A Growing List of Industry Terms for Japan

Abbreviation or Term Meaning
110-degree
Csat

New digital Csat broadcast platform scheduled to use N-SAT-110 with service launch targeting late 2001-early 2002

ADSL

Asymmetric digital subscriber line

ARIB

Association of Radio Industries and Businesses

ATM

Asynchronous transfer mode; operation mode for digital telecom lines that improves economies of scale and enables lower pricing for line usage.

B-CAS

Bsat Conditional Access System Council

BML

Broadcast markup language

BS

Broadcast satellite broadcast service

BSAT

Broadcast Satellite System Corp.

Bsat

Broadcast satellite, also refers to using ITU-sanctioned broadcast satellite broadcast service ('BS')

CAS

Conditional access system

C-CAS

Cable Conditional Access System Council

CDC

Content Delivery Center "i-Hits," joint venture between SCC and JDS

CDN

Content Delivery Network

CS

Communication satellite broadcast service

Csat

Communication satellite, also refers to digital communication satellite broadcast service ('CS')

CS-BAAN

Analogue Csat broadcast platform; terminated service in March 1998.

CTSC

Cable Television Suppliers Committee

DNP

Dainippon Printing Co.

Docomo

NTT Docomo. Japan's largest cellular network co.

DSL

Digital subscriber line

DTH

Direct to home; refers commonly to direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service

DTV

Digital (terrestrial) television

DTVJ

DIRECTV Japan; service terminated in 2000.

EIAJ

Electronics Industries Association of Japan; merged with JEIDA to form JEITA

EPG

Electronic program guide

Free view

Programming available for viewing at no charge to viewer, but requires authorization from service provider

FTTH

Fiber to the home

FWA

Fixed wireless access

HDTV

High definition TV

HITS

Headend in the sky, referring to a satellite relay beaming multiple television channels. Sometimes spelled HiTS.

i-HITS

Headend-in-the-sky business backed by SCC for digital cable programming delivery.

IP

Internet Protocol. Also used in Japanese texts as an abbreviation for intellectual property.

IRD

integrated receiver decoder; often used to receive digital broadcast services (see also 'set-top box ')

ISP

Internet service provider

JCL

Japan CableLabs

J-COM Broadband

Cable TV, Telephone, and Internet service of Jupiter Telecommunications, Japan's largest MSO

JC-HITS

Brandname of digital headend-in-the-sky business by Japan Cablecast, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSAT. The business delivers digital programming bouquets to cable operators.

JCSAT

Predecessor of JSAT before merger with SAJAC

JCN

Japan CableNet. Joint venture created as a confederation for cable operators to gain access for distributing digitally encoded programs.

JDS

Japan Digital Serve. Joint venture created to distribute digitally encoded programming to cable operators.

JCTA

Japan Cable and Telecommunications Association

JCTEA

Japan Cable Television Engineering Association

JEIDA

Japan Electronic Industry Development Association; merged with EIAJ to form JEITA

JEITA

Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association

JSAT

Official 'new' name for Japan Satellite Systems, Inc., operator of JCSAT satellites.

Mediatti

MSO in the making; formerly called Tomen Mediacom.

MEI

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

MELCO

Mitsubishi Electric Co.

MOF

Ministry of Finance

MPMHAPT

Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts, and Telecommunications (successor of MPT). The government ministry responsible for telecommunications and broadcasting.

MPT

Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, now merged into the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts, and Telecommunications

NHK

Nihon Hoso Kyokai, Japan Broadcasting Corporation. Government-supported and largest broadcaster in Japan, with bulk of revenues arising from individual subscriptions collected indiscriminately from TV households

NTT

Nippon Telephone and Telegraph

Open view

Programming available with no encryption at no charge to viewer, and requires no authorization from service provider

PPD

Pay per day

PPV

Pay per view

SCC

Space Communications Corporation. Mitsubishi group company that operates the SuperBird satellites.

SDTV

Standard definition TV

Set-top box

A term used generally to describe an appliance for tuning to satellite TV, cable TV, or other content services in the home (also 'STB').

SCE

Sony Computer Entertainment

SDSL

Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line

SkyP

SkyPerfecTV, digital Csat broadcast service of Japan.

Skyport

Analogue Csat broadcast platform; terminated service in September 1998.

SPE

Sony Pictures Entertainment

STB

Set top box

TEPCO

Tokyo Electric Power Company

TS

Transport stream

VOD

Video on demand

VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol

VPN

Virtual private network

Wowow

First private-sector premium satellite network of Japan, currently broadcasting one channel on the analogue Bsat platform, and a three-channel complex on the digital Bsat platform.

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