Have you ever wondered how satellite TV works? Over 24 Million satellite TV owners who have chosen to get digital satellite TV, but there may be some of you who would like to know how the whole process works.
Television satellites travel in a geosynchronous orbit approximately 22000 miles above the Earth. That kind of orbit just means that the satellites are rotating at the same speed as the Earth. This allows the satellites to remain fixed over a certain area and that's the reason your small satellite dish can remain stationary.
Whether you choose DIRECTV, Dish Network or another satellite provider, these companies all operate their own private satellites. DIRECTV currently has six satellites and Dish Network has nine satellites orbiting the Earth right now.
Each satellite provider operates broadcast facilities where they gather all of the programming from content providers. Content providers are companies like HBO, CNN, ESPN, Showtime, other television networks and programming sources. Dish Network has a broadcast facility in Englewood, Colorado and DIRECTV operates two broadcast facilities in Castle Rock, Colorado and Los Angeles, California.
The satellite providers digitize the signals for quality, encrypt the signals for security, and then transmit those signals back up to their orbiting satellites. The satellites receive and re-broadcast the digital signals back down to Earth. So the satellites really act like giant reflectors.
Your satellite dish gathers the signal from the satellites then passes the signal on to your receiver. Your receiver processes the signal to your television and that allows you to get digital satellite TV.
The whole process is what gives you access to hundreds of channels of digital video and audio entertainment at home or at the office. It's also easy to take satellite TV with you in an RV or boat. Just aim your dish to the Southern sky and you are in business.
If you still have not subscribed to DirecTV or Dish Network, you might want to take a look on this as satellite TV has become the fastest selling product in U.S. history. Currently there are many free satellite TV deals offered by Dish Network and DirecTV.
Lots of satellite TV dealers are promoting their satellite TV deals aggressively. High competition leads to better quality and more options. You can always compare satellite packages offered from different retailers to find the finest satellite systems set up and service for your needs.
Programming
A basic 256 channels from Dish Network satellite or 255 channels from DirecTV satellite are commonly subscribed to by satellite TV users. The channels received might differ between Dish Network and DirecTV, but the major channels provided are almost the same. Regardless on the satellite TV dealers you pick, the subscription fees are fixed. Thus, subscription fees shouldn't be an issue when you are selecting your satellite dealers.
Satellite TV Receivers
Satellite TV receivers are commonly provided by companies such as Hughes, RCA, Philips, Panasonic and Sony. The same type of satellite systems is also available at local retailers, like Best Buy and Circuit City. The differences are only the price tag and the brand name.
Upgrades & Add-Ons
Both Dish Network and DirecTV enable you to upgrade the satellite TV systems to include features like high definition (HD), digital video recorder (DVR, for DirecTV TiVo.), interactive TV, and more. Currently, some of the satellite TV dealers are offering HD systems and DVR upgrading are free for some of the satellite TV dealers.
Subscriber Promotions
These promotions vary from time to time. Dish Network and DirecTV are normally rewarding their customers by waiving subscription fees for a few months. For example, DirecTV regularly offers 3 to 4 months of premium channels like HBO and Cinemax channels for free; while Dish Network normally credit back certain amount on your first bill, which equal roughly to two months subscription fees.
Satellite TV Installation
Satellite TV systems are all installed by certified professionals (unless you insist on doing it yourself). Most satellite TV dealers offer free installations where they will set up the satellite dish, satellite signals encoder, and satellite TV program card. Most installations of satellite TV systems are done within 3-5 days after you placed your order.
