| Satellite TV companies make money from their | | | | If you are and you also hate to pay expensive |
| networks in a variety of ways. There are three | | | | cable television bills Click here |
| methods that are in general use today. | | | | If a broadcaster uses only advertising to pay for |
| Have access to more than 3,500 TV channels | | | | their service then you may receive and view the |
| Click here | | | | signals without payment or subscription. If you live |
| * AdvertisingOrganisations pay the network to | | | | in the UK you still have to pay the licence fee |
| broadcast adverts. We all hate it but it does pay | | | | though. |
| for our entertainment, or part of it at least. | | | | There are five components needed to link the |
| * SubscriptionsPaying a monthly fee for the right | | | | programme makers and the satellite television |
| to be able to view channels that are encrypted. | | | | customer: |
| Your subscription generally gets you a smart card | | | | * Distribution The DBS provider does not create |
| that is programmed with the decryption | | | | the programmes themselves, they pay for the |
| information and inserted into your receiver box. | | | | right to be able to broadcast them via satellite |
| * TV Licence FeeIf you are in the UK and you | | | | television. They act as a 'middleman' between the |
| have equipment that is capable of receiving TV | | | | 'programming sources' or channels and you. |
| signals then the law states you must pay for a | | | | * Satellite Television Provider Signals from the |
| TV licence. Note that you don't have to use the | | | | broadcast centre sources are received by the |
| equipment; you just have to possess it. The | | | | provider and transmitted to the network of |
| money from the licence fee goes to pay for the | | | | satellites in orbit. |
| British Broadcasting Company or BBC and in | | | | * Satellites The signals are received by the |
| return we don't see any advertising or encryption | | | | satellite network and retransmitted back to Earth. |
| on any BBC channels. This was a good idea in the | | | | * Receiving equipmentEquipment normally |
| early days of radio and TV and it helped to | | | | provided by the DBS to allow you to receive the |
| produce and maintain high standards of | | | | signal from the satellite above. A receiving dish |
| broadcasting all over the world. My personal | | | | must be professionally installed somewhere on |
| opinion now however is that the licence fee is | | | | your property. |
| nothing more than yet another tax that we have | | | | * Decoding and viewing A box near your TV will |
| to pay and I feel that the BBC should begin to | | | | take the signal received and decode your chosen |
| stand on it's own two feet. I doubt that it will | | | | channels into a form that you can watch. |
| happen anytime soon though. | | | | |