Monday, February 14, 2011

The Technologies Driving Satellite Broadcast

By James Skinner


Any song you hear on satellite radio starts as a recording in a certain format on unique recording mediums. IN most instances, the recording quality has to be maintained fairly high, generally around 384kb/s, although also being reasonably modest enough to be transported on CDs and DVDs. The music tracks utilized in satellite radio are cataloged using a comparable system to the MP3 cataloging criteria, the ID3 tags. The option for the music tracks that can be played is made by each channel individually. The DJ selecting the tracks typically chooses about 20-30 minutes worth of music. The DJ has to listen to the tracks to make sure they're in correct condition and then basically lets the pc decode the original file. The exact same factor is repeated once the initial 20-30 minutes are exhausted as well as the music playing cycle repeats itself.

Sound encoding in satellite radio.Encoding is among the key elements of digital radio. Each channel is handled by a distinct encoder. The encoder basically takes the analog file and turns it into a digital 1. The digitalization procedure is made in real time along with the music files are transformed into 1's and 0's. This method is carried out by powerful computers that analyze sound waves and frequency and break them into binary code. The encoding process is carried out at 128kb/s, 44.1Kh which is really CD top quality. After the song is encoded, it is transmitted to a multiplexer where other channels are also present - the multiplexer essentially takes all of the channels of the satellite radio provider and combines them into a single broadcast transmission. The information is then sent to a satellite modem device which modulates the data and sends it to the broadcaster's satellites, using special transmission frequencies.

What occurs above the Earth.Here is where the satellites are located. They obtain the transmission and transmit it to the receivers we have in our homes and cars. The satellites are located at 23,000 miles above us - both Sirius and XM Radio use satellites located at this distance from the Earth. The satellites are located in geo-sync, which indicates that hey orbit above the location they're designated to service at all times. When the satellite receives the transmission encoded at 128kb/s, 44.1 khz it rebroadcasts it to the geographical area it covers. Both Sirius and XM Radio use satellites that cover certain areas of the United states - mostly the East and West coasts. As an example, 1 of XM Radio's satellites covers the western component of USA, probably an area located roughly from Seattle to San Diego on the West and Minneapolis to Houston on the east. The increased sound high quality is achievable simply because the broadcasted information (music tracks, news, sports transmission) don't get sliced up too numerous times inside the decoding procedure.

The antenna connected to your satellite radio receiver picks up the transmission on L-Band. The recent technological advances have allowed digital radio broadcasters to generate receivers little enough to fit mobile locations. Within the early days of satellite radio, a big parabolic dish would need to be mounted on the car in order to receive signal. Also, prior to the much more compact receivers had been created, the early satellite radio receivers necessary electronic movements that directed the dish towards the satellite line of sight. Modern flat panel receivers have eliminated all of the troubles of their predecessors and might be fitted almost anywhere with out taking up too a lot space.

The receiver plus the output, the receiver is the device that decodes the data, essentially doing the precise opposite of what the encoding procedure was like. After receiving the signal from the antenna it amplifies it and converts it to usable sound. The automobile or residence audio system is then able to play the selected satellite radio channel. The rest of the procedure is exactly like analog broadcasts would work, with an amplifier and speakers outputting the sound.




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