Satellite television is a wireless system for delivering television programming directly to a viewer’s house.
Satellite stations transmit programming via a radio signal.
Satellite television systems transmit and receive radio signals using specialized antennas called satellite dishes.
Television satellites are all in geosynchronous orbit, meaning that they stay in one place in the sky relative to the Earth.
Satellites are launched into space at about 7,000 mph, reaching approximately 22,000 miles above the Earth.
Satellites revolve around the planet once every 24 hours – the same time it takes the Earth to make one full rotation.
Most satellite TV customers get their programming through a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) provider, such as DirecTV or the Dish Network.
Providers select programs and broadcast them to subscribers as a set package. DBS providers are like brokers – they buy programming available via satellite wholesale and re-sell them to the customer.
The provider’s goal is to bring dozens or even hundreds of channels to your television in a form that approximates the competition, which is cable TV.
The broadcast is completely digital, which means it has much better picture and sound quality.
Early satellite TV was broadcast in C-band radio, which was in the 3.4- to 7-GHz range. Digital broadcast satellite transmits programming in the Ku frequency range, which is 12 to 14 GHz.
There are five main components involved in the direct to home (DTH) satellite system: the programming source, the broadcast center, the satellite, the satellite dish, and the receiver.
Earlier satellite dishes were large and expensive. Now satellite dishes are small and can be easily attached to homes and apartments.
Your receiver accepts the program signal and converts it into a format that can be viewed on your TV. You can also get a special receiver, called a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), which lets you pause or record live television.