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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!vortex!lauren
From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein)
Newsgroups: net.video
Subject: satellite TV
Message-ID: <353@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 10-Jul-84 23:49:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: vortex.353
Posted: Tue Jul 10 23:49:47 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 12-Jul-84 01:20:43 EDT
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 22

Without going into detail, I'll specifically address the particular
inquiry recently made regarding this subject:

1) Forget about Eastern Hemisphere broadcasts.  The satellites you can
   receive at home with conventional equipment, by and large, are
   domestic communications satellites.  You would only see Eastern
   sports events if they were being relayed through the U.S. systems
   for local distribution.  There are some exceptions to this rule,
   but this is accurate as a general statement.  You'd have lots of
   trouble with the Eastern broadcasts even if you were properly 
   located to watch an international satellite, since the transmission
   standards are different (the old NTSC/PAL/SECAM problem).  While
   it IS possible to get a somewhat distorted monochrome image of
   a PAL or SECAM transmission on some properly MIS-adjusted NTSC sets,
   the picture has aspect ration problems and will of course have no color.

2) If you're interested in domestic sports, I'd advise you to forget it.
   The sports outlets (ESPN, USA Network, WTBS, etc.) are already
   planning to scramble their signals, with DES-based systems which
   should be considered to be uncrackable for all normal purposes.

--Lauren--