Analog Cable Services

The process of delivering analog cable services begins with our receiving signals containing content from various broadcasters using multiple satellite antennas located at an analog head-end. The signals received by the antennas for a particular channel are then fed into an integrated receiver/decoder ("IRD"), which is an electronic device used to demodulate the C-Band signal and decrypt it to output as an analog baseband signal.

In the analog head-ends, each IRD is dedicated solely to a particular channel. After decryption, the analog baseband signal is modulated using a radio frequency modulator, which modulates the analog baseband signal to cause one channel only to be transmitted per radio frequency carrier.

Once these modulations are completed, the modulated radio frequency signals are combined so that they can be transmitted via a single cable to our HFC network. The HFC network further distributes the signals from the head-end to LCOs in various servicing areas. Each LCO in turn delivers the signals to end-user subscribers' televisions through their own network of cables.

Digital Cable Services

The process of delivering digital cable television services begins with our receiving signals containing content from various broadcasters using multiple Satellite antennas located at the digital head-ends. The signals received by the antennas are then fed into a PIRD, which demodulates, decrypts and decodes the signal. A high quality Encoder is then used to re-encode the signal into a MPEG -2 / MPEG – 4 formats and an IP stream is created. Following encoding, the IP signals are fed into the networking switches which provide input to a bank of Multiplexers. The Multiplexers are used to select channels and services, package and encrypt the signals to be transmitted as a bundle of channels and services on a single Radio Frequency carrier.

After the transrater and switching device have performed their functions, once encrypted, the signal undergoes a RF modulation process using dense Edge QAMs and is then combined with the analog signals using Frequency Domain Multiplexing (FDM) before being transmitted from the Head-ends through our Hybrid Fiber Co-axial (HFC) Network to the Local Cable Operators (LCO) in the various servicing areas.

Each LCO in turn deliver the signals to end-user subscribers through their own "last mile" network. Each subscriber receives the signal through a Digital Set Top Box that is connected to the LCO's Network and the subscriber's television. The set top box decodes and decrypts the signals, which results in the conversion of the signals into the content that is displayed on the subscriber's television screen. The set top box is activated by sending box specific commands via the subscriber management system.