Internet TV - The Holy Grail
Watching satellite TV on your PC delivered through the Internet is the holy grail of entertainment today. As we drift towards the end of 2006 the hype has started and it seems that everywhere you look someone is trying to sell you something to make the dream come true.
What exactly do these products do I ask? I've never tried one because I'm not convinced that I would be getting value for money. As far as I'm aware they don't give you anything that you can't find freely available elsewhere on the net.
I've been getting quite interested in the possibilities presented by video over the Internet lately so I've done a little research and come to some fascinating conclusions.
Don't expect to watch your favourite TV programs and newly released films
You won't find the same prime time programming on the Internet, as you get on satellite TV, not legally anyway. If you think about it why would the networks give you something for free when they can charge you money for it through subscriptions and pay per view on satellite TV and cable TV? It just isn't going to happen.
You don't need to spend anything to watch what's freely available
I can't be certain about what I'm about to say because I've never bought one of the software products that claim to give you 3000 (or whatever) channels of Internet TV but, I believe that all they do is package what is freely available and make it a little easier for you to get going and find what you are looking for.
The cost of these products could actually be worth the outlay if they do indeed save you the time of setting up your PC ready to watch the streamed video and finding the Internet TV streams that you want to watch. Neither of these activities was straightforward when I began to investigate.
So what can you watch on the Internet?
If you are into classic and vintage 'B' movies then you are in luck because there seems to be an awful lot of that available. I also found some good educational, current affairs and political programming all freely available. Finding these made the exercise worthwhile for me but it didn't even get close to persuading me to cancel my satellite TV subscription.
Will Internet TV replace satellite TV?
It's inevitable that the Internet will eventually take over as the main entertainment focus in your life. It's happening already with recent studies showing that a large and growing proportion of the population now spend more of their leisure time on the Internet than they do watching satellite TV, cable TV or terrestrial TV.
Sooner or later the bandwidth of the Internet will expand to cope with streaming video to every home and the networks will figure out ways to make us pay for what we watch. I suspect that the transition is going to be a very slow one and it will be a good few years before we can all junk our TV sets.

DIRECTV HD Programming
HD (high definition) broadcasting represents the latest technological advance in satellite TV. Here's a guide to DIRECTV HD programming, prices, and special offers.
HD TV
HD TV is a television format that broadcasts programs in a high resolution format. This format produces a much sharper and clearer picture than standard (analog) TV format.
DIRECTV HD FEATURES
Here's what you get with DIRECTV HDTV:
* Better picture - With DIRECTV HDTV you get a much sharper image than with regular TV, resulting in a more lifelike picture.
* Wide screen - You get a full-width picture (16:9 aspect ratio) just like you see in the movies, giving you the impression that you're part of the scene.
* Better sound - DIRECTV HD audio programming is broadcast in Dolby Digital format for a three-dimensional surround-sound experience.
DIRECTV HD Equipment
When you subscribe to DIRECTV you can get a free DIRECTV H20 High Def receiver (after a $99 mail-in rebate). You also get up to three free receivers for the other rooms in your home, plus a free satellite TV dish.
Note: You need an HD television to view DIRECTV HDTV.
DIRECTV HD Channels
When you subscribe to DIRECTV you get HBO HD, and Showtime HD as part of your programming package.
For an additional $9.99 per month you can order the DISH Network HD package which includes:
* ESPN HD - sports, news, information, and entertainment, plus games from Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, and the National Hockey League.
* Universal HD - the latest films and television series like Battlestar Galactica and Law & Order SVU. You also get sports such as the US Open and special performances like Cirque du Soleil.
* Discovery HD Theater - programs about science, technology, nature, travel, and world culture with beautiful images shown in HD format.
* HDNet - live sporting events like NHL and MLS games, boxing, TV series, concerts, plus news and documentaries.
* HDNet Movies - movies from all the major studios, independent films, and made-for-TV movies.
* Network Channels - your favorite network channels in high definition. (Click on the links below to see if network channels are available in your area.)
Note: DIRECTV is currently running a special offer which gives you the HD package free for the first four months of your service.
Bottom Line
If you've decided you want DIRECTV programming, you want the best satellite TV picture and sound available, and don't mind paying the extra $9.99 per month, then DIRECTV HDTV is what you're looking for.

Do you remember the good old days when you could get your satellite card programmed to give you all of the channels? That was great, but it was also illegal. Most of us thought those days where gone forever. Thanks to technology though it just got a whole lot better than it ever was as well as totally legal.

Getting your card programmed was the coolest thing and worked great in it's day. You paid a small fee to get someone to unlock all of the channels on your card for you. Then you just sat back and enjoyed yourself until the satellite company sent you a signal that reset your card. It was an easy way to get free satellite and people where perfectly happy with it. Then what is now known as Black Sunday happened and the times of card programming where put to an end forever.

Technology is great to us though. Somebody finally did what many people have been waiting to happen for years but never seen coming. The days of paying outrageous prices month after month for satellite TV are over. In fact there is now a way to get over 2800 channels for a small one time fee.

It gets even better yet though. Now you don't even need a satellite dish to enjoy satellite TV. You have everything that you need sitting right in front of you right now.

You can now get instant access to thousands of channels from around the globe no matter where in the world you live. You don't need to have a high speed internet connection or even a credit card for that matter. A standard dial up connection will work just fine as long as you don't mind a little reduction in the quality.

It is also very simple to connect your computer to your TV so you can enjoy your favorite programs on it. Most any computer made in the last few years should have this feature. You can even get products that will send the signal to your TV wirelessly. Not to mention that your computer and the satellite software automatically doubles as a TiVO and will record your favorite programs for you while you are away.

I can easily see this becoming the future of how we get our television stations. No more ugly dishes or complicated receivers. It will all come in through your computers internet connection. There is no way that the prices will stay as low as they are right now. As soon as word gets out and people realize the potential the prices will go through the roof. This kind of satellite tv software is worth far more than the small price tag that was put on it.

International Satellite TV Programming

There are hundreds of English satellite TV channels, but what about international satellite TV programming? Here's a guide that will show you what foreign language channels are available on DISH Network and DIRECTV.

DISH Network International Satellite TV Programming

African

ABN AMERICA/3A TELESUD - 2 channels for $24.99/month, ABN AMERICA - 1 channel for $14.99/month.

Arabic

ARABIC ELITE SUPER PACK - 15 channels for $39.99/month, ARABIC ELITE PACK - 11 channels for $32.99/month, ARABIC ENHANCED PACK - 8 channels for $25.99/month, A LA CARTE-IQRAA - 1 channel for $4.99/month.

Armenian

ARMENIA TV - 1 channel for $14.99/month

Chinese

GREAT WALL TV PACKAGE - 17 channels for $29.99/month, CHINESE VARIETY PACK - 5 channels for $27.99/month, CHINESE PLUS PACK - 3 channels for $24.99/month, CHINESE SUPER PACK - 6 channels for $21.99/month, CHINESE SELECT PACK - 3 channels for $19.99/month, PHOENIX NORTH AMERICA CHINESE CHANNEL - 1 channel for $14.99/month.

Farsi

TAPESH/T2 - 2 channels for $24.99/month, TAPESH - 1 channel for $14.99/month.

Filipino

VIVA PINOY PACK - 3 channels for $16.99/month, VIVA PINOY PACK - 3 channels for $11.99/month, THE MABUHAY CHANNEL - 1 channel for $14.99/month.

French

FRANCO-AFRICAN BOUQUET - 4 channels for $29.99/month, FRANCO-AFRICAN PACKAGE - 3 channels for $28.99/month, TV5/3A TELESUD/TRACE TV - 3 channels for $21.99/month, TV5/3A TELESUD - 2 channels for $19.99/month, 3A TELESUD/TRACE TV - 2 channels for $16.99/month, TV5/TRACE TV - 2 channels for $11.99/month, 3A TELESUD - 1 channel for $14.99/month, TV5MONDE - 1 channel for $9.99/month, TRACE TV - 1 channel for $3/month, RFI - 1 channel for $1/month.

German

GERMAN-LANGUAGE PACKAGE - 2 channels for $16.99/month, PROSIEBENSAT.1 WELT - 1 channel for $14.99/month.

Greek

GREEK SUPER PACKAGE - 11 channels for $50.99/month, ANTENNA PLUS TWO PACKAGE - 9 channels for $39.99/month, ANTENNA PLUS ONE PACKAGE - 9 channels for $32.99/month, ANTENNA PACKAGE - 6 channels for $22.99/month, ANTENNA SATELLITE - 1 channel for $14.99/month.

Israeli

THE ISRAELI NETWORK - 1 channel for $19.99/month.

Italian

PANORAMA ITALIANO - 6 channels for $19.99/month, RAI INTERNATIONAL - 2 channels for $12.99/month.

Japanese

TV JAPAN - 1 channel for $25/month.

Korean

KOREAN VARIETY PACK - 6 channels for $24.99/month.

Polish

POLISH SUPER PACK - 4 channels for $38.99/month, POLISH PREMIUM PACKAGE - 3 channels for $29.99/month, TVN COMPLETE PACKAGE - 2 channels for $19.99/month, POLISH-LANGUAGE PACKAGE - 2 channels for $19.99/month, POLSAT 2 INTERNATIONAL - 1 channel for $14.99/month, KINO POLSKA - 1 channel for $14.99/month, ITVN - 1 channel for $14.99/month, TVN 24 - 1 channel for $9.99/month.

Portuguese

RBTI/TV GLOBO/RECORD - 3 channels for $34.98/month, RBTI/TV GLOBO - 2 channels for $29.98/month, RTPI - 1 channel for $4/month, TV GLOBO INTERNACIONAL - 1 channel for $19.99/month, SPT - 1 channel for $19.99/month, RECORD INTERNATIONAL - 1 channel for $14.99/month.

Russian

RUSSIAN VALUE PACK - 2 channels for $24.99/month, RTVI/RTVI PLUS PACKAGE - 2 channels for $24.99/month, TVCI - 1 channel for $14.99/month, NTV AMERICA - 1 channel for $14.99/month.

South Asian

MEGA PACK - 12 channels for $54.99/month, JUMBO PACK #1 - 7 channels for $49.99/month, JUMBO PACK #3 - 7 channels for $49.99/month, JUMBO PACK #2 - 4 channels for $49.99/month, SUPER PACK - 4 channels for $39.99/month, CHOOSE ANY THREE - 3 channels for $34.99/month, CHOOSE ANY TWO - 2 channels for $24.99/month, CHANNEL-I/NTV BANGLA - 1 channel for $24.99/mo, GEMINI TV/TEJA TV - 1 channel $24.99/month, SUN TV/KTV - 1 channel for $24.99/month, SURYA TV/KAIRALI TV - 1 channel for $24.99/month, B4U MOVIES/B4U MUSIC - 1 channel for $19.99/month.

Spanish

DishLATINO - 37 channels for $24.99/month, DishLATINO DOS - 88 channels for $34.99/month, DishLATINO MAX - 292 channels for $44.99/month, LATINO EVERYTHING PAK - 325 channels for $79.99/month.

Urdu

PAK SUPER PACK - 3 channels for $34.99/month, ARY DIGITAL/ARY ONE WORLD - 2 channels for $24.99/month, GEO TV/ARY DIGITAL - 2 channels for $24.99/month, GEO TV/ARY ONE WORLD - 2 channels for $24.99/month, PTV - 1 channel for $14.99/month, ARY DIGITAL - 1 channel for $14.99/month, GEO TV 3 - 1 channel for $14.99/month, ARY ONE WORLD 1 channel for $14.99/month, QTV - 1 channel for $7.99/month.

Note: When you order DISH Network international satellite TV programming you get a free satellite dish and up to four free receivers. Click on links below for more information.

DIRECTV International Satellite TV Programming

Caribbean

HYPE TV - 1 channel for $9.99/month.

Chinese

JADEWORLD - 5 channels for $36.99/month, MANDARIN DIRECT - 4 channels for $15.99/month.

Filipino

TFC DIRECT - 6 channels for $22.99/month, FILIPINO DIRECT - 7 channels for $32.99/month.

Italian

SKY TG24 - 1 channel for $9.99/month, CALICO DIRECT - 2 channels for $19.99/month.

Korean

KOREAN DIRECT - 4 channels for $26.99/month, CTS - 1 channel for $4.99/month.

Russian

RUSSIAN DIRECT - 4 channels for $29.99/month, RTR PLANETA - 1 channel for $14.99/month, CHANNEL ONE RUSSIA WORLDWIDE - 1 channel for $14.99/month.

South Asian

HINDI DIRECT - 6 channels for $29.99/month, AASTHA - 1 channel for $14.99/month, TELUGU DIRECT - 1 channel for $14.99/month, TAMIL DIRECT - 1 channel for $14.99/month, HINDI DIRECT - 6 channels for $29.99/month, GUJARATI DIRECT - 1 channel for $14.99/month, NDTV - 1 channel for $14.99/month, BANGLA DIRECT - 1 channel for $14.99/month.

Ukrainian

STUDIO 1+ 1 INTERNATIONAL - 1 channel for $14.99/month.

Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE DIRECT - 1 channel for $22.95/month.

Americans today are rushed and want to come home to comfort. What's a better way to relax than watching your favorite program on TV? There a very few homes today that do not have at least one television and most homes have more than three. Programming on both satellite and cable television has become increasingly better in the twenty-first century and there are now programs to fit any age. Because televisions today are in most people's homes many families have grown to rely on their televisions for all their entertainment and informational needs; and would be lost without them. We rely on television to provide us with our entertainment, news, and movies.

How do you decide on whether to even think about switching your service?

A lot of cable and satellite providers claim to have the best deal. With so many options why should you choose satellite TV? The new dish technology goes beyond regular entertainment. Cable may have the basics, but if you are ready to transform your television experience into a celebration of information, you need this new broadcast medium. You will still have all the traditional channels including your local news stations. But you will also have movies, sports and other entertaining specialty channels at your fingertips.

Satellite has an extensive variety of channels to offer. Even basic packages offer customer's hundreds of channels, with custom packages offering a variety of specialty channels. The viewing possibilities are nearly limitless:

Sports

Science

Comedy

Movies

Drama

Soap Operas

Home Improvement

News

Music

Satellite has you covered. You will have access to all the local, national, and international events and new. Your children will be able to view a variety of programming to fit their viewing needs and you will find plenty of programs to fit your needs as well.

Now is the perfect time to switch from cable, you will love the rewards that satellite TV can offer you. The system can be connected through your VCR to record your favorite shows or the new technology of digital video recording (DVR) can also be used. With a DVR connected to your new system you can program your favorite shows to record while you are away. You can also pause live television and fast forward through commercials.

Satellite television is more versatile than cable and offers hundreds more program options than your typical cable programming. It is more affordable than ever before!

Satellite TV and Cable TV have been battling for your business harder than ever. Both have advantages and disadvantages, but how do you decide? With a little research and in-depth comparison you can choose the best service for you. Remember that the best service for you will not necessarily be the best service for anyone else. It is important to take your time and think about what is important to you in your television programming and try not to be intimidated by the wealth of channels that are currently available on both cable and satellite television.

Everyone has an opinion on which is better and different preferences; the right choice depends on what you are looking for. If your family is on the go a lot and not home for much television watching then you will probably want a different plan than a family that loved to sit home and watch old movies on the weekends. It may be helpful to make a list of the types of programming you and your family would like to have in your cable or satellite package. Some other things to consider when shopping around are:

Availability

Picture quality

Service

Control options

Specific deals

Options

Programming

Price

A bit of competition is good for you the consumer. Companies are competing for your business resulting in lower prices, better programming, less installation fees, equipment options, and various discounts and deals. Take your time and look for the best offers. When you are able to compare pricing and channel packages you will find the best deals.

So How do you figure out how to get the best price?

If the offers from the different companies have your mind spinning, check out the service providers, and compare who has the best offer for you. Don't be afraid to call or visit each so they are aware you are looking at both. Then see who is willing to make it worth your while to give them your business. You may get a great deal possibly better than advertised.

Satellite usually offers more programming and better picture. However cable may be cheaper. Also cable may be easier to install because your home will probably already have the cable jacks needed for service. Although satellite television is more difficult to install it does have more options available. Check out all your options before making your decision.

The emergence of digital broadcasting throughout Europe and most noticeably in the UK, is causing a revolution. The plethora of free digital terrestrial, as well as the countless digital services that are now available via satellite means that if you don't want to be left with just the handful of channels available through the soon to be outdated analog services, you need to upgrade to digital. And analog TV will be obsolete much sooner than most people think.

Whether it be free to air or satellite the choice is ultimately down to the customer, but in order to benefit from the ‘crystal clear' reception and wider selection of channels, digital is definitely the way forward.

Hand in hand with the digital TV boom, is the rapid emergence of DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) which is the digital transmission technology for radio, which ultimately will replace FM radio. In 2006, the sales of DAB receivers in Great Britian exceeded sales of VHF radios for the first time.

As digital television has become more popular, so has the need for qualified advice and information regarding TV aerial and satellite installation. TV aerials, satellite dishes and their installation are a key element for successful digital television viewing and DAB digital radio enjoyment. This is one of the primary areas which is often overlooked by many people when upgrading to digital television. It is pointless spending several thousand pounds on the latest Plasma or LCD television if the signal being put through the equipment is rubbish!

Correct installation of the TV aerial or the satellite dish, the receiver and wiring are essential. It is vital that the whole installation is approached with the professional experience and digital expertise required to ensure trouble-free digital televison viewing. By ensuring that the aerial or the satellite dish is installed in the correct position and with the adequate fixings, a constant and high quality picture will be maintained. Digital signals either perform perfectly or very poorly, this means that if your TV aerial is not up to the job it will freeze occasionally at best, or at worst, not work at all.

The other thing to be borne in mind is that some transmitters do not transmit digital signals at all. This means that you have to try and receive your signals from another transmitter. As such the aerial must be up to the task!

So with the new phenomena of digital aerials and the elements that have to be considered when fixing them as well as satellite dishes, how do you know that yours will be positioned accurately and competently to ensure quality digital TV viewing ?

Sex, drugs, violence, nudity, and "coarse" language; it's all over television. It pulls in viewers, it's exciting, and sometimes realistic. However, these behaviors often are not what parents want their children to see or emulate. The question of the effect on children appears to have been answered by a multitude of studies over the past 30 years or more. A quick search online will reveal items such as a 15 year longitudinal study reported by the American Psychological Association that indicates children's viewing of violent TV shows is linked to aggression in young adulthood for both sexes irregardless of intellectual abilities, social status, or parenting style.* An online search might also find the report on the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry site which indicates that "TV can be a powerful influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior".** Media violence is said to effect children of various ages differently, but reportedly has the greatest effect on children who view violence which is not seen as evil or does not result in punishment, disapproval, or human suffering as explained in a report available on the Media Awareness Network site.***

Parents have a number of options in trying to eliminate or reduce their children's exposure to programming that they feel is inappropriate. Obviously, most services offer programming that is appropriate for young children with shows such as Discovery Kids, the various Disney Channels, Nickelodeon, Nick Toons, BabyFirst TV, and so forth. However, as most adults will want programming beyond the child focused offerings, satellite television and cable providers have offered parental controls for a number of years. Dish Network satellite receivers for instance all offer parental controls/system locks that allow users to restrict what programs can be viewed based on password protected locks. Viewing can be restricted by channel or by ratings. Like most parental control systems, Dish Network's software operates in conjunction with V-Chip technology. Users simply program the system to restrict access to certain programming or, through their "Adult Guard" software, to completely remove Adult Channels from the Electronic Program Guide so that children can neither view the restricted programming nor access programming information through the guide. Once Dish Network's no-cost "Adult Guard" is programmed the locks will remain even when there is a power outage.

Although Dish Network and other providers offer parental controls parents should be aware that other steps may be necessary to reduce exposure to media that may have negative effects on young children. Experts caution that parents might need to be alert to the violence that is present in everything from cartoons, to music videos, and even many of the video games that are on the market. Monitoring the media that children view is an important step in controlling their exposure. Professionals also seem to agree that watching with very young children and being able to discuss what they see can also help them to better understand when violence or other behavior is not acceptable and what the consequences might really be. Although it is very clear that parents should take an active role in managing the media available to their young children and in helping them to interpret what they see, satellite and cable television providers will need to continue to offer state-of-the-art controls to assist parents when they simply cannot monitor every moment of their child's day.

DIRECTV Satellite Television Dealers

There are currently two major satellite TV providers in the U.S. - DISH Network and DIRECTV. And there are hundreds of satellite television dealers who sell their services.

Most of those dealers claim they'll give you the best deal on DIRECT satellite TV equipment and service. But which ones really deliver? And how do you know they won't hit you with hidden service fees, install your system improperly, or give you lousy customer service?

Here's a comparison of the top three online DIRECTV satellite TV dealers so you can make an informed decision as to which dealer to use.

Rapid Satellite (highly recommended)

Established in 1999, Rapid Satellite is one of DIRECTV's highest rated satellite TV dealers. They've installed hundreds of thousands of satellite TV systems in hundreds of cities and towns across the U.S.A. Rapid Satellite has more than 100 customer service and sales reps to help their customers.

Here's what they offer:

* Free 18” satellite TV dish

* Four free receivers

* Free equipment installation

* Free DIRECTV DVR receiver (after $99 rebate)

* Free HDTV receiver (after $99 rebate)

* 24-hour customer service

* One-year equipment warranty

* Lowest price guarantee

* Thirty-day money-back guarantee

Expert Satellite

In business since 1998, Expert Satellite has signed up thousands of DIRECTV customers. They were one of DIRECTV's top 10 dealers in 2003 through 2005. Their call center is staffed with expert sales and customer service agents who guarantee 100% customer satisfaction.

* Free 18” satellite TV dish

* Four free receivers

* Free equipment installation

* Free DIRECTV DVR receiver (after instant online rebate)

* Free HDTV receiver (after instant online rebate)

* 24-hour customer service

* One-year equipment warranty

* Free $50 gift card, DVD player, or iPod Shuffle

Satellite Solutions

Satellite Solutions has been voted one of DISH Network's Elite (top 10) Dealers.

* Free 18” satellite TV dish

* Four free receivers

* Free equipment installation

* Free DIRECTV DVR receiver (after $100 mail-in rebate)

* Free HDTV receiver (after $100 mail-in rebate)

* 24-hour customer service

* One-year equipment warranty

DIRECTV programming packages start at $29.99 per month for 155 satellite TV program channels, and go up to $96.99 per month for 250 channels. Click on the links below for more dealer, programming, and ordering information.

Plug your satellite TV receiver into your PC

Did you know that watching satellite TV on your PC could be as simple as plugging a lead from a satellite receiver into a socket on your PC? Yes it's as simple as that.

If you've bought a PC or even a notebook PC in the last few years the chances are that it's already satellite TV ready. You may not even have noticed the strange rectangular sockets on your computer that are your incredibly useful Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports. USB is what makes your PC satellite TV ready.

USB isn't just for Satellite TV

USB wasn't developed just for watching satellite television, it's an incredibly versatile interface capable of connecting to all kind of computer peripherals like monitors, audio speakers, cameras, keyboards, mice and a thousand other things, many of which haven't been invented yet.

There are two versions of USB in service at the time of writing. The oldest and slowest standard is version 1.0 (and 1.1) but it's version 2 that is the real performer. It's 40 times faster than version 1 and powerful enough to handle even high definition TV (HDTV). Some plug-in satellite receivers will work with USB 1 but you should try to use version 2 wherever you can. The vast majority of PC's manufactured in the last few years support USB 2.

What do you need to watch satellite TV for PC?

You need a computer with modest specification by today's standards, to take advantage of satellite TV on your PC. If you are interested in HDTV then your computer will need to be slightly more powerful. The following minimum specification should serve you well in all cases:

* Microsoft® Windows® XP
* Microsoft® Windows® Media Player 9.0 or later
* Microsoft® DirectX9.0C or later
* VGA card with at least 32MB memory
* P4 2G MHZ CPU or above
* 256MB RAM or above
* One free USB 2.0 port
* Sound card or on board sound chip

You will also need a satellite dish and LNB and a USB satellite TV receiver with DVB-S (Digital Video Broadcast for Satellite). You should get the dish and LNB installed by a professional.

How to connect the satellite receiver to your PC

When your satellite dish and LNB have been installed you can connect the cable from the dish to your USB satellite TV receiver. Then you should install the software that came with your satellite receiver onto your computer. When you have done that you can connect your satellite TV receiver to your PC using the USB cable that should come with your USB enabled receiver. You can plug the cable into any USB socket on your PC but try to make sure that it's a USB 2 socket. Some PC's have a mixture of USB 1 and 2 sockets so it's worth making sure.

DISH Network Satellite TV Dealers

Satellite TV is one of the hottest online products on the market today, and because of that a number of DISH Network dealers have set up shop on the Internet to sell satellite TV services.

But how do you know which dealers are reputable, and which dealer will give you the best price and the best service? I spent a number of hours researching DISH Network satellite TV dealers for The Satellite TV Guide and found three that stand head and shoulders above the rest.

Here's my review of the top three DISH Network satellite TV dealers so you can compare dealers and decide for yourself.

Allsat (Highly Recommended)

Allsat was established in 1995, when DISH Network first started broadcasting it's satellite TV programming. It began as a brick and mortar satellite TV store, then went online in 1997.

Independently owned and operated, Allsat is one of the oldest and most respected satellite TV dealers. They've installed hundreds of thousands of satellite TV systems across the U.S. I found their prices and service to be second to none.

Allsat currently offers:

* A free DISH Network satellite dish

* Up to four free receivers plus universal remotes

* Free professional installation

* Free 100-hour DVR (digital video recording) receivers

* Free HD (high definition) receivers

* Three free months of HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, or Starz

* 24/7 customer service

* Lifetime equipment warranty

* Thirty-day money-back guarantee

VMC Satellite

VMC is one of the largest and most well known online satellite TV dealers in the U.S. They installed the satellite TV system in the U.S. Capitol building. VMC is responsible for signing up more than 2% of DISH Networks subscribers.

VMC currently offers:

* A free 4-room satellite TV system

* Free professional installation

* Free digital video recorders

* Free HDTV receivers (optional)

* Three months of HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, or Starz for free

* 24/7 customer service

* Lifetime equipment warranty

Sterling Satellite

Sterling Satellite was founded in 2003 and is currently a DISH Network Top 10 satellite TV dealer. Their primary emphasis is on customer service.

Sterling currently offers:

* A free 4-room satellite TV system

* Free professional installation of that system

* Free digital video recorders

* Free HDTV receivers (optional)

* Three free months of HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, or Starz

* 24/7 customer service

* Lifetime equipment warranty

* 125% money-back guarantee

Note: DISH Network programming prices start at $19.99 for the 40-channel Dish Family package and go up to $74.99 for the 350 channel "Everything" package.

Usage of new methods of plastic surgery and different types of medicines for reshaping the physical appearance is a common phenomenon among young women in last years. Different sites announce about the rise of tendency to do surgery in the USA and Europe. We can see the same phenomena in Iran also as a consequence of establishment of new fitness and surgery centers. But what urges women to take all the risk and do these surgeries? How is the image of feminine body in their minds? Liposuction, face lifting, breast enhancement, lip enhancement, etc. are the most common surgeries in Iran. How many of the women who do surgeries have really any physical disorder?
As a critique to this phenomenon one can say that what is being introduced by media, in this day world is a special type of female body (big breasts, thin, tall, etc.).Depiction of an ideal of woman body and face created and represented mainly by TV (specially in TV adds) and parallel advertisement of diverse tools, medicines, and methods of “fixing” appearance are part of media content nowadays. This ideal body certainly doesn’t match with physiological standards of different people in different regions of the world.
Therefore subtraction of the self confidence of women and changing the definition of “beauty”, can be seen among certain people in society. For example being ashamed of physical being is the topic of lots of Psychological consultation sites. This sense of shame and the feeling of being ignored cause problems in creating and maintaining social activities by women and isolate them. Therefore too many women find the solution in doing plastic surgeries or using medicines which are usually expensive and not accessible to all classes in society. The antitype for “a woman shape” as a human being doesn’t exist in the real world but in screens of TVs or front page of newspapers by using different tricks of movie making and photography. Although there is ban on satellite broadcasting in Islamic Republic of Iran but too many Iranians specially people who live in the Capital Tehran have bought satellite receivers and watch the programs illegally. Among satellite programs Persian language satellite channels broadcast from LA are among the popular channels. Advertising of new beauty products is one of the main contents of these TV channels.
Therefore in the age of globalization and transnational media we can talk about global woman body image. An ideal standards of beauty that every woman whish to match them. Media try to define a global meaning and standards of beauty which is much more cultural and related to geographical and ethnic elements in different societies that a global standard. One of the programs of “Opera” –an American popular TV show- was about Chinese and Korean women who do surgeries on their eyes to change them like westerns. In one hand these girls don’t like their appearance and in the other hand they challenge their cultural identity. Their ancestors have lived with these types of eyes during centuries and they were accepted by the society and also were considered pretty. But what happened that, these eyes became ugly or unwanted? Another problem is hatred toward senility and efforts to look younger. But senility is one of the natural levels of human life. People run away from it, instead of accepting it as a part of their life. The plastic surgery, has also become a way of presenting oneself and social position in Iran. As a conclusion I believe that working against representation of these images of women seems to be hard and impossible since a whole industry in global market benefit from it. But special lessons at schools in Iran, for female students specially, can be useful to increase their knowledge about their body and what is natural in their physics.

DISH Network Satellite TV Receivers
A satellite TV receiver is the electronic box that decodes and sends the satellite signal to your television.
DVR (digital video recorder) satellite TV receivers can also let you record live TV shows, skip through commercials, and pause the show you're watching so you can get a snack or answer the phone.
Here's a review of DISH Network satellite TV receivers:
Free DISH Network Satellite TV Receivers
DISH Network offers two free standard receivers:
* The DISH 311 receiver has one tuner for viewing satellite TV programs on one television.
* The DISH 322 receiver has two tuners for independent TV viewing on two separate televisions.
DISH Network offers one free DVR receiver, the DVR 625, that allows you to:
* Pause and rewind live satellite TV programs
* Record a live TV program while you watch a pre-recorded program
* Record up to 100 hours of your favorite shows, sports events, and movies
* Record two programs simultaneously
DISH Network offers one free HD receiver, the VIP211, that lets you:
* Watch programs in SD (standard definition), HD (high definition), and Analog formats
* Listen to your programs in Dolby Digital format
Note: In order to get a free satellite TV receiver you must subscribe to DISH Network's Programming service. As a subscriber you get up to four free receivers and one satellite dish plus free installation.
DISH Network programming prices start at $19.99 for 40 channels.
Other DISH Network Satellite TV Receivers
Dish Network offers a combination DVR and HD receiver, the VIP622, for $199.99. It allows you to:
* Record to 180 hours of programming in an all-digital format
* Pause, stop, fast forward, and replay TV shows
* Record two TV programs at the same time
* Record a live TV show while watching another live show
* Record two live shows while watching a pre-recorded program
* Watch programs in SD, HD, and Analog formats
* Listen to your programs in Dolby Digital audio

A new software tool just recently hit the internet called Satellite TV For PC. People every where have been complaining that the prices cable and satellite TV providers charge is unfair, but now they have more options. This one small piece of software allows anybody with an internet connection to view over three thousand satellite TV stations from around the world through the internet on their PC.
Satellite TV For PC has taken the way we use the internet to a new level. Ever since the internet became mainstream it has been changing the way we live. At first it was all about email but then came chatting and several other innovations quickly followed. Now in present times we can do everything from making phone calls to ordering pizza and renting a movie over the internet.
With the new innovation of sending a streaming satellite signal through an internet connection any where in the world directly to your PC is exciting. Consumers will soon not have to worry about how much their local cable or satellite provider charges for service. Instead they will literally have a whole world of choices on where to get their television stations from.
Having no physical connection to a satellite or cable line will also be a good benefit. These satellite TV stations are available where ever there is a computer with the software installed that has a working internet connection.
Experts agree that Satellite TV For PC is just the tip of the ice burg. Now that companies as well as consumers know that this technology is available, products like it will be in very high demand. It would not be a shock to see the big name satellite TV providers like Direct TV and Dish Network start offering similar services for you PC in the near future as well.
Terry Brazil, resident satellite specialist at guruofinfo.com has done research as well as written articles on this subject had this to say:
"A software program like what Satellite TV For PC offers is simply just the starting point. The internet has given us tons of great new innovations on the technical front. The ability to do something like this has been available for years but nobody has just never tried to do it. I am sure that many hardware manufacturers are already planning on releasing products to help make watching this new service on their TV's easier for consumers.

Why you need a descrambler for satellite TV
There are two types of satellite TV signal that you are able to access: Free To Air (FTA) and Premium. To cut a long story short you need a descrambler to watch premium and pay-per-view satellite broadcasts but you do not need one to watch FTA transmissions. So what is a satellite TV descrambler exactly?…
Satellite TV basics
Satellite TV is beamed from a satellite in space to your satellite dish and then passed via a cable to the receiver next to your TV. The job of the receiver is to convert the radio frequency signal from your dish into audio and video signals that you can feed into your home television equipment.
If the incoming signal is Free-to-Air then it will not be scrambled so the job of the receiver is done. You can enjoy the output of the receiver for as long as you like. If the incoming signal is scrambled or encrypted however then you will need to descramble it before you can watch it.
How satellite TV providers make their money
Launching satellites into space and running a huge broadcasting network requires a lot of money so providers generate that money from you, the consumer, in a number of ways. One way they make money is by persuading advertisers to pay them for showing advertising along with their interesting programmes. For some FTA channels this is their only means of generating revenue.
Another way to generate cash from the consumer more directly is to charge you for what you watch. Often a provider will offer a mixture of FTA and chargeable programming. The FTA channels get you hooked then you pay for the more entertaining channels.
What stops you watching premium satellite TV for free?
A provider of premium satellite TV has to have a way to make you pay for what you watch so they encrypt or scramble the TV signal and sell you a key to unlock it. When you have paid your subscription or the fee for a one-time pay-per-view the satellite TV provider sends a signal to your set-top box, which programmes your viewing card to allow the descrambler in the box to decode the signal so that you can watch it.

Free DIRECTV Satellite TV Receivers
In an effort to draw customers away from its competitors, DIRECTV will give you a complete satellite TV system - a satellite TV dish and up to four satellite TV receivers - when you subscribe to their service. Here's a review of the various types of standard, DVR, and HD receivers they offer:
Free Receivers
DIRECTV offers a free standard receiver with the following additional features:
* DIRECTV Active - Your personalized information with updates on local weather, horoscopes, lottery results, and pay-per-view suggestions
* Mini Guide - A small on-screen TV channel guide that shows one channel at a time
* Parental controls - Allows you to restrict the programs your child watches
DIRECTV offers a free DVR receiver that allows you to:
* Digitally record up to 100 hours of programming
* Record two shows at one time
* Pause live TV so you won't miss anything if you answer a phone call or get a snack
* Record one program while you watch another program
* Find TV shows by title, keyword, actor, or channel
* Bookmark the part of a TV show you'd like to come back to at a later time
DIRECTV offers a free HD receiver that features the following:
* High definition reception for the best TV picture available today
* Dolby Digital audio for superior sound
In order to get a DIRECTV receiver you must sign up for DIRECTV satellite TV service. Programming packages start at $29.99 for 155 channels and go up to $96.99 for 250 channels.
Note: Programming is 29.99 for the first three months then $41.99 thereafter. Local channels are $3. DVR and HD receivers are free after a $99 mail-in rebate.
Pay-for DIRECTV satellite TV receivers
For an additional $399, you can order a combination HD/DVR that has all the features of an HD receiver and a DVR receiver plus:
* Two-hundred hours of recording time
* Dolby Digital optical audio outputs for the best sound available

There's a lot of debate over whether satellite television providers or cable television providers offer superior service, value, and program selection. But when you compare cable television with a satellite television provider like Dish Network, there really is no comparison. Dish Network is able to offer more programming in more different areas than cable television, and all of it with the high quality of a completely digital signal.
For example, Dish Network offers programming packages starting at about $20 while cable packages start at around $70. Dish Network can also deliver well over 200 channels, while cable providers top out at around 100. Dish Network can deliver special seasonal sports subscriptions like MLB Extra Innings, ESPN Gameday, NHL on the Ice, and NBA League Pass, while cable just provides your local sports programming. Dish Network also lets you hook up extra televisions for no additional charge while cable bills you at upwards of an extra $5 per television. Dish Network offers free equipment upgrades to help you get a digital video recorder or HDTV. Cable doesn't bother.
So how is Dish Network able to deliver so much more while charging so much less money? The answer is simple: Dish Network doesn't rely on cables to deliver it's programming. Dish Network's digital television signals are sent from a broadcasting station on the Earth's surface up to satellites orbiting 25,000 miles above the equator. The satellites bounce the signals back to the Earth where they can be picked up by anyone who has a satellite dish and receiver capable of decoding them. The electromagnetic waves that carry the signals are essentially free and don't have any inherent limit on the amount of data they can carry. Cables on the other hand cost money to buy and install, and will always be limited in the amount of data they can carry. In other words, while cable companies struggle to improve their infrastructure to meet the constantly growing demand for more data intensive TV technology, Dish Network can simply concentrate on finding better ways to deliver that technology to it's customers.
Another advantage that Dish Network has is that it operates on a greater scale. Most cable companies are local affairs which means that each company operates in a limited area with limited customers. Those limited customers have to bear the brunt of all of the costs associated with running the business. Dish Network on the other hand is a nationwide company that spreads it's administrative costs out over it's 12 million customers. This means that Dish Network costs less to run for each customer than cable and the savings can be passed on to the customers and used to improve programming and technology. Also because of the fact that Dish Network's satellites are broadcasting their signals everywhere, there's no limit on the number of people who can sign up for the service. All you need to get Dish Network service is a place where you can set up a dish and aim it at a patch of sky to the south. But if you want cable TV service and you're too far out of town, you're simply out of luck.

Both Dish Network and DirecTV offer some outstanding deals in the HDTV department. In order to help you make a decision on which Satellite TV provider to choose this article will focus on the HDTV offers for both of these Satellite TV providers.
You may already know this but HDTV or high definition television offers incredible enhancements offer the traditional means of watching television. This exciting new technology allows for more picture frames or pixels on your viewing screen when compared to the more common and traditional television video broadcasting streams. As you can imagine these increased pixels allow for more advanced video features such as enhanced sound, defined colors and contours and clearer and sharper pictures and images.
How does up to 1 million pixels on your television viewing screen sound? It's possible because high definition television prevents any flicker type effects that plague much of today's normal television programming. This progressive scan as it is commonly called allows for an easier time viewing images and text on your television and creates a fluid and vivid full motion viewing experience. The fact is HDTV technology easily outperforms plasma televisions and popular flat screen televisions many people purchase every day.
Fortunately the two major satellite television providers have taken advantage of this new HDTV technology and provide many benefits to using it with their systems.
Dish Network HDTV Offers
Dish Network offers an excellent way to experience a much more enjoyable viewing privilege utilizing HDTV provided you have the right television, receiver and satellite dish. Dish Networks HDTV offerings are particularly impressive because their programming comes in a screen format ratio of 16 to 9 instead of the typical television system ratio of 4 to 3. What this means is that your viewing picture won’t be missing any images and allows you to truly enjoy viewing your programming the way the director originally intended for you to watch their show.
Dish Network also offers an outstanding array of programming features that take full advantage of the capabilities offered by HDTV. They have a rather extensive line of movies you can view on the HDNet and if you like sports then you simply must watch ESPN-HD. Perhaps the most exciting aspect is their ability to provide high definition movies on their HDTV subscription.
Dish Network is a great satellite TV provider and they are really committed to taking full advantage of the many feature rich offerings that HDTV provides and passing those benefits on to their customers.
DirecTV HDTV Offers
DirecTV HDTV offerings bring an instant clarity to watching television, especially with their top of the line sports programming. With high definition television redefining the way we watch TV by providing an added realism to include vivid colors, outstanding graphical images and surround sound capabilities due to the Dolby Digital technology it employs you almost feel as if you're actually at the sporting event yourself.
DirecTV offers the standard programming that comes with most satellite TV basic programming packages along with being one of the only satellite television providers that offers local channel access. Naturally they offer pay per view movies and other programming but where they excel in HDTV standards in my opinion is with their sports programming packages and for that they are simply top notch.
Without a doubt DirecTV offers the best sports programming packages, for both the collegiate and professional level. There truly is no substitute for watching NFL Sunday Ticket with games available in high definition programming.