In my previous message on this subject, I included an erroneous link for the list transponders carrying The Weather Channel. Here are the correct links:
List of transponders carrying The Weather Channel:
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Format of a typical analog transponder: AMC-ll tp 13 (3960 MHz, Vertical)
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Format of a typical digital transponder: AMC-10 tp 24 (4180 MHz, Horizontal)
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Format of a proprietary digital transponder: DirecTV 1R/2/4S transponder number unknown
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Also, I forgot to mention how closed-caption data is carried. It's carried on Line 21, the universal standard for such data. It passes unchanged (hopefully) through the entire encryption/decryption process, ultimately being decoded by the viewer's TV receiver.
Neal McLain
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Regards closed caption, since I sometimes these days do not hear as well as I would like, I frequently leave closed caption turned on (it is an on/off option on my television set) even though I am also using sound as well (closed caption allows me to keep up with words I miss or do not understand occassionally.) But has anyone else noticed how they really _blow it bad_ sometimes, with trash symbols instead of the words, etc, or sometimes just approximations of the phrases used instead of the actual words? And in the case of VCR or DVD movies, I assume the closed caption is just encoded right on the finished product, is that correct? And if it is a 'live program' such as a newscast instead of some pre-recorded stuff, it appears they also create the closed caption live, since it drags behind the audio by a few seconds. PAT]