Using BJ HomeSat Network FAQs

How are the courses broadcast into my home?

The courses come to you in two different formats. The first format is live. There are 11 secondary courses that are broadcast live, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET. These courses are then rebroadcast the following week in block feed format only. All other courses--elementary and prerecorded secondary courses--will be broadcast only in the block-feed format. Block feeds are broadcast five lessons at a time, which is one week's worth of course content.

How does the broadcast week work?

The broadcast week begins at 12:00 a.m. ET on Sunday morning (midnight Saturday night) and runs through midnight on the following Saturday night. This means that the schedule is set up based on the day of the week. So the first block feed for a particular course may be on Monday and the second may be on Friday. The current broadcast schedule is available for viewing.

How can I best record the courses using a VCR?

Our recommendation is to establish a rotation of tapes for each course you are recording. For example, week one you would use tape A, week two you would use a second tape, tape B, and week three you might use a third tape, tape C. You could then start recording over your original tapes, so for week four you would re-use tape A and so on. This allows you to have 2 or 3 weeks worth of content available for review, but does not overburden you with a large number of tapes to store. Consistency is the key to successfully recording courses.

Will I need a second VCR or receiver?

This will depend on the number of children that will be using BJU Press Distance Learning, as well as the number of courses you will be trying to record. If you have more than one child, a second VCR will be helpful but is not required. Unless you are recording a large number of courses, you should not need to have a 2nd receiver. We do have them available, but we have found that most people are able to record all their courses with just one receiver. If you have specific questions, please feel free to call us at 1.800.845.5731.

How are the BJ LINC classes numbered, and how can I figure out what date they were broadcast?

The BJ LINC classes are numbered according to the Julian date. For example, the number B3277P indicates the following:

B - biology
3- 2003
277 - the 277th day of the year
P - the PM class

The BJ LINC teachers post a monthly calendar on the course pages that uses the Julian date as well as the Gregorian date.

Can I record two different courses at the same time?

Yes, if you have two receivers. You will not be able to record two different courses just because you have two VCRs. Two VCRs only enables you to record courses back to back.

Can I record BJU Press Distance Learning while watching another source like cable TV, local programming, or another satellite?

Yes. First, connect BJU Press Distance Learning to the VCR using an RCA cable and the other source with COAX cable. Then program the VCR to record BJU Press Distance Learning on the AV input channel (i.e., LINE, AUX, Video, L1, etc.) and record the other source on Ch 3 or Ch 4. To view the other source while recording BJU Press Distance Learning, press the TV/VCR button on the VCR remote.