In the homes of our modern society, the television set is an important and fundamental part of our lives on a daily basis. In the morning, we turn the television on to find out the weather and the news of the day. During the day, we periodically check it in the lounge or somewhere else in our workplace just to find out the latest sport score or other information. In the evening, we sit down to relax after dinner and watch our favorite show or educational program. It seems that wherever we are, we can have access to this favorite pastime. With a mobile satellite TV system, we can now watch television while driving down the road or on a long trip across the country. The options are truly endless!

Convenience On The Go With A Mobile Satellite TV

With mobile satellite TV, you no longer have to worry about your kids getting bored during a long drive. They will be having a new and entertaining toy – an in-car satellite television system. Hundreds of channels of entertainment, including Disney Channel and other cartoon channels will keep them occupied and silent. It's like you would be taking along a baby-sitter too.

Short History

Sandy Montag, a sports agent from New York, was one of the first customers to purchase a Trac Vision A5, a device designed to bring digital satellite TV signals into vehicles anywhere in the country, even while in motion.

Mobile satellite TV has been around for many years, but until recently it was used just on boats, RVs and buses, which had enough space to take up a big satellite device. Now, with Trac Vision, designed by KVH Industries, Inc., mobile satellite TV can be used in small vehicles too. The device is small enough to be mounted in a regular van or car and has a saucer-shaped antenna.

If you've just received an online advertisement that you could receive satellite TV on your PC without monthly fees, you may think that this is the greatest deal you have ever encountered about satellite television. Unfortunately, a free-of-charge satellite TV is a big myth.

Although some ads suggest that you will receive satellite television free, they are only offering a free installation, set-up and equipment that Dish or Direct TV networks will provide. Of course, once your satellite television has been installed without charge, you will be paying monthly charges for the programming packages you chose.

When it comes to using your computer as a satellite receiver, many people are becoming interested in buying the latest satellite software to save monthly fees on satellite subscription. So, the question is: is it possible to have free satellite TV on a PC?

The Truth About Satellite TV On PC

Satellite television is a great alternative for the traditional cable or over-the-air broadcast services. Why it is better? Satellite television is 100% digital thus providing you with high quality image and sound. Satellite television will provide you with hundreds of channels as well as with interactive programming guides and show schedules. Finally, it is very affordable and most of the satellite TV service providers will give you some great benefit features such as free installation and free equipment.

Satellite television is most popular n the USA and Canada. If you are a US resident or have just moved there, here is a satellite TV provider to consider – Satellite TV Dish Network Company.

Satellite TV Dish Network is one of the main satellite television providers in the United States. The company has more than 25 years of history in providing satellite TV services. After 2005 satellite TV Dish Network started to provide the Voom channels that required separate subscription before.

For those living at the ends of the world, being able to watch television is made available using Direct TV satellite service. Those who want high-speed access to the internet have basically been out of luck, until the availability of Direct Satellite TV and internet became available. Their only previous choice was through a dial-up connection.

The Direct Satellite TV and internet services, now offered through HughesNet, require separate satellite dishes as the high-speed internet access requires a separate dish. Professional installation of the system, including the satellite dish and computer connection, is available as part of the standard equipment purchase price. Once installed you will be charged for the service, depending on the level or service you choose.

Satellite Television Programming Providers

There are two major satellite television providers in America, DirecTV and Dish Network; each satellite programming package may differ between the providers, but many of the same channels will be offered by both.

Satellite TV programming packages are the channels included for one set fee per month or billing cycle, this programming usually will not change except by the customers request.

Packages Offerings

There are three basic types of packages; one which will include basic channels plus some extended channels too, another will include all in the first plus premium movie channels, and the third will include the first two with an extra premium feature added such as DVR, HD, or sports packages.

The price will generally rise as the number of channels increases, and the number of televisions to receive the programming; for each television to receive satellite programming it must have its own receiver to decode the satellite signal, and deliver the satellite television programming to the set.

What Is Satellite TV?

There are two types satellite TV systems available on the market in North America nowadays: an older big dish system and a direct to home system. These two types can be distinguished mainly by the size of the antenna. Big dish systems need an antenna that varies between six and ten feet in diameter, while direct to home systems only require an eighteen to twenty inches antenna.

The United States satellite "footprint" overlaps into Canada. Therefore, Canadian consumers are easy and often willing targets for pirate satellite TV companies, who sell US satellite dishes, receivers and access cards.

The Effects of Pirate Satellite TV

Pirate satellite TV has a negative impact on a wide area of the entertainment industry. It deprives cable and satellite companies, intellectual property owners, program providers and many other people involved in the motion picture industry of part of their rightful revenues.

You can argue all day on which satellite TV service is the best but it's all an opinion. It all depends on how much money you are willing to spend on TV's and a satellite service. Certain packages you buy will require a more high definition TV so you may receive all of the channels they provide. There are many different combinations of satellite TV services but we will go through all the basic packages and not the add-ons to save some time.

This in depth guide will show you which service you should pick based on what channels and satellite TV services they provide.

Basic cable satellite TV service

There are basically two different methods of broadcasting a television show or movie over a fast spread of land. There is analog, the old school way of doing things. And there is digital, the newer better way of doing things. The difference in these two different methods is resolution, which is the quality of the display on a TV when a broadcast is being played through it.

If you continue to read you will see the differences in each of the services and why digital is better than analog, and a lot of the pros of digital.

What is analog satellite TV?

Analog satellite TV is basically the first form of television there was. It's the basic form of transmitting the broadcasted signal to the television at a low quality because of the way pixels were spread across it. An analog television houses fewer pixels than a digital one causing it to have a smaller resolution. An antenna was the first thing used to get the broadcasted signal to the television. The lowest quality of digital television screens is still better resolution than that of the analog television.

The image of a satellite floating 7,000 miles above the Earth sending an electronic signal to a dish mounted on or near your house, is a lot to comprehend, but if you live outside the realm of your local cable provider, you either have or considered satellite television. With DirecTV, you can receive all the hardware you need including the Direct Satellite TV receiver, which is the must-have end of the satellite TV trail.

Unless your satellite TV system is connected to a Direct Satellite TV receiver, your television will not be able to understand all the signals coming from the satellite. Properly aligned satellite dishes receive scrambled signals from satellite broadcasters and send them to the receiver, which using a special descrambler card, can decipher and split the signal into authorized programming.

With its ExpressVu satellite network, Bell Satellite TV is the largest digital satellite provider in Canada, offering a wide range of features and channels to thousands of users. They are offering over 375 channels and provide the largest video programming lineup of pay-per-view movies in Canada. Moreover, Bell satellite TV also features 11 HD channels.

The Offer

Bell ExpressVu provides 100% digital channels and Dolby Surround system. It also has a useful parental control lockout feature to let parents keep tabs on the things their kids watch. Bell also offers interactive TV, which allows you to play games, check the weather and the sports standings, read your horoscope or play interactive trivia. With HNIC Plus you also get unparalleled hockey coverage.

Once a family or an individual decides to switch from cable to satellite, they must contact a satellite TV provider. The provider has all of the equipment and dish for ones home. They know exactly how to install a family's satellite system for trouble free service. While it is true that someone can install their own system, it isn't recommended. Trying to install the dish while on a ladder can be tricky. Once the dish is installed, one must point the dish into the correct latitude and longitude for the satellite to begin streaming.

Satellite television is a common thing nowadays, especially for the USA and Canada. If you are unfamiliar with it, here is a brief satellite TV guide to put some light on the subject.

The first stop in our satellite TV guide is: How satellite television works?

Satellite television is not a new thing, although the latest technology has made it even sweeter. In general, here is how it all works: the programming is received by an uplink station that transmits it to the satellite; than the satellite relays it back to earth and the transmission is received by satellite dishes. Then the signal is decoded by and received and voila – you are enjoying hundreds of TV channels with superb quality.

The second thing that many consumers are unaware is: What equipment shall I buy in order to watch satellite TV channels?

DirecTV Satellite dishes are hardware one purchases to view television premium channels much like cable services do, the difference is that DirecTV satellite dishes deliver all programming in digital quality. DirecTV satellite dishes are often purchased, but in some areas may be rented; sometimes DirecTV offers special promotions in which the satellite dishes are given away for free with a contract for programming.

From Space To The Living Room

DirecTV has satellites in space which transmit the programming signals from DirecTV, to the end user's (customer's) personal DirecTV satellite dish, then to the customer's receiver, and finally to the end user's television. This process happens very quickly, the information is delivered in packets, which is the reason that during storms, when signals can be weaker, it is common for the picture to be pixilated until the weather clears.

All Digital Programming

Cable providers used to benefit from the advantage of having a monopoly on expanded TV service. With the developing of satellite TV companies, the television service marketplace is now dominated by a great competition between the increasing number of providers. The key for choosing the right satellite TV company is to ask the potential provider a lot of questions.

Steps in Choosing a Satellite TV Company:

1. Contact local satellite TV companies and ask for a price list. The prices will range from $15 for basic services to $100 for premium packages. Some providers may have additional costs for hardware, such as control boxes or satellite dishes, as well as for programming. Make sure you ask about all the costs, as well as contract commitments.

2. Check out the channel programming they are offering and decide what combination is best for you.

Channels from a satellite TV are broadcasted wirelessly from a base station to TV satellites that orbit the earth. These artificial satellites, known as Clarke Belt, all stay in their specific areas in space relative to the Earth.

When you subscribe for a satellite TV, channel signals will be re-transmitted by the artificial satellites back to the Earth. Your satellite dish (or antenna) captures these signals, while a satellite receiver decodes and processes the signal to send it to your television.

Understanding Signals, The Dish And Satellite Receivers

Satellite signals are just like radio waves that transmits various analog or digital programming of channels. These waves are then reflected to the satellite dish to capture concentrated signals, sending them off to your receiver via your satellite cable network. The main job of your satellite receiver is to convert these signals (of hundreds of different frequencies) into viewable satellite TV channels.

What Is C-band Satellite TV?

C-band satellite TV is a range of transmission frequencies that radio and TV channels are using to transmit to satellite dishes.

How Many Channels Can You Receive?

Full-size C-band satellite TV dishes can make the "500 channel universe" a reality. They can provide over 250 channels regularly and another 250 on occasion.

How Big Is a Satellite Dish?

The size of the dish you have to purchase depends on where you live. In the Central United States, you can use a dish that can have between six and ten feet in diameter. If you live on the coast, you should buy an 8-10 foot dish.

How Much Do C-band Satellite TV Dishes Cost?

The average price of a satellite TV dish is about $2,000, although they can vary in price. You can usually get one from a local provider, which you can search for in the phone book under "Television" or "Satellite".

So you're thinking about subscribing to a satellite TV network. Your local cable company may not have all of the programming that you want. And, basically, a cable company has no competition except a satellite TV network. Before you become too set on those hundreds of channels, high def capability, affordable packages and the like, make sure that your home has the necessary components to work with a satellite TV network.

What It Takes

Don't worry. The satellite companies are motivated to make the needs as basic and simple as possible. However, these needs are very basic to the operation of a satellite system. First, you will need an unobstructed southern view. The signal is so small that you can't see it. It will bounce off anything that blocks it. You will need access to the southern sky that is not obstructed by trees, buildings or anything else. This is non-negotiable.

Satellite TV is nowadays a growing business with millions of subscribers worldwide. What used to be a luxury only for the rich and famous just a few years ago is no an affordable option for almost anyone. The growth rate of satellite TV has beaten cable TV in many countries and there are many satellite TV dealers providing these services. However, as with any other hot product, there are a lot of scammers as well.

Ordering Online

There are many satellite TV dealers who sell there products online as well. After you place your order with an online satellite TV dealer, you have to choose the number of satellite systems you want to receive. Online dealers usually offer up to 4 free systems often along with an incentive gift as well, such as a DVD player or a home theater system.

Who wouldn't be interested in an opportunity to get satellite TV for free? Those digital quality channels, that CD quality sound, and the immense variety certainly tempts many a person. There are many detractors and doubters on the prospect, but still others swear by the ability to get satellite TV for free. Personally, I am a sceptic and so I shall take that outlook to task.

Too good to be true?

Generally, the offer of free satellite TV is found on the internet or from various people that claim to have pirated satellite signals or have found different ways to come into possession of illegal cable. There is a certain stigma to the notion of getting something for free and many people find these types of offers to be too good to be true. Traditionally, I am one of those people so the idea that I could get satellite TV for free sounds a little funny to me. Still, an investigation was warranted.