Mobile satellite TV is possible

During the past five years, the trend of installing various in-flight entertainment systems on buses has increased. The goal is to expand the services offered, to differentiate from the competition and to increase the number of passengers who see this mode of transport as an alternative to trains, planes and even cars.

Among the inflight entertainment services offered is the satellite television capable of automatically following any type of satellite.

Digital satellite television in moving vehicles

Satellite TV has been used as an entertainment system for many years, but in fixed locations such as homes, camping, caravans and pleasure boats... Only in recent years have different antennas been offered which follow the satellites from the moving vehicle such as the bus in order to enjoy satellite TV during to enjoy the ride .

What do I need to enjoy live TV on my bus?

• An antenna that allows for permanent alignment with the selected communications satellite.
• A digital channel tuner (for “free-to-air” stations) or a decoder (for pay-to-air stations)
• A screen to display content

What types of car satellite antennas are there on the market?

There are basically two models of satellite antennas that have been specially designed for use in buses :

• Low profile phased array antennas with a height of 16-18cm
• Antennas with a conventional profile with a height of 24-34 cm.

They mainly differ in:

• Design:
  The main difference lies in the internal configuration . The low profile antenna mounts a series of small, identical, separate antennas. These have the same orientation and are operated synchronously. The antennas with a conventional profile, on the other hand, contain a configurable diameter parabolic reflector, which depends on the signal intensity and is responsible for visualizing the channels broadcast from different satellites.
• Technical aspect:
  The main difference here is the elevation angle at which each of the antennas can operate. The low profile antennas typically operate at a reduced elevation angle than the conventional antennas. This makes it very complicated to place them in zones that are very far from the equator, such as the north of Europe, or to be used with satellites that have an increased elevation angle.

What satellite live television services can I offer my customers?

Currently, when installing a satellite antenna that allows reception on the move , three services can be offered to the passenger:

• Free -to -air satellite TV by connecting the satellite antenna to the receiver and the screen
  of the vehicle.
• Pay TV (offered by payment platforms of any form) through the decoder inserted in the installation with the channels previously selected.
• In Spain, Portugal and southern France it is possible to offer DTT channels by adding DTT-SAT satellite DTT receivers to the antenna installation.

The installation of live satellite TV is currently the most cost-effective investment for companies that want to offer their passengers quality entertainment in a simple and direct way.