How Satellite TV Works

Digital high definition satellite television is increasing in popularity, with Dish Network recently reporting crossing the 12 million subscriber threshold and growing, and there are probably more uninformed as to actual workings of satellite TV than informed. How does Dish Network make television programming so realistic in image and sound?

Dish Network, owned and operated by EchoStar Communications, receives digital satellite signals from their fleet of nine satellites. Plans are underway at present for EchoStar to launch their tenth satellite this month - February - increasing their ability to bring you more and better entertainment. Communications/television satellites orbit synchronously at an elevation of about 22,000 miles above the Earth remaining over certain land masses/areas so that a receiver dish can remain stationary on the side of a home or in a yard. The advanced research and growth of Dish Network is directly attributed to their continued enhancements in the area of home entertainment programming.

Dish Network obtains select programming from providers like Life Time, HBO, CNN, ESPN, Cinemax, Showtime, STARZ, and other sources. These providers, also known as 'uplink' sites initially beam their signals to the satellites. Dish Network's, whose broadcast facility is located in Colorado, satellites then digitize the signaling for quality, encrypt the signals, and then transmit a digital high definition rebroadcast to installed receivers in subscriber homes providing the best in home entertainment services. Each satellite has what is called a target area or 'footprint', and programming from a given satellite can only be received within that particular target area or 'footprint'. The 1980's and 1990's dish receivers were huge, some being about 10 feet in diameter, but now it is completely portable so it is easy to take your receiver with you as you travel in recreational vehicles or boats - just place your dish facing a Southern sky and signals are easily received.

This process allows Dish Network to deliver digital high definition and standard satellite services all over the world and to offer subscribers over 256 channels of quality programming plus 50 channels of Sirius music in CD quality clarity. Dish Network offers the most complete and diverse packages available with premium movie channels, 500 commercial-free movies each month, excellent sports channels, interactive gaming with local and national weather and traffic updates, multi-cultural international programming, educational channels, VOOM high definition channels, and children's and adult channels. A Parental Lock feature is included for absolute control in family viewing. Dish Network offers free equipment and installation and specified services for a limited time. As a gift to first-time subscribers, Dish Network includes a Digital Video Recorder - free - to further enhance viewing enjoyment. The DVR allows you to digitally record and store up to 100 hours of programming in 100 percent digital high definition imaging and sound. This lets the viewer record, fast-forward, rewind, and pause - even stopping live broadcasting for annoying interruptions - and then resuming with no problems. You can create your own instant replays with your DVR as well as a library of your favorite movies, sports events, or music.

Click on Dish Network now for complete information on packages and pricing. Comparison-shopping will confirm that you can have the best and most for about the same amount you are now paying for average television programming. Ordering is easy - online or by telephone. A friendly Dish Network representative will answer any questions, take your order, and schedule installation for a time that fits with your busy schedule.

Now you are informed as to how your new Dish Network digital satellite television home entertainment system operates.

Mitchell Medford is a popular reviewer of consumer electronics and has served as a product development consultant for several consumer electronics manufacturers including Dish Network. For more information on satellite TV, HDTV, and Dish Network DVR< receivers, visit his website: http://newtechnologytv.com

Satellite TV - The First Fifty Years

Dish Network, and other satellite TV providers didn't just appear over night. The development of satellite television took years and its origins can be traced back to the 1950s and the space race.

The original concept of satellite television is often attributed to writer Arthur C. Clarke, who was the first to suggest a worldwide satellite communications system. Funding for satellite technology in the U.S. began in the 1950s, amidst the space race, and the Russian launching of the satellite Sputnik in 1957.

The first communication satellite was developed by a group of businesses and government entities in 1963. Syncom II orbited at 22,300 miles over the Atlantic; the first satellite communication was on July 26, 1963, between a U.S. Navy ship in Lagos, Nigeria and the U.S. Army naval station in Lakehurst, New Jersey.

Overloaded land based distribution methods had the telephone companies utilizing satellite communication way before the television industry even came into the picture. In fact, it was not until 1978 that satellite communication was officially used by the television industry.

In 1975, RWT's co-founder and BBC transmitter engineer Stephen Birkill built an experimental system for receiving Satellite Instructional Television Experiment TV (SITE) transmissions, beamed to Indian villages, from a NASA geostationary satellite.

Birkill extended his system, receiving TV pictures from Intelsat, Raduga, Molniya and others. In 1978, Birkill met up with Bob Cooper, a cable TV technical journalist and amateur radio enthusiast in the U.S., who invited him to a cable TV operators' conference and trade show, the CCOS-78. It was there that Birkill met with other satellite TV enthusiasts, who were interested, and ready to help develop, Birkill's experiments.

Interest in Television Receive Only (TVRO) satellite technology burst forward. The American TVRO boom caught the attention of premium cable programmers, who began to realize the potential of satellite TV. Back in the mid-1970s, TV reception was the under the control of international operators, Intelsat and Intersputnik.

On March 1, 1978, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) introduced Public Television Satellite Service. Satellite communication technology caught on, and was used as a distribution method with the broadcasters from 1978 through 1984, with early signals broadcast from HBO, TBS, and CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network, later The Family Channel). TVRO system prices dropped, and the trade organization, Society for Private Commercial Earth Stations (SPACE), and the first dealerships were established.

Broadcasters realized that everyone had the potential to receive satellite signals for free, and they were not happy. But the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was governed by its open skies' policy, believing that users had as much right to receive satellite signals as broadcasters had the right to transmit them.

In 1980, the FCC established the Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), a new service that consisted of a broadcast satellite in geostationary orbit, facilities for transmitting signals to the satellite, and the equipment needed for people to access the signals. In turn, broadcasters developed methods of scrambling their signals, forcing consumers to purchase a decoder, or a direct to home (DTH) satellite receiver, from a satellite program provider.

From 1981 to 1985, the big dish satellite market soared. Rural areas gained the capacity to receive television programming that was not capable of being received by standard methods.

The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association of America (SBCA) was founded in 1986 as a merger between SPACE and the Direct Broadcast Satellite Association. But by this point, American communication companies had soured on the prospect of satellite TV. Broadcast cable was very successful at this time, and the satellite industry received a lot of negative press coverage. Fifty percent of all satellite retailers closed their businesses.

Business eventually recovered, but the illegal theft of pay television signals was still a problem. Ultimately, encryption has proven to be the ultimate salvation of the satellite industry as it has made the transition from a hardware to software entertainment-driven business.

Early successful attempts to launch satellites for the mass consumer market were led by Japan and Hong Kong in 1986 and 1990, respectively. In 1994, the first successful attempts in America were led by a group of major cable companies, known collectively as Primestar.

Later that year, Direct TV was established, and in 1996, the DISH Network, a subsidiary of Echostar, also entered the satellite TV industry. DISH Network's low prices forced competing DBS providers to also lower their prices. And an explosion in the popularity of digital satellite TV ensued.

If you're interested in learning more about Dish Network and satellite TV, go to http://www.dish-network-satellite-tv.ws/

Types of Satellite TV Systems - TVRO and DBS

You may think that there is only one type of satellite TV system...but you're incorrect. There is, in fact, two different formats of satellite TV: TeleVision Receive Only (TVRO) and Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS). Each satellite TV system is built differently and functions in its own fashion. Dish Network, for example, is a DBS system. However, not all satellite TV systems are DBS.

Below is a break down of each system. Read through it and gain a better understanding of the TVRO and DBS satellite TV systems.

TVRO - TeleVision Receive Only TVRO was the first satellite system available for home viewing of satellite TV. It required a relatively big dish of 3 to 6 feet in diameter and worked in C-Band. Frequencies of around 4 G Hertz are called C-Band and require bigger dishes because the wave length of these frequencies is longer than in Ku-Band which requires a much smaller dish of about 18 inches. Ku-Band is at 12 to 14 G Hertz. TVRO systems also need a movable dish because it needs to get all the channels of many satellites. C-Band satellites have much less channels available than Ku-Band satellites and therefore more satellites are needed to provide enough channels. Possibilities that exist with TVRO systems is that you can also receive free channels and independent feeds from for instance news companies. You could for instance receive the unedited material that is broadcasted from a news crew somewhere in the coverage area of the satellite. They transmit their materials to their headquarters using a C-Band satellite. Many of these types of feeds are not scrambled and are available to everyone with the proper equipment.

TVRO systems are often referred to as Big Dish TV, C-Band Satellite TV and BUD (Big Ugly Dish).

DBS - Direct Broadcast Satellite Satellite TV via DBS is done in the Ku-Band. These satellites work on higher frequencies and can transmit higher power signals. This means that much smaller dishes can be used to receive the signal. A small dish of 18 inches is already enough to receive all satellite TV by Satellite TV. This makes it possible to have satellite TV from an apartment on the 10th floor, if you have a clear line of sight to the south. This is the system used by Dish Network and other satellite TV providers.

DBS is for everyone. The satellite dish is so small that it is not an obstacle like with for instance the TVRO dishes of 3 to 6 feet. Once installed the dish needs no maintenance since it is aimed at just one satellite. Some dishes actually have 2 or more feeds which makes it possible to receive the signals from more than 1 satellite. There are no free channels available on DBS satellites as these are often owned and used by the satellite TV provider it self, such as Dish Network, while TVRO satellites often are used by those who rent space on the satellite for a limited time. TVRO systems are meant for, for instance, transport of unedited materials between continents, but also within one continent.

DBS is meant for everyone with a simple, low cost installation of the system. Often the installation is for free as it really is very easy to do. The only thing that is needed is a bit of knowledge of where to find the satellite and the tools that make this even easier. A qualified installer will find the satellite and point it to maximum reception within minutes.

For more free and helpful information on Satellite TV, how to find the best deal, and how to set it up, visit http://www.dish-network-satellite-tv.ws/

Satellite TV FAQ

As the owner of a satellite TV website I get asked a lot of questions, so I decided to write a satellite TV FAQ (frequently asked questions) article to answer the most commonly asked questions.

If you have questions I haven't answered in this satellite TV FAQ, you can visit my website to get more satellite TV information by clicking on one of the links below this article.

1. What is satellite TV and how does it work?

A satellite TV center broadcasts a TV signal to a satellite in the sky. The satellite sends the signal back to earth, where it is picked up by a satellite dish, converted to a TV picture by a receiver, and displayed on a TV screen.

2. I've heard you can get satellite TV for free. Is this true?

Yes, you really can get a satellite TV system for free. However, you do have to pay for satellite TV programming service in order to get a free system.

3. Where can I get a satellite TV cost comparison?

Programming service from DISH Network starts at $31.99 a month, while service from DIRECTV starts at $41.99 a month. You can get a complete cost comparison between DIRECTV and DISH Network by clicking on the links below.

4. Can I get my local channels on satellite TV?

You can get your local channels in most areas of the USA included at no charge. In the few areas where you can't get local channels you can hook up an antenna to your satellite TV receiver to get them.

5. Can I record my favorite programs with satellite TV?

You can record satellite TV programs with the DVR (digital video recording) receiver you can get from your satellite TV dealer, or with your VCR. Both DISH Network and DIRECTV offer free DVR receivers when you order one of their program packages.

6. What's on satellite TV?

Satellite TV providers offer more than 250 channels of television programming including movie channels, sports packages, pay-per-view movies and events, commercial-free music, adult programming, and international programming. For more information on what's available, click on the links below.

7.Can I get a satellite dish for TV and the Internet?

Yes, DIRECTV offers a satellite dish for TV and the Internet through DirecWay. Click on the links below for more information.

8. How soon can I get a free satellite TV system installed?

Installation times for DIRECTV and DISH Network vary depending on your location, but you can usually get a satellite TV system installed in your home within one to five days from the time your order your service.

9. Can I get satellite TV if I live in an apartment or condo?

Yes. Many apartment and condo residents install their satellite TV dish on their balcony or patio. You can also install your satellite dish on a movable stand if permanent mounting is not allowed.

10. Does satellite TV offer international programming?

DISH Network offers Armenian, Asian, Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Israeli, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, South Asian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Urdu program channels.

DIRECTV offers Chinese, Filipino, Italian, South Asian, Spanish, and Vietnamese program channels.

11. Does satellite TV have parental locks?

DISH Network and DIRECTV offer parental locks to block your children from viewing programs you feel are unsuitable for them.

12. Can I get HDTV with satellite TV?

Yes. Both DISH Network and DIRECTV offer HD (high definition) TV. DISH Network will give you two free HDTV receivers when you order their HDTV programming. DIRECTV receivers cost $199 per receiver.

13. Does satellite TV have TiVo and DVR (digital video recording)?

DIRECTV offers DVR with TiVo service, while DISH Network offers DVR with Video-On-Demand which is similar to TiVo.

14. Can I get DIRECTV or DISH Network outside the U.S.A.?

Click on the following link for more information on free satellite TV systems and service, or these links for ordering information, the latest offers, and free bonuses from DISH Network satellite TV or DIRECTV satellite TV.

Brian Stevens is a professional freelance writer and webmaster who has written extensively on satellite TV FAQs.

Satellite TV or Cable

We had never used satellite services. Therefore, I didn't know if it worked? I decided to do research and find out the truth for myself which I will share with you here. The following quote is indicative of what I found: A recent JD Power study recently rated DIRECTV? and Dish Network higher in customer satisfaction than all major cable companies. Either DIRECTV? or Dish Network has been awarded the top service honors for past 5 years. This report also stated that the satellite providers provide true digital signals. Most cable companies offer analog and digital signals. My old provider charged additionally for what they called the digital tier which excluded all the channels for the major networks. No wonder the local news sometimes had waves across the screen. Furthermore, this report stated that the satellite providers had mastered HDTV technology and the cable companies had not achieved this important standard.

My cable bill had gone from $39.95 a month to over $150. I cancelled and went back to rabbit ears. This lasted about a week. At this point I had basically made up my mind. But how much was it going to cost? Will I have to buy equipment? Well, the answer was I didn't have to buy equipment and I now get better reception for a fraction of the cost. Also, the satellite companies offered more features which we could afford. Now we have switched and we love it.

When you place an order online, some allow customers to design systems matched to their home. You will also schedule the time a professional installed will come to your home. The system will either be shipped to you before the installation date or the installer will bring it along. It is that easy. All you have to do is be home for the installation.

The only downside to this happy ending is the whole family now wants a new High Definition television so they can get the maximum picture quality available from a true digital signal.

Ken is the web owner of http://www.tv-satellite.biz Satellite TV, a website that provides information and resources about Satellite TV and discounts for Dish Network and DirecTV. You can visit his website at: http://www.tv-satellite.biz/satellite/satellite-tv-system.html Satellite TV System

Looking For Satellite TV

 by: Gary Gresham

It was 1994 and I had moved into another home and learned that the cable TV line had not been installed to my house. When the cable company told me they would have to dig up my yard to put the line in I wasn't pleased with the idea or the price they quoted me to do it.

Satellite TV was still in its infancy stage with the big monster dishes. While I was browsing in a local electronics store one day I saw a guy giving a demonstration about the new DIRECTV 18 inch digital satellite TV dish.

Needless to say I was very impressed and purchased the satellite TV system on the spot. I knew it would save me from digging up my yard and I could actually get more channels than I got with cable.

After the tech guy hooked it up and left I was like a kid with a new toy. I couldn't believe how it transformed the picture and sound quality on my television. It was like a completely different TV.

DIRECTV channels are 100% digital-quality picture and sound, including local network channels. If you haven't experienced quality like that before you are in for a real treat.

Cable TV tries to compete with digital satellite TV technology by offering digital cable. But if you compare both the picture and sound quality, the DIRECTV super clear picture and crystal clear sound wins hands down any day.

But that was only the beginning of the many things I discovered. I didn't need a TV guide anymore because the on screen programming guide tells me what shows are on, who's starring in the show and what it's about.

I have an incredible variety of over 200 channels of every kind of programming I could think of and some I never dreamed of.

Then, I checked out the pay per view movie service with up to 55 different choices of movies and special events a day that I could easily order with my remote.

Does anyone like sports? What are you kidding? DIRECTV offers sports packages that will put a smile on any sports fans face. How about NFL Sunday Ticket, NBA League Pass, MLB Extra Innings, NHL Center Ice, ESPN Game Plan and ESPN Full Court. That doesn't even include the regional sports networks I now have access to.

If you are a music lover, DIRECTV offers 31 different audio-only channels that range from choices like Soft Rock, Jazz and Country to Hit List, Easy Listening and a lot more.

I work out of my home and by selecting a DIRECTV audio channel to soft music, I can have the music I like in the background when I work.

Having a party? Just turn on any channel you like and you'll never have to touch it again because there are no commercials or interruptions. Just great digital quality music 24 hours a day at your fingertips.

When I moved again to another home, DIRECTV customer service made it about as easy as it gets. I just gave them my new address, and they not only sent a brand new replacement satellite TV dish to my new home, they provided complimentary standard professional installation for everything including the receivers. I didn't pay a penny for anything. How's that for a no-hassle move?

With cable, I would have had to pay another deposit and that is just extra money I get to keep in my wallet instead of giving it to the cable company.

If you're thinking about switching from cable to satellite TV or moving to another home, consider DIRECTV. It's simply a better value than cable and a smart choice you're whole family will enjoy.

With cable rates increasing an average of 8% per year it's no mystery why more than 12 million customers nationwide have made the switch to DIRECTV service.

Over 10 years have gone by now since I bought that first satellite TV dish and I love it as much now as when I first got it. I recommend DIRECTV to so many people because I know they will absolutely love it.

Only once in a great while a product comes along that actually over delivers. DIRECTV can not only save you money each month over cable but is a smart choice and an incredible value.

This article may be re-published "as is" (unedited) as long as the author's bio paragraph (resource box) and copyright information is included. The URLs in the resource box should be set as hyperlinks if used on a web page.

Gary Gresham is the webmaster for http://www.1stopshoppingonline.com. You can experience this same DIRECTV service he mentions in this article for your home or office through this online link: http://www.1stopshoppingonline.com/satellite-tv.html