How Satellite TV Works
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How Satellite TV Works
By Kate Ivy and Gary
Davis
Dish Network
Satellite TV.ws
(Webmasters - you may freely use this article in
your newsletter or website, providing you re-print the article
exactly as it appears, including the Byline, Bio and links back
to Dish Network Satellite TV.ws.)
How Satellite TV Works
Gone are the days where you could spot a satellite dish six
blocks away. Today’s dish is drastically smaller, much more
reliable and considerably less expensive than its enormous
ancestor.
So, just how does Satellite TV
work?
First, you need to understand how the antenna broadcasting
system works. Traditional television broadcasting antennas use
radio waves to transmit their programming. Each broadcasting
station operates at a unique frequency that identifies the
station to the FCC and allows your receiver to select a
particular “channel”. These radio waves are carried from the
station’s antenna to yours which, when tuned to the specific
frequency picks up the waves for your television to interpret
and project.
Unfortunately, radio waves can only travel so far when emitted
from an antenna and are subject to distortion as objects get in
between the two points of communication.
Enter the Satellite
A satellite is actually any object that orbits a larger object,
such as the Earth. Our Moon is considered a satellite and, in
theory, the Earth would be a satellite to the Sun. Man-made
satellites follow this same premise. A man-made satellite is
placed into position just over 20,000 miles above the Earth. It
is programmed to orbit the Earth so that the satellite stays in
sync with the Earth’s rotation. This means that a satellite that
is positioned over the United States will stay over the United
States, despite the Earth’s constant movement.
These man-made satellites are electronic boxes that contain a
communication system, a power source and a navigational system.
Many satellites use rechargeable batteries as their power
source, feeding off the Sun’s natural energy source via large
solar panels. The communication system is designed to relay
information back and forth through those same radio waves that
the traditional broadcasting system uses but at 20,000 miles
over the Earth, satellites have a much better range than a
regular antenna and aren’t as affected by trees, buildings and
other objects that might obstruct a traditional antenna’s path.
Satellite, Meet My TV
With its capabilities well established, it was only a matter of
time before the media industry began pondering the satellite’s
potential in television.
Like traditional broadcasting antennas, satellite
television works with radio waves as well but with a much
broader range. The older, larger dishes transmitted analog
signals that rarely required decoding. Today’s smaller dish
systems send digital signals, which produce a higher quality of
sound and video. This digital signal is encoded into MPEG-2
format – the same format as your DVD’s - and transmitted to your
receiver box where it is decoded and translated into an analog
signal that is then fed to your television. Why all the fuss?
Digital produces enhanced video and audio that you just can’t
get from analog.
So how does it all work?
In order to receive satellite programming, you’ll need a
broadcast satellite provider. These providers have contracted
with the various programming providers such as HBO, Showtime and
of course, all your local channels. The programming providers
send their programming to the satellite providers who in turn
send it back out via satellite to your dish. It is then
transmitted from the dish to your receiver box where it is
decrypted and shown on your television.
Satellite television gives us the ability to have a seemingly
endless supply of programming without bulky equipment or a
multitude of unique connections. And because satellite
technology is wireless, you have the freedom to move your
entertainment system as much as you’d like.
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