Abstract: A payment control apparatus for a pay television system includes a detector for detecting an advance fee data group transmitted from a center. An advance memory coupled to the detector stores the advanced fee data group. An error check controller coupled to the detector detects errors in the advance fee data group. A display coupled to the error check controller displays error conditions in the advance fee data group.

Abstract: A superhigh frequency (SHF) receiver for receiving satellite broadcast signals having different planes of polarization for adjacent or odd- and even-numbered channels, respectively, is operative, upon sequential channel selection, to sequentially select alternate or every other channel, for example, the odd-numbered channels, having a first plane of polarization, and then to automatically switch the receiving plane of polarization of a polarizer and sequentially select the other alternate channels, for example, the even-numbered channels, having a second plane of polarization. Thus, the user does not have to switch the plane of polarization of the polarizer for receiving the satellite broadcast signal and the plane of polarization of the polarizer needs to be changed only once when scanning the full array of channels so that channel selection can be carried out at higher speed.

Abstract: A television signal receiving apparatus is provided having a program schedule display function. The apparatus includes a tuner, a television signal processing circuit connected to the tuner, a digital signal processing circuit connected to the tuner for generating a program schedule display signal based on program schedule data obtained through the tuner, and a switch connected to the digital signal processing circuit for selectively generating a local program schedule display signal based on the Standard Time selected by the switch.

Abstract: A receiver device for a satellite communication system capable of transmitting in either of two modes detects which transmission mode is currently in effect and adjusts its signal processing and output stages accordingly. The transmission may be recognized by reference to either the encoded information or the electromagnetic medium itself of the received electromagnetic transmissions. In one mode, only audio signals and related information are broadcast in FM form whereas in the other mode, a video image signal is also included, while a subcarrier signal is modulated by an audio and/or a data signal. The receiver system checks either the sub-carrier signal or video synchronization signals in the incoming transmissions to determine the transmission mode. The receiver may also be forced to a predetermined mode upon power-up to prevent spurious mode-selection errors.