Home Entertainment Systems

Mr and Mrs Clark have signed up with a company that provides digital media content through a cable connection.
(a) The company provided them with a set top box.
(i) State the function of the set top box
(ii) The set top box also contains a digital video recorder that allows them to record programmes to play back at a later date.
State one other function they will be able to use the set top box for.
(iii) Apart from digital television channels, state one other service that the company can provide through the cable network.
(b) The clarks have bought the following home entertainment equiptment: HD digital television - Connectivity: HDMI and Wi-Fi
Blu-ray player - Connectivity: HDMI
Speakers - Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Describe how the Clarks could connect the devices to allow them to view a film and use the external speakers.

Reply 1

uberteknik

21

Original post by Sinarmani

Mr and Mrs Clark have signed up with a company that provides digital media content through a cable connection.
(a) The company provided them with a set top box.
(i) State the function of the set top box
(ii) The set top box also contains a digital video recorder that allows them to record programmes to play back at a later date.
State one other function they will be able to use the set top box for.
(iii) Apart from digital television channels, state one other service that the company can provide through the cable network.
(b) The clarks have bought the following home entertainment equiptment: HD digital television - Connectivity: HDMI and Wi-Fi
Blu-ray player - Connectivity: HDMI
Speakers - Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Describe how the Clarks could connect the devices to allow them to view a film and use the external speakers.

So what are you asking?

That you don't understand any of it or only part of it?

Is this revision or a homework?

Reply 2

Sinarmani

OP

Original post by uberteknik

So what are you asking?

That you don't understand any of it or only part of it?

Is this revision or a homework?

I dont understand any of it.........its for revision

Reply 3

uberteknik

21

Original post by Sinarmani

I dont understand any of it.........its for revision

Set top box:

http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/set-top-box

Wi-fi:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-wifi

HDMI:

http://youtu.be/QJDwfw2Uhdk

Connecting set top box :

http://youtu.be/EMHduwSuyKA

Blue Ray to TV using HDMI:

http://youtu.be/BHKYSR3I-vc

Speakers using wi-fi:

http://youtu.be/Q8bjAeSQcCQ

Reply 4

Sinarmani

OP

Original post by uberteknik

Set top box:

http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/set-top-box

Wi-fi:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-wifi

HDMI:

http://youtu.be/QJDwfw2Uhdk

Connecting set top box :

http://youtu.be/EMHduwSuyKA

Blue Ray to TV using HDMI:

http://youtu.be/BHKYSR3I-vc

Speakers using wi-fi:

http://youtu.be/Q8bjAeSQcCQ

I dont understand the set top box part

Reply 5

uberteknik

21

Original post by Sinarmani

I dont understand the set top box part

OK.

A set top box decodes the signals sent via the cable connection (or via satellite or even terrestrial broadcast) from a service provider.

Until the advent of digital transmission, the old analogue system (continuously varying signal) used a 'tuner' (much the same as a radio tuner but carrying TV signals) which was included as part of the TV. The tuner picked out a single frequency which carried the selected channel signal and then converted that to the sound and vision signals for the visual display (picture tube) and audio amplifier/loudspeaker.

When rudimentary digital transmission services started to be introduced in the late 1970's (Ceefax, ViewData etc), the way forward for all digital transmission began to be prepared. Analogue transmissions began to be replaced with a digitised version in the late 1990's/2000's made up of two signal levels representing the 1's and 0's with which both the video and audio were encoded.

Because most TV's were still analogue (even up to a few years ago), manufacturers introduced a plethora of conversion-boxes which could accept digitally encoded transmissions and decode them for display on the old analogue TV's. Since very old analogue TV's were often called TV-sets when they first became widely available in the 1950's and 1960's, the conversion-box was literally intended to sit on top of the TV. Hence the term 'set-top boxes'.

The term 'set top box' became generic and when cable and satellite services became available and providers started charging to access theor services. Transmissions were encrypted which could then only be viewed by using set-top-box decoder supplied by that service provider. (Much like the decryption keys that come with purchased software to unlock it for use on PC's). Hence companies providing digital media content like Sky, BT Vision, Virgin Media, FreeView, Talk Talk, Tiscali etc. all have their own dedicated encryption decoders. In other words set top boxes.

As service providers explored ways of getting more functions from the capability of cable and satellite technology, set top boxes can now not only be used to decode TV transmissions, but because cable can both send and receive data, they can be used for programme-on-demand type service to replace a video recorder.

They can also decode TV programme guide information, be used as a timer to change channels automatically when any selected programme is scheduled for transmission and can also be used to decode and encode internet access services and in some more advanced boxes, Voice-over-IP (VoIP) telecoms and dedicated internet connections for gaming etc.

Is that clearer? :smile:

(edited 10 years ago)

Home Entertainment Systems

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