This eight minute video focuses on the “secrets of satellite television”, and includes interviews with Jose Maria Casas, Senior Advisor to the Director of TIA and Marco Sartori, ESA applications engineer.
“In the 1970s satellites were very small. Today we are talking about satellites of five, six or seven thousand kilos with 50 to 100 channels, where you can put in a single satellite probably 500 television programmes,” explains Mr. Casas in the video. “All together, in space, at this moment, there are about 300 satellites and on those 300 satellites there are 25,000 programmes.”
Mr. Sartori, technical officer for the ESA ARTES 3-4 project Stereoscopic Broadcasting or 3DTV, explains the work involved in broadcasting 3D via satellite. “Human beings have two eyes, therefore we need two pictures,” he explains in the video. “We send both pictures up to the satellite, they come down to the television, and the television shows them merged. But when you put on the glasses you get the 3D wow effect.”
Other topics covered include spacecraft manufacturing and also an explanation of the geostationary orbit.
You can watch this video live on Euronews channel (delivered via satellite - details on http://www.euronews.net/distribution/)
The stream is also available on demand on the main ESA Website:
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Euronews/SEMOXS4XT9G_0.html
or at Euronews Website :
http://www.euronews.net/sci-tech/space/
For more information see the contact and related links located in the column to the right.
