Satellite TV - My Search For Reality In TV Revealed Television's Future, Now

Recently, during an emergency replace-ectomy of a dying Zenith behemoth, I realized I was in deep trouble. Never mind DVD. Who knew of progressive scan and digital convergence? Aspect ratios and digital comb filters - anti-glare coatings and so many lines of resolution? I knew of the TV satellite dish, but...

...satellite TV and all the new technology is light years away from the TV I was beamed up on.

I never dreamed of TV becoming amazing again. I was the guy with 12 o?clock blinking-green on his VCR. Yes, VCR. Getting the hang of today?s TV was not a piece of cake for me.

I can remember Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show gyrating inside a black & white-glass-globe-picture-tube about as small as the window on a front-load washer.

And the glow of that box-at-the-end-of-a-wire getting me excited.

I watched plenty alright! And I can?t remember ever complaining about having to get off the couch to change the channel? or adjust the antenna.

Wagon Train, then Star Trek on a 19 inch ?color television set? became good as it got.

I lost sight of television?s high technology after that I suppose. Yes, I saw TVs getting bigger and I got hip to cable and the remote control, but distracted by intelligent life forms and a gazillion other things, today?s satellite TV and a whole new world almost passed me by.

It wasn?t until my first trek to a home-electronics super-store to replace that dinosaur 25inch Zenith color-console in a polished-wood-cabinet that matched our living-room furniture long ago that I realized - I wasn?t in Kansas anymore. I was lost.

Lost in a new-world-unknown.

A world of satellite TV on flat-screens, square and wide. A world where thin plasma televisions hung on walls and flat-panel LCD TVs framed in silver sat upon slender, tilting pedestals.

I saw TVs that connect to your computer and one giant-screen, rear-projector that eats digital camera memory sticks to show your photos of grandma on vacation ? in larger than life and surround!

TVs are still getting bigger alright. But now they're amazing again and I?m excited. And with that ?excitement and amazement? comes downright confusion. How do they do that? And what of ?all that? is right for me?

So began my personal quest for reality in TV.

I like the idea of a TV satellite dish on my roof, but it?s a new-tech jungle out there my friend. Prepare if you too are from Kansas.

I?ll help you get a clue about what's beyond the cornfield before you go out to buy ?what could become? the most incredible entertainment experience you and your living room - or Elvis, could ever dream-up. And for a lot less than you probably think - I learned some tricks.

Keep your eye on the Planet. I?ll fill you in on why I can?t leave home anymore. Hint: My final destination of wide screen TV, hi-def receiver, TV satellite dish and provider of satellite TV.

Danny Planet is author of Danny?s Planet, "the hippest free zine out there", hundreds of articles, radio spots, web pages and celebrity ghost scrawling. Visit him at Satellite TV, Dish Satellite TV or Free Satellite TV Get your seat on Danny?s Planet Ark.

My search for reality in TV revealed satellite TV and TV's future, now.

I never dreamed of TV becoming amazing again - I was the guy with 12 o'clock blinking green on his VCR. Yes, I said VCR. So getting the hang of today's TV wasn't a piece of cake.

Recently, during an emergency replace-ectomy of my dying Zenith behemoth, I realized I was in deep trouble. Never mind DVD. Who knew of progressive scan or digital convergence, aspect ratios, digital comb filters, anti-glare coatings and so many lines of resolution? I knew about a tv satellite dish, but...

This was a long way from the TV I was nurtured on?

I remember seeing Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show gyrating inside a black & white-glass-globe-picture-tube about as small as the window on a front-load washer. ...Man did the warm glow of that box-at-the-end-of-a-wire get me excited.

Oh, I watched plenty alright! And you know what? I can't ever remember complaining about getting up from the couch to change the channel... or to adjust the antenna. Then again, Wagon Train on a 19 inch "color set" was as good as it got for a while.

I lost track of television's high technologies after that I suppose. I saw TVs getting bigger and I did get hip to cable and the remote control - but distracted by life and a million other things - today's satellite TV and the whole awesome new experience almost passed me by.

It wasn't until my first trip to a home-electronics super-store - to replace a dinosaur, 25 inch Zenith color console in a polished-wood-cabinet that matched our living-room furniture long ago - that I realized I wasn't in Kansas anymore... but rather, lost.

Lost in a new-world-unknown.

A world where I discovered satellite tv on flat screens square and wide and thin plasmas that hung on the wall. Flat-panel LCDs framed in silver and perched upon slender, tilting pedestals.There were TVs that connect to your computer and one giant-screen, rear-projector that eats digital camera's memory-sticks and can show your photos of grandma on vacation fleecing the casinos - in larger than life - and surround sound.

Oh, TVs are still getting bigger, alright. But now they're also amazing again and I'm excited. And with that "excitement and amazement", comes downright confusion. How do they do that? What of "all this" is right for me?

I like the idea of a tv satellite dish on my roof, but it's a new-tech jungle out there my friend. Prepare if you too are from Kansas.

Those links above will help you get a clue about "what's out there" before you buy "what could become" the most incredible entertainment experience you and your living room - and Elvis could ever dream-up. And for a far better price than you might be thinking.

Keep your eyes on the Planet and I'll fill you in soon on why I don't leave my house anymore.

Danny Planet is author of Danny's Planet, the hippest free zine out there, hundreds of articles, web pages, radio commercials and celebrity ghost scrawling. To see what Danny's up to, visit him at Satellite TV and get your seat on Danny's Planet Ark

The Future Of Dish Network And Satellite TV

If you have Dish Network or thinking about getting it or another satellite TV service, it?s good to know what the future holds for satellite TV. So, here?s a glimpse into the future.

This article may be considered science fiction, just like Arthur C. Clark once had a scientific vision about 3 satellites orbiting the earth in geostationary orbits to make global communications possible. Everything in this article is merely a scientific vision and an extrapolation of current technologies into the future.

What would be the future of Satellite TV? That may seem to be a difficult question, but extrapolating what we know about the past into the future and some educated guesses, we may very well end up with a reasonable picture of what the future of satellite TV looks like. The future of satellite TV will be guided by these properties:

1. Receive and Transmit
2. Equipment Size and Costs
3. Satellite Capacity and Coverage
4. Antenna Size
5. New Technologies

1 Receive and Transmit

What would be possible if you could not only receive, but also transmit? And in the same bandwidth as you receive? That would change the whole world. It is possible now to use the satellite for Internet purposes, but in a very simple and inefficient way. You receive via satellite, but transmit via phone. Upload capacity is completely limited by the dial up connection.

The idea of being able to transmit to a satellite from your home is new and will probably one day be reality. At the moment companies can use satellites to connect offices all over the country via satellite. Bandwidth is limited, or very expensive. Another problem for home use is the size of the satellite dish. At least 4 foot for small bandwidth and up to 10 feet or even more for higher bandwidths. In point 3 this bandwidth issue is explained in more detail.

2 Equipment Size and Costs

Your Dish Network or Satellite TV equipment at home may seem small, but it is small because all it has to do is receive. Transmitting requires different equipment. Not so much in the house, but on the roof at the antenna there is need for a relative big transmitter. Also these are still pretty expensive and for domestic use just not affordable.

In the future this will change. Equipment will get smaller, and cheaper. Eventually when satellites are able to relay much more data than now (see point 3), having 10.000.000 transmitters on the ground won't be a problem.

3 Satellite Capacity and Coverage

This will always be the bottle neck of satellites; how much data can they relay and how small an area can they cover. A satellite has multiple dishes and each dish can cover a part of the earth; small parts like just one state or big parts like the whole continental United States.

In the future satellites will be able to relay much more data, and cover much smaller areas. Especially the smaller coverage areas will be important. Having full capacity available for just a small area means higher bandwidth available for a small amount of people. Especially in urban areas it will be great to have a satellite cover just one neighborhood.

4 Antenna Size

This is a very important issue. Small antennas of 18 inches already exist and are used by satellite TV providers such as Dish Network, but these can receive only. The opening angle of an antenna like this is too big to get enough signal power to reach the satellite. In the future however, antennas will get better and eventually small antennas can be used to transmit to the satellite.

5 New Technologies

This will be the really interesting part. New technologies may open up possibilities that are never heard of before.

Imagine watching a movie in 3D, you sitting on your couch but watching a show as if you are in the audience when the TV show was recorded. You're not really having a TV at home anymore, but a 3D entertainment room. (for those of you who like StarTrek, a not so strange idea). Normal Satellite TV will still be available of course.

In the future Satellite TV will open up so many possibilities that it is hard to imagine what our lives will be like in 30, or even just 20 years from now. To give an idea of how fast things are going. 50 years ago, there was nothing in space that was made by humans. Now there are even satellite graveyards (specific orbits where obsolete satellites are "parked"). The possibilities of satellite TV technology are growing faster every year. What took 10 years to develop 30 years ago is now done in 2 years.

Dish Network and Satellite TV is one of the driving forces for satellite technologies because the need to please million of subscribers is much stronger than the need to please the relative limited needs of communications for commercial purposes. The future of satellite TV is so bright, that a supernova would pale in comparison!

I am first and foremost an observer of life. I enjoy analyzing and exploring all aspects of life on planet Earth, and expressing my personal perspective on the nitty gritty of it all. As a result of my observations, I have become a freelance writer. http://www.dish-network-satellite-tv.ws/

Satellite TV Service -- Is DirecTV Or Dish Network Better?

Since the demise of Pegasus and VOOM, there are just two satellite TV service providers battling it out for the top spot -- DIRECTV and DISH Network.

Both companies provide excellent service, all-digital broadcast quality, and great customer service. The main difference between the two companies is the programming they provide.

How Satellite TV Service Works

Satellite TV providers such as DIRECTV and DISH Network send a broadcast signal carrying television programming to a satellite orbiting above the earth. The Satellite then broadcasts the signal back down to earth.

This signal is picked up by a satellite TV dish then transmitted to a receiver where it is amplified and sent to a TV screen.

Benefits of Satellite TV Service

* Satellite TV is broadcast in all-digital format, providing the highest quality picture and sound available.

* Satellite TV gives you access to hundreds of different programs, pay-per-view movies, special events, and commercial-free music channels.

* Satellite TV utilizes DVR (digital video recording) receivers so you can record your favorite programs and bypass commercials while watching live TV.

* Satellite TV is much more reliable than cable or over-the-air TV. Broadcast outages average only 1% as opposed to 3%-5% for cable.

Satellite TV Services

DIRECTV

DIRECTV was launched in 1994 and was the first DBS (direct broadcast satellite) service in the world. It is currently the largest satellite TV provider with 14.5 million subscribers. It is ranked #2 in customer satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates.

DIRECTV offers more than 225 channels of programming, including movie channels, music channels, pay-per-view movies and events, sports packages, and international programming.

DIRECTV has the most sports program packages, including NFL Sunday Ticket.

When you order DIRECTV programming, the system -- satellite TV dish and receivers -- is free for up to four rooms. Installation is also free.

Program packages start at $41.99 a month for 135 channels (which includes 31 music channels), plus HBO, Showtime, and Starz.

Note: To find out about DIRECTV's latest special offers and free bonuses, click on the links at the bottom of this article.

DISH Network

DISH Network was launched in 1996 and is the second-largest satellite TV provider with more than 12 million subscribers. It is ranked #1 in customer satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates.

DISH Network offers more than 255 channels of programming, including movie channels, music channels, pay-per-view movies and events, sports packages, and international programming.

Dish Network has the biggest variety of movies and shows and the most HD (high definition) programming.

When you order DISH Network programming, the system -- satellite TV dish, receivers, and installation -- is free for up to four rooms.

Program packages start at $31.99 a month for 60 channels plus HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax.

Note: To find out about DISH Network's latest special offers and free bonuses, click on the links at the bottom of this article.

Bottom Line

If you're a sports fan and want the most sports packages -- including the popular NFL Sunday Ticket which allows you to watch almost all the NFL football games -- then DIRECTV is the way to go.

If you're a movie buff and want the biggest variety of movies and shows, and the most HD (high definition) programming, then Dish Network is what you're looking for.: Brian Stevens is a professional freelance writer and webmaster who has written extensively on satellite TV deals. Visit http://www.TheSatelliteTVGuide.com for more information on free satellite TV systems and service, ordering information, plus the latest special offers and free bonuses from DISH Network and DIRECTV.