Cable and Satellite TV Articles

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Riley Hendersen @ Wednesday, 23rd May 2007 @ 3:18 AM

DirecTv or DishNetwork? High definition or regular? These are just a few of the choices you need to make when you decide to install a satellite television system in your home. Many people are choosing to change from high priced cable television to a satellite system because they sometimes offer more viewing and package options as well as more competitive prices. Over the years, satellite receivers have become more technical and now offer a variety of options to choose from. So, how exact... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Chris Marshall @ Wednesday, 16th May 2007 @ 12:41 AM

Virgin Media (VM) has taken Sky to court in the latest step in the ongoing public row between the two companies. Sky and Virgin Media fell out at the beginning of March over the price to be charged for the carriage of the Sky Basic Channels by the cable TV provider. The two sides failed to reach an agreement before the previous contract expired and as a result VM customers lost the Sky Basic Channels, including Sky One, Sky News and Sky Sports News. The very public fall-out and su... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Riley Hendersen @ Friday, 11th May 2007 @ 12:33 AM

Satellite receivers used to be large, clunky devices, that most homeowners had to give up their entire backyards to enjoy. The prohibitive size and the frequency these creations failed to actually receive the signals desired combined to make satellite an option that only a few pursued. Nowadays, however, satellite receivers have changed a lot. From their size to their reliability levels, these devices have come a long way through the years. While a satellite receiver will still be necessa... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Riley Hendersen @ Monday, 7th May 2007 @ 12:30 AM

Whether it's television, radio or telephone service that's desired, if satellite power is what a person wants, satellite descrambler devices will be needed to get the job done. Not all satellite descrambler devices are alike, however, but most come along with the packages purchased. A satellite descrambler is nothing more than a device that makes a satellite signal understandable. For example, a descrambler hooked up to a television receives and deciphers the signal so the pictu... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Troy Degarnham @ Thursday, 26th April 2007 @ 3:36 PM

Satellite TV packages are a collection of television channels that you purchase for a flat monthly fee from a direct broadcast satellite provider. The two main providers in the United States, Dish Network and Direct TV, provide a variety of package to meet the needs of varied households. Both offer several different packages. The simplest is the "family package", which provides local programming, plus a limited number of cable network channels. The selection is focused on whole... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Stephen Morgan @ Thursday, 26th April 2007 @ 9:26 AM

In these days of ever increasing charges for this service and for that service, increasing cable TV bills and so on it is refreshing to be reminded that there are actually available free alternatives to all of this, if you know where to look. If you know where to look is the key phrase here and then also if you also know to get access to them. Sounds great does it not but to those who are of the firm belief that there is no such thing as a free lunch then you are partly correct in ... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Chris James @ Wednesday, 25th April 2007 @ 1:49 PM

Digital TV is a means of transmitting picture and sound to your TV set. It is done by converting the pictures and sound into computerised bits of information and compressing it, then transmitting it from as transmitter to your aerial. The signal is then converted back into pictures and sound by your TV using a decoder. Digital TV provides the potential for hundreds of channels and services via a TV. This is because the digital signal is compressed, meaning it takes up less space in the airwaves,... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Ray La Foy @ Tuesday, 24th April 2007 @ 8:56 PM

A computer is one heck of a tool for working on. It can launch ships. Run incredibly complicated calculations and it can even help organize almost endless amounts of data. But, where a computer at home really shines is in the fact it's one heck of an entertainment device. Now, as the power of the computer is tapped into more readily, the PC TV is stepping forward to offer new entertainment solutions. The PC TV offers some advantages over regular television that were previously only i... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Riley Hendersen @ Tuesday, 24th April 2007 @ 8:38 PM

With more satellite providers coming online all the time, the age of cable television is slowly starting to come to an end. The advantages satellite has over regular cable are becoming more and more clear as subscribers to services such as Dish Network Satellite TV begin to grow. While it used to be services like Dish Network Satellite TV only worked on sunny days when the dish was held just right, technological advances have made images of people standing on their roofs to enhance recept... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Bill Reckwerdt @ Monday, 23rd April 2007 @ 12:36 AM

Over recent decades, the role of video images has grown steadily. Advances in technologies underlying the capture, transfer, storage, and display of images have created situations where communicating using images has become economically feasible. More importantly, video images are in many situations an extremely efficient way of communicating as witnessed by the proverb "a picture is worth a 1000 words." Notwithstanding these technological advances, the current state of the art re... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Troy Degarnham @ Friday, 20th April 2007 @ 11:08 AM

First of all, unlike earlier satellite communications which relied on a motorized dish to chase the mobile satellites across the sky, modern satellites are placed into a geosynchronous orbit about 37,000 km (22,300 miles) up. This means that they always remain above the same point on the earth's surface. That way, all dishes on the earth can be pointed at a fixed location, and the satellite will always be there. The signal to be broadcast originates at an "uplink center", w... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Roy Edwards @ Friday, 13th April 2007 @ 1:04 PM

If you're like me, I can't seem to do anything just one thing at a time. I have to be able to do multiple things all the time and that includes watching sports events. Watching one sports event at a time just doesn't work for me, I want to watch multiple sports events and Satellite Sports TV with the right TV makes it easy. Using either a split screen picture, picture-in-picture (PIP), or multiple televisions you can watch several sports events at the same time. In the wo... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Chris Marshall @ Friday, 6th April 2007 @ 2:28 PM

The date has been set for the first Digital TV switchover in the UK. The analogue TV signal will be turned off from 17 October in Whitehaven area of western Cumbria. First to go will be BBC2 before being followed by the remaining analogue channels on November 14. The move means that the 25,000 residents of Whitehaven will have to switch to Digital TV by those dates in order to keep receiving TV. In order to receive Digital TV people will need to purchase a Freeview set-top box or subscri... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Bill Reckwerdt @ Thursday, 5th April 2007 @ 2:24 PM

This paper explores the challenges Video Encoder (MPEG, JPEG, WAVLET Compression) Equipment Manufacturers face when assessing video quality. Assessing video quality ultimately depends on the customer's reaction on their new display (PC, POD, TV, etc.). For visual and audio data, some loss of quality can be tolerated without losing the essential nature of the data. By taking advantage of the limitations of the human sensory system, a great deal of space can be saved while producing a... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Bill Reckwerdt @ Thursday, 5th April 2007 @ 2:21 PM

This paper explores the challenges Broadcasters face when assessing video quality. Many factors affect the video before it gets to the TV: compression, image processing, scaling, decoding, transmission, etc. Video processing and compression algorithms change the characteristics of the original program in the quest of reducing the bandwidth needed to send the programming information to the home. The art is to do this without allowing the audience to perceive a change in video quality. Suc... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Bill Reckwerdt @ Thursday, 5th April 2007 @ 2:20 PM

This paper explores the challenges Video Equipment Manufacturers face when assessing video quality. Assessing video quality ultimately depends on the customer's reaction on their new display (PC, POD, TV, etc.). Set-top box (STB) functions are continually advancing, but the customers' reactions are usually centered on the quality of the picture. So testing is increasing important. The test setup simply stated is * Start with a known video sequence. * Decode the processed... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Daniel Millions @ Wednesday, 4th April 2007 @ 8:24 PM

Satellite is often considered one of the biggest improvements in broadcasting since the introduction of the FM band. Satellite radio is also called subscription radio or pay-radio because it is only available trough subscription to one of the satellite radio providing companies. Satellite follows a concept similar to cable television by providing a very wide range of programs which are not available in the traditional FM or AM format for a fee. Satellite uses satellites to deli... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Reginald Sharp @ Friday, 23rd March 2007 @ 11:12 AM

This article will help you make an informed decision about why you should choose satellite TV. What Is Satellite TV? Satellite TV is a wireless system for delivering television programming directly to a viewer's house or business. A small dish, about 18 to 24 inches in diameter, is installed outside your house or business. Television and satellite stations transmit programming via a radio signal. How Does It Work? Broadcast stations use a powerful antenna to tran... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Riley Hendersen @ Wednesday, 21st March 2007 @ 12:53 AM

Satellite receivers are pieces of equipment that are used to capture satellite signals whether for radio or television. Satellite radio and satellite television both use different types of satellite receivers in order to relay the signals to the consumer. A satellite receiver can be a tool, such as a satellite dish, or something as little as a card, such as for a satellite radio, which simply channels in a certain frequency. Satellite equipment usually includes a satellite dish that i... more...

Technology » Cable and Satellite TV | By Stephanie Foster @ Tuesday, 20th March 2007 @ 4:18 AM

This is one of those hard questions to answer. It is not as straightforward as it may seem. Which option is best for you depends on what is offered in your area as well as your own needs. Cable television certainly has a lot of advantages, especially now that digital options are available. Lots of channels and a wonderful range of packages to choose from. Many companies will give you the option to have service on multiple televisions as well. Cable television is also available in m... more...