Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Comparison between Satellite and Cable TV


The difference between satellite TV and a cable TV lies in the technology. What is a satellite TV? What is a cable TV? How do they work? How are both the technologies similar? Which one is better? These questions will bring out the difference between the two. So, let us explore them.

What is a satellite TV?
Satellite television is the television which uses the communication with the satellites for the transmission of the television signals. Satellite television uses wireless technology to relay the channels on your television. This is used in all the countries on this globe to provide the consumers with different channels and television services.

How does the satellite television works?
The satellite TV setup comes with a parabolic dish with an antenna. The signals transmitted by the antenna of the parabolic dish are taken up by the transponders of the revolving satellite which again retransmit the signals back to the earth but at different frequencies.

What is a cable TV?
Cable TV helps you to view different channels due to the different radio frequency signals. Coaxial cables or fixed optical fibers are used for this purpose. This technology is used widely in the countries where the satellite transmission is not so much useful or proper due to the geographical or climatic conditions.

How does the cable TV work?
Different television programs and channels are prepared and broadcast around the world. These television programs are then transmitted to the satellites revolving around the earth in a particular orbit at a particular distance from the earth. These satellites resend the signals back to the earth at different frequencies which are picked up by the local satellites servicing for the particular area.

The control centers of the cable TV companies then process the satellite signals in combination to the signals for the local TV signals. This combination of signals are relayed to your TV sets through the cable wires which are either laid down either underground or extended from pole to pole to reach your destination.

What is the difference then?
The difference is in the technologies which we have already discussed. One is the wireless technology while the other is uses a combination of satellites and cables to transmit the channels to your TV sets.

The satellite TV channels are transmitted in the digital form thus you receive high quality of the channels transmissions. The numbers of channels which are relayed through the satellite TV are exceptionally larger than that of the cable TV. Moreover, as the satellite TV providers do not have to pay the taxes levied by the government thus this services is comparatively cheaper than the cable services.

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