How Does Satellite TV Work?

Satellite TV Work

It all begins with a satellite being placed into orbit in space. The satellite is stationary over a certain point on the earth. It maintains its position by traveling at the same speed as the earth. Small rockets on board the satellite will allow it to make minor adjustments and keep it in proper orbit. Your satellite network converts television programs into signals and beams them to the satellite.

The satellite then beams the signals back to to earth where your satellite dish captures them and relays them to your satellite box. The box unscrambles the signal and provides you with clear digital programming. So the satellite in space is basically acting as a relay between you and the satellite company.

Satellite Television Providers

EUROPE
Continental Western Europe
In Europe, DBS satellite services are found mainly on Astra satellites and Hotbird (operated by Eutelsat.) BSkyB (known as Sky) serves the UK. Sky Italia, Canal Digital and UPC being the main providers in Italy, the Netherlands and Central Europe.
Russian Federation
Modern Russian satellite broadcasting services based on powerful geostationary buses such as Gals, Express, Yamal and Eutelsat which provide a large quantity of free-to-air television channels to millions of householders. Pay-TV is growing in popularity amongst Russian TV viewers. The NTV Russia news company, owned by Gazprom, broadcasts the NTV Plus package to 560,000 households, reaching over 1.5 million viewers.
United Kingdom and Ireland
Sky Television Broadcasting (BSkyB) serves the UK and Ireland.Nordic countries
There are two competing satellite services: Canal Digital (Norwegian Telenor launched in 1997) was digital from onset and Viasat (Kinnevik) operating since the late 1980’s waited until the year 2000 before launching a digital service. MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA
MBC being broadcasts via the c band through Arabsat and is the first network in the world to offer a free-to-air Western based English language movie channel to the Middle East audience via its spin-off channel MBC 2. Its main rival is the Dubai; UAE based One TV, earlier known as Channel 33, which was the first channel in the Middle East to provide English language general entertainment programming for the expatriate community.
Orbit Satellite Television and Radio Network broadcasting via Arabsat (C band), later on Showtime Arabia a joint venture between Viacom (21% stake) and KIPCO (79% stake) started broadcasting, via Nilesat (KU band). Arab Digital Distribution although a late comer, gained ground by broadcasting exclusive sports events. Most of the popular channels are transmitting from these satellites and orbital positions: Arabsat at 26°E, Asiasat at 100.5°E and 105.5°E, Eutelsat Hot Bird at 13°E, Nilesat at 7°W, and PanAmSat at 68.5°E.
Israel
In Israel, Satellite TV services were introduced by YES! Company, using Israeli based Amos (satellite).

And my satellite company:

How Do Satellite Cards Work?

Satellite Cards tell your satellite receiver what programming you have paid for and therefore have access to. It is not hard to figure out that if you can reprogram this card, you can receive satellite programming for free.

How Do Pirate Satellite TV Cards Work?

You can purchase cards that have been reprogrammed by pirates to receive all channels for free. You must still buy the satellite equipment and then send your card to a ‘free satellite service’ to have it reprogrammed. You can see right away that pirate satellite TV is not free since you must buy all of the equipment and then have the card programmed. If you legally buy satellite TV, you will typically get the equipment for free from DirecTV or Dish Network. But at least you don’t have to pay anything else ever again right? Not exactly, read on.
How Do Satellite Providers Stop Pirate Cards?
Satellite providers will zap these cards regularly. They might do this once a week or even several times a week by sending signals to the satellite dish. The signals they broadcast are called ECM’s or Electronic Counter Measures and they instruct the satellite receiver to corrupt or damage the card. When they do that, your card must be reprogrammed by a ‘free satellite service’ at a cost of course.
Police are also enforcing anti piracy laws. They will raid companies providing the cards and the satellite providers can actually prosecute you if your name is in the companies databases. The fines can be quite steep.

Is Pirate Satellite TV Worth It?

That is up to you to decide. You might still save a few euro, but you will have to pay for equipment, you will have to constantly pay to have your card reprogrammed and you will be breaking the law. Is it worth it to save a few euro, probably not.

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