Free to Air

With the advent of satellite receivers for entertainment purposes, people have always attempted to get ‘free TV’ via their satellite dishes. This is called Free to Air TV. When searching the internet for ways to do this, they inevitably find thousands of pages on FTA and FTA Keys. But what is FTA? What are FTA Keys? This article attempts to simplify these questions.

FTA television is simply the receiving satellite signals and broadcasts with a dish and FTA receiver, and displaying them on your TV. FTA satellite transmissions are usually in what is called the MPEG-2 data compression protocol and is not encrypted. By pointing your satellite dish to these satellites, you can receive these transmissions and thus watch the channels.

Depending on where you live, there can be 10, 100, or 1000’s of Free to Air channels available to you. Contrary to some beliefs, most satellites orbit the earth at the same rate as the earth’s spinning motion, and therefore are static in relation to their location (satellites over Australia stay over Australia for example). Because of this, some areas get more FTA channels than others – further, if you find a good satellite with channels you enjoy watching, you do not have to worry about losing the signal once a day. Thousands of people each day are tuning in to FTA TV to broaden their viewing choices. Here’s how they do it.

FTA Receivers and Equipment

In order to view FTA Satellite TV, you will need the following equipment: A satellite dish (C-Band or K-Band), and FTA receiver or PC Satellite Card, an LNBF, and if you want to receive channels from more than one satellite, an antenna motor. Let’s look at each of these briefly.

Satellite dishes can be found at many technology retailers and of course online. As technology continues to advance, smaller and smaller satellite dishes are available. A satellite dish is simply a parabolic shaped receiver that “catches” transmissions from satellites. Because of its parabolic shape, the signals ‘caught’ are redirected to a focal point, called a freehorn. From there, the LNBF (low-noise block down converter freehorn) converts the electromagnetic signals or radio waves into electrical signals. The LNBF also shifts the signals from K or C Band to L-Band.

The FTA receiver, usually a set-top box (sits on or around your TV) receives the signals that have been received and converted from your satellite dish and LNBF. The FTA receiver sends the signal to your television so that the signals can be viewed. With PC technology constantly growing, there are now many PC Satellite cards that are like set-top receivers, but allow you to view FTA TV right on your computer.

The antenna motor, or positioner, is used to point your satellite dish to different satellites, thus receiving different channels. Common motorised satellite dishes work in conjunction with set-top boxes or PC Cards, and use the following standards: DiSEqC, USALS and 36v. If this all sounds too complicated, simply speak with a satellite dealer near you and they will explain exactly what equipment you need.

FTA Keys

In order for a receiver to properly decode the signals it is receiving, ‘keys’ – or a series of numbers and letters – needs to inputted into the device. Although signals are ‘free’, they still require these FTA keys to unscramble them. Some individuals in the technology or satellite communications business have access to these keys – and subsequently sell them online. A good FTA Keys website will have low rates – under $100 per year – and will provide constant and immediate updates for all receiver brands (each receiver brand may use a different key, and those keys will change intermittently). The cost is infinitesimal considering the cost of regular satellite subscriptions and the amount of channels you can potentially receive. Make sure, when signing up on an FTA distributor site, that you find one that offers FTA support for all receivers. That way, they can help you set up your entire system and give you step by step instructions on how to load your first FTA key. Once you have done this once, repeating the process is very simple.

The Future

As mentioned above, there are now PCI FTA Receivers for PC’s that work exactly like a set-top box, but decode and display the channels right on your TV. Outputs are also available to send the signal directly to your TV. Many people prefer this method as updating FTA Keys is almost fully automated and even easier than programming a set-top receiver. As satellite dishes get smaller and smaller, so too is their receiving technology. For example, some universities are working on fully mobile dishes 4” in diameter that can pick up signals with a strength comparable to current 12” dishes. It’s only a matter of time where fully automated, mobile dishes are available for laptops. Further research is being developed to eradicate interference by clouds and bad weather conditions. Presumably, televisions, communications and internet will all be accessible with these new devices. One thing is for certain, satellites and satellite technology is not fading anytime soon – and the communications industry, growing from cabling, to cellular, will eventually find its way its way to mainstream satellite technology.

Jed Fleury is a Marketing Professional who uses his client experiences as a source for Article Writing. Thanks to N2News.com for providing insight for this FTA article.