February 16th, 2014
The big news in cable and satellite television this week was the potential merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Comcast is the biggest cable provider in America, serving about 30 million customers, and Time Warner is a close second (relatively) at a bout 20 million (the third isn’t close enough to even compare). Read more
Categories: DISH & TV news
October 5th, 2012
DISH beats DirecTV in Customer Satisfaction, Value, and Loyalty. While DirecTV raised their rates by an average of 4.9% in 2012, DISH Prices stayed the same. DISH offers the lowest all-digital package prices nationwide. DirecTV charges an average of $20 more per month for comparable basic digital packages.
Our award-winning technology gives you the most intuitive way to get entertainment. Watch LIVE TV programming on your tablet, Smartphone or computer at no extra monthly cost with TV Everywhereâ„¢ brand technology from DISH. Restrictions apply.
DISH is one of the only entertainment providers with 24/7 live customer service. You can even call us at 3AM to change your programming. DirecTV, AT&T U-verse and Verizon FiOS can’t say that. And just to be official about it: according to the 2012 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), DISH beats DirecTV and the nation’s largest cable providers in Customer Satisfaction, Value and Customer Loyalty.
Categories: DISH & TV news
June 1st, 2012
Ever wondered how you get your favorite shows and movies from DISH satellite service?
First programmers send their content to DISH. Content is often transmitted via the programmer’s satellite to a DISH uplink center. Content can also be sent via over-the-air (OTA) signals to the local DISH receive facility, which then transfers it to the uplink center. All programming, except your local OTA stations, are processed through the an uplink center. There are uplink centers in Orange, NJ; Spokane, WA; Mt. Jackson, VA; Monee, IL; Gilbert, AZ; and Cheyenne, WY. The uplink center in Cheyenne, Wyoming is one of the more popular centers and even offers tours for those curious about the workings of satellite receptions and transmissions.
Once the content reaches the uplink center it is then transmitted to one of DISH’s 15 satellites that stretch from 61.5° to 129° and cover all of the continental United States, as well as Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
From the satellite the content is sent to the dish that is installed on or near your home, and travels via coaxial cable (and a complex and impressive set of switches, splitters and other devices depending on the number of televisions and set up in your home) to your receiver. Your receiver is connected to your television with cabling that varies based on your television. For standard definition coaxial cable is sufficient, but composite (red, white and yellow cables) are often used as well. For high definition there’s the option of component (red, blue and green, or YPbPR), but since this requires additional cabling for sound, the all-in-one HDMI option is often preferrable.
You can learn more about how your satellite signal travels through the cabling in your home and into your receivers and television on DISH’s site about satellite to home transmission.
Categories: Equipment & Remotes