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Dish Network is the satellite television broadcasting product owned by the company EchoStar Communications Corporation. Founded in 1980, by Mr. Charlie Ergen along with his wife Cantey and friend DeFranco, EchoStar Communications is an international, public company which is currently based in Englewood, Colorado. The current Chairman and CEO of the company is its founder Charlie Ergen.

EchoStar boasts of the conceptualization and introduction of the world’s first Ultra High Frequency (UHF) remote control in the year 1986. The company was granted its Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) license by FCC in 1992 and launched its own private DBS service in 1995. The first Direct Broadcast Satellite of the company was EchoStar I which was launched from Xichang, China that year.

The Dish Network service of the EchoStar Company was soon a hit due to the company’s committed focus on customer service and cutting-edge equipment, resulting in the prolonged growth of EchoStar. It has being ten years and has seen the launching of eight satellites into space and still EchoStar and its Dish Network service enjoys the glory of being above all its competitors. DISH Network’s DISH 500 service which was introduced in 1999 is the world’s first and only 500-channel satellite TV system. After the release of the DISH 500 service, HDTV Satellite TV Receiver was launched in January, 2000 a few months later, which was groundbreaking in its popularity. After a few years, by 2004, DISH Network became the first satellite TV service to offer local channels to all 50 states of USA along with Washington D.C. Topped up by DISH Network’s 1,000 complete high definition television systems offering to the subscribers, EchoStar is the undisputed leader in its field now. Today, DISH Network is the most popular all-digital TV choice in America and most recently, introduced the first multi-room satellite TV receiver that can record in high definition – DISH Player-DVR 942.

Apart from Dish Network’s continuing success, EchoStar has many feathers in its cap, like the prestigious No.1 rank in Customer Satisfaction among Cable/Satellite TV subscribers, given by J.D. Power and Associates. All these years, EchoStar together with DISH Network have reaffirmed their standing by realizing new levels of service and introducing cutting-edge technologies. DISH Network is known to offer greater discounts and quality services in the form of bundled packages, owing to their partnership with communication masters such as SBC and EarthLink. DISH Network reached their 10 millionth customer milestone in 2004 and still continues to provide an impressive satellite network with the capacity to provide uninterrupted broadcast of hundreds of channels of digital video, audio and data services through the robust DISH Network service to homes, businesses and schools throughout the United States. Employing close to 20,000 people, EchoStar and DISH Network are known for their dedication to the quality, delivery and continuing advancement of Direct Broadcast Satellite worldwide.

The satellite industry is expanding very fast and creates a horizon of new opportunities and exciting, innovative cutting-edge technologies. DISH Network has evolved tremendously with the potential in satellite broadcasting and continues to explore new services like high definition television and digital video recording. There is still more to come in the field of distant high definition TV network channels over the next few years with the passage of the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act of 2004 (SHVERA). The future for Dish Network and EchoStar looks promising enough to revolutionize the world of satellite broadcasting.

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The dispute between Virgin Media and Sky over the rights to a number of non-premium Sky channels has dragged on over the weekend and now enters a crucial stage with the channels set to go off air for Virgin Media customers this Thursday (March 1).

The row regards the renegotiation between Virgin Media and Sky for the non-premium Sky channels, including Sky One, Two and Three, as well as Sky News, Sky Sports News and Sky Travel. The current deal is set to expire on Thursday and so far no agreement has been reached onto how much Virgin Media should pay to carry the channels for their customers.

Talks broke down last Friday morning with Virgin Media issuing a press release accusing Sky of “bullying” and “arrogance”. They claim that Sky has doubled the asking price for these channels in a deliberate attempt to end negotiations. They also claim that this was premeditated as the company has broadcast several advertisements telling Virgin Media customers to contact the company pleading with them to keep the basic Sky channels. Virgin Media have therefore accused Sky of trying to poach its customers and by forcing them to switch provider in order to keep the basic Sky channels.

However, Sky has responded to the Virgin Media accusations by saying that it was surprised and disappointed” by the comments, and that it stood for “choice and competition”. It went on to say that it wanted its basic channels to remain available to Virgin Media customers. It said in a statement: “Sky has negotiated with NTL/Virgin in good faith and has shown flexibility on price,” the broadcaster said in a statement. We categorically reject their claims that we have broken off negotiations or that we are seeking to more than double the price of these channels.”

Sky has today said that it is in its best interests to reach an agreement with Virgin Media as the loss of a potential 3.3 million customers could hit its operating profits by up to twenty million pounds. It has said that it is disappointed that Virgin Media has broken off the negotiations and that the increase in price for the channels was to reflect its heavily increased investment in them. Sky has said that the loss of up to twenty million pounds was down to the possibility of lower carriage fees and weaker advertising revenues.

The two companies only have until Wednesday to reach an agreement and the reaction to the news so far from Virgin Media customers has been mixed. Some have praised Virgin Media’s stance against Sky whilst others have criticised the company and signalled their intention to join Sky if an agreement cannot be made.

Many in this second category has highlighted the years they have had as customers of NTL and Telewest with no problems before Virgin has joined and suddenly the problems have starteed. Also many customers are disappointed to be losing Sky One for programmes such as Lost and 24 which are currently mid-season. The same customers will not be pleased by the news that Virgin Media has no plans to reduce the price of its tariffs if it does not secure the Sky channels as it plans to invest this money in addition content and improved services. However many customers have said they see this as more investment in repeats and programmes which do not interest them.

Guide to TV discusses television options for residential customers, primarily for the UK market. Find out more about getting the best option for your home at http://www.guide-to-tv.com

Virgin Media customers look set to lose a number of Sky channels after talks broke down between the two companies.

Virgin Media look set to drop the Sky Basics package, which includes such channels as Sky One, Sky News, Sky Sports News and Sky Travel, after Sky raised the fees it charges the cable company to carry them. Premimum channels such as Sky Sports and Sky Movies are unaffected.

The news comes after weeks of negotiations and a hardline marketing campaign by the two companies. Virgin Media, which formed just weeks ago when the cable companies ntl:Telewest merged with Virgin Mobile, have accused Sky of “bullying” and “arrogance” by asking “nearly double” the price it had previously charged for the channels. It has said that although it increased its offer to keep the channels, if it had matched the Sky estimation it would have had no choice but to absorbing the significant costs and passing the price increase onto its customers which it was keen to do.

Sky have responded by saying that it feels Virgin Media should keep the their channels for its customers’ sake and that “it would be sad if they failed to provide their customers with their best-loved shows”.

Virgin Media have accused Sky of dirty tactics after advertising the fact that their customers may lose the Sky channels and it published a phone number for its customers to ring to ask the company not to lose these channels.

Virgin Media’s chief executive Steve Burch has said: “We frankly believe they never had an intent to reach an agreement with us. All their actions – advertising, bullying tactics claiming we didn’t care about Sky’s basic package – and the price they asked was just so far out of reality, we just believe it was engineered so we wouldn’t reach an agreement.

“We sat down and negotiated with them in good faith. Last night we made a final offer. They not only rejected it but indicated they were not going to go further with negotiations even though the contract didn’t expire until next week. And they indicated to us that they had planned a PR campaign for this weekend to show we wouldn’t be carrying Sky Basics any more.”

Virgin Media have responded to the debacle with a message on their website to its customers. They have said that despite them continuing to offer its channels, including Living, Bravo and Challenge, to Sky customers, Sky seems insistent on withdrawing is channels from their customers.

They said that although they were willing to increase the price they paid to carry the channels in question, the price they was asking for beared no relation to the channels true market value and therefore “Sky have picked up their ball and gone home”.

However, Virgin Media have said that they are confident that they can still compete with Sky even without such channels as Sky One and that they are “full of fresh entertainment and communication possibilities”. In fact they end their statement by saying: “We’re not scared of competition, we welcome it”.

The bad blood between Virgin Media and Sky relates not only to the Virgin re-branding of the cable company earlier this month, but also to an incident last year when their biggest shareholder, Sir Richard Branson, was left infuriated by Sky’s decision to buy more than one billion pounds worth of shares in ITV after Virgin Media had declared an interest in buying it. The Sky shareholding effectively blocked Virgin Media’s takeover plans.

Guide to TV discusses television options for residential customers, primarily for the UK market. Find out more about getting the best option for your home at http://www.guide-to-tv.com

This is one of those hard questions to answer. It is not as straightforward as it may seem. Which option is best for you depends on what is offered in your area as well as your own needs.

Cable television certainly has a lot of advantages, especially now that digital options are available. Lots of channels and a wonderful range of packages to choose from. Many companies will give you the option to have service on multiple televisions as well.

Cable television is also available in most areas now. Not all, certainly, but it is extremely widely available. However, in many areas you will still only have one company to choose from. If you don’t like the service you are receiving it’s not so easy to just go over to the competition, unless you switch to satellite.

There aren’t a lot of satellite companies to choose from either, but you do at least have a choice. And the channel selection is simply wonderful. Many people get marvelous reception, although some do complain of weather related issues.

Choosing based on cost may not be as easy at it first appears. Most cable companies don’t particularly care how many televisions you hook up, although if you get digital cable you will need a box or card for each so that your television can understand the signal.

Similarly with satellite you will need a receiver for each television. Unlike cable, the costs may go up when you add more televisions.

You will also want to consider who is offering the best options for what you watch. Sports lovers will want to consider which sports channels they can order and the costs associated with that. It will be similar for movie lovers.

Many cable customers suffer from regular price increases. This is one of the biggest problems with the lack of competition. But on the other side of things, most satellite providers insist on a contract, so you have to be prepared to stick with it for a time.

Equipment can be something of an issue. Depending on your cable provider, you may have to pay rent for the digital receiver if you go with digital cable. On the other hand, many satellite providers offer at least some equipment for free, then have you purchase anything above and beyond what they offer for free. In both cases you may well need equipment for every television you hook up.

As you can see, there is no definitive way to declare one is better than the other for every home. It depends on your own needs and preferences. Don’t be afraid to contact both a cable provider and a satellite television company to get the numbers for your situation. It will help you make the right choice.

Stephanie Foster helps you compare satellite and cable television at http://www.comparesatellite.info/satellite-cable.php . She finds that each has advantages and disadvantages, and hopes to provide a good resource for you to make the right choice at http://www.comparesatellite.info/

Recently the “Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act” was passed. This sets February 17th – 2009, as the “final-cut-off-date” for Over-The-Air Analog TV Broadcasts. That means your ‘Rabbit Ears’ and the tall antenna on your roof will be useless except for lawn ornaments. To watch any TV presentation that originates outside of your home you will need new hardware. The minimum will be an HDTV with a digital tuner. The tuner can be integrated or external. If there happens to be an HDTV Transmitter close enough to your home, you can buy an HDTV antenna.

HDTV signals are line-of-sight, so if you are on the edge of a broadcast area there are Roof mounted antennas available. This is how the local broadcast network affiliates will transmit, if you still watch them. There will of course be satellite and cable available for the myriad extra entertainment venues they provide.

Some regions may need an HDTV antenna if your cable provider is slow bringing HDTV to your area or if your area has no cable. If you use one of the Satellite providers you should be in luck. They are transitioning to HDTV as we speak. Ain’t Competition Great.

HDTV SPECIFICATION
The HDTV specification provides for three different types of HDTV, denoted by the number of lines of resolution and the signal type. They are:

*1080p (1080 lines, progressive scan)
*1080i (1080 lines, interlaced)
*720p (720 pixels, progressive)

Any TV not capable of displaying at least 720 lines is not ‘HDTV ready’ and any signal with fewer than 720 lines is not an HDTV signal. So, in order to be properly HDTV capable, a TV needs to be able to display at least 1280 pixels horizontally as well as at least 720 vertically.

The ‘i’ and ‘p’ in the HDTV specification refer to interlaced and progressive scan. The analog TV we’ve been watching for years is interlaced. That simply means that each frame of video is split into two fields. Each field contains alternate lines of the signal (one has the odd, the other the even) and is displayed for 1/60th of a second. Because it happens so fast, your brain interprets each frame as a single image. Progressive scan signals have no fields, they simply display each frame in its entirety for 1/30th of a second. This results in a higher quality image, particularly noticeable in fast-action broadcasts such as sporting events,

Once the decision is made as to how you are going to receive HDTV some decisions need to be made about how you will use the system. Your choices in display technology will depend on your most frequent use of the system. Depending on your interests you will want to evaluate different types of displays and/or controls.

Gamers will probably want different display qualities than a Home Theatre Buff, Sports enthusiast or Business users. Business applications such as Power Point & Spreadsheet display well with most consideration being given to the size of the audience. Avid sports viewers will need true high speed performance. I haven’t been a Gamer since before Intel’s P III, so their concerns will be addressed in another publication.

So what do you prefer?

A front-projection system uses a projector and a separate screen, and it projects images onto the front of that screen. This setup looks most like what you’d find in a movie theater — the projection unit is completely separate from the screen. The projector can be placed on a table or mounted to the ceiling. The picture looks best when displayed on a high-quality screen, but a specially painted, flat wall will work as well.

Rear-projection systems look more like traditional televisions. They display images on the back of a screen rather than the front, and the projector is completely contained within the television itself. You can also set up a rear-projection system with a projector and a special screen, but the term is most often used to describe self-contained TV sets.

For that theatre experience at home, without the sticky floor and screaming kids, I prefer a front-projection DLP Projector for my Home Theatre Room. In my opinion DLP is best for Home Theatre Video’s (DVD Etc. because of higher contrast and deeper black levels, Contrast (3000:1 for DLP, 1000:1 for LCD).

A projector of this type can project on a wall screen up to 120″ in size with high contrast and deep black levels. DLP miniprojectors on the market are around 3 pounds. Most LCD projectors are five pounds or more. These differences are being narrowed as technology progresses. For Business applications such as Power Point & Spreadsheet display these are not noticeable concerns.

I’m a Home Theatre Buff so DLP meets my expectations. But there are other technologies with their own pluses and minuses.

Plasma Displays have great resolution and incredible color definition. With a resolution of 1366 x 768 a plasma display can give virtually a 3-D effect. This in combination with exceptional color reproduction can be quite stunning.

Plasma does have some issues though. They can be subject to ‘Burn in’ and there is a concern with ‘Life Cycle’. At the price levels you will find in display technologies a screen that only lasts 20,000 to 25,000 hours before replacement is needed is problematic. This is possible with Plasma although NEC is working on raising their ‘life cycles’ to 60,000 hours.

LCD’s have an average life cycle of 30,000. LCD Screens deliver a very good picture. The LCD was the first display to have 1080 line resolution. LCD is better in bright light conditions. LCD historically delivers better color saturation than you get from a DLP projector although this is a major focus of new research on DLP tech.

Compared to Plasma, LCD has slow reaction time if you are watch presentations focusing on split-second events such as NASCAR and other sports. Contrast, at 1000:1 is not great compared with Plasma & DLP. Full black is hard to achieve with LCD, black is usually a deep Gray. LCD may also be subject to a screendoor effect, at times seeming to show a division between pixels. Also a potential problem with LCD: Long Term Image Degradation. Although this would most likely happen after a comparable Plasma screen may show effects of a burn in or element failure.

There are so many factors to consider and so much information out there that many more articles can be written. So for now further research and choices are up to you.

C. R. Ellsworth is retired and living in the ‘Great North Woods’.

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