Brief Introduction to Satellite TV

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Brief Introduction to Satellite TV

In the last 10 years more than 27 million people have switched from cable and over-the-air TV to satellite TV. But is satellite TV really that much better?

Let's find out ...

Satellite TV

Satellite TV is a television system whereby a broadcast center sends a signal containing TV programs to a satellite in orbit above the earth.

The satellite captures the signal and sends it back to earth, where it is picked up by a satellite dish and relayed to a TV set.

In order to receive a satellite TV signal you must have a satellite system -- a dish to capture the signal, and a receiver to unscramble the signal and send it to your television.

Satellite TV History

In 1962, the first satellite TV signal was sent from Europe to North America via the Telstar satellite. The first first commercial satellite, Early Bird, was launched in 1965, and Satellite TV reception in the U.S. began in 1980.

Early satellite TV systems were expensive, costing anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000. The dishes were large -- 10 to 12 feet in diameter -- and the receivers and antenna rotators were bulky and complicated.

In 1994 the first DBS (direct broadcast satellite) was put into orbit, issuing in the era of the mini dish and the slim-line receiver, making it possible for anyone, even apartment renters and condo owners, to have satellite TV.

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