All About Satellite TV

By using digital satellite TV signals, the picture quality is as close to high definition as can be obtained with less than three LNB inputs in your receiver. LNB stands for Low Noise Block-downconvertor (so called because it converts a whole band or "block" of frequencies to a lower band). Digital technology for television signals has been around awhile and is what enables video recorders to be used without video tape.

One of the benefits of digital satellite TV signals is that they can be directed to multiple receivers, enabling you to watch a different program on different receivers, if your satellite is equipped with two or more LNB lines. The signal being bounced back to Earth by digital satellite TV companies is not able to be received or viewed with most analog systems and offers a better quality picture over the area it covers.

Connecting the same output from your receiver to multiple television sets will only enable you to watch the same program on all of the sets connected. If you have a recorder connected to your digital satellite TV, digital or videocassette, with one LNB input you can only record the channel you are watching. With a dual LND system you can record one channel while watching different programming on your television set.

The Quality of Digital Beats Analog Reception

Signals sent by a digital satellite TV system are less prone to interference from electronic influences such as spurious transmissions on the same frequency and weather patterns. Such was the case with the old UHF and VHF broadcast frequencies. While the signal could travel through certain barriers, the strength of the signal was significantly lost as it traveled greater distances.

Digital satellite TV signals are received by the satellite dish and then transmitted into your receiver inside your house where the signal is unscrambled into its digital format, based on the programming you have subscribed to, which is stored on the acrd inside your unit. As you change your programming options, the card is update to reflect the changes by your satellite TV service provider.

One of the drawbacks to digital satellite TV service is that heavy clouds or storms skies can block the signal, much like a tree, building or hill will interfere. However, once the weather has cleared the area the signal and television service will be restored automatically. These outages normally are very brief, often only a few minutes, depending on the intensity of the overcast condition and the speed with which it passes.