Installing A Satellite TV DishIn the past, it is very costly for a television viewer to have his own satellite TV system. A satellite TV dish and some electronic devices cost from $2000 to$10000. That rate does not yet include the fee for having the satellite TV dish installed. Much to the delight of many couch potatoes, that scenario is already a thing of the past. With the ongoing tight competition between satellite TV providers, subscribing to a satellite TV system is no longer a financial burden. A satellite TV dish is installed usually in the rooftop of a subscriber. Modern dish designs are compact so it is relatively easy to place them up there. The dish functions like an antenna that receives signals from a broadcast source or a transmitting satellite dish. A standard satellite TV dish has a parabolic surface and a feed horn. In the case of a home dish satellite, the curved dish picks up signals from a source and reflects these signals inward to the feed horn. A feedhorn filters noise from the signal and transfers the filtered signal to the satellite receiver, which in turn, passes it to the television equipment.
Known as the biggest satellite television providers in the US, DirecTV and DISH Network give free satellite dishes and other satellite television equipment. They are part of the introductory packages that they offer to encourage new subscriptions. Professional installation of the system is also included in these special packages. There are several dish types that are offered by both DirecTV and DISH Network. The type of receiver and dish that will be given to a subscriber depends on the kind of subscription service that he or she will avail. The sizes of a satellite TV dish range from 18 inches to 16 inches by 22 inches. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a regulatory body in the United States, allow the installation of a satellite TV dish that is 1 meter or smaller in size even without prior consent from a homeowners group or zoning board. Condominium and town house residents are also allowed to do provided that the satellite TV dish is installed in their private property. It is not recommended to install the dish inside the house because it has to be in a straight line of sight facing south through a window. Moreover, the satellite signal picked up may be compromised by the kind of window glass used in the house. This will result to low picture and sound quality. Ideally, a satellite dish should be installed in an outside location that allow good view of southern sky and free on obstructions like trees, buildings or hillsides. Some households have more than 1 television set. A multiple TV system can be done either using a single satellite receiver or through multiple satellite receivers. Moreover, a multiple TV system using only one satellite receiver can only view the same television channel on every TV. Using multiple satellite receivers with multiple television sets, on the other hand, will make it possible to watch different channels for every TV set. |