Satellite Television Basics

Satellite television is a lot like broadcast television. Both satellite stations and broadcast television transmit programming via radio waves.


Broadcast stations use powerful land-based antennas to transmit radio signal to the surrounding areas so viewers can pick up that signal with a smaller antenna. Broadcast antennas send their signals in a straight line. In order to receive the signals you must be in an antenna's line of sight. Because our planet is curved, the signal's line of sight breaks and the broadcasting range is limited. Even in the viewing area the signal is frequently distorted.


Satellite television eliminates these problems by transmitting signals from satellites located about 22,200 miles (35,500 km) above the Earth, dramatically increasing the line of sight, so that the signal can cover a much larger number of subscribers. The TV satellites are in geosynchronous orbit, which means that they stay in one place in the sky relative to the Earth. This is because each satellite revolves around the planet once every 24 hours – and that is the same period of time it takes our planet to make one full rotation.


Satellite television systems broadcast and receive radio signals using specialized antennas called satellite dishes.

Next: The Components of a Satellite Television System