Satellite TV was the rainbow after the storm in my life. I had just left my drudge of a job, as an overworked sales clerk. I was bored at home, feeling really low. I did a lot of looking around in stores and window shopping just to get out of the house. I saw a promotion in the window of one of the video stores in town. It was for a satellite TV system on sale. Since I didn't have cable TV At the time, this ad really attracted me.

I went in and had a look at the quality and content of the satellite programming being shown on one of the TV sets showing it. The picture was so impressive. The picture quality was so crystal clear, and sharp. The brochure the clerk provided me indicated that there were over 50 channels to watch. Of course I jumped at the chance to brighten up my life.

That evening the store owner installed the dish. He laid the cable and hooked everything up. The system was turned on and then nothing. The receiver had to wait to be activated. This took over 24 hours to occur. When it started working it was terrific. It featured all the movie channels one could wish for. HBO, Cinemax, the Movie Channel, the independent Film Channel, and more. There were more sports channels than one could watch. MTV quickly became one of my favourites. Shows like Road Rules, and The Real World, made my day. It was like being in touch with a world I had never known.

Satellite TV signal reception has vulnerabilities. During heavy rain or snow storms, the amount of data carried in the signal is reduced, sometimes so much so that the computer which constructs the picture on the screen, can't do its job. When this happens little blocks pop up on the screen. This is called picture break up. If the rain or snow storm becomes more heavy, the data will became so reduced that the video freezes its movement. The computer crashes. Unplugging the receiver, removing and reinserting the smart card usually fixes the computer crash. When the storm has passed and the dish can receive, the satellite TV data at a normal signal strength, everything will work, normally once the receiver is plugged in and turned on.

When I moved residences, I had to reinstall the Satellite TV dish. This involves attaching a mast to the wall of your house, with a clear view of the southern sky. That means no trees, houses, or anything, in the way of the line of sight the dish has to the satellite location in the sky. The mast must be levelled vertically. The satellite dish is placed on the mast and set to the approximately height and direction of the satellite location in the sky. The receiver is then connected to the wire lead from the dish, and the TV. When the receiver is turned on and put in tuning mode, a graph will display the satellite signal strength. The satellite dish is moved ever so gently by a hairs width, up and down, side to side, until you reach the highest satellite signal strength. This gives you the best chance of viewing longer during a rain or snow storm.

On the whole satellite TV is the best TV viewing you can experience. You usually get more for your dollar, and it's worth every penny spent.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Satellite TV
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