Hear CD quality sound radio thru' WorldSpace
By Gatot Tio
JAKARTA (JP): Do you know that we can now enjoy digital broadcasts from around the world via a receiver?
This is what we call the digital broadcasting system supplied by WorldSpace (WS), and the tuners consist of AM, FM and satellite bands.
You can tune in to radio stations that broadcast via WS in satellite band. Programming is available in a multitude of languages including German, Hindi, Spanish, English, French, Arabic, Italian, Pakistani, Swahili, Tamil, Telugu, Tagalo, Malay, and others.
Until now, up to 40 broadcast channels per beam are available on the WS system. The receiver is the consumer's gateway to the WS system.
This receiver is designed and built for WS by Panasonic, Hitachi, Sanyo, JVC and Polytron. Behind the receiver is the WS system itself -- a platform from which international, regional and local programmers can reach vast audiences.
A wide range of features are made available in these receivers.
Panasonic's receiver, for example, comes in a built-in vertical design and stacks two pairs of two-way speakers to deliver a near-CD quality output.
With a large display area, it offers 10 channel presets and gives users three 12-character lines of information.
Its others features are: * battery powered (4 D-cell batteries) with AC adapter * built-in stereo: two-way, four-speaker system (2.1 Watt output) * stereo headphone socket; stereo line out connectors * built-in easy-to-aim antenna * decryption and narrowcast capability * program selection by language and category * 10 presets and last station memory * three-line, eight-character LC display to show station, category and other information * port for multimedia services
Concept
WS's working concept is much the same as the digital sound broadcasting system's concept.
The aim of WS is to send Direct Satellite Broadcasting System (DBS) signals without using a transmitter to the receiver, which was impossible with the old satellite communications system.
The system routes a signal from a ground control station through a small satellite dish. The antenna transmits the signal to the geostationary satellite devoted to the reception area, which then sends the signal directly to portable digital sound broadcasting receivers in the area.
There was a need for an antenna to receive signals in the old system, but with WS we will not need antennas. With WS, mobile satellite communication is possible and some broadcasters will be able to uplink to the WS satellites directly from their studios using small earth stations.
Two potential elements of WS technology are satellites and earth stations.
In each case, WS has thoughtfully built flexibility into the system to make it as simple as possible for the end-user.
WS has now launched three satellites into orbit. These satellites will provide unsurpassed broadcast coverage in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean Basin, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
It is the sole provider of wireless satellite digital audio and multimedia to areas whose populations comprise 80 percent of humanity.
Each satellite is controlled from independent Regional Operations Control Centers (ROCC). Each center is linked to redundant Telemetry, Command and Range (TCR) stations to control and monitor the health of each satellite. Each ROCC includes a Mission Control Center (MCC), which facilitates the turnup of new customers.
WS satellites are "geostationary", orbiting over the globe in fixed positions more than 35,000 kilometers above the equator.
Using spot beams, each of which can support more than 50 services per beam, the satellites transmit to three overlapping coverage areas approximately 14 million km sq each.
Crystal clear, fade-free news, music, education and entertainment programs are available to more than two billion people in Africa, the Middle East and Asia through the WS AfriStar and AsiaStar satellites.