How does DirecTV work on aircraft?

Recently flew JetBlue and was impressed that they had DirecTV showing
20 channels or so. How do they do this? I don't recall seeing a
residential style dish mounted on top of the plane! Does anyone have
any info about how they receive the signal and maintain it while moving?

(pstnly) wrote in
oups.com:

Does anyone have any info about how they receive the signal and
maintain it while moving?

http://www.titan.com/products-servic...t.html?docID=9

among others.

--
Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN |

"pstnly" wrote in message
oups.com...
Recently flew JetBlue and was impressed that they had DirecTV showing
20 channels or so. How do they do this? I don't recall seeing a
residential style dish mounted on top of the plane! Does anyone have
any info about how they receive the signal and maintain it while moving?

They actually have 36 stations now. And there IS an antenna on top of the
airplane.

On Fri, 28 Apr 2006 23:18:59 GMT, "Jeff Hacker"
wrote:


"pstnly" wrote in message
roups.com...
Recently flew JetBlue and was impressed that they had DirecTV showing
20 channels or so. How do they do this? I don't recall seeing a
residential style dish mounted on top of the plane! Does anyone have
any info about how they receive the signal and maintain it while moving?

They actually have 36 stations now. And there IS an antenna on top of the
airplane.


Yes, I have seen it--very small rabbit ears.

"Jeff Hacker" wrote ...

"pstnly" wrote in message
oups.com...
Recently flew JetBlue and was impressed that they had DirecTV showing
20 channels or so. How do they do this? I don't recall seeing a
residential style dish mounted on top of the plane! Does anyone have
any info about how they receive the signal and maintain it while moving?

They actually have 36 stations now. And there IS an antenna on top of the
airplane.
It's pretty tough. but highly paid, the position of fuselage top dwarf,
crounched atop the aluminum tube, clinging to the UHF blades with both
hands, a dipole antenna stuck up his ass, listening for the FA on the phone
who tells himn when to adjust slightly for the next geosynchronous satellite
in the flight path....

TMO

John wrote:
On Fri, 28 Apr 2006 23:18:59 GMT, "Jeff Hacker"
wrote:


"pstnly" wrote in message
groups.com...

Recently flew JetBlue and was impressed that they had DirecTV showing
20 channels or so. How do they do this? I don't recall seeing a
residential style dish mounted on top of the plane! Does anyone have
any info about how they receive the signal and maintain it while moving?


They actually have 36 stations now. And there IS an antenna on top of the
airplane.



Yes, I have seen it--very small rabbit ears.


No, Rabbit Ears work best on VHF
I think they just trail a cable.

"pstnly" wrote in message
oups.com...
Recently flew JetBlue and was impressed that they had DirecTV showing
20 channels or so. How do they do this? I don't recall seeing a
residential style dish mounted on top of the plane! Does anyone have
any info about how they receive the signal and maintain it while moving?

Simple, they receive it at headquarters, and then
transmit the signal digitally to their planes, as a
stream. They can use in-flight internet services
to transmit a secure stream.

Charles Newman wrote:
"pstnly" wrote in message
oups.com...

Recently flew JetBlue and was impressed that they had DirecTV showing
20 channels or so. How do they do this? I don't recall seeing a
residential style dish mounted on top of the plane! Does anyone have
any info about how they receive the signal and maintain it while moving?


Simple, they receive it at headquarters, and then
transmit the signal digitally to their planes, as a
stream. They can use in-flight internet services
to transmit a secure stream.


If one plane doesn't pay it bill, then that plane will not be able to
get service, unless it has a pirated decoder. Planes that meet a certain
alcohol sales volume get access to premium channels, like HGTV

"mrtravel" wrote in message
. ..
Charles Newman wrote:
"pstnly" wrote in message
oups.com...

Recently flew JetBlue and was impressed that they had DirecTV showing
20 channels or so. How do they do this? I don't recall seeing a
residential style dish mounted on top of the plane! Does anyone have
any info about how they receive the signal and maintain it while moving?


Simple, they receive it at headquarters, and then
transmit the signal digitally to their planes, as a
stream. They can use in-flight internet services
to transmit a secure stream.


If one plane doesn't pay it bill, then that plane will not be able to
get service, unless it has a pirated decoder. Planes that meet a certain
alcohol sales volume get access to premium channels, like HGTV

Well, foreign-registered planes might have
pirate decoders, as it is not against the law
in many foreign countries to steal US signals.
The law that applies in any aircraft is the country
where the aircraft is registered.

Charles Newman wrote:

"mrtravel" wrote in message
. ..

Well, foreign-registered planes might have
pirate decoders, as it is not against the law
in many foreign countries to steal US signals.
The law that applies in any aircraft is the country
where the aircraft is registered.



As I recall, planes with pirate decoders will not be permitted to fly
over US airspace. Modern technology has enabled DirectTV to block the
signal from going beyond the US. This is why JetBlue does not have this
feature on flights to Bermuda.