Satellite Television Service

All About Satellite TV from Dish Network

A satellite TV system basically indicates a wireless system that delivers television programming to an end user, including a private household, a business or organization. The technology that the subscriber sees includes a satellite dish, a satellite decoder, and a remote control. The satellites that send the digital signal to your dish orbit the Earth approximately 22,300 miles above its surface.

The satellite dish receives the signal from the orbiting satellite. The dish is relatively small, about 18 – 24 inches in circumference and is normally installed on the exterior of your house or building. The decoder is linked to your television set and its function is to change the signal received by the dish into the sound and images you experience when you turn on your TV.

Like any other type of communications relayed via satellite, this form of TV starts with a large transmitting antenna located at an uplink facility. The uplink dishes can be as much as 30 to 40 feet in diameter. The greater the diameter, the greater is the ability of the dish to aim with accuracy and with increased strength at the satellite. The dish points toward a specific satellite in orbit. The uplinked signals are transmitted within a particular range of frequency to enable it to be received by a corresponding transponder aboard the satellite tuned to that frequency.

The transponder transmits the signal back to Earth again but with a different frequency band. The process is known as “translation” and is employed to avoid interference with the uplink signal. This is the downlink leg of the satellite transmission journey and typically takes place in the C-band or KU-band range. Most satellites have up to 32 transponders for KU-band and as many as 24 for C-band.

The downlink signal travels an enormous distance and reaches your dish in a weakened state. Your dish collects the signal and reflects it to the focal point of the dish. The technology that is part of the dish amplifies the signal, filters out discrepancies, and converts the block of signal into the L-band range, a lower frequency. The receiver inside your home or building converts the signals to the desired output for audio and visual data. The receiver also has the capability of descrambling encrypted signals. The receiver sends the data to your TV set and the result is the high-quality audio and visual you get with your programming.