TV satellite service became available long before the arrival of DishNetwork and Direct TV. In the early 1970s, several private companies launched geosynchronous satellites capable of transmitting signals from an originating source to multiple receiving outlets. A geosynchronous satellite is one that maintains a position above one area of the earth at all times. HBO became the first outfit to deliver dish programming to cable companies in 1976. Soon multiple programmers followed suit and the TV satellite service industry was primed for growth.
In satellite's early days, there was no official TV satellite service. What started out as a small number of programmers using satellites to deliver signal to cable companies quickly grew. Initially, dish programming signals were unencrypted. This prompted a Stanford University professor to develop a home satellite dish capable of receiving signal. The professor even sent a $100 check to HBO to pay for the dish programming he received. To his astonishment, they sent the check back to him, stating they only dealt with cable companies not individuals. Eventually, the professor published a how-to guide for building home satellite dishes and founded a company that produced parts capable of receiving dish programming signals. These home satellite dishes were quite large, cost thousands of dollars, but effectively displayed high resolution TV and larger flux of channels than cable TV providers. Once a person had a home satellite dish installed, they could receive dish programming signals without paying monthly fees. A significant number of people actually enjoyed free TV satellite service in their homes for years. Eventually, dish programming providers realized the value of their signal that was being given away free and successfully persuaded congress to allow them to encrypt their signals. Thus, free TV satellite service was no more.
The satellite industry grew and individual dish programming providers quickly realized they couldn't survive if they tried to work as their own TV satellite providers. Consequently, they sought out companies to perform that role for them and the public witnessed the birth of official TV satellite providers. Multiple companies jumped into the TV satellite provider business, notably Primestar and Direct TV. Perhaps the greatest boon to TV satellite providers was the emergence of compact and affordable satellite dishes.
Years back, ownership changes and industry consolidation yielded DishNetwork and Direct TV, today's key TV satellite providers. Both provide access to hundreds of all digital channels, free satellite equipment and installation. Their customer base is large and their service is affordable and reliable. They're also capable of delivering TV satellite service in some of the nation's most remote spots.
Cable and satellite? What's the difference? Though cable has been in existence longer, it's rare to find industry insiders other than cable TV providers that actually consider cable superior to satellite. Here's a look at some basic differences between cable and satellite TV service. For starters, their infrastructure differs. Cable TV providers in your area run their signal through miles of underground coaxial line all the way to subscriber homes. TV satellite providers don't rely on underground service to deliver programming. Instead, TV satellite providers beam signals from geosynchronous satellites to dishes mounted to the roofs of subscriber homes. In general, TV satellite service is more reliable than cable, with both DishNetwork and Direct TV providing 99.9% signal reliability, a feat cable TV providers in any area can't match. Overall, TV satellite service prices run lower than cable while also offering more channels. Of course, cable and satellite do share some common traits. Both offer access to premium channels, on-demand video, DVR technology, and channels in HD. On the subject of HD, only at TV satellite provider like DishNetwork can deliver full 1080 p picture, currently the highest resolution available.