| Ever wondered why we have satellite television? I | | | | - Advertising Organisations pay the network to |
| know I have, particularly when we already have | | | | broadcast adverts. We all hate it but it does pay |
| terrestrial or broadcast television available. They | | | | for our entertainment, or part of it at least. |
| both seem very similar, the only difference being | | | | - Subscriptions Paying a monthly fee for the right |
| that with satellite you get lots more choice of | | | | to be able to view channels that are encrypted. |
| channel. Of course there is cable television too, a | | | | Your subscription generally gets you a smart card |
| fierce competitor for both services, but in this | | | | that is programmed with the decryption |
| article I am going to stick to satellite television. | | | | information and inserted into your receiver box. |
| The local terrain and the curvature of the earth | | | | - TV Licence Fee If you are in the UK and you |
| limit terrestrial TV signals in the area that they | | | | have equipment that is capable of receiving TV |
| can server. Both terrestrial and Satellite TV use | | | | signals then the law states you must pay for a |
| essentially the same kind of signals but by | | | | TV licence. Note that you don't have to use the |
| beaming the signal from above, one satellite is | | | | equipment; you just have to possess it. The |
| able to serve a wider area. This is why satellite | | | | money from the licence fee goes to pay for the |
| television has become popular in remote areas | | | | British Broadcasting Company or BBC and in |
| where it isn't practical to serve people with a land | | | | return we don't see any advertising or encryption |
| based antenna and certainly not economic to | | | | on any BBC channels. This was a good idea in the |
| provide cables to those areas. | | | | early days of radio and TV and it helped to |
| Using satellites to broadcast the TV signals solves | | | | produce and maintain high standards of |
| the problem. Orbiting more than 22,000 miles | | | | broadcasting all over the world. My personal |
| above the ground they revolve around the Earth | | | | opinion now however is that the licence fee is |
| once every 24hrs, which is the same time as it | | | | nothing more than yet another tax that we have |
| takes the planet to make one complete rotation. | | | | to pay and I feel that the BBC should begin to |
| Therefore the satellite will always stay above the | | | | stand on it's own two feet. I doubt that it will |
| same spot on the ground and it is said to be in | | | | happen anytime soon though. |
| geostationary orbit. Because the satellite is very | | | | If a broadcaster uses only advertising to pay for |
| high in the sky the transmission of the signal | | | | their service then you may receive and view the |
| reaches large numbers of customers and people | | | | signals without payment or subscription. If you live |
| that are in normally remote and inaccessible places | | | | in the UK you still have to pay the licence fee |
| are able to take advantage. The satellites not only | | | | though. |
| transmit direct back to the ground, but they are | | | | There are five components needed to link the |
| also in communication with each other, making a | | | | programme makers and the satellite television |
| huge network to distribute to the largest possible | | | | customer: |
| numbers of people. Because the satellite is | | | | - Distribution The DBS provider does not create |
| geostationary you only need to set your TV | | | | the programmes themselves, they pay for the |
| satellite dish once, in the best position to receive a | | | | right to be able to broadcast them via satellite |
| signal. You shouldn't ever have to move it again. | | | | television. They act as a 'middleman' between the |
| It is possible to set up a satellite dish on you | | | | 'programming sources' or channels and you. |
| property and receive signals from a number of | | | | - Satellite Television Provider Signals from the |
| different satellites, often for free. To do this you | | | | broadcast centre sources are received by the |
| will need a dish that can be moved to point at the | | | | provider and transmitted to the network of |
| satellite you want to receive signals from. Some | | | | satellites in orbit. |
| satellites of interest to amateurs aren't even | | | | - Satellites The signals are received by the |
| geostationary so you can only get signals from | | | | satellite network and retransmitted back to Earth. |
| them for part of the day and your dish needs to | | | | - Receiving equipment Equipment normally |
| be able to track the satellite as it moves across | | | | provided by the DBS to allow you to receive the |
| the sky. Most people however want to receive | | | | signal from the satellite above. A receiving dish |
| signals for entertainment with the least amount of | | | | must be professionally installed somewhere on |
| fuss and so they subscribe to paid 'Direct | | | | your property. |
| Broadcast Satellite' (DBS) services like DirecTV, | | | | - Decoding and viewing A box near your TV will |
| Dish or Sky (UK). The premium channels | | | | take the signal received and decode your chosen |
| streamed from these satellite networks are | | | | channels into a form that you can watch. |
| encrypted so you need special equipment to view | | | | I bet you never realised that there was so much |
| them and you pay for the encryption key to | | | | involved in satellite television. It is indeed a marvel |
| unlock the decoder. | | | | of technology and provides us with high quality up |
| Satellite TV companies make money from their | | | | to date entertainment from all over the world. |
| networks in a variety of ways. There are three | | | | Television technology has come a very long way |
| methods that are in general use today. | | | | in such a short time. |