What is Conditional Access and what are the benefits of using it?
Conditional Access is a system that “conditionally allows access to a service”; such as a suite of TV channels, a specific TV channel or even an individual programme. It is traditionally used in broadcast systems (where many receivers receive an identical signal) for either or both of the following reasons: 1) to determine which viewers are allowed access to the service; 2) to restrict overspill of the broadcasting thus limiting the content viewing to the country or region for which the broadcaster has the rights. CA systems are therefore not only used by Pay TV operators but also by Free TV broadcasters, and this can be the case even within the same country. Production, packaging and distribution of television content (in the same way as music) have associated costs. There are, therefore, a number of choices as to how artists and production companies etc are recompensed for their work. One of the main business models adopted around the world is pay television (supported by subscriptio
