DVD Recorder Buying Guide

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If you’re ready to toss out your VHS VCR in favor of a DVD recorder, this Buying Guide is for you.  Nothing beats the optical disc format when it comes to direct and random access, digital video and audio quality, and long-term durability.  VHS VCRs can’t touch DVD recorders in these areas.  As a removable medium, it beats the hard disk personal video recorders (PVRs) like TiVo and ReplayTV in terms of virtual capacity.  You simply insert another blank disc.

DVD recorders can record any of the following material:

• analog TV via over-the-air broadcasts, cable, or satellite

• standard definition digital television (SDTV), same quality as DVD-Video (480i)

• analog camcorder video (8mm, Hi-8, VHS, and VHS-C formats)

• digital camcorder video (miniDV and Digital-8 formats)

DVD recorders can not record high definition television (HDTV) signals.  For HDTV, you can use the Digital-VHS VCRs available today, or wait for the high definition DVD (HD DVD) recorders to come out.  If you want to do extensive video editing and create a professional looking DVD for your home videos, you should use a computer with a recordable DVD drive and a video editing and DVD authoring software package.

Now that you know what a standalone DVD recorder can and can not do, we will cover the following topics in this Buying Guide for standalone DVD recorders:

• Must-have features

• Nice-to-have features

• Connectivity: inputs and outputs

• Which recordable DVD format?

Must-Have Features

As a basic replacement for the VCR, standalone DVD recorders must have an NTSC analog TV tuner and an electronic program guide (EPG).

NTSC Analog TV Tuner. To pull in TV channels, you need a built-in NTSC analog TV tuner.  Just like your VCR, this allows you to program recordings for different channels.  The tuner receives analog TV channels via antenna or cable.  If you have a satellite system, you should be able to use the DVD recorder just like you’re using a VCR today.

Electronic Program Guide (EPG). To make programming the DVD recorder to record your favorite shows as easy as possible, an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) is essential.  Sometimes, it is called an Interface Program Guide (IPG).  Many DVD recorders make use of the Gemstar-TV Guide’s VCR Plus+ Gold system, which has been available for VHS VCRs for a number of years.  Some are using the newer GUIDE Plus+ and GUIDE Plus+ Gold systems.  The EPG puts up a nice graphical display of the TV programs on various channels for different times, up to eight days in advance.  You can interactively sort by various categories to quickly locate the show you want.  Once you find the show that you want to record, push one button and voilà, the DVD recorder is programmed to record that show for you.  These EPGs are free and the EPG data/ signal should be be available through most cable providers.

 

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Atkins Diet Food List

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If you're ready to start the Atkins Diet for weight loss, the following Atkins Diet food list can be used as a tool to help choose the best foods.

Why an Atkins Diet Food List?

Too many people have the misconception that the Atkins Diet is a no-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat, free-for-all. It isn't. What the Atkins Diet does is teach you to eat the kind of carbs your body processes most efficiently--plant-based carbs. From day one, ample carbohydrates are allowed in the form of vegetables, which are one of the basic foods for a healthy diet. The Atkins Diet food list dispels the myths surrounding the diet and helps low-carb dieters find the best possible nutrition  , while they pursue their goal weight.

 

Free Foods

The following foods may be eaten without concern for quantity--eat until you are satisfied:

• Meat: all unprocessed meats, including beef, pork, lamb, veal, mutton, venison, and ham. Bacon is allowed if it is not processed with sugar; if nitrite-free bacon is available, it is preferable.
• Poultry: any unprocessed poultry, including chicken, turkey, goose, duck, cornish hens, pheasant, quail, ostrich, or emu.
• Fish: all unprocessed fish, including tuna, salmon, catfish, trout, snapper, sole, sardines, herring, and any other fish.
• Shellfish: any unprocessed shellfish, including oysters, clams, crab, shrimp, calamari, lobster, mussels, and scallops. Imitation crab or other imitation shellfish products are forbidden.
• Eggs: any real eggs are allowed, including chicken, duck, quail, or goose.

Vegetables

Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution divides vegetables into two groups: salad vegetables and other vegetables.

• Salad Vegetables: Any lettuce, including iceberg, romaine, Bibb, escarole, mache, raddichio, arugula, and endive. In addition to the lettuces, leafy herbs (such as dill, thyme, basil, oregano, and cilantro) and many other vegetables are listed as "salad vegetables." These other vegetables include bok choy, chives, cucumber, fennel (anise), parsley, celery, peppers (hot or sweet), radishes, daikon, sprouts, mushrooms, olives, and jicama are all considered salad vegetables.
• Other Vegetables: Among the other vegetables allowed on the Atkins plan are asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, kale, kohlrabi, tomatoes, onions, summer squashes (yellow, pattypan, and zucchini), okra, turnips, avocado, brussels sprouts, leafy greens (mustard, turnip, beet, collards,) broccoli, celeriac, and artichokes. In fact, just about any vegetable you might wish to eat is permitted, with the exception of corn, potatoes, green (English) peas, and other sweet or starchy vegetables.

 

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Walt Disney World Hotels

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Planning a visit to Walt Disney World? Other Theme Park Insider readers have submitted their ratings and reviews for the hotels in and around Walt Disney World, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. You can click on any of the hotels listed below to read those reviews, or to submit your own comments about a recent stay.

If you are looking for ride, show and restaurant ratings to help you plan your trip, click the links on the right side of the page to read our readers' reviews for all the attractions at more than four dozen popular theme and amusement parks around the world.

Readers' Opinions

Disney's Wilderness Lodge

The design of this Walt Disney World deluxe resort was inspired by National Park Service lodges like the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone and the Ahwahnee in Yosemite. Beyond the Lodge's soaring lobby, the hotel's 727 guestrooms feature Mission-style furnishings with quilted bedspreads.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

The Lodge offers deluxe guestrooms with African-inspired decor and modern amenities, such as high-speed Internet access, coupled with views of exotic animals roaming the Animal's Kingdom's savannahs. Spa services and recreational activities are also available at this full-service resort, a multiple winner of Theme Park Insider's Award for World's Best Theme Park Hotel.

Disney's Polynesian Resort

One of the three Walt Disney World hotels connected to the parks via monorail, the Polynesian stands across the Seven Seas Lagoon from the Magic Kingdom, with wicker- and bamboo-furnished guestrooms in 11 longhouses, each named for a Pacific island.

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort

Considered Disney World's top hotel, this Victorian-themed hotel's look was inspired by the historic Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. The Grand Floridian offers a white-sand beach, a four-star restaurant (Victoria & Albert's) and monorail access to the Magic Kingdom.

Disney's Beach Club Resort

Disney's take on circa-1900 New England beach clubs offers deluxe-style rooms and an elaborate water play area within walking distance of Epcot's back entrance.

Disney's Yacht Club Resort

This nautical-themed resort is a short walk from Epcot's back entrance and offers 621 deluxe-quality rooms with details such as yacht-themed bedspreads and ship’s wheel headboards.

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Next Generation Business Planning

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Most entrepreneurs do extensive planning and research before starting a business. But, after they get everything up and running, they tend to fall back into a natural bias for action mode. Once your business has been launched, it doesn’t mean your days as a strategist are finished.  In fact, they are just beginning.

Ongoing planning is necessary because the environment in which your small business operates is continually changing. This has become more important over the last year or two. Many of the new marketing tools have created new opportunities. Challenges like the current downturn in the economy may arise that may be vastly different than those assessed during the start-up stage. Initial financial projections can be literally and figuratively on the money—or trending in a different and unexpected direction.

With just a few planning tips, you can keep your small business right on track for long-term growth:

Make your business plan a living document. Many business plans become nothing more than “artifacts” of business start-ups. Don’t let this happen. Refer to your business plan every quarter or six months to compare estimates against current realities.  Then, update your plan as needed with new or modified contingencies and adjust time frames for key milestones such as expansions or new product/service lines.

Capture and monitor the numbers. Financial statements can provide a snap shot of the health of your business. If you project cash flow several months into the future based on reasonable expectations for sales and income, customer demand, regular payments (e.g. loans and rent), and other factors, you can and then compare actual cash flow to projections. This process reveals significant deltas which represent opportunities to improve performance.  Companies that don’t do this often find themselves in a situation with no room to maneuver.

Keep your finger on the pulse of the industry.  In today’s global economy, even slight changes can have a profound impact on small businesses.  The influences may be as far-reaching as a shift in demand for a certain commodity, or as local as a new stoplight near your store.  Monitor macro (world) and micro (local) events; study sales records, and keep a running dialog with customers, suppliers, and colleagues.  You’ll have fewer surprises, and will be better prepared to anticipate and capitalize on changes.

Form productive connections and alliances. Although business growth usually means having access to additional resources, there may be other, more cost-effective options. Creating alliances with other businesses in your field and certain consultants, you can stretch your capabilities. These alliances can help you meet peak market demands and/or generate revenue from products/services that you may not have.

 

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Las Vegas History: 10 Greatest Vegas Urban Legends

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We'd like to live in hotels (just so we can order room service), but we don't. Sure, we'd like to look like showgirls, but we don't. And yes, there is life beyond the Strip. Lots of life. Just like in any other "normal" city, Vegas has schools, government buildings, parks, playgrounds, supermarkets (but with slot machines), community centers and all that stuff that makes a city function. Plus, we have more urban myths than sequins on a Liberace suit. Here are our top 10 (for now) Vegas urban legends:

1. Hoover Dam bodies: It is a widely repeated story that during the construction of the Hoover Dam from 1931 to 1936, as many as seven workers were buried in the structure as 4,400,000 cubic yards of concrete was poured. While officially 96 dam workers died during the construction of the dam, no one was permanently buried in concrete. Fact is, the concrete was poured in relatively small batches (about a 1,000 cubic yards at a time), and each of these slabs was allowed to cure (dry) before the next one was added. If someone had indeed fallen in during this pouring process, he would have easily been pulled out by others.

2. Kidneys on the black market: In 1996, rumors began circulating about a man who, after having drinks with an attractive stranger at a Las Vegas bar, blacks out and later awakes in a hotel bathtub, covered in ice. A phone is resting on the floor beside the tub with an attached note, "Call 911 or you will die." The story continues with this "victim" being rushed to the hospital, where the doctors inform him that one of his kidneys has been removed, apparently by a gang selling human organs on the black market. A shocking story, but just that, a story. The tale first surfaced in 1991 and has "reportedly" happened in several cities including New York, New Orleans, Houston and Las Vegas. To dispel this rumor, the National Kidney Foundation asked anyone who claims to have had his or her kidneys illegally removed to notify the foundation. So far no one has come forth.

3. Aliens at Area 51: The top-secret Air Force facility located 110 miles northwest of Vegas always has been, well, a secret. It wasn't until 1990 that the U.S. government finally acknowledged the base even existed. Contrary to thousands of believers who claim to have seen UFOs, little green men, grayish creatures with almond-curved eyes and many more incredible things, the Pentagon says there are no aliens in Area 51. However, this shouldn't stop you from driving the Extraterrestrial Highway (Highway 375) just in case the government is lying.

4. Hunting for Bambi: In 2003, Las Vegas promoter Michael Burdick finally came clean, admitting to city officials that "Hunting for Bambi" was a hoax and that his company never actually conducted "hunting expeditions" in which wealthy male patrons stalked naked women with paintball guns. "It was all staged," Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman told The Associated Press. "The purported 'Hunt for Bambi' was a scam. There were actors and actresses, and there wasn't even the real shooting of paint balls."

 

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My Best Presentation Tricks

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Giving presentations can be a complete and utter thrill. Too bad attending them can be a complete and utter bore. If you are on the giving side, I want to offer you up a collection of my best presentation tricks to date. I’ve written on presentation and the storyteller’s promise before at my site. I’ve written what has oddly become my top-rated post of all time, Bring out your inner David Lee Roth. This will draw from these concepts and more.

Stories and Characters

With few exceptions, a presentation is an opportunity for you to tell a story to an audience. You have the conch shell. You are the wielder of the fire stick. And your audience enters into a relationship with you from the moment they choose to sit in your presence. (Here’s a hack- what if you gave a presentation and provided no chairs? What would a standing audience look and feel like?) As such, your audience is expecting a story.

A story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. You’ve heard this before, and you understand, but apply it to your presentation. And no, I don’t mean, “Here’s what we’ll talk about, talk-talk, that’s what we talked about.” Stories also have characters. So, start your story at the beginning with a character. If you’re describing a product, start with the user of the product. Or start with the person who moves your product from one business to the other. But put PEOPLE in your story.

At the beginning, your character should have a problem. Maybe she has too many spreadsheets and not enough linking, and people are starting to give her information in ways that her spreadsheets are overflowing their banks. In the middle, your character meets the new product, a database, and now she’s really excited because the database can do EVERYTHING the spreadsheets were lacking. By the end of the story, your character is poised on all the great new ways the database will save her in the future, and she’s looking forward to applying her new skills to a new challenge.

Ads are presentations. Watch TV for a few minutes and see the stories; think about them in terms of a story with a character, a structure, etc. Do you see it?

 

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Top 5 Reasons To Build A Shipping Container Home

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Shipping container homes are the latest trend in eco-friendly building.  Since cargo containers are plentiful and cheap, there is no lack of good construction material to build your unique dream home.  But is a shipping container home the right choice for you?  Here is a list of five compelling reasons why you should consider a house made from shipping containers:

1. Shipping container homes are environmentally friendly. By using reclaimed materials, you can build a comfy dwelling that does not use wasteful new building materials.  There are thousands of used shipping containers on the market due to their ubiquity in the freight industry.  Why not save a shipping container from being wasted, and instead use it for something useful?
2. Shipping container homes are relatively cheap. A used shipping container can be purchased for only a few thousand dollars.  You can create a cozy cabin by using only one, or combine two for a larger dwelling.  There is some foundation work and customization that needs to be done in order to transform a freight container into a habitable space, but since shipping containers already come pre-shaped into rooms, this can be done quickly and inexpensively if you hire experienced professionals.  You can build a comfortable house for under $100,000 with the right modifications.  This is far less than a traditional house built from new materials.
3. Shipping container homes make a unique statement. If you are looking for a truly original house a cargo container home is really the way to go.  There are some really interesting possibilities with shipping container architecture, so your new home is certain to have a unique look.  Building a house in this style tells your neighbors that you care about sustainable living, and the multiple possibilities for modification leave the look of your home entirely up to your imagination.

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14 Misconceptions about Being a Nutritionist

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Misconception #1: I only want to hang out with other nutrition savvy folks. Just because I eat a certain way, does not mean I only want to hang out with people that eat the same way as me.  I connect with different people for different reasons, and more often than not, those people do not share the same diet as myself.  My best friend in the whole wide world does NOT eat like I do.  In fact, I cannot say I have many (or any) close friends that do.  I can think of 1.

Misconception #2: I constantly think about what others are eating around me/in front of me. When eating a meal with someone, I do not spend that time thinking about how unhealthy that “someone’s” meal is.  Most of the time I am too invested in what I am eating to worry about what someone else is eating. Additionally, if we are enjoying one another’s company, I am also too invested in the conversation for someone else’s meal to be a large concern of mine.  I have spent some time working in a historically famed steakhouse in New Jersey—I have seen steak and potatoes.  I am not going to melt.  (That being said, there are certain obscure meat dishes that really creep me out… just thinking about them makes me cringe).

Misconception #3: Because I am a nutritionist, I want to talk about nutrition all the time. I do not want to talk about nutrition all the time.  Many assume that because I am passionate, and educated in nutrition, that I want to discuss it at all times.  I am like any person in that I have a lot of interests.  Nutrition is just a piece of who I am.

Misconception #4: I am 100% healthy, 100% of the time. I wish!  I am not perfect in my eating.  Just because I eat very well a greater percentage of the time, does not, by any means, mean that I eat perfectly 100% of the time.  I am human.  I have been known to cave for blue corn tortilla chips, chocolate, wine, or …  I am also not well versed in portion control, as I love food (so thankfully what I love, is healthy).  I have chosen raw coconut ice cream over greens on many an occasion.  I love raw “ice cream” for lunch, or a snack, (and I make up for it with a lot of green juice, and green dinners).  Do I wish I were perfect, yes!! Am I?  No. I think it can be really easy to beat yourself up for not being a certain way—and in reality it can make you feel worse.  Be conscious of your decisions, and make a better decision the next time…  You ultimately feel better– when I eat better, I feel better.

Misconception #5: I am one of ‘those’ “spiritual raw foodists” and I only eat within that realm of food. First of all, everyone gets into nutrition for different reasons, be it spiritual, or whatever.  I do not fit into any specific category of eating (aside from vegetarian, which does not at all describe how I eat).  I am not entirely one way, or the other.  As I explain in My Philosophy, I am not a strict vegan, or a strict raw foodist.  I think those words tend to segment people into sometimes unfair, and inaccurate categories.  I am a Foodie through and through, and my diet is largely plant based, and raw, but it varies seasonally– and depends on my mood.  Why I like raw foods.

 

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Satellite Dish

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A satellite dish is type of parabolic reflector antenna that is designed specifically for transmitting signal and receiving signals from satellites. Dishes come in different sizes and designs depending on its purpose. Satellite dishes used at home for television reception are around 18' to 31' inches diameter and are fixed. Smaller the dish, more the problems related with rain fade and other adjacent satellites. Motorized satellites that are as big as 3 meters were originally used as channel receivers from different satellites. These dishes are still in use with three standards; DiSEqC, USALS, and 36v Positioners.

With regards to satellite television, signals are sent to a main communications satellite that is fixed in orbit above the earth. The signals are scrambled, so when the user pays for a subscription, they get a receiving dish and a descrambler. The tuning information is then fed to the TV through a cable.

Having your own satellite dish solves many problems earlier associated with television broadcasting methods. These stations broadcast signals via 2 radio wave bands; VHF and UHF. Ariel antennas receive as much of the transmission as possible, depending on the strength of the signal and the surrounding environment. Cable television networks could help with signal quality, but this would mean miles and miles of stringing insulated wire and subscription services.Satellite dishes bear no interference with signals from the main satellite. Satellite dish owners avail of additional channels and excellent clarity of digital signals.

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How To Become An Interior Designer

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From homes to offices to public spaces, the way most people live is shaped by the spaces around them. Interior designers take charge of the way people interact with that space, creating comfortable, inviting, and stimulating environments that engage and inspire.

Use this guide to find out how to become an interior designer. Before you jump into courses and degree programs, get the facts on what interior designers do, the steps you need to take to join their ranks, and what you can do on your own time to become a great interior designer.

What Are Interior Designers and What Do They Do?

Interior designers draw from years of education and experience to improve the appearance, safety, and function of interior spaces. These specialized designers can be found working in varied locations, including:

• Public spaces like airports and shopping malls
• Private businesses and residencies
• New construction and existing buildings

Working with clients, contractors, architects and engineers means that interior designers need to enjoy working on a team and communicating with everyone around them. Regardless of their project, interior designers typically follow the same steps in their work:

• Determine the needs and desires of their clients
• Formulate a design plan and estimate costs
• Finish detailed plans and present work to engineers and architects
• Develop a timeline for contract labor and oversee installation

Communication skills are essential in every step of the process. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that, in 2009, interior designers earned mean annual wages of $51,990. The most talented designers can earn even more by owning a small business and working for themselves. Working as an interior designer means enjoying a stimulating, rewarding career built on the idea of helping people live and work in comfort.

 

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How to Align a Satellite TV

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Once the dish antenna is installed, it needs to be aligned so it catches the signal transmitted from the satellite. In addition to receiving the signal, alignment of the dish needs to be tweaked for better quality reception. Similarly, the receiver needs to be tuned so that it works in tandem with the dish. Follow these steps to align your satellite TV.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Signal meter
• Pliers/screwdriver

1. Set up the dish antenna.

2. Adjust the low-noise block/feedback (LNBF) horn by slightly loosening the nuts and gently moving the dish from left to right.

3. Use the coaxial to connect the receiver to the dish LNBF.

4. Connect the receiver to your television set.

5. Switch on the television and the receiver.

6. Refer to the receiver manual for initial set up.

7. Determine the elevation level appropriate for your location and identify the elevation indicator on the dish. Adjust the elevation of the dish by loosening the elevation nuts and gently moving the dish up and down. The elevation indicator should line up with the elevation number for your location to adjust the dish properly.

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Global Telesat Communications launches rental scheme for handheld satellite phone requirements

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Global Telesat Communications (GTC), specialists in marine satellite communications solutions, has launched a ground breaking rental scheme for everyone looking to solve their short term communications requirements at minimum cost.

Offering market leading Inmarsat, Iridium and Thuraya handheld communications equipment, GTC has a rental solution that will cover all parts of the globe and do so economically at agreed and fixed costs.

The rental scheme will suit anyone requiring satellite communications on a temporary basis, whether it’s a rescue team going into a disaster zone, a charity fundraising expedition or a family sailing across an ocean. GTC will help with selection of the right equipment for the purpose and can put together a package that results in affordable and fixed or predictable costs. The chosen equipment is prepared and delivered in good time for the rental start date and, at the end of the hire period, it is checked over and any outstanding costs for use are deducted from the security deposit lodged with GTC at the start of the hire, the balance being returned immediately to the customer.

GTC is currently offering the Inmarsat IsatPhone Pro, the Iridium 9555, the Thuraya SO-2510 and Thuraya XT handsets for rent.

Upfront rental costs include a set up fee of £15 (all prices quoted exclude VAT), which covers postage, activation and traffic reports, and a refundable deposit related to the individual value of the equipment. For an Iridium 9555 the refundable deposit is £750, for a Thuraya XT £650, a Thuraya SO-2510 costs £400 as does an Inmarsat IsatPhone Pro.

To keep things simple and help customers with their budgeting, all weekly charges are the same, no matter which handset you rent, and all airtime beyond that included in the rental plan is charged at the same rates. The weekly charge under Option 1, which does not include any airtime, is £35, while Option 2, at £75, includes 35 minutes of airtime and Option 3 gives you 70 minutes for £105.

Should you need to use the satellite phones for more than the included minutes, GTC charges £1.50 per minute for outgoing voice calls to fixed or mobile phones, 75p per minute to same satellite network phones, £8.00 per minute to other satellite networks and 60p per SMS text message.

Besides the phone handsets themselves, GTC can offer a range of practical accessories, including spare batteries, in-car chargers, travel chargers, solar chargers for use in remote locations and compatible data cables.

 

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Satellite Dish Tripod

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A satellite dish tripod helps you build your own satellite system without any expenses of a fully automated system.  Globesat  Satellite System can help you achieve your own effective satellite system. The only requirements that you need are satellite television finder meter and a satellite television decoder. The decoder can be a freeview type or a standard sky one. These requirements are just enough in helping you find appropriate signals for your satellite system.

A satellite dish tripod is a support system for satellite antenna that consists of three legs in lightweight aluminum. It can be folded flat whenever not in use. It has a weigh of approximately 1.5 kilograms. The width of the leg distance can be straightened up to 1.18 meters approximately. The height of the central pole can be extended up to 94 centimeters. The collapsed length of the dish tripod is approximately 13 centimeters and 88 centimeters in width. Apparently, this dish tripod is not recommended for those motorized or moving satellite dish systems as well as those ones with large sized dishes. In buying the tripod in the market, the dish is not usually included.

The usual diameter of the hole of a satellite dish tripod is 40 millimeter. The dish tripod comes with a main central pole and without brackets when purchased. However, the main central pole is usually fixed and cannot be turned around. Since the pole is fixed, it has a feature of lock mechanism that prevents the pole from swinging around and moving up and down.

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See how Seattle Police train for dangerous situations

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When Seattle Police officers responded to the location of this past week’s deadly shootings, they arrived to what Assistant Chief Jim Pugel (above, left) would subsequently describe as “an uncertain and chaotic scene.” There had been multiple 911 calls with word of shots fired, potential gunshot victims who needed medical attention, and a shooter possibly on the loose, close to busy intersections filled with people.

Though the circumstances of the event were far more severe and quite different than what most officers experience on a routine patrol, what was similar was the method by which they all applied their training and experience, with ambiguous information, in a rapidly developing scenario with the lives of citizens and emergency personnel at stake.

Just a day before the quadruple murder-suicide in West Seattle, the Seattle Police Department invited media, including WSB, to a training facility in Tukwila for a primer in how officers are trained to deal with equivocal, potentially dangerous situations. Though the outreach was clearly designed to engage the media in the wake of the downtown shooting of Native American woodcarver John T. Williams, as well as a handful of recent, racially charged interactions, the behind-the-scenes look at current training methods is relevant to Thursday’s West Seattle shootings as well as the recent Thomas Qualls shooting in the Alki area.

 

Amidst the constant pop of gunshots from an adjacent firing range, a four-hour overview demonstrated some current training techniques, provided extensive details on the department’s use of TASERs, and allowed journalists to participate in a hands-on Shoot/Don’t Shoot simulator. The day’s sessions demonstrated the significant challenges officers can face in making split-second decisions, often in situations with incomplete and changing information.

Above all, the Seattle Police Department made it clear that its primary goal is always to diffuse potentially dangerous situations. “Whether it is something that comes up on a routine patrol, or what we saw last Thursday, essentially what we always do is de-escalation,” said Sgt. Sean Whitcomb of the Seattle Police Media Relations Office. And though dramatic events involving police and firearms garner a majority of media attention, the SPD says that what many may not consider is the success they have with many tens of thousands of incidents that patrol officers deal with routinely in the course of a year. According to Officer Dallas Murry, TASER Program Coordinator, 99.8% of the time, officers are able to talk a suspect into submission. “Law enforcement is more of an art than a science,” he said.

 

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Loganville satellite service adapts when customer habits change

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When Janet Blauser decided to switch from Comcast to Dish Network, the West Manchester Township resident did so with her budget in mind.

While she pays about the same each month, roughly $70, for basic satellite service as she did for cable, Blauser has kept faithful to her pledge not to upgrade.

Nowhere in her home will one find high-definition service, digital video recorders or the like.

"There is no way I'm going to pay for upgrades, its just too expensive," Blauser said. "I just can't see paying more than $100 a month to watch TV. That's just not going to happen here."

The problem, at least for satellite service providers such as Loganville Satellite in Stewartstown, is that too many cash-strapped customers have opted not to upgrade.

"We've lost about $5,000 so far this year in people deciding not to upgrade," said Brandon Wolfe, owner of Loganville Satellite, also known as R&B Satellite.

Earlier this month, Loganville Satellite consolidated by moving out of its flagship store at 207 N. Main St. in Loganville and into a building in Stewartstown, originally billed as the company's second location.

"With the economy, it's been tight," Wolfe said. "We started to see that the store in Loganville was bringing in as much business as the store in Stewartstown."

Along with the fact that the Loganville store has started to appear rundown, the company opted to combine its operations under one roof.

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How Does Satellite Tv Work?

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You must have seen lots of ads about Satellite television already. Today more and more customers have switched to Satellite TV for better picture quality, better channel line-up and more affordable pricing. The nation’s major Satellite TV providers, DIRECTV and DISH Network, have become the second and third largest paid-TV providers in the US, serving over 30 millions of subscribers.

So what is Satellite TV anyway, and how does Satellite TV work? Satellite TV is a television system that delivers TV programming directly to a viewer’s house via Satellite. The Satellite TV provider operates a broadcast center where programming signals from TV Networks are decoded and sent off to a communication satellite up in the sky. The satellite captures the signals and beams them back down to the earth, where they are picked up by the satellite TV dish. The Satellite dish is a curve antenna ranging from 18″ to 20″ round, so it can focus the signal on the feed horn that sits in front of the dish. The satellite dish will convert the signal back to programming via a Satellite receiver and sends the decoded programming to the TV at your home. The satellite receiver, also known as set-top box, is an electronic box that looks like a VCR. The TV signal is decoded and converted into video and audio. As a result, the TV programming will be displayed on the TV screen that is hooked to the receiver.

Thanks to the nature of Satellite TV technology, you will be able to get 100% digital quality video and audio channels, with better picture and sound quality than cable TV. Even digital cable couldn’t provide 100% digital channels as of today. In addition, Satellite TV can provide much more Standard-definition and High-definition channels than cable TV, because of band-width issue. So to sum up, Satellite TV is currently the best method to get the TV entertainment at your home. It beats cable companies hands down – offering more HD channels, better pricing, better picture and better customer service.

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Connecting a CableTV or Satellite System

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Over-the-air (OTA) broadcast television may be making a comeback with major networks now sending HDTV signals capable of being picked up by the humble rooftop antenna. But subscriber TV services from cable and satellite providers are here to stay. No other option will give the viewer so many programming choices and specialty networks than digital cableTV or satellite TV. These digital services can send near-DVD quality audio and video directly to your living room. But to decode these digital signals you'll need a set top box or STB called a satellite receiver, digital cableTV box or digital terminal. Digital cableTV and satellite receivers behave in much the same way; extracting and processing digital and analogue audio and video from a single coaxial cable run and sending it to your home theater system. In this article we'll examine satellite and analogue/digital cableTV systems to demonstrate how they can be easily integrated into your home theater.

Standard (Non-Digital) CableTV Box

The days when a cableTV box offered only a coaxial/RF output to a TV that had to be tuned to channel 3 are long past. But in case some of us still have one of these dinosaurs around, don't despair. These analogue cable boxes are easy to integrate and can provide two-channel audio that your receiver can process any number of ways to give you surround sound. Newer analogue cable boxes offer separate RCA jacks for two-channel stereo output and composite or even s-video outputs to make integration into your home theater system a snap. These audio/video output jacks connect directly to your home theater receiver for video and two-channel audio. You'll need two (2)coaxial/RF cables and a pair of stereo RCA cables with an extra RCA cable for composite video (or an s-video cable if you have those connections available on your receiver and television.)

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Smart Home | The Battle for Internet TV - How Do Google and Apple Rate?

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From the smart home entertainment point of view, all signals are pointing to a new era when savvy consumers will “cut the cable cord,” to their TV sets by replacing cable or satellite connections with an internet-rich set-top box, in the same way many have replaced their landlines with cell phones. I think it’s only a matter of time, especially with the recent announcements from Google (News - Alert) and Apple about their web TV strategies and solutions. This article is the first in a series that discusses the companies and product offerings that are working to convince consumers to cut the cable cord. Let’s start with a comparison of Google TV and Apple (News - Alert) TV.

Google TV (GTV) is a new software platform that seamlessly combines your TV, DVR recordings, and stored media with the entire internet. You get the simplicity and convenience of a Google search to find the shows and TV content you love.

The difference with GTV compared to other devices that have previously attempted this feat is all the other devices currently on the market make you choose between purpose- built functionality (such as playing a game on a Sony PS3) versus choosing an internet based activity (such as streaming a movie from Netflix on a Sony PS3). So far, it’s not easy to do both at the same time on a single device.

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Free Dish Network DVR Deals

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I have to admit that I was utterly floored to find out all of the programming diversity I was getting when I subscribed to Dish Network. I mean, I had heard that Dishnetwork offered excellent programming with equally excellent customer service, but I really didn't believe my ears when the technician that came to install my Dishnetwork satellite dish began describing all of my plan's features to me. Believe me; by the time the technician was done with the installation of my Dish Network deal, I was more than happy to begin using the remote control to explore all of the Dishnetwork options made readily available to me.

Over 200 channels, including shopping channels, sports channels, pay-per-view access, instant weather, all of the movie channels and more were provided to me with the America's Everything Pak. I also got access to 20+ Sirius satellite radio stations and 24 hour satellite television entertainment. Yet, I didn't know, at least until the technician informed me, that I was also able to order pay-per-view entertainment with my remote and that if I didn't feel like paying my bill by telephone, by snail mail, or by online payment, I could use my remote to pay my bill as well! Clearly, Dishnetwork did everything possible to make my bill payments an easy process.

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How DirecTV and Dish Network Stop Signal Theft

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Reducing Signal Theft by Blacklisting Access Cards

DirecTV maintains a list of cancelled access cards. If an access card with a blacklisted CAM ID is utilized, you will receive the "Call Extension 745" error message.

Reducing Signal Theft with ECM (Electronic Counter Measures

DirecTV and Dish Network engineers also broadcast hostile signals that instruct the satellite receivers to cause unauthorized access cards to stop working. These attacks are commonly known as ECM (Electronic Counter Measures). Common ECM attacks are:

Datastream updates

Datastream updates are new software which is sent to the access card to attempt to close previously discovered vulnerabilities. Datastream updates can be repaired by programming the access card again.

Tier Wipes

Tier wipes are updates which are sent down to reconfigure unsubcribed access cards. Tier wipes can be repaired by programming the access card again.

Looping

Looping utilizes the ROM program in each access card. Instructions are sent down which causes unsubscribed access cards to enter an infinite loop. Which the card is stuck in this infinite loop it can not be written from or read to in a normal manner. Looping requires the use a piece of equipment called an unlooper to repair.

EEPROM corruption

EEPROM corruption is the most dangerous type of ECM. Instructions are sent down that detect unsubscribed access cards and damage the EEPROM on the access card.

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Free satellite tv -- the biggest myth on the internet.

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Free satellite TV is one of the biggest myths on the internet and I've dedicated this short piece regarding this oxy-moron. There is likely a few reasons you have found this page. You may have seen sites offering free satellite TV, or you may be trying to find information on pirating DirecTV signals. I will explain the latter and I will explain what these sites mean by "free".

When you see the offer "free satellite TV", they are talking about a free setup and free equipment offer that DirecTV and Dish network provide. After your system is installed for free there is a monthly fee you must pay for a minimum programming package. At the time of this writing DirecTV and Dish Network offer 3-5 rooms of free setup and free equipment.

The other way you may have found this page is if you were searching for information on the free satellite TV the pirates offer. What they do is program Dtv or Dishnet cards that enable people to get all channels. (hence the name "free satellite tv") Now they charge you to re-program your card every time you get hit, and you have to pay for the equipment and setup all yourself. You will be hit 1-3 times a week. Only once if you are lucky.

So as you can see, no matter how you slice it, there is no such thing as free satellite tv. Regarding the theft of satellite signals - there is a considerable effort underway by the police force in my city to put a stop it. They just recently raided over a dozen companies providing the equipment used to pirate DirecTV and Dish Network. This just means that the cost and hassle of stealing will increase.

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Bharti stakes on Bollywood to drive satellite TV business

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Bharti Airtel Ltd., India’s largest Mobile-phone company, anticipates rapid growth at its satellite television unit on increasing demand in rural areas for Bollywood movies and soap operas.

According to Ajai Puri, chief executive officer of the company’s digital TV services business, Bharti has signed up 3.8 million customers to gain a 14% market share. Industry wide, as many as 12 million people may take up satellite television this year.

A price war was subsequently the entry of new players like DoCoMo and Telenor pushed mobile-phone call rates down to as low as a penny a minute, damping earnings growth at Bharti, and prompting the carrier to seek new revenue opportunities. The company is offering a pay-per-view TV service, where new Bollywood movies are made available to rural customers within three weeks of their release in city cinemas.

As per Apurva Shah, head of research at Prabhudas Lilladher Pvt. in Mumbai, the potential is very, very large. But it’s going to entail huge upfront investments and the ability to sustain losses for several years to make a mark in this business, it is ultra competitive.

Bharti, which started its direct-to-home TV service in October 2008, lags behind Dish TV, billionaire Kalanithi Maran’s Sun TV Network and Tata Sky, a venture between India’s Tata Group and Rupert Murdoch’s Star Group. Still, it directs its nearest wireless rival Reliance Communications Ltd., which started its Satellite TV business the same year as Bharti, and has about 3 million customers.

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Watch Live TV Online HD Quality TV And Movies Online

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Watch Live TV Online In HD Quality.  Live TV Stream Online right from your computer. Stream Direct is without a doubt, the top television to pc software program available around the market these days. There are millions of individuals who use this software program daily to look at their favorite programs. With the this brand new software program, you are able to observe several of your preferred tv applications too without having to pay a dime for a cable bill or cough up for those expensive satellite television service contracts which will eat up your money like pac-man.

Stream Direct is extremely simple to make use of. All you require is an web connection, a computer, the software program and you have instant access to 4500 High Def channels across the world. This software will also provide the viewer the best in digital tv; it performs so well by providing HD high quality channels to you; And with so several choices and viewing options, Stream Direct blows local cable stations clear out of the water. And all for no charge. There’s no cable company around the planet that could ever give you a deal like that. Watch Live TV Online Today.

ou no longer need to watch television literally..from your tv. With this item, you are able to now observe tv without paying huge bills or worrying about satellite equipment breaking down on the outside of your house. It also comes with an simple to use guide for setup and programming so its simpler than ever to watch your HD tv being broadcast over the internet proper into your living room.

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Car Satellite TV Providers and General Information

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Road trips with the children can be frustrating, tedious and tiring. Now imagine a 10 hour drive while your kids can be entertained with satellite television in the back of the car. Through companies such as Tracvision (part of KVH), you can receive over 300 channels of live satellite television and 50+ music channels from DirecTV. KVH supply satellite antennas to tens of thousands of boats, RV's and coaches around the world and has won several consumer and industry awards. For the past six years in a row, KVH has received the "Best Product" award for both satellite TV and satellite communication by the National Marine Electronics Association. Now the company has developed technology that allows satellite television to be viewed in a standard family saloon. You can now watch the big match from the back seat of your car instead of listening to the commentary on the radio or make sure that the kids don't disrupt you're driving by letting them watch a movie premiere, music videos or cartoons. For safety reasons, it should be made clear that the driver of the vehicle is unable to directly or indirectly view any screen within the car.

The system operates in the same manner as conventional satellite television. You need the equivalent of a dish, which is mounted on the roof of your car, and a receiver, which can fit easily under a seat or in the trunk. Using a special tilting device, the equipment makes sure that the flat dish on the roof is always directed at the southern sky in order to receive a signal. The flat antenna is fitted with tamper-resistant mounting brackets in order to deter theft and there are versions available for cars with and without roof racks.

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Australia Satellite TV - How to Watch Satellite TV in Australia

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Australians are caught with quite a number of options to watch satellite TV in Australia. Whether it is satellite TV services like SelecTV or Kansat, using satellite TV dish systems or watching TV via normal terrestrial reception, there are too many alternatives to select from when one wants to watch Australia satellite TV. This article will show you what is needed and offer some useful tips about the options to watch satellite TV in Australia.

There are mainly three direct methods to watch satellite TV in Australia. One is to go for satellite TV services that offer monthly TV packages, satellite TV equipment and installation suppliers and lastly is simply to tap on PC satellite TV software. Essentially, all make use of free to air TV broadcasts to deliver satellite TV channels to viewers.

Using Australian satellite TV services mean that you would select a TV package of your choice to watch satellite TV in Australia. The TV packages normally vary in terms of the number of TV channels from a few to over 20 TV channels and prices. Pricing generally is tied to the number of channels available - the more channels, the pricier it would be. Payment would be in the form of monthly bills and range from $20 and above. So it works out to be about $300 in a year.

Other than using Australia satellite TV services, you can use a satellite TV equipment supplier like Kansat. These are satellite TV services that only deal with the equipment and installation. Since it is possible to receive free to air satellite TV channels to watch satellite TV in Australia using a satellite dish system, all one needs is to make sure that the equipment setup is done properly. The price tag on the system varies but it is quite normal to pay more than $300 for a complete dish system.

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Getting the Best Satellite TV Program for Your Buck: Learn About Satellite Installation Companies and Satellite Programming

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Would you like to learn more about the services that satellite TV providers? Read this article for the low down about satellite TV providers and their programming options.

Cost of Satellite Programming

The cost of satellite programming depends on various factors including the number of TVs and the number of services included in the selected package. Here are some services for homeowners to choose from:

• High-Definition TV (HDTV)
• DVR
• Movie, Sports, and International Channels
• Local Channels
• Number of Channels ranging from 60- Over 100
• Pay-Per-View

As the number of services increase, so do the prices for the packages. When choosing a package, homeowners should make sure that they do not get carried away by all the different options. They should choose items that they will use often. Otherwise, the unused items will go to waste and so will the money that they spent on it.

Satellite Installation Companies

Some of the main satellite network providers include Dish Network, GlobeCast World TV, and Voom. Many of these companies offer similar basic packages, which include the basic 60 cable stations that any cable television provider offers.

For the best deal, homeowners should do their homework. Each company offers different promotions. Some will offer free installation while others will offer free equipment such as dishes or receivers. If possible, homeowners should try to negotiate with a satellite cable representative. Some representatives are willing to give discounts to keep customers.

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Satellite frequencies

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To receive digital TV via satellite but not through Freesat or Sky, you need to tune your equipment to the correct frequencies yourself. For help with tuning, please contact your equipment retailer, manufacturer or installer.

Listed below are the frequencies for BBC TV channels and radio stations available via satellite. Because of software limitations, BBC Red Button interactive channels are currently only available with Freesat or a Sky set-top box and viewing card.

Other free channels are also available, but some - such as Channel 4 and Five - are encrypted and require Freesat or a Sky set-top box and viewing card.

FEC = forward error correction
SID = service information descriptor

Astra 2D Satellite (28.2° East)
Transponder 45
Frequency: 10.77325 GHz
Horizontal polarisation
Symbol rate: 22.0 Mbaud
FEC5/6

Channels available	SID
BBC One London	6301
BBC Two England	6302
BBC Three	6303
BBC One NI	6331
BBC Four	6316
CBBC	6317
CBeebies	6318

Astra 2D (28.2° East)
Transponder 47
Frequency: 10.80275 GHz
Horizontal polarisation
Symbol rate: 22.0 Mbaud
FEC 5/6

 

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Satellite TV Programming

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Satellite TV providers get programming from two major sources: national turnaround channels (such as HBO, ESPN and CNN) and various local channels (the ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and PBS affiliates in a particular area). Most of the turnaround channels also provide programming for cable TV, and the local channels typically broadcast their programming over the airwaves.

Turnaround channels usually have a distribution center that beams their programming to a geosynchronous satellite. The broadcast center uses large satellite dishes to pick up these analog and digital signals from several sources.

Most local stations don't transmit their programming to satellites, so the provider has to get it another way. If the provider includes local programming in a particular area, it will have a small local facility consisting of a few racks of communications equipment. The equipment receives local signals directly from the broadcaster through fiber-optic cable or an antenna and then transmits them to the central broadcast center.

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1300+ TV Stations

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Even though we are in the era of the Internet, television continues to have a myriad of fans. Internet is indeed indispensable. It provides quick access to hot news, interesting points of view, gazillions of programs designed for trillions of purposes, and it also keeps you connected. But a share of live TV is always a pleasure. Plus all the bloopers of the TV hosts are too damn funny to miss.

So television had to adapt itself to the new standard in order to survive the technological avalanche. And here comes the Internet again supplying a thousand programs ready to bring television on your computer monitor. It is an easy way to access your favorite applications, as you need no expensive hardware or anything else but a good computer and a hell of an Internet connection to get the video running smoothly.

Internet Satellite TV Player comes with an appealing price tag (only $14.95 on it) and set of features: 1300+ TV channels from 110+ countries, bandwidth selector, 24/7 customer support and favorites folder where to place your preferred channels.

The testing version comes as a demo and its restrictions prevent you from running the application for more than 20 minutes and the use of the favorites folder. Other then these, everything is ready for testing.

The interface is quite regular in the sense that it goes by the standard: the channel list on the left and the video window on the right. All the channels are grouped by countries and at the end of the name of the state there is displayed the number of TV stations available. The novelty in this application are the 20 adult stations (it's the first category in the list, you can't miss it, the developer made sure of this). I must confess that this is not a usual feature in such applications and, to tell you the truth, most of them work.

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How to Watch Satellite TV on Your Computer through the Internet from now

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The internet is such a wonderful device these days, is it actually that tough to believe that we can currently watch satellite TV on our computers from side to side the internet.

There’s actually no surprise. Here are billions and billions of video streams playing all kinds of videos 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Here are various ways to obtain some superior satellite programming. Some solutions comprise a FTA or free to air system or here is conservative cable, other than its tough to obtain those huge channels offered on satellite.

I have exhausted a fair bit of time and cash investing in satellite systems, paying monthly fees. Then I establish an intelligent answer. It was a software program which lets you to watch up to 3000 channels live right on you’re PC. I was getting all the huge satellite programming my neighbor got and method extra right on my PC for a fraction of the price.

The software has sold millions of copies. Watching Satellite TV on your PC from side to side the internet is becoming more and more well-liked. Check this out though, here are no monthly costs. If you have ever had a satellite scheme, or salaried monthly fees, you’re in for an attraction. Here is only a one time only charge of $50 bucks, and that’s it. Any necessary upgrades can be downloaded when ever wanted. You never pay anything extra ever another time.

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How To Get Free Satellite TV With Free To Air, FTA

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What Is Free To Air or FTA Satellite TV?

You can get free satellite TV with what is called Free To Air Satellite dishes. FTA satellite TV is simply unencrypted satellite TV transmissions that can be picked up with a simple dish and receiver. Many years ago all satellite TV was free. Those with large dishes could pick up everything from the Playboy network to Disney and HBO, plus all the "feeds" or transmissions from the network to local television stations. You may recall  when owners of these dishes picked up president Ronald Reagan on a network feed when he joked "the bombing will begin in five minutes."  Once people got hooked on the concept of satellite TV many premium channels started charging for the service but many of the channels still remain free. Even though the "premium" channels are now pay only, there are still some good entertainment on FTA.

What Kind Of Equipment Do You Need For FTA Satellite TV?

Unless you have an old 8' dish, which also picks up the C band, you will use a 75 centimeter (29.5 inches) Ku Band FTA dish. You can get an amazing number of channels. The FTA receiver is about the same size as a DirecTV receiver and connects to a computer for easy programming.

What Kinds Of FTA Free Satellite Channels are There?

Free to air satellite channels include everything from the network feeds to dozens of foreign language channels, local United States television stations, including all the major networks, religious channels (including over forty Christian  and family networks), free radio stations, sports and public broadcasting. You can find just about everything you can imagine on the free satellite channels if you have a FTA dish. In addition to the many English language free satellite channels you can find almost every language in the world represented. For soccer fans there is always a game on, though it may be in another language.

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What is HD?

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HD or HD TV stands for high definition, and it's a new development in digital TV.

HD gives very clear, crisp pictures with vivid colours and up to five times more detail than ordinary standard definition TV. Some programmes are made with cinema-style 'surround sound'. HD broadcasts are particularly suited to flat TV screens (LCD and plasma).

For more information, visit BBC HD.

• Freesat: the subscription-free digital satellite TV service from the BBC and ITV includes BBC HD. To get Freesat, you make a one-off payment for the HD digital box and installation. For more information, visit Freesat or call 0845 313 0051.
• Freeview HD: a television service that offers HD channels, including the BBC HD channel, available via your existing TV aerial, free. In order to view these HD channels you will need a Freeview HD box that connects to an HD-ready TV. You also get access to up to 50 SD digital channels and radio stations. To check if you can receive Freeview HD at your address and for more information visit Freeview.

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