Video Transmission Via Satellite Essays - Satellite Broadcasting

Video Transmission Via Satellite Video Transmission via Satellite Abstract Direct Broadcast satellite (DBS) delivers hundreds of TV channels to millions of people around the world. Satellite owners buy slots in space and lease assigned transponder frequencies to service providers. In this paper, I briefly introduce the history and development of DBS, the major vendors of the products, and overall market situation. In order to illustrate why DBS is such a popular technology, I also give out the comparison between DBS and the traditional cable TV. Both of them have advantages and disadvantages. But the competitive advantages of DBS will make it attract more subscribers thus gain larger market share in the future. 1. The History About Satellite TV The Beginning Most network and cable programs are transmitted on a series of C-band satellites and some Ku-band satellites. These two types of satellites use different frequencies much as VHF and UHF broadcast TV use different frequencies. Communications satellites were originally designed for commercial purposes for sending telephone, radio, TV, and other signals across the country and around the world for retransmission to businesses and homes by local telephone companies, TV stations, or cable companies. Enterprising individuals soon learned to build satellite dish receivers to pick up these signals at their own home, and begin making and selling these systems to homeowners around the country, thus beginning the era of home satellite TV. During the 1980's and early 1990's, several million of these C-band systems were sold with dishes generally around the 10' diameter size. One of the early pioneers in the C-band business was Charlie Ergan who founded Echosphere Corporation. Modern Times As home satellite systems became more popular, programmers such as HBO and others realized that they could not continue to give away their programs free to millions of home dish owners. A scrambling system was then developed so their signals were no longer broadcast in the clear for everyone with a dish to pick up without any payment to the program developers. The subscribers were addressable, so that the programmer could turn channels on and off by a code sent over the satellite signal, depending on what channel was paid for by the owner. A few channels were broadcasted on the higher frequency Ku-band satellites, and some hybrid C/Ku-band systems were sold, but Ku reception never became very popular due to the difficulties in receiving the Ku channels and to the lack of sufficient programming on these satellites. In the early 1990's four large cable companies launched a Direct Broadcast Satellite, or DBS system called Primestar using an existing medium power Ku-band satellite and a 36 dish. In 1994, the GM Hughes DirecTV system was launched using a newly designed high power Ku-band satellite and an 18 dish. These systems provided great pictures and stereo sound on 150-200 video and audio channels, and the small dish era began in a serious way. Two years later, the EchoStar Dish Network system was launched. A forth DBS system, Alphastar, attempted to get started but eventually went out of business. Since the beginning of the DirecTV satellite system in 1994, sales of these small dish systems has exploded, making this the most successful introduction of new technology ever. With the launch of a Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) system from EchoStar, and the continuing success of the DirecTV system, as well as the cable-owned Primestar system (now bought out by DirecTV), the choices can look bewildering. Across America, more than one of every 20 homes has a satellite dish. Several states now boast satellite television penetration figures exceeding 10% of all TV households, with one state, Montana, having dishes in more than one out of every six homes. This explosion in the popularity of direct-to-home (DTH) satellite technology may surprise many casual observers since many Americans (and most of the media) have only learned about satellite TV in the last two years. Indeed, DBS represents the most successful consumer product introduction in history, easily outperforming CE stalwarts like the color TV, VCR and CD player. The industry survived not only because it has a good product but also because many of those early pioneers simply wouldn't let the dream slip away. Those pioneers, carrying the scars of their battle, are now leading this industry into the digital