A Very Unscientific Answer To How Does Satellite TV Work

How does satellite TV work? There is a long version that is very scientific and a shorter version that is more interesting. We\’ll stick with the shorter version. The very first satellite for TV was shot into orbit in\’62. So, there has been a lot of advances made to the technology behind satellites since then. And, we have benefited from all of those advances.

The old nine foot satellite dishes came with remote controls that were quickly lost. These satellites are still around because they have a forever life expectancy and work great. People who use them now just have the neighbors come over and help move the dish when they want to change satellites. They sit as a monument in most back yards. Big, grey, daunting. But, they have, and continue to, provide a superb picture on any television.

The really great thing about these dishes, besides the fact that it was a great excuse not to mow half the back yard, was that you could get programs from other countries. For instance, someone in California could get programming from Canada. Or, when the satellites shifted you could get programs from other countries depending on which satellite you landed on.

The popularity of satellite television started to explode when people became aware of the channels and capabilities of the satellite systems. That\’s when the providers of satellite television got busy. They sent up a bunch of geostationary satellites that orbit at the same speed as earth. So, they don\’t move, well they move but not really. Anyway, the ability to pick up channels got lots easier and the reception got way better. Very cool stuff for people who had become addicted to satellite early on.

Next, the providers came up with a way for city dwellers who didn\’t have nine extra feet in their back yard to use the dishes. The little\’\” dishes were introduced and as long as a person was pointing it south and it was unobstructed, they got the same great television that the big dish people got. The dish fit anywhere on the building and could be propped up in worse case scenario and still work.

Cities had a problem with the little dishes because hardly anybody has an unblocked south view. That\’s when they came up with \”spot beams.\” So, the satellites shoot a signal to the spot beam, that shoots a signal to the dish, that shoots a signal to a television. Okay, it\’s way more scientific than that, but this is the short version, and you get the picture.

The satellite guys made other advancements too. They learned that by encoding the signals digitally they could cram more channels into the same bandwidth. So there are over 500 channels being shot across the same bandwidth twenty-four hours a day in both HDTV and standard formats.

If you\’d like to learn more about how does satellite TV work there are many websites that have all of the scientific information about each part of the system. However, sometimes a short version followed by a satellite broadcast movie is better.

Looking for the Dish Network Promotions, then visit our site on how to choose the best Dish Network Deals for your needs.

Related Blogs

• Related Blogs on Technology
• Matrix: Social Technology Adoption Curve Benefits –and Downsides …
• Finding Laptop Memory | Computer Technology News
• Maintenance Technology
• Adapting new technology « saumya
• Apple IPod Nano | Computer Technology News
• Heath Pediatricians