From: ycao+@pitt.edu (Yousheng Cao)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.china
Subject: Watching CCTv in North America(was Watching CCTV in Taiwan)
Summary: (was also Watching Satellite TV in China)
Date: 14 Dec 92 01:59:32 GMT

After my two posts on the news group, a lot of people brought their great
interesting to satellite TV in China. I try to answer some of those questions.
If some of you are interested in technology and development of satellite.
Please joint to a news group rec.vedio.satellite. 


Q: Do you have satellite for us to watch Chinese CCTV here in the US ?  If yes,
what's the price and how to order ? If no, is it possible to watch CCTV in US ?

A: Yes, you can watch CCTV in North America. CCTV broadcasts China's Today, News
Opera, Movies, Invest and lots others via a satellite above Pacific Ocean .
Currently, it has only a limit hours every week. It will be more than six hours
a day soon. It is free to watch CCTV. But you have to install a small dish
which is $299. Using the same system, you can watch North America Chinese
Satellite TV station six hour a day. Call (412)621-4214 for details.

Q: What is 'big ear'? What is 'little ear'? What is C band? What is Ku band?

A: It is a long story. You might think a C band is a.m radio and KU is f.m.
radio. They use different frequencies. Most C satellites have 10-20watts
power and most recent Ku satellites have 50-100 watts power. Hence, C band 
satellite receiver needs a 1.5M dish while Ku needs a 0.5M dish only. ASIA I
is a C band satellite.

Q: Here you have mentioned 50+ channels can be received.  I just wonder if you 
mean by a single receiver?  or one has to buy different receiver for different
Satellite ? or just turn the angle of the antenna ? or it is technically 
possible but also depands on the geographic area, say, the signal density ?
So practically some areas could not received some of the channels at all.

A: Yeas, I meant a single receiver. Usually, one satellite can have more than
24 channels (some recent satellite can have digital compressed channels
more than 150). But, since different programs are from different 'bird',
you have to move your dish around to aim to a satellite which has the program
you want. Obviously, you may pay extra money to get auto satellite focus 
device to remote control dish direction.

Q: What's the requirements for the antenna ?  From your above article, it sounds
like every kind of satellite antenna is OK, is that true ?  or How bigger the
antenna should be in order to receive a reasonable good picture ?

A: Every satellite has its own footprint(signal contour). ASIA I has its
center spot at XiAn. You need a 1.2 meter dish in XiAn and a 1.5 meter
dish in Shanghai. To get CNN and others, you need a 2 meters dish, the
size just like you saw from the TV when T.A.M. Square event was broadcasting
by CNN.

Q: Also for the system of signal. what's the requirements for the TV and 
receiver? I mean that should I buy two receivers in order to receive both NTSC 
and PAL system or one receiver for both ?

A: If you want to watch CCTV and other Chinese TV from Mainland, your have
to buy a PAL satellite receiver and use a regular TV in China. If you want
to watch TVs from Taiwan, HongKong, Japan and USA, you should buy a NTSC
satellite receiver and use a multisystem TV or buy a system convert in China. 
We do have some multisystem satellite receiver, but it is much more expensive. 

Q: What type of unit do I need to watch Chinese programs,
will the same unit can receive CNN or, say MTV etc. And if possible please
refer me a brand name or a company which can do mail orders?

A: To watch North America Chinese TV broadcast from LA, you can buy a $299
one meter Ku system. Using same system, you can watch CNN for free. But you
have turn the dish around since CNN and Chinese TV are on different Birds.
You may pay $699 to buy a remote control positioner Ku system to watch
both of them freely and hundreds more sports channels. If you want to watch
MTV and other cable channels such as, HBO, TMC, DIS, you have to switch to
a big C-band dish by paying more. If you want all of those channels, you
will need a dual band system.

Q: Can I buy it from European?

A: I don't know any of dealer who sales NTSC system in European. But
Ku system is very popular there. 
Newsgroups: talk.politics.china