NOTE: This document is identical to SCTE 56 2011 except for informative components such as the title page, NOTICE text, headers and footers. No changes have been made to any text in the document beyond this point, other than headers and footers.Satellite Digital TV systems have shown their advantages with respect to the analog TV allowing a more efficient use of the satellite frequency spectrum available and establishing a more robust scenario with respect to interference protection.With the aim to promote the convergence on a worldwide standard for satellite digital multi-program reception systems for television, sound and data services, the systems for the reception of Digital Multiprogram Distribution by Satellite are described. These descriptions configure the universal elements of the satellite Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD).The universal elements of the satellite IRD are capable of receiving emissions from System I, and System II.The common and specific elements of each system have been analyzed and it has been concluded on the feasibility of the implementation of the universal elements of a Satellite IRD. This document analyses the common elements among existing systems, defines and describes the functions of a generic system model and identifies the processes and the minimum set of parameters of the various sub-systems of the universal elements of a Satellite IRD.The feasibility of the implementation of the common elements in a satellite IRD has been demonstrated in consultation with the industry.