Beosat LX
| Product : | Beosat LX |
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| Produced from : | 1988 - Dec 1992 | |
| Designed by : | ———————– | |
| Finish : | n/a | |
| Desirability : | 3 |
Satellite broadcasts began - in theory at least - with Arthur C Clarke’s 1945 ‘Wireless World Magazine’ article proposing three space platforms to be situated around the earth in order to make worldwide communication a possibility. The first country to exploit this theory was Russia when, on 4 October 1957, Sputnik was launched. The launch of this small ball-shaped Earth-orbiting satellite triggered the space race when the USA immediately attempted to catch up with them. The US subsequently launched Explorer I on1 January 1958 which carried a small scientific payload which would eventually lead to the discovery of magnetic radiation belts around the Earth. With the US entering the race for Space, came the birth of NASA. And while NASA was busy devising ways to travel through space, private companies formed an international consortium to put a network of geosynchronous (or geostationary) satellites in orbit. ‘Geosynchronous’ in this sense means exactly what Arthur C Clarke suggested – a satellite in geosynchronous orbit appears to be static over one particular spot over the Earth’s Equator. To do this, it must travel at the same speed as the Earth’s rotation. It has to do this in order that a receiving satellite dish on the Earth can point at the satellite and not have to move in order to track its motion.
The birth of satellite TV as we know it began in the mid-1970s when more and more TV-producing companies began their own satellite transmissions. This was particularly useful for viewers off the beaten track and who had little or no access to terrestrial transmissions. The idea of receiving television by satellite, however, did not really beign to take off until the 1980s when there was a wider choice of equipment and accordingly, prices of TV-receiving equipment through satellite transmissions came tumbling down.
In the early days satellite transmissions were analogue only. But since the year 2000 more and more digital transmissions were made with analogue transmissions becoming very much a minority.
Bang & Olufsen introduced Beosat in the early 1990s as public interest began tro slowly build up. Beosat’s philosophy was one whereby satellite equipment could be made easily to customers’ existing products.
In order to receive any such transmission from space, however, both a satellite dish and decoding equipment was necessary. Beosat RX was manufactured to aesthetically match existing products and to be situated beneath a television receiver in much the same way as a video recorder would.
The company produced its Beosat Positioner (type 3012) by which to manoeuvre the necessary parabolic antenna and point it towards a satellite in order to receive its transmissions. The azimuth could be stored within Beosat’s memory so that its position could be instantly recalled.
Bang & Olufsen also produced its own D2MAC decoder which made it possible to receive D2MAC-encoded transmissions. This facilitated companies to charge for the viewing of their programmes by subscription.
Which satellite receiver to use?
Beosat LX: for use with Bang & Olufsen televisions Beovision LX 2800 /LX 2500 and L2800 / L2500; Beovision LX2802 / LX2502 and L2802 / L2502
Beosat LM: for use with bang & Olufsen televisions Beovision LX5500 / LX4500 and L5500 / L4500; Beovision MX5500 / MX3500
Beosat RX: external satellite receiver which may be placed on a shelf under the TV. The Beosat RX suits all Bang & Olufsen televisions as well as those from other manufacturers.
BeoSat LX type:
