History of Satellite TV

By Gary Alan Davis

Arthur C. Clarke's Vision

Sir Arthur C. Clarke is generally credited with coming up with the concept of
using satellites in geosynchronous orbits to relay communications signals around
the world. In his honor, these are sometimes referred to as Clarke orbits. A
geosynchronous orbit simply means that the satellite is placed at an altitude of
22,300 miles above the earth's equator and travels at the same speed as the earth's rotational
speed. This keeps the satellite in the same spot above the earth at all times.
Clarke wrote an article titled "Extraterrestrial Relays", which was published
in Wireless World Magazine back in 1945. In his article Clarke, envisioned
three 'space platforms' placed at 22,300 miles above the earth and that worldwide
communications could thus be achieved.


Father of Satellite TV

But it is H. Taylor Howard a Stanford University Professor and former NASA scientist
Emeritus, who is generally acknowledged as the 'Father
of Satellite TV'. Howard designed and built the first satellite antenna and receiver
in his San Andreas, California garage in 1976. Howard died in a plane crash in 2002
at the age of 70. Now 32 years after Howards invention, it is doubtful that he
could have envisioned the quantum leap that satellite TV technology has made.



First Satellite - Sputnik

The very first satellite ever placed into earth orbit was Sputnik, which was launched
by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. The launch of Sputnik began what is commonly
referred to as the "space race". The United States answered with the successful
launch of Explorer I on January 1, 1958. Later that same year, NASA was created on Oct. 1, 1958, to perform civilian research related to space flight and aeronautics.

First Communications Satellite - Syncom II

The first communication satellite named Syncom II was developed by a group of businesses and government entities in 1963. Syncom II orbited at 22,300 miles over the Atlantic; the first
actual satellite communication was on July 26, 1963, between a U.S. Navy ship in Lagos,
Nigeria and the U.S. Army naval station in Lakehurst, New Jersey. However it wasn't
until 1978 that the television industry began using satellite communication for the
television industry. In 1975 a BBC engineer by the name of Stephen Birkill
built an experimental system for receiving Satellite Instructional Television.
Over the next three years Birkill continued to work on his system and in 1978 he
met Bob Cooper, a cable TV technical journalist and amateur radio enthusiast in the U.S
and Cooper invited Birkill to a cable TV operator's conference and trade show CC)S-78.
It was at the trade show that several satellite TV enthusiasts decided to help Birkill
with his experiments. Also, on March 1, 1978 the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
introduced the Public Television Satellite Serivce and as satellite technology
improved it was used more and more by broadcasters.

Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS)

In 1980, the FCC established the Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), a new service
that consisted of a broadcast satellite in geostationary orbit, facilities for
transmitting signals to the satellite, and receiving equipment (black box) needed for people to access the signals. In turn, broadcasters developed methods of scrambling their signals,
forcing consumers to purchase a decoder, or a direct to home (DTH) satellite receiver,
from a satellite program provider. Before this signals could be receive by anyone
with a dish at no charge. Both DISH Network and DIRECTV are Direct Broadcast Satellite
providers. Soon after from 1981 to the early 1990's the 'big dish' market soared.
You could see these big ugly dishes a mile away. But they were cumbersome and very
hard to install.

As this stage of satellite TV development; it was much easier to
just have cable TV. Also the average cost of pruchasing a satellite dish and system
back in 1980 was a staggering $10,000. By 1985 that cost had dropped to around
$3,000., but still a hefty price to pay. In 1984 the U.S. Congress passed the 1984
Cable Act. This Act allowed for cable providers to scramble their transmission signals
thus bringing an end to the days of free satellite TV. In short, the 1984 Cable Act made
it illegal to steal satellite signals without paying for the programming.

Satellite TV - Enter DIRECTV and DISH Network

In the early 1990's four large cable companies joined together to launch a Direct
Broadcast Satellite company named Primestar. In June of 1994 the Hughes DIRECTV
Satellite System was launched. DIRECTV later purchased Primestar.
DIRECTV pioneered the development of the mini-dish, a small 18" diameter dish.
Today, DIRECTV boasts over 16 million households that have DIRECTV service. In 1996 the DISH Network Company a division of EchoStar Communications Corporation was formed and DISH now boasts over 13 million U.S. households with DISH Network Satellite Service. Both companies now
offer hundreds of programming channels to watch and each offers over 70 national channels
in High-Definition (HD). Both DIRECTV and DISH Network also offer dozens of satellite
radio channels and both have now gotten into providing High Speed Internet service.
Where satellite dishes alone once costs $10,.000., today both the satellite giants
offer complete satellite systems, including the satellite dish for free.

Today satellite TV is broadcast all over the world; making Arthur C. Clarke's dream a reality.

G Alan Davis is owner of [http://www.digitaldish.com/]Digital Dish, has over five years experience in the satellite TV business, selling both DIRECTV and [http://www.digitaldish.com/]DISH Network and has written numerous articles on the subject.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com

Is Satellite TV The Right Choice - Choosing Between Satellite TV and Cable TV.By Tim Gorman

There remains a longstanding debate between satellite TV and cable TV. If you're not sure whether to go with cable TV or satellite TV, this article will help you start to formulate a comparison of what each has to offer. This article will not attempt to tell you which is right for you. You should be able to determine that for yourself when you have a more clear understanding of satellite TV and cable TV. Some of the major topics of consideration are availability, picture and sound quality, programming choices and cost.

The direct competition between satellite TV and cable TV has brought many positive results for consumers of both. Satellite TV and cable TV companies have begun to offer more services and programming while cutting prices on equipment, installation and programming. It is important to note that with cable TV in particular, programming and price can vary by region so the final decision may come down to what you find out from your local cable TV providers. In some cases you may get a big discount from a local cable provider if you show them that you can get your desired programming you want for less via satellite TV.

Consensus is that satellite TV has more programming options than cable TV, though less local programming. Cable TV is often, but not always, cheaper. Installation can be costly for satellite TV or require a long contract for free installation.

If you live in a rural area, chances are good that cable is not even an available option to you. In that case you will have to find a satellite TV provider. If you live in an area without a direct line of sight to one of the satellites or without a convenient dish mounting location, it may be impossible to get satellite TV. If there is a possible workaround, the satellite TV provider may hit you with additional installation charges to make it possible to point the dish at the satellite.

Don't just compare satellite tv to cable tv! Make sure you compare DirecTV to Dish Network by visiting ShoppingForSatelliteTV.com where you will find a variety of satellite tv deals and information on Direct TV offers, Direct TV HDTV, Dish Network HDTV and Dish Network Offers.
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Guide To Watching Christian TV In The UK Without Paying Monthly Subscriptions.By Silas Mante

Watching Christian TV in the UK is free with the right Satellite TV equipment. To watch Christian TV in the UK, equipments needed are - Digital Satellite Receiver connected to a Satellite Dish and aligned towards either the Astra 2 or Hotbird Satellites.

The Astra 2 Satellite broadcasts over 12 Christian Channels all in English.

The Hotbird Satellite broadcasts over 40 Christian Channels broadcasted in over 10 Languages.

To watch channels on the Astra satellite, equipments needed are, a Digital Satellite Receiver connected to a Satellite Dish with a minimum size of 43cm (Sky Mini Dish). The Satellite Dish should be aligned to the following satellite.

Eurobird 1 & Astra 2A/2B/2C/2D at 28.2 degrees East

To watch channels on the Hotbird Satellite, equipments needed are a Digital Satellite Receiver connected to a Satellite Dish with a minimum size of 80cm. In the South East of England, tests show that a 60cm Satellite Dish or a Sky Zone 2 Satellite Dish is adequate in obtaining a strong satellite signal. The Satellite Dish should be aligned to the following satellite:

Hotbird 6/7A/8 at 13.0 degrees East

List of Christian Channels on the Astra Satellite

God Channel, God UK, Wonderful TV, Revelation TV, Gospel Channel Europe, Inspiration Network, TBN Europe, Genesis TV, UCB, Angel, Faith Channel, The Word Network, Love World Christian Network, EWTN, Daystar.

The following African oriented channels also have Christian Content: OBE, Passion, BEN

List of Christian Channels on the Hotbird Satellite

Channel Name / Language broadcasted

3ABN - English

Al Hayat - Arabic

Apostolic Oneness - English

CNL - Russian

CGN TV - Korean

ENB Europe - Swedish

EWTN - English

God Channel - English

Gospel Channel - English, Icelandic

Holy God TV - Tamil

Hope Channel - English

ICB Iranian - Farsi

Inspiration Network - Englsh

JCTV - English

KTO - French

Lord's TV - Tamil

LoveWorld Christian Network - English

Miracle TV - Arabic

Sat 2000 - Italian

Sat 7 - Arabic

Spirit Channel - Arabic

TBN Enlance - Spanish

TBN Europe - English

TBN Italy - Italian

TCT World - English

Telepace - Italian

Tele Padre Pio - Italian

Church Channel - English

Healing Channel - Arabic

The Word Network - English

TRSP - Italian

TV Cancao Nova - Portuguese

TV Puls - Poland

TBN Russia - Russian

Smile of a Child - English

Nejat TV - Farsi

Spirit Word - English

http://www.christian-sat.co.uk

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Reasons You Should Switch to Satellite TV In Order To Experience Television In A New Way. By Tim Gorman

Watching television is one of America's favorite pastimes. Most American living rooms are centered around the television, and many tend to feel an emptiness inside if they can't be without television even for a night.

Gone are the days when there are only so few channels from which to choose. Today, television sets are programmed for hundreds of channels. Providers are constantly trying to best one another by offering the best deal to consumers. They boast hundreds of channels, movies on demand and everything else.

Years ago, cable television was all the rage. Today, though, there's another kind that's making the waves -- satellite TV. Why should consumers choose satellite TV over cable?

For one, satellite TV offers more than just entertainment. It also offers information. With satellite TV, you can continue watching shows on traditional channels and movie channels but you can also browse through a multitude of informative channels, many of which are not seen on cable.

The channels that satellite TV offers is extensive. Satellite TV offers you almost limitless viewing possibilities -- from comedy to drama or from sports to science. Satellite TV lets you watch for entertainment purposes or informational purposes. Satellite TV also offers a variety of children programming.

You may have assumed that satellite TV is expensive because of the range of programming that it offers consumers. The fact is, satellite TV is very affordable. Many companies offering satellite TV offers free installation and low monthly fees.

The time for switching from cable to satellite TV couldn't be any better. Don't miss out on the chance to expand your television viewing experience. Get satellite TV today.

For more reasons why you should switch to satellite tv and for a comparison of DirecTV versus Dish Network please visit ShoppingForSatelliteTV.com where you will find DirecTV offers, DirecTV HDTV, Dish Network HDTV and Dish Network offers that will improve your television viewing pleasure.

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Satellite TV Is Crowned King

Satellite television is knocking cable out of the box. It is obvious that cable television is by far the least advanced when compared to satellite television. With satellite television, you will get more channels while saving a whole lot of money.

Satellite television can support over 250 channels of programming. All channels are digital quality and offer HD (high definition) television services that are compatible to your satellite TV service.

Satellite television fees for Dish Network start at $31.99/month, while DirecTV charges $41.99/month. Both satellite television providers offer free satellite TV equipment and free installation in up to four rooms.

Cable television fees average $39.99/month for 64 channels, plus $10.95/month to add digital channels. Installation in one room is $39.95, plus $9.95 for each additional room.

Satellite television offers the biggest variety of shows, movies, sports, and news for the least amount of money. You can watch all your shows in digital video and sound with the option of watching them in HD format and recording them on a DVR (digital video recording) receiver.

Cable television outages average 3% to 5% per year while satellite television outages average about 1%. J.D. Power and Associates ranked Dish Network and DirecTV -- higher in customer satisfaction than any of the cable television companies for the last five years.
H. Randolph is a professional freelance writer and an avid budgeter who research and review products at http://www.TheOfficialReviewSite.com for consumers wanting to save money & get the most for their money.


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