The first satellite TV signal was transmitted from Europe to the Telestar satellite, which at the time was positioned over North America, in 1962. The following year saw the launch of the first geosynchronous communications satellite.
Satellites with geosynchronous orbits are crucial to the satellite TV technology. They orbit the Earth at a speed consistent with the Earth's rotation. Because of this, they stay in the same relative part of sky at all times, meaning that satellite TV customers must only position their satellite dishes once, and then need not worry further about finding a signal.
In 1965, the first commercial communications satellite, dubbed Intelsat I, was launched.
The First Provider
In 1967, Orbita was created in the Soviet Union, officially becoming the world's first satellite television provider. The technology made it's way to North America in 1972 and further spread throughout the world in the following years.
While the basic principles of satellite television have remained unchanged since those early days, refinements in the technology have made it far more viable as an alternative to cable.
The switch to digital from analog signals was probably the biggest advance in satellite TV. An analog signal transmits information through variations in the strength of a signal.
A good way to think of an analog signal is to imagine a long rope with one end tied to a tree and the other end in your hand. If you snap the rope, you'll see the curved section moving from your hand to the tree.
An analog signal is much like that curved, moving section. Digital signals are comprised of ones and zeros. It is much harder to corrupt an digital signal compared to an analog signal.
When used for a technology that transmits signals across over 20,000 miles from the satellite to the receiver dish on your roof, having a stable signal is crucial.
The Advent of HD
Over the past few years, high definition television has proven itself to be the future of viewing. Cable companies have started to transmit some of their signals in high definition, however their overall capacity for high definition is determined by how much information can physically be transmitted along the actual cables.
Because it transmits signals through the air, Satellite TV isn't hindered by these restrictions.
The service was initially only embraced by the avid TV enthusiasts who were willing to put up with the expense and inconvenience of installing a satellite dish in their yards. These customers would also need to have ample space available in those yards, as early dishes were much larger than the compact dishes that dot rooftops today.
However, satellite TV did provide a range of viewing options that dwarfed cable and broadcast systems at the time. Many networks that are now available on extended cable packages began their life on satellite TV, catering to the specialized demographic who were willing to invest in satellite technology.
How Does It Work?
Satellite TV systems work using the same principle as broadcast TV. In broadcast TV, a signal is transmitted through the air and picked up by TV antennas.
In a few key areas, this system was limited. The first was the number of available viewers. The signal was broadcast in a straight line and because of the curve of the Earth, the signal would eventually go outwards into space.
To receive a broadcast signal, its necessary to be in a line of sight with the radiowaves of the broadcast antenna. Because of amospheric conditions, you would rarely see a distant broadcast tower unless it was an exceptionally clear day, with vision over buildings and trees etc.).
Another fault of broadcast TV was that the signal became weak or distorted in some areas. You may have noticed that, years ago, someone living in a hilly region may have erected a large antenna tower in order to collect signals that could not directly reach a TV's antenna because of the surrounding landscape.
As said before, satellite TV works on the same principle of broadcast TV, but varies in several significant ways.
How Satellite TV Is Different
First of all, let's talk about the line of sight issue.
Because the signal is being broadcast from a much higher point than an antenna tower, the reach of the signal is much farther. Satellites go around the Earth in what is called a geosynchronous orbit, which means that they are moving at the same speed that the Earth rotates, so they are constantly over the same part of the planet.
A big advantage in this system is that your satellite dish will only need to be aligned with the satellite once, because the relative position of the satellite remains constant.
Also, because the signal is from a constant, unchanging source, the signal quality is higher. For anybody who lived in the days of adjusting a TV's bunny-ears antenna hoping for a good signal, that is definitely a relief.
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