Well, there are several options available to viewers, depending on your requirements. You have the choice of Sky Digital, Fixed European Satellite & Motorised Satellite Systems. But in this article, were going to cover Sky Digital and the benefits it provides the viewer compared to the old analogue.

So, Why Sky Digital:
As opposed to the old analogue system, where you had to have a 60cm satellite dish installed, Sky Digital is now available through what is called a mini-dish, which is much less of an eyesore as the conventional system.

Furthermore, Sky digital will cater for all audiences, from entertainment channels with comedy and dramas, movies including latest releases, music channels for you to keep up to date with the latest chart releases, or listen to your favourite genre, then theres the radio stations, cartoon channels and news/documentary stations. There is a whole list of channels, available on different packages ranging from 15 to 42.50 (not including additional premium channels) per month.

What else can Sky do? Well, theres

The Interactive Services:
The interactive services provided by Sky (telephone connection required and charged at a per minute rate) give the viewer the option to purchase goods through their Sky Digital Receiver.

By pressing a button on their controller, you will access the interactive services page, and then can choose whether to go shopping for goods, from a range of stores you can find on the high street and online, so youll never have to leave your sofa again!

If your not interested in shopping but after entertainment, there are a range of games available to play, as well as competitions to participate in, a friends & dating section, and also a health and lifestyle section providing information on a wide range of related issues. You can also check availability and whats on at your local cinema!

The Sky+ & Multi Room Systems:
Ever wanted to watch a film when another film you wanted is being shown at the same time on a separate channel? We all have, and it is frustrating, having to choose which of the two your going to watch.

Well, with Sky+, youll have that problem no more. You can keep up-to-date with your favourite soap, and record another programme at the same time, and it will be stored in your Sky+ receivers Hard Drive for viewing later. No more will you and your partner have to argue on who is going to miss their programme this week!

Sky+ also gives the viewer the ability to pause what youre watching. No, not just the recording, but what your watching in real time can be stopped. So, when you receive those annoying sales calls in the middle of the night, and your just getting into your film and dont want to miss any of it, you can now hit pause, answer the call then get back to film and carry on where you left of! Then when the film is ended, switch back to real-time to carry on viewing as normal.

With Sky+, an upgrade to your dish will have to me made, and a new receiver will have to be installed, which will have an integrated hard drive to record your programmes.

With the dish upgraded, you will also be able to have your existing box moved to another room in your property, so if your family want to watch cartoons, and your more interested in a film or the news, you can watch both, at the same time, in separate rooms (additional monthly fees will apply). This is called Sky Multiroom.

This can be extended as much as you want, providing you have the correct equipment installed.

Freesat From Sky:
Not want to pay a subscription, but still want Digital TV channels? Why not opt for the Freesat service available from Sky.

Very similar to a normal Sky system, but you dont have to pay a monthly subscription, and will get a number of free digital channels (approximately 200) for your viewing pleasure.

Sky HD:
Sky HD is High Definition Television broadcast from Sky. Not familiar with HD?

HD or HDTV is the latest generation of digital TV, providing life-like picture quality, at least four times superior to current standards. It will provide extremely clear and fine picture detail with richer colours, improving the visual experience.

At launch, HDTV is thought to be available from Sky. In order to view programmes broadcast in ‘High Definition’, a soon to be released HDTV Sky Receiver with Sky+ technology will be required. In addition, the benefit of High Definition will only be apparent through a HDTV television (ideally plasma or LCD).

Please note, not all Plasma & LCD televisions currently available are HDTV compatible. It is expected to become available in the first quarter of 2006.

About the Author: http://www.aerial-satellites.co.uk One of the UK’s largest independant TV Aerial & Satellite TV Installation Companies.

Written By: Mark Barnes

How a Satellite Dish Works

By Gary Davis

Dish-Network-Satellite-TV.ws

Webmasters: You may reprint this article in its entirety, providing you leave the Byline and About the Author sections intact, including the links to Dish Network Satellite TV.

A satellite dish is an antenna designed to focus on a specific broadcast source. The standard dish consists of a parabolic (bowl-shaped) surface and a central feed horn. A controller sends it through the horn, and the dish focuses the signal into a relatively narrow beam.

A narrow beam is generated as the dish reflects energy from the feed horn.

The satellite dish on the receiving end can only receive information; it cannot transmit information. The receiving dish works in the exact opposite way of the transmitter. When a beam hits the curved dish, the parabola shape reflects the radio signal inward onto a particular point, just like a concave mirror focuses light onto a particular point.

The curved dish focuses incoming radio waves onto the feed horn.

The feed horn then passes the signal onto the receiving equipment. Ideally, there will be no obstructions, such as trees to interfere with the signal from the satellite to the satellite dish. With no obstructions you receive a much clearer signal.

Some systems are set up to receive signals from more than one satellite. A new dish design uses two or more horns to pick up different satellite signals. As the beams from different satellites hit the curved dish, they reflect at different angles so
that one beam hits one of the horns and another beam hits a different horn.

The central element in the feed horn is the LNB (low noise blockdown converter) The LNB amplifies the radio signal bouncing off the dish and filters out the noise (radio signals not carrying programming). The LNB passes the amplified, filtered signal to the satellite receiver inside the viewer’s house.

A cable is run from the satellite dish into the house and then connects to the satellite TV receiver (black box) thus completing the connection.

About the Author

Gary Davis is owner of Dish Network Satellite TV, has several years experience in the Satellite TV Industry and has written several articles on satellite TV.

Written By: Gary Davis