How Does Directv Satellite Technology Work?
First of all, unlike earlier satellite communications which relied on a motorized dish to chase the mobile satellites across the sky, modern satellites are placed into a geosynchronous orbit about 37,000 km (22,300 miles) up. This means that they always remain above the same point on the earth’s surface. That way, all dishes on the earth can be pointed at a fixed location, and the satellite will always be there.
The signal to be broadcast originates at an “uplink center”, which collects nationwide programming from cable television networks and local programming from broadcast networks and encrypts it so that the programming cannot be intercepted by non-paying users. The uplink facility uses a huge dish, 9 to 12 meters (or 30 to 40 feet) wide, to accurately send a high-strength signal to the orbiting satellite.
The satellite, in turn, converts the signal to a different microwave frequency band, so that the downlink doesn’t cause interference with the uplink. The two most common frequencies used in United States satellite tv broadcasts are the “C-band” (4 to 6 GHz) and the “Ku band” (12 to 18 GHz).
After traveling more than 50,000 miles, and being converted in between, the signal that arrives at the receiving dish on the outside of the consumer’s home is fairly weak. It is focused by a bowl-shaped parabolic dish onto a device in the center called a “feed horn”, which channels the signal to a “low-noise block downconverter” (LNB) which filters out unwanted interference, and sometimes converts it to yet another frequency before amplifying it and sending it to the satellite receiver box inside the house through a coaxial cable.
The satellite receiver box converts the signal to an analog television, audio or data signal. The receiver may be equipped to decrypt the coded signal itself, or it may require a separate box or a “smart card” plug-in (either to the receiver box or to the television to perform the decoding. A single receiver can serve only one television or computer; multiple receivers must be purchased to provide signal to multiple devices, including watching one channel and recording on another.
Many receivers also include integrated digital video recorders (DVR), allowing them to rewind and pause live television, and to record and store their favorite shows on a built-in hard drive. There are also increasing numbers of high-definition television (HDTV) satellite receivers and DVRs available.
Newer technologies being integrated into the system include pay-per-view functionality, interactive television channels, and video-on-demand (VOD) channels.
The competition for between satellite tv providers, and between satellite and cable providers, is quite fierce. The advantages of being the first to provide new features are driving the pace of invention among satellite technology providers, so we can expect to see many more breakthroughs in the near future.
Troy Degarnham is the author and webmaster of http://www.directv-direct-tv.info, an informative website about Direct TV. Extensive help on Directv receivers, DVR, Channels, Internet, Packages, Installation and High Definition TV can be found here - http://www.directv-direct-tv.info
Digital TV Switchover Date Set
The date has been set for the first Digital TV switchover in the UK. The analogue TV signal will be turned off from 17 October in Whitehaven area of western Cumbria. First to go will be BBC2 before being followed by the remaining analogue channels on November 14. The move means that the 25,000 residents of Whitehaven will have to switch to Digital TV by those dates in order to keep receiving TV.
In order to receive Digital TV people will need to purchase a Freeview set-top box or subscribe to satellite, cable or broadband TV in order to keep viewing TV. New equipment, installation and support will be given to people over 75, those with significant disabilities and the blind. The assistance will cost 40 pounds, or will be free for eligible people who are also on pension credit, job seeker’s allowance or income support.
Letters are being sent to everyone in the area explaining how the Digital TV switchover will work and what they need to do to keep viewing TV. On screen messages will also appear on analogue channels from May warning viewers that the analogue signal will be turned off in the next few months.
The Digital TV switchover will then be carried out region by region, with the rest of the Borders the next to have its analogue signal switched off, beginning at the end of 2008. By the end of 2012 the analogue signal will have been turned off across the whole of the country meaning everyone must have switched over to Digital TV in order to keep viewing TV.
Broadcasting minister Shaun Woodward said: “We’ve been fully engaged with preparing Whitehaven for a long time and it will - I underline that - be a success. Nobody in Whitehaven will be left behind because it is critical everybody understands it is happening.”
However, concerns have been raised as only 27% of households in the affected area, almost 7,000 homes, have yet to switch to digital. This is largely because Whitehaven cannot yet receive Freeview and so satellite has been the only option for residents.
There have also been concerns that many people, particularly pensioners, do not know enough about the Digital TV switchover and that more needs to be done for them. Age Concern’s director general Gordon Lishman said: “We will continue to champion the need for additional support for all older people who need it, not just the over 75s, and for a range of technology to be made available through the scheme. Measures must also be put in place so that vulnerable people are not exploited by rogue traders during the switchover.”
Guide to TV discusses television options for residential customers, primarily for the UK market. Find out more about getting the best option for your home at http://www.guide-to-tv.com
What is Digital TV Anyway?
Digital TV is a means of transmitting picture and sound to your TV set. It is done by converting the pictures and sound into computerised bits of information and compressing it, then transmitting it from as transmitter to your aerial. The signal is then converted back into pictures and sound by your TV using a decoder. Digital TV provides the potential for hundreds of channels and services via a TV. This is because the digital signal is compressed, meaning it takes up less space in the airwaves, unlike the analogue system.
Where as the old analogue system could only provide 5 channels, on digital you can potentially have access to hundreds of channels, as well as extras like a 7-day programme guide and interactivity. The main benefit of Digital TV is the increase in picture quality; digital signals produce a much better picture and higher quality sound. Ghosting images and crackling pictures are a thing of the past, and the best bit is its available to almost everyone.
In order to receive Digital TV on your television you will have to replace or adapt it (unless you have a recently purchased TV). Some brand new TVs come featuring integrated digital Freeview (IDTV), which means they are able to display Digital signals without the use of a separate box. If your TV doesnt have this feature then you will need to attach a set top box to any TVs you wish to adapt using a SCART lead.
Set Top boxes vary in costs depending on the service you require. Non subscription services such as Freeview require a one off payment to purchase the equipment in order to receive more than 30 free channels and other features. Subscription services vary in cost depending on the level you wish to subscribe to, Top up TV provides limited additional channels for a small charge which can paid flexibly each month. Others such as SKY and NTL can provide a much wider selection of services but the charges are much greater and often require a 12 month subscription.
The Digital Switchover is the process by which all television in the UK switches to a digital signal. Analogue signals are inferior to their Digital counterparts and as a result are going to be phased out. In order to make sure that everyone in the UK can receive a digital signal it has to be available for free everywhere. Presently this is possible in only 74% of UK homes, in order for the rest of the country to receive digital signals the existing analogue signal must be switched off.
After switchover at least 98.5% of people will be able to receive digital TV via an aerial. The switchover will begin in 2008 and end in 2012, and will happen one region at a time. In order to make sure that you’re ready for the switchover you will need to make sure your TV can receive and process digital signals, either via an integrated tuner or set top box.
Chris is a former TV salesman with a passion for technology. Confused about HDTVs and the Digital Era? For more information, Reviews and great deals on LCD and Plasma TV’s check out http://www.which-hdtv.co.uk
Set-Top Box
This term (Set-top box) describes a specialised computer which translates incoming digital signals into a form suitable for viewing on a standard television set. The source of the signals could be a digital satellite or terrestrial broadcast, a cable television channel or a video-on-demand programme sent down a telephone line.
Set-top box, sometimes abbreviated to set-top or STB, is a somewhat misleading term as the device is not necessarily placed on top of the television set and is not necessarily a box.
Other projected uses for the set-top box include control of interactive viewing, for example with a home-shopping channel or WebTV; it may also decrypt signals on subscription or pay-per-view channels. The term is an obvious compound, helped towards acceptance by its form and rhythm, even though, as one commentator remarked, it is normally found under the set rather than on top of it.
Set-top boxes may be associated with these major categories:
(1) Broadcast TV Set-top Boxes - The more elementary level set-top box with no back channel (return channel.) These might however come with some memory, interface ports and some processing power.
(2) Enhanced TV Set-top Boxes - These have a back channel (return channel), often through a phone line, and are the mainstay of today’s set-top boxes. These are capable of Video on Demand, e-commerce, Internet browsing, e-mail communications, chat and more. They are giving way to the next category.
(3) Advanced Set-top Boxes - A fully integrated set-top box. These have good processors, memory and optional large hard-drives. They’re often used with high-speed connections. Advanced set-top boxes are more likely to be integrated with DVRs and high-definition TV oriented functionality. See Media Centers.
(4) All-in-one Set-top Boxes - A fully integrated set-top box. Features could include high-speed Internet access, iTV, digital video recording & gaming. Instead of this, a “sidecar” might be used in tandem by the subscriber’s original set top box and/or TV. See Media Centers.
(5) Sidecar - This type of set-top box provides an additional transport stream of data from the network operator (content provider,) to compliment the original stream that’s being received by the subscriber via their original set-top box. With Charter Communications’, the BMC-8000 (Broadband Media Center) is/was a sidecar box that works in tandem with the Motorola DCT-2000. A fully integrated unit would not require a Sidecar.
(6) Hybrid Digital Cable Box - A specialized and often more expensive Cable TV set-top box with high end functions. Motorola Broadband’s DCP501 home theater system is/was an example. It also has a DVD player.
Keith Londrie II is a well known author. See the site at http://satellite-tv-information.info/
for a wealth of information. You may also want to visit keith’s own web site at http://keithlondrie.com/
Satellite Tv is a Liberator
Satellite TV is a Liberator or the first time in history, India’s Republic Day was seen live all over Asia on Star TV, and the fuming politicians and intellectuals of Pakistan could do nothing about it.
The budget speech of Dr Man Mohan Singh ;will be broadcast all over Asia by Zee TV, and once again the censors in Pakistan, Burma and elsewhere will be helpless to prevent their countrymen from tuning in. What Doordarshan and the external affairs ministry could never have accomplished, in spreading the message about India’s economic Renaissance, is being done through the purely commercial channels of satellite TV.
Whatever else you may call this, this is not cultural imperialism imposed by the west on India. On the contrary, it is the spread of cultures of all Asian countries to one another. The new liberalism means the Indians can see Pakistani programmes, and Pakistanis Indian programmes. For decades Pakistan refused to allow the import of Indian films on the ground that Pakistan’s film industry will be ruined by the competition. Today, Zee TV and Jain TV are beaming down umpateen Hindi films to Pakistani audience. Yet Pakistan’s film industry has certainly not been destroyed. Only the monopoly of Pakistani rulers and vested interests has been broken.
Indian viewers can bow see excellent plays on Pakistan TV beamed down by satellite, which are generally far superior to the stuff dished out by Doordarshan. This has dismayed self-righteous Indians who think Indian viewers are gullible fools who must be protected from Pakistani propaganda by wise Indian intellectuals. There is of course another possibility-that TV viewers are quite wise enough, and the self-righteous intellectuals are the gullible fools.
NOT DECULTURISED: Indian viewers have now been exposed for a long time to TV programmes from BBC and Pakistan, and India has not been subverted or deculturised in the process. It is evident that Indian viewers are quite capable of deciding what they wish to absorb or reject from foreign programmes, and neither need nor want protection from the self-righteous crowd.
Indeed, this follows from democracy itself. In a democracy, ordinary people, illiterate or otherwise, are deemed wise enough to select their rulers. And yet the self-righteous intellectuals would have you believe that the same voters are not wise enough to choose their TV programmes. It is no accident that many of these intellectuals are (or have been) Marxists, who have long peddled the theory that the washed masses must be protected from their personal preferences by golden-hearted leftists, who have the moral right to shoot those who disagree.
Democratic governments can claim to represent the people of their country. But many also claim the right of determine what their people can watch, which is not democracy but monopoly. Democracy is about the freedom of people to choose, not the freedom of politicians and intellectual goons to impose their views on the masses. Earlier, technology enabled governments to exercise a TV monopoly. But satellite TV has broken that monopoly, and allowed people to choose what they wanted to see. This is not imperialism but liberation.
Imperialism implies that a foreigner is using force to enter India against the wishes of Indians. Satellite TV is not and cannot be forced on viewers, who have the option to tune in or not. Those who complain about cultural imperialism are in fact cultural monopolists, wishing to imprison the minds and tastes of viewers in pre-determined cages. Fortunately satellite technology has destroyed those cages. That is a tragedy only for the self-appointed guardians of culture.
UNPARALLELLED VEHICLE: Satellite TV should be seen as an unparalleled vehicle for spreading Indian culture, ideas and views to the rest of Asia, and eventually to the whole world. Programmes like The India Show and India Business Report of Star TV do far more for India’s image that anything that Indian embassies or All India Radio ever could. Stat TV an Zee TV beam many advertisements of Indian companies all over Asia, but carry virtually no ads from Pakistani or Bangladeshi companies. This shows how satellite TV has transformed India’s clout as an audience into international commercial clout of national importance.
From Amjad Ali Khan to Baba Sehgal, from Sonal Mansingh to Jasmine Barucha, Indian performers are now visible all over Asia and Indian films and TV shows have an unparalleled foreign audience. Because of the language barrier, many such programmes have a limited reach in South East Asia. But there is not langurge barrier in the case of Pakistan, with whom satellite TV is building cultural bridges, which politicians and intellectuals oppose.
India and Pakistan will not reconcile their political differences in the near future. But when that day comes, I believe the reconciliation will owe a debt to the cultural cross-fertilisation that satellite TV provides today regardless of religion or nation.
Keith Londrie II is a well known author. See the site at http://satellite-tv-information.info/
for a wealth of information. You may also want to visit keith’s own web site at http://keithlondrie.com/
Dish Network Online Sales
Over 11 million people in the United States use Dish Network’s satellite TV. If you are one of the unlucky one’s who has been left behind, then get the best deal through Dish network online sales. You will come across hordes of websites that offer the Dish network satellite TV, along with hundreds of freebies ranging from DVR systems, satellite receivers, home theater systems and DVD players. So which is the best deal on dish network? Well, this article would guide you just to do that.
Best Deal on Dish Network
Rather than ordering the product from Dish Network, take some time and browse through their dealers. These dealers will offer you much better deals and much more freebies. The reason behind this is pretty simple. They are online, so the investment is much less when compared to a brick and mortar store. They pass on this cost savings to the consumers as discounts and freebies. The other reason is plain old competition. There is cut throat competition nowadays. One wants to beat the other. Hence the consumer benefits again. So, start browsing and looking for the best deal on Dish Network.
What Will You Get?
Dish Network offers up to 3 different packages according to your preferences. The three packages are All American Top 60s, 120s, and 180s. The packages differ in rates and content. DirecTV is another service provider, which offers more of sports channels, while Dish Network offers more of international and movie channels. You may get freebies depending on what the dealer is offering. You may get up to 4 satellite TV receivers, Dish Network access card, DVD players, Home theater systems etc. You may also get free subscriptions to movie channels.
How Can I Get And Install?
You can get dish network special offers online and make secure online payments with your credit cards using Dish network’s secure payment system. Dish network also has an automated phone system at 1-800-333-3474. You can call and follow the IVR. Dish network offers free installation and shipping. The apparatus is also pretty easy to setup and you can also do it on your own.
Beware Of Frauds!
With the good comes the bad as well. There are a million websites out there offering Dish Network satellite TV with freebies that are unbelievable. However, many of these are scams and once you order you will find hidden costs for everything including the freebies and shipping. Make sure that you are ordering from a dealer who is certified by the Dish Network. Check to see if there are any hidden costs involved. Some operators even charge outrageous cancellation fees. So, be careful and choose best deal on dish network!
Follow our guidelines on researching best Dish Network dealers: http://www.satellitetv-choice.com/dishnetwork-supplier.htm. Also read comparison between DirectTV and Dish Network here: http://www.satellitetv-choice.com
About the Satellite Dish
Satellite technology has made leaps and bounds over the last decade, introducing the world to a whole new era of television entertainment. But have you ever wondered just how a satellite dish works? So did we.
Satellite TV is a round, concave dish-shaped antenna used in telecommunication systems and astronomy; an uplink antenna is used to send electronic signals to a communications satellite or other spacecraft.
To provide you with that quality satellite programming you enjoy so much, your satellite dish must receive a signal from the appropriate source. Man-made satellites orbit around the Earth at just about 20,000 miles into the sky. These satellites receive digital signals from your programming provider, encrypt them and then send them back out to subscribers.
In order to enjoy maximum results from your TV satellite dish, you need to be sure it’s receiving the best possible signal. Where you point your satellite then becomes an all-important step in getting great reception. But how does one point a satellite dish?
The good news is that you can usually find this information with the help of your satellite provider. DISH Network for example features a Point Dish/Signal option in their on-screen menu to assist you in the adjustment of your TV satellite dish. Using your zip code, you can determine the azimuth, elevation and skew. Pointing your dish is normally part of the installation process so plan to do your install when you have time to follow through.
Since the satellite dish is small, it is also light and not bulky in size, this also makes it easier to mount. Satellite dishes have two antennae’s which are pointing back to the dish and shooting off into the blue sky.
Types
Individual dishes serving one dwelling: Direct To Home (DTH).
Collective dishes, shared by several dwellings: Satellite Master Antenna Television (SMATV).
The satellite dish is installed by the companies you are getting your programming from. It is at this time that the dish is aligned with the satellite and is tightened down to prevent it from moving in most installations. There are rare times when heavy winds can cause the diswh to become mis-aligned. These instances are few and far between because the dish is usually mounted very solidly.
Check with all different satellite providers to learn of the programming choices available to you and to determine the price range for the optional packages you may select.
Keith Londrie II is a well known author. See the site at http://satellite-tv-information.info/
for a wealth of information. You may also want to visit keith’s own web site at http://keithlondrie.com/
Satellite TV is Making the Cable Companies Run Scared
Satellite TV holds a great advantage over the cable TV companies. Not only is the picture and sound quality superior, but there’s more choice in what to watch. If you said to yourself ‘there’s nothing on TV’, switch to satellite. The differences couldn’t be more obvious.
“Satellite is the only service that offers a true digital signal on each and every channel. Cable can not offer true digital quality channels.”
Why is Satellite TV Better Than Cable? So Many Reasons!
Many people don’t realize how much is offered with today’s satellite TV systems, assuming that they will be expensive or difficult to install. Not so! In fact, most of today’s top satellite TV companies such as service providers Dish Network and DirecTV, will come to your home and do the installation at no extra charge once you have a contract.
Your options are also greater with satellite TV vs. cable - most of the larger companies offer their services just about anywhere you can imagine, whether you live high in the mountains, remotely located from the world where no cable reaches, or in a crowded city. Being national companies rather than small, locally owned cable services also means you will benefit from quality service at lower prices. It also ensures you are getting the benefit of state-of-the-art technology. Many cable companies today are either replacing old cable or struggling to keep up while satellite TV providers are forging into the future.
Of course, in the final analysis, it all comes down to quality of programming and service reliability when you compare cable and satellite TV providers.
Cable quality vs. Satellite quality
With the limited bandwidth that cable offers, it’s no wonder the quality is poor. First, the cable wire comes from a hub transmission system somewhere near your home. At source, the signal is passable, but by the time it runs through your community, splitting to each house, the signal has degraded. As the cable is RF (radio frequency) based, it has converted from an audio/video signal (at source) to RF and then needs to re-convert back into audio/video for your television. Along the way, anything broadcasting through the air has tried to get into the cable line and will appear as noise on your TV screen.
The choice is yours. I have had both satellite TV and cable tv and I select the best based on the programming offered by the respective comapnies. In small towns it is a wash on which has the best signal, basiclly because the signal from cable is not split to as many homes as in a larger city.
Keith Londrie II is a well known author. See the site at http://satellite-tv-information.info/
for a wealth of information. You may also want to visit keith’s own web site at http://keithlondrie.com/
Digital TV Explained
Digital TV can be received in four different ways, each with its own features and suppliers. The service that you are able to receive may depend on whereabouts you live.
Digital Cable TV is supplied by either Telewest or NTL depending on where you live in the country. You receive your digital TV through cables in the ground via a set top box. Cable companies also offer a host of competitive broadband and telephone packages alongside digital TV. It will usually be cheaper to buy a package comprising all three services than to obtain them individually from different service providers.
Digital Satellite TV is supplied by Sky Digital. Digital signals are sent and received by satellites meaning you need a mini-disc attached to your property in order to receive digital satellite TV via a digi-box. Sky Digital now offers free broadband to their customers. Sky is well known to be the UK’s main supplier of Premiership Football, indeed having exclusive rights in recent years to show live Premier League. Although this monopoly has now been broken, the vast majority of top flight football is still with Sky. Their top packages include 4 dedicated in-house sports channels plus their extensive movie suite, Sky Movies.
Normally, both cable and satellite television customers will have a similar choice of channels, grouped into packages, such as sport, films, news, music and education. It is therefore possible to tailor your channels to your tastes and therefore save money compared to ordering the full selection.
Cable and Satellite viewers tend also to have access to interactive services unlike terrestrial customers. This includes enhanced sports coverage where viewers may select their camera angle, or additional behind the scenes footage for their favourite soap opera or drama. Cable customers subscribing to Telewest can choose to watch selected television programmes on demand through the new Teleport service, with includes many past series of comedy, drama and documentaries, as well as programmes aired on the BBC over the past 7 days.
From a technical angle, both of these options (satellite and cable) will require a technician to come to your home for installation, although this is commonly carried out free of charge if you choose carefully when to order.
Free to Air Digital TV is received via your existing TV aerial and decoded using a set-top box or integrated digital TV. The most common form is Freeview. Your ability to receive free to air digital TV depends on where you live and the type of aerial you have. Existing aerials can be upgraded in order to receive the service if necessary. The Freeview service is a cut down version of Sky’s digital satellite selection, and Telewest and NTL’s cable choices, and is primarily made up of content supplied by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). At the time of writing, Freeview carries over 30 channels, covering news, politics, terrestrial channels (in digital quality), comedy, drama, films and sports news amongst others
Digital ASDL TV is received via a high speed internet connection through a standard telephone line. This service is strictly limited to trial areas for the time being. It is widely anticipated that this will become a commonplace method of viewing for a large section of the population in the future.
Guide to TV discusses television options for residential customers, primarily for the UK market. Find out more about getting the best option for your home at http://www.guide-to-tv.com
Satellite Dishes Are the Boon in Modern Technology
Televisions are the chewing gum for the eyes- Frank Lloyd Wright (1869 - 1959) and Satellites are the 1970’s lava lamps.
With the advancement of technologies, satellite television came in to existence. Satellite television is a revolution when compared to terrestrial and cable television, as it received signals from communication satellites in the space. In many places these satellite television supplement its conventional counterparts to get wide range of channels.
For years, satellite television is not an acceptable one as it had many disadvantages of fixing a very large satellite in a place and then lining it to the appropriate satellite. It even took months to set it by trail and error method. Bad weather is always a hindrance to this method of broad casting.
In the conventional method, the radio wave signals often disrupted and proper broadcasting was not possible as it was not inline with the antenna, which transmits these signals to the surrounding area. To get a perfect signal you should be very close to the broadcasting area.
Whereas satellite television, receives the signal from satellite dishes, which is in the geo-synchronous orbit of the space. It orbits in elliptical inclination or in geostationary orbit of 37,000 km above the earth.
Earlier in 1980’s the Consumer satellite television reception was highly were expensive and the dishes used were as large as 12-foot height. It had a motorized, multiple satellites reception. In 1995, easily usable small dish network came in to existence. Now, direct broadcast satellite (DBS) is usage to enable the satellite provider to select programs and broadcasts them to subscribers as a set of packages. It is a digital broadcast, which means transmission happens in Ku frequency range (12 GHz to 14 GHz).
Like other Satellite relayed communication, Satellite television uses an antenna, which is mainly located in uplink direction. These are mainly nine to twelve meters in diameter. These large structures are required for accurate and increased signals from satellites. These uplinked dishes placed in such a way that they receive to a particular frequency range from the satellite, which is in the space. Then these satellites in space, retransmits, or resend the signals back to these uplinked dishes in earth in a highly different frequency from the previous one. These kind of receiving the signals are termed as downlink. C-band and Ku -band are used for uplink service. The signal, received from the space, becomes weak. Therefore, these uplink dishes do conversions of the signals to low- noise block down converter. Then these radio waves get converted in to electrical signals from C-band and Ku -band to L-band. The L-band receives the signal through coaxial cable and converts in to desired output.
However, the process may look very complicated. These are the units, which are the eye of the satellite television, which helps in uninterrupted service of information and makes a pathway for everybody to enjoy the new access to the information age.
Keith Londrie II is a successful Webmaster and the publisher of satellite-tv-information.info A website that provids information concerning satellite TV. You can research satellite TV on the internet in your pajamas from the comfort of your own home.
Visit http://satellite-tv-information.info/
