DTV radio
Satellite television radio (or STR) is an informal term which describes the music channels that are provided with a digital television service. In terms of price and musical variety, STR falls somewhere between regular AM or FM radio, and satellite radio. However, because it is delivered through a digital signal, the actual sound quality is equal to satellite radio.
STR cannot be purchased as service on its own. To obtain it, one must subscribe to a digital television service, typically satellite televison or digital cable. STR music channels are usually provided as part of the "basic" television subscription service or package.
Number of channels[edit | edit source]
The number of music channels offered varies with each service provider. In the United States, DirecTV offers 36 channels provided by Music Choice, and Dish Network offers 95 channels, 65 provided by Sirius Satellite Radio.
In Canada, Bell ExpressVu offers 45 channels provided by Galaxie, and StarChoice and Rogers Digital Cable each offer 40 music channels: 20 provided by MaxTrax, the other 20 provided by Galaxie.
Listening to STR[edit | edit source]
One can listen to an STR channel simply by entering the channel on their TV. However, this requires leaving the television power on, and uses televison speakers which are fairly limited in sound quality. Therefore, the recommended setup consists of connecting the audio outputs of the television set-top box directly to a stereo system. Set-top boxes typically have an extra set of audio outputs to facilitate this. Also, as a song is playing, additional information such as the song title, artist and album, typically appear on the television screen.
