Satellite HD Television Comparison
When investigating satellite TV you need the right equipment to receive the signal. Even if you switch satellite services, you need new equipment. This is because each satellite company has a different signal and needs the right dish to recognize its signal.
A satellite TV receiver first receives the signal from the satellite dish on your roof via a coaxial cable. The receiver then decodes the information packets and sends it along to your TV via coaxial cable.
It all starts from video broadcast that is encoded and bounced off a satellite in orbit. The compressed signal (MPEG-4 technology) has twice as much HD video and the previous MPEG-2 technology and is standard today. The video signal is unencrypted by the receiver so no one gets it for free without proper access.
The most common type of satellite orbit is the geostationary orbit. Because of the velocity of the satellite and the perfect balance between the gravitation force of the earth, the satellite maintains a stationary orbit.
A new oval, slightly larger super dish is available for even more enhanced reception and it is called fittingly, SuperDish. It allows you to receive signals from different satellite locations so you get even more programming.
High definition transmission like arrives as either 1080i - 1920×1080 pixels interlaced or 720p - 1280×720 pixels progressive. The 1080i is a sharper image for slow action and not a lot of movement pictures. Whereas, 720p allows more distinction for fast action video such as sports or animals in flight.
There are a lot of options when it comes to digital television reception. Cable companies have been known to raise rates while the satellite companies generally don’t raise rates. Also, satellite allows for more diversified programming and channel selection.
There may be a few competing cable companies in your area. For satellite deals, however, you will have only two choices.