View source for Integrated receiver/decoder

{{Short description|Electronic device}}
{{Unreferenced|date=December 2009}}

An '''integrated receiver/decoder''' ('''IRD''') is an electronic [[Integrated circuit|device]] used to [[receiver (radio)|receive]] a [[radio-frequency signal]] and convert [[Digital data|digital]] information transmitted in it.

==Consumer IRDs==
{{Main|Set-top box}}

Consumer IRDs, commonly called [[set-top box]]es, are used by end users and are much cheaper compared to professional IRDs. To curb content piracy, they also lack many features and [[Interface (computer science)|interface]]s found in professional IRDs such as outputting uncompressed [[Serial digital interface|SDI]] video or [[Asynchronous serial interface|ASI]] [[MPEG transport stream|transport stream]] dumps. They are also designed to be more aesthetically pleasing.

==Professional IRDs==
Commonly found in [[radio]], [[television]], [[Cable television|Cable]] and [[satellite]] broadcasting facilities, the IRD is generally used for the reception of contribution feeds that are intended for re-broadcasting. The IRD is the interface between a receiving [[satellite dish]] or [[Telecommunications company|Telco]] networks and a broadcasting facility video/audio infrastructure. 

Professional IRDs have various features that consumer IRDs lack such as:

* SDI outputs.
* [[Asynchronous serial interface|ASI]] inputs / outputs.
* [[Professional video over IP|TSoIP]] inputs.
* [[AES/EBU]] Audio decoding.
* [[Vertical blanking interval|VBI]] reinsertion.
* [[Widescreen signaling|WSS]] data and pass through.
* [[MPEG transport stream|Transport stream]] demultiplexing.
* [[Genlock]] input.
* [[Frame synchronization]] of digital video output to analogue input.
* [[Closed captioning|Closed captions]] and [[Video signal generator|VITS]]/[[Issue tracking system|ITS]]/[[Vertical interval timecode|VITC]] Insertion.
* Video [[Test card|test pattern]] generator.
* Remote management over [[Local area network|LAN]]/[[Wide area network|WAN]].
* [[General Purpose Input/Output|GPI]] interface - For sending external alarm triggers.
* [[19-inch rack|Rack]] mountable.

==Uses==
* [[direct broadcast satellite]] (DBS) [[television]] applications like [[DirecTV]], [[SES Astra|Astra]] or [[DishTV]]
* [[fixed service satellite]] (FSS) applications like [[VideoCipher]], [[DigiCipher]], or [[PowerVu]]
* [[digital audio radio satellite]] (DARS) applications like [[XM Satellite Radio]] and [[Sirius Satellite Radio]]
* [[digital audio broadcasting]] (DAB) applications like [[Eureka 147]] and [[IBOC]]
* [[Digital Video Broadcasting|digital video broadcasting]] (DVB) applications like [[DVB-T]] and [[ATSC Standards|ATSC]]

==See also==
{{Commons category|Integrated receiver/decoders}}
* [[ATSC tuner]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Integrated Receiver Decoder}}
[[Category:Broadcast engineering]]
[[Category:Set-top box]]
[[Category:Television technology]]
[[Category:Television terminology]]


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