Satellite television works by bouncing television signals from space back down to a receiver on earth. The primary power sources of the satellites are solar panels. There are three types of satellites. One type is geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO). These satellites stay stationary above one spot on earth. They are mainly used for 24-hour non-stop communication and are usually orbit the farthest away from earth. The second type is middle earth orbit (MEO). This satellite travels at lower speed than the earth. The third type is low earth orbit (LEO). Both of these satellites are used mainly for GPS. According to class lecture, the satellite works by using a transponder to receive signals from an earth antenna, then amplifies it, and then sends the signal back down to proper receivers. An uplink the communication paths from a ground station to its satellite. A downlink is the communication paths from a satellite to its ground station.
Satellite has taken a downfall in the past decade, especially with the competition from cable television and IPTV. There is competition for more services from cable TV like the “triple play”. The triple play offers Internet telephone and cable TV. This is why satellite falls short because it cannot offer all three of these services. It is difficult for satellite to provide Internet.
Satellite has had a significant impact on people since its inception in the 1970s. It has given them the ability to have so many channels at the tip of their fingertips. Not only has the use of satellite changed the way people view television here in the US; it has impacted countries all over the world. Saudi Arabia is one example. “During the 1980s, the spread of satellite dishes was limited; only elite, wealthy Saudis could afford dishes and the mandatory electronic equipment needed to decode incoming signals. However, several technological and economic changes during the 1990s made it possible for a larger number of Saudis to own satellite technology.” (Marghalani, 1998). Advancement in technology during the mid 1990s made it possible for people in countries such as Saudi Arabia to have access to satellite television. Although this may be an outdated fact, it is still important to point out that even though this technology seems to be like it is everywhere, that was not always the case in other countries.
Marghalani, K., Palmgreen, P., & Boyd, D. A. (1998). The utilization of direct satellite broadcasting (DBS) in saudi arabia. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 42(3), 297-314. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/619361697?accountid=7122
Fernando Garcia
Fernando Garcia
Satellite is indeed slacking when it comes to digital home service. Although I always thought it was cool when I would go to my friends place and be amazed by all of the channels, I prefer cable for the reception and package deals. Also, I feel that cable is just more accepted, so when friends go from house to house, there isn't a lot of rememorizing channels.
ReplyDelete-Zach Taylor
I see the advantages of Satellite TV and know many friends who have Satellite TV. However in my opinion, it seems that the main advantage and why friends I know have gotten "Dish" is because of a lower cost. Cable costs have skyrocketed, but I do prefer my cable service for many reasons that I also hear from the majority of people as well. It is to be seen who will be the leading competitors in the future between Satellite and cable.
ReplyDelete-Kendall DeWall
I am very familiar with satellite television because this is what I grew up watching. So a lot of the information in your blog is true. Satellite has definitely declined over the past years. But back when my parents first purchased satellite TV it was very popular. It was the best source for us because we lived out in the country. Our dish was 11 feet tall and 11 feet wide. It offered a lot of channels but like we talked about in class, it would take awhile for the channels to change because we had to wait for the satellite to switch over. That was slightly annoying. Also another irritating thing about having satellite was all the televisions were connected. So if someone was upstairs watching a show the same thing would be streaming on a television in another part of the house and we were forced to watch it. That was really annoying!
ReplyDeleteMy parents have now switched over to Direct TV and I feel it’s way better. We don’t have to deal with some of the hassles that we had with satellite. Direct TV offers way more freedom.
*-Amorretta Crayton-*
Im familiar with satellite TV and its practicalities and i agree that it has revolutionized the way people look at TV. In fact, it is extremely difficult for many countries to have cable accessible for everyone and it has been satellite TV that has become the solution. Since, people cant get cable its easier for them to just get satellite TV and the problem is gone. Although, i think the problem within the US comes to be more about the price and personal preference, rather than accessibility.
ReplyDeleteMiguel Trejo