Satellite TV Basics - continued

      The second major type of satellite TV is DBS which have small, stationary dish (18 inches to 3 feet across). In the US there are currently 2 major types of DBS satellite systems. Each DBS system requires it's own special receiving equipment and has it's own programming line up. The 2 major types of DBS systems are DIRECTV and DISH Network.

      There are only a couple of choices in satellite TV dish systems. The Direct Broadcasting System (DBS) features a small, easy to install satellite dish and a digital quality picture and a host of channels. Conventional large satellite dish systems also provides all the channels but it is hard to install and requires some maintenance.

      The programming packages for the DBS satellite dish systems comes from the manufacturer of the DBS hardware. You can choose the programming, then get the hardware that comes with it, or choose your preferred brand of hardware, then subscribe to the programming that's available for it.

      The large C-band satellite dish systems offer unlimited number of channels and you may not need to subscribe for its programming. But it is now a slow market, with only one company manufacturing C-band receivers. The giant 7/12-foot C-band satellite TV dish systems require professional installation and ongoing maintenance.

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