Abstract: A digital satellite television system has a plurality of set-top-boxes associated with a plurality of end users' television receivers, a modem and a decoder housed in each STB, a Subscriber Authorization System (SAS) incorporating or having associated therewith a plurality of communication servers, means included in the SAS for generating Electronic Managements Messages (EMM), a back channel interconnecting each of the STBs individually with the SAS, means included in the SAS and each STB so that the necessary information required to inject a relevant EMM into the system is supplied directly to the relevant communication server included in or associated with the SAS to authorize the release of the said EMM and/or means to connect the modem to the back channel and means whereby an EMM is transmissible to the decoder directly from a relevant communication server included in or associated with the SAS. Further important features are also disclosed.

Abstract: A digital satellite television system has a plurality of set-top-boxes associated with a plurality of end users' television receivers, a modem and a decoder housed in each STB, a Subscriber Authorization System (SAS) incorporating or having associated therewith a plurality of communication servers, means included in the SAS for generating Electronic Managements Messages (EMM), a back channel interconnecting each of the STBs individually with the SAS, means included in the SAS and each STB so that the necessary information required to inject a relevant EMM into the system is supplied directly to the relevant communication server included in or associated with the SAS to authorise the release of the said EMM and/or means to connect the modem to the back channel and means whereby an EMM is transmissible to the decoder directly from a relevant communication server included in or associated with the SAS. Further important features are also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention includes a mostly conventional digital television system (2000) to transmit compressed digital signals. A multiplexer (2004) receives a plurality of further input signals, assembles one or more transport streams and transmits compressed digital signals to a transmitter (2008) of the broadcast centre via linkage (2010). The transmitter (2008) transmits electromagnetic signals via uplink (2012) towards a satellite transponder (2014), where they are electronically processed and broadcast via notional downlink (2016) to earth receiver (2018). The signals received by receiver (2018) are transmitted to an integrated receiver/decoder (2020) connected to the end user's television set (2022). The receiver/decoder (2020) decodes the compressed MPEG-2 signal into a television signal for the television set (2022). A conditional access system (3000) is connected to the multiplexer (2004) and the receiver/decoder (2020), and is located partly in the broadcast centre and partly in the decoder.

Abstract: Apparatuses for measuring soil conditions are positioned using a thin probe tube of substantially constant cross-section inserted in the ground by self-drilling in such manner as to maintain the soil outside the probe in continual contact with said probe throughout the period of measuring and measuring the various physical characteristics of the soil by means of apparatuses associated with the said probe, the drilling waste being removed upwardly of the measuring zone.