Satellite TV at Sea (TVRO)
Stabilized TV reception for crew and passengers, from one dish to a multi-cabin system.
TVRO is the system that lets a vessel receive broadcast satellite television while moving. The chain is short and well understood: a stabilized antenna tracks the satellite, an ACU holds the parameters, a receiver selects the transponder, and a distribution layer delivers the picture to cabins or a crew mess.
The engineering decision that matters most is dish aperture. Minimum EIRP — the weakest signal the antenna can work with — tracks aperture directly: a 33 cm V3 works down to 50 dBW, a 75 cm V7 to 44 dBW, and a 105 cm X10 to 41 dBW. Choose the antenna against the footprint of the satellite you actually want to watch on the routes you actually sail, not against the biggest dish that fits.
The second decision is distribution. A single-satellite, single-receiver installation is a straightforward retrofit. A multi-cabin system needs a multiswitch and either a CATV headend (up to 58 channels in the documented multi-room configuration) or an IPTV headend if the vessel also wants VOD, CCTV channels and per-cabin menus.
What is in the scope
- V Series (2-axis) or X Series (3-axis) stabilized antenna
- Basic or Advanced ACU
- TVRO receiver and multiswitch
- CATV headend or IPTV headend with decoders