Direct TV Satellite Dish

The digital satellite dish is one of components needed to receive satellite TV. The satellite dish is responsible for receiving the signal from the satellite that is in orbit around the earth, and then transferring those signals to the receiver located inside the house.

Satellite dishes used to be large, bulky things that took up almost an entire yard or rooftop, making them impractical for most homes and impossible for people who lived in condos, town homes, apartments, or houses with small yards. As a result, satellite dishes were mostly reserved for businesses and the very wealthy.

Now, advanced technology has made it so anyone can have satellite TV. Satellite dishes now are so small they can be mounted to a dormer on the house or on an apartment balcony. They are small and discreet enough to be used by people who live in apartments as well.

How Does A Satellite Dish Work?

In order for a receiver to work, a number of things need to be in place. For the channels to relay onto the television screen, a process like this is followed:

• The broadcast center first receives signals from programming sources. Programming sources are the actual channels themselves; Direct TV and Dish, for example, don't own all of their programming sources - they pay the channels themselves (like Disney or HBO) to broadcast them. When the broadcast center receives the signals from the programming sources, it sends a broadcast signal to satellites that orbit the Earth.
• Next, the satellites in orbit receive these signals from the broadcast center and then bounce them back down to the ground.
• The customer's satellite dish senses and picks up these signals from the satellites. Then, they are sent to the receiver located in the house. Satellite dishes are usually located on the side of the house and are now pretty small, less than 20 inches in length.
• The receiver takes the signals and, in essence, "unscrambles" it and broadcasts it into a picture onto the television set.

So you can see, the satellite dish is a crucial element for receiving satellite television.

Direct TV Satellite Dishes

A satellite dish itself is an expensive piece of equipment. In addition, installation can be time-consuming and costly, as it must be done professionally.
Direct TV utilizes independent dealers to sell, install, and promote their services. But like most companies, these satellite dealers are in competition with each other and try to attract customers by providing a number of incentives, like free equipment or installation.

Satellite dealers have deals like this all the time, so there really is no reason to have to pay for the installation of your dish or the dish itself. Finding the best satellite deal takes a little research and, in some cases, a little time while you wait for the right deal or promotion to come around.

Once you purchase your service from Direct TV, the technician will come and install it for you. He or she will place it in an optimal spot, so there really is no need to climb on to the roof and rotate it in the event you receive bad reception.

Customers should never attempt to "fix" or adjust their satellite dish themselves. Doing so could jeopardize not only their own safety, but the warranty and service guarantee. Direct TV has a pretty good customer service program, so in the event that your satellite dish may be experiencing technical difficulties, you can call Direct TV and they will have it repaired by a certified technician.