature. The gain is expressed in decibels, and the noise is expressed in degrees Kelvin. The higher the G/T, the better the antenna performance.

Size of antenna

The general rule is "the bigger, the better", but there are a number of variables to consider. The homeowner should find that a three meter antenna will give him perfect picture quality, provided that his LNB and receiver perform well. Ku Band antennas are relatively smaller than C bad. There are two size available; 90 cm and 76 cm.

Here is the recommend EIRP levels and recommended antenna size for Ku-Band:

The parabolic reflector has to start with an accurate shape and this shape must remain dimensionally stable if it is to perform well. Small changes in the surface or the support structure of the reflector will cause major changes in the way the microwave signals are amplified and focused at the LNBF. A dimensionally inaccurate reflector will change the phasing of the reflected microwaves and instead of amplifying them, it will diminish their strength. When the reflected signals reconvene at the focal point, they must arrive in phase or they begin to cancel each other out.

:: Low Noise Block Filter (LNBF)

The LNB is probably the single most important part of the reception system with regard to picture quality. Some LNBs are rated by gain, but most are rated by noise temperature, expressed in K degree. A highly effective LNB for use with a home earth station might have a rating of 25 K degree, provided there were no special reception problems to contend with. LNB noise temperature, antenna elevation and antenna gain (primarily determined by antenna size) are the main determinants of overall system performance. This is where the G/T rating comes in. The G/T can be improved either by increasing the gain of the antenna (making it larger or by reducing the noise temperature). The LNB also performs the operation of "downconvert" the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz downlink frequency to an intermediate frequency, normally 950 to 1450 MHz.

:: Cabling

In TV cabling, the common 20-gauge RG-59 coaxial cable (composed of two conductors and several layers of insulation) served the industry when there were only Channels 2 though 13 in the TV spectrum. RG-59 is being replaced by the better performing 18-gauge RG-6 coaxial cable (at the same price). With today's high-frequency channels and the growing demand for Digital Satellite Systems (DSS), High Definition Television (HDTV), and interactive services such as video-on-demand and WebTV, homes need cable with greater bandwidth and dependability.

:: The difference between RG-6 and RG-59 Coax Cable

RG-59 is a lower grade of coaxial cable, consisting of a smaller center conductor, a smaller insulating dielectric, and a single outer shield. It delivers acceptable performance for CATV. RG-59 has a 22 AWG center conductor.

RG-6, on the other hand, has a larger center conductor (18AWG), a dual or quad shield (2 braids and 2 foils), and a much larger insulating dielectric. The benefits of using RG-6 cable include: more bandwidth, is less susceptible to interference, and lower attenuation per foot. RG-6 delivers exceptional performance for CATV, satellite and all other video applications, and is considered the cable of choice for digital TV.

As cable TV companies add new channels and begin to introduce two-way communication, the bandwidth limitations of RG-59 will make it obsolete. RG-6, on the other hand, is rated at up to 1.5 gigahertz (GHz) - about double the rating for RG-59. The superior protection provided by four separate electronic shields within the cable also ensures that signals traveling through RG-6 remain intact.

The EIA/TIA 570-A Residential Telecommunication Cabling Standard specifies Series 6/ RG-6 coaxial cable.

Programming of a MPEG2-FTA receiver can be done by following the steps;

1. Enter the downlink frequency. For example, at the Lyngsat chart[4], downlink frequency of the transponder can be seen as 11898 Mhz.

2. Enter the LNB Low freq. This is the local oscillator frequency of the LNB, which is located out at the antenna, which allows the received signal to be converted into a usable signal within the receiver. For example C-Band L.O. frequency is 5150 and Ku band is 10750. 

3. Enter L.O. freq under a satellite setup. The receiver uses these two frequencies to calculate the L-band frequency that all receivers use to tune the channel. 

4. Entered the Symbol Rate (SR). This is the rate the size of the digital package transmission. This figure can be anywhere from less than 5000 to over 40,000. For Telstar5 SR is 20000 ( see the forth column that the chart) 

The 3/4 is the FEC and is automatically calculated by most receivers.  The PID rate, package identifier, and the FEC, Forward Error Correction, which corrects bit errors, are automatically calculated by most receivers. One should be aware of that, contemporary receivers can sore up to 200 channels. Most of the latest receivers ( i.e. Satcurier) have it own frequency scanning built it, therefore the steps give above need not to be applied for that kind of receiver. Simply open the receiver an and assign type of LNB and press on the scan button, it will automatically loads all available FTA cannels.

As it was mentioned previously, list of the available FTA channels is subject to change without any notice. There maybe some channel addition or deletion. Therefore user advice to look at the FTA channels listed at the Lyngsat chart[4] regularly.