The Jargon Buster Directory is your central resource for locating
an explanation to typical terms found for within all industries , professions
and governments.
Use our directory to locate and decipher jargon that you would like an
explanation for.
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is used is a never ending task for us. We have started with what we can locate
but but it is a vast subject and can be very niche specific.
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As digital TV or digital television evolves, this fairly new science has
now evolved its own digital tv jargon that is not just restricted
to technical wires and physical make up of the digital television machines.
Digital television jargon is now encompassing much of our daily lives
as more and more people switch over to satellite and cable systems.
Digital tv jargon needs to explain the relevant sections of
the industry.
Not everything in the digital TV world is simply 'plug and play' as many
of the manufacturers would like us to think and digital tv
jargon will help to break down many of the misunderstandings and
misconceptions that currently surround digital television.
Media - Digital TV
Analogue
Traditional method of transmitting television signals.
Broadcaster
A company or organisation that broadcasts television programmes.
Cable TV
TV broadcasting service that delivers signals to households via a fibre optic
cable rather than a conventional aerial or a satellite dish.
Dedicated advertiser location (DAL)
A visually rich site that enables advertisers to provide a greater depth
of product information interspersed with dramatic video content, textual
information and a built-in response mechanism.
Digital cable (DCable)
Digital services pass between the cable operator and the viewers home
via fibre-optic cable laid below the ground.
Digital satellite (DSat)
Digital television signals are transmitted via satellite to a mini-dish installed
at the viewers home and then converted by a set-top box into sound
and pictures.
Digital television (DTV)
A new and more efficient way of transmitting television signals.
Digital terrestrial television (DTT)
TV channels using digital signals delivered to homes through a conventional
aerial and converted through a digital adaptor.
Digital subscriber line (DSL)
Technology that transmits data through existing copper telephone lines at
very high speeds.
Digital TV Group (DTG)
The industry association for digital television in the UK.
Digital Television Project
A partnership between government, broadcasters, industry, consumer groups
and other stakeholders.
Enhanced Television
An interactive service directly related to a particular TV programme, which
provides viewers with a means of interacting with that programme. Programme
enhancements can include voting, competitions, quizzes and exclusive video
footage.
Electronic programme guide (EPG)
An on-screen TV guide that helps viewers navigate all channels. The Sky guide
EPG contains details of all television programmes to be aired over the following
seven days as well as listings for interactive services.
Impulse response
A type of interactive ad. Viewers can interact with the brand while remaining
in the broadcast stream.
Interactive advertising
Enables the viewer to respond to an ad by pressing the red button and find
information that cannot be easily transmitted via a traditional 30-second
linear TV ad.
Interactive digital television (iDTV)
Where the viewer interacts with broadcasters, advertisers or even other viewers
via their television set.
Interactive main menu (IMM)
A section of the Sky guide EPG which lists a number of interactive services
and portals, such as Sky Active. Sky viewers can bring up the IMM on their
screen by pressing the interactive button on their remote control.
Interactive service menu (ISM)
A menu listing a range of interactive services available in conjunction with
a channel. Viewers can access ISMs by pressing the red button while watching
a Sky channel (or certain other broadcaster channels, such as Disney, Cartoon
Network, Channel 4 and Five).
Jump to text
A type of interactive ad. Viewers can press the red button during an ad to
jump to a static page within a text service.
Mini-DAL
A type of interactive ad. A scaled-down version of a DAL and an effective
mechanism for brand extension and data capture.
Mini-dish
Sky digital subscribers have a mini-dish installed at their home to receive
the digital signal from satellites.
Platform
A TV distribution service, comprising all the infrastructure (including
transmitters, dish/cable/aerial, digiboxes and satellites) required to deliver
TV channels to TV sets in the home.
Return path
The method by which a viewer communicates with a broadcaster when using an
interactive service, thereby enabling full two-way interactivity. For example,
the return path for digital satellite subscribers is the modem within the
set-top box, which is connected to the viewers telephone line.
Satellites
Sky leases the transponders it uses for digital transmissions from
Société Européenne des Satellites S.A. (SES) and Eutelsat,
situated at 28.2°E and 28.5°E, 22,300 miles into space. Sky uses
some of the transponders it leases for Skys own channels and services.
Some transponder capacity is subleased to third parties for the transmission
of other channels or services.
Set-top box
Viewers need to attach this box to their television to unscramble digital
television signals and convert them into sound and pictures.
Sky Active
The brand name for Skys interactive television services. It provides
viewers with access to a range of services, including email and messaging,
games, betting, shopping, banking, travel services and ticket sales.
Sky digital
Launched on 1 October 1998. This new digital service initially ran in parallel
with Skys existing analogue service.
Sky Gamestar
Skys games portal. Viewers can access Sky Gamestar by pressing the
interactive button on the Sky digital remote control or by pressing the red
button while watching one of the Sky channels.
Sky Interactive
The wholly-owned subsidiary of Sky responsible for:
Creating interactive enhanced television services behind Sky channels (we
also offer this service to third-party channels on the Sky platform)
Producing standalone interactive portals and channels on the Sky Electronic
Programme Guide (EPG)
Providing interactive television solutions to advertisers
Sky Subscriber Services Limited (SSSL)
SSSL stands for Sky Subscribers Services Limited, the operator of the Sky
digital platform.
Software development kit (SDK)
A programming kit that enables a programmer to develop an interactive TV
application.
Text services
Traditionally used for short text-based stories, news, weather, sport and
holiday offers.