Frequently used terms

NOTE: The lease for the satellite system will expire June 30, 2006. IHETS will not support the system after that time and is offering a new service, IHETS Interactive, to replace it. This information is offered for historical purposes only.

IHETS members: IHETS’ enabling legislation identifies membership in the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System as Ball State University, Independent Colleges of Indiana, Indiana State University, Indiana University, Ivy Tech State College, Purdue University, University of Southern Indiana, and Vincennes University.

Nonmember or off-campus users: Locations other than campuses of the above colleges and universities are considered nonmember or off-campus users. For example, Cooperative Extension Services offices, schools, businesses and industries, hospitals, public TV stations, libraries, state-agency offices, and other locations to which post-secondary education may be delivered on a regular basis.

Nominating institution: Since IHETS receives its state funding to serve the higher education institutions, one of the IHETS member institutions must “nominate” a nonmember or off-campus location in order for that location to receive consortium approval for connection to the network.

Primary sponsoring institution: The educational institution presenting any program for distribution via IHETS TV is identified as the primary sponsoring institution for that activity.

Receiving location: Any site that provides television reception facilities for the IHETS-delivered signal is a receiving location. This identification indicates responsibility for providing usable IHETS signal reception, adequate viewing space, and necessary technical and coordination support.

Open site: This term refers to receiving locations that make their facilities available for viewing network programming by those outside of or not employed at the site.

Closed site: Receiving locations whose facilities are available for viewing network programming only by those designated by the site are referred to as closed sites.

Digital TeleResponse (DTR): Provides two-way interactive audio between and among video origination and reception sites.

SUVON: SUVON is the acronym for the State Universities Voice Network, a telephone system connecting the campuses and centers of IHETS member institutions plus certain additional authorized locations. SUVON is an integral part of the total telecommunications services of IHETS and is used for that part of Digital TeleResponse serving campus receiving locations.

TV administrative coordinator: That individual designated by nonmember user of IHETS TV as the primary IHETS interface, regarding TV technical and reception coordination.

TV technical coordinator: That individual for each TV reception site responsible for matters related to installation, maintenance, and operation of television systems, including TeleResponse.

TV reception coordinator: That individual for each member campus who coordinates arrangements for local reception of activities transmitted via IHETS TV. (This person should be someone authorized to sign usage agreements on behalf of the campus.)

TV origination coordinator: That individual for each member campus with network origination capability who coordinates administrative arrangements to originate TV activities from that campus via the network, including reception arrangements with authorized Receive Sites.

Integrated receiver/cecoder (IRD): Decodes the compressed digital satellite signal at the user site into video and audio or as a modulated RF channel which can be tuned on a cable-ready television.

Downlink control unit (DCU): Contains the satellite receiving and television channel processing equipment required to use the IHETS signals from satellite.

Channel modulator: The channel modulator takes the signals provided by the IRD and modulates them to a RF channel, typically 31, which can be distributed throughout a building and tuned on a cable-ready television.