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Mark Long:
"When the history books for the 20th
Century are written, it is my belief that the
invention of the communications satellite will be
credited with having an effect equal to that of
the automobile."
|
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"The revolutionary changes
which have occurred in eastern Europe, for
example, would have been well nigh but impossible
without the instantaneous and unrestricted
communications that only satellites can
provide." |
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"During the past twelve
years, more than five million American households
have installed systems capable of receiving low
powered U.S. and Canadian satellites. Many other
Americans, however, were reluctant to accept
satellite TV because the C-band antennas
were so large, typically 8 to 12 feet in
diameter." |
 |
"Their reluctance
disappeared in 1994, when several U.S. companies
began transmitting direct-to-home satellite TV
services into antennas ranging from 18 inches to
three feet in diameter." |
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Mark relates the history
of home satellite television.
"Direct to home satellite broadcasting is
not a new idea. Mathematician and science fiction
writer, Arthur C. Clarke first
proposed the use of satellites for the
broadcasting of radio and TV signals way back in
1945." |
 |
"A central part of his discovery was the
use of a unique orbit located some 22,300 miles
above the earth's equator. Mr. Clarke wrote of
his revolutionary idea in an article entitled Extra-Terrestrial
Relays. "A body in such an
orbit," he said, "would revolve with
the earth and would thus be stationary above the
same spot on the planet. It would remain fixed in
the sky of a whole hemisphere." |
 |
"Stephen Birkill,
a young BBC transmitter manager in England,
became, in December of 1975, the first person in
the world to receive satellite signals at home.
He built his 5 foot dish of window screen and
built his receiver on his kitchen table. His
pioneering efforts proved that individuals with
modest resources could bring satellite signals
into their home." |
 |
"Westar I
and Satcom I were among the
first successful domestic satellites in the
United States, launched in 1974 and 1975." |
 |
"When HBO
became interested in using these new satellites
to send programming to cable TV systems
throughout the country. Sid Topol tells us,
"Scientific Atlanta
installed the first 10 meter antennas to make the
historic first satellite broadcast of the
"Thrilla in Manila" between Muhammad
Ali and Joe Frazier in September of 1975." |
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Stanford Professor Taylor Howard
became possibly the first American to receive
satellite signals at home when he turned his
"15 foot dish left over from my radio moon
bounce days," into a home made satellite
receiver in July of 1976. |
 |
"The next major step in the history of
DBS was publicity. In 1978, Bob Cooper
wrote an article in TV Guide telling about a
satellite receiving system he had installed at
his home the year before. He got thousands of
letters asking for information, so Bob started a
publication to spread the word." |
 |
Coops Satellite Digest
published "whatever somebody discovered,
good, bad, or indifferent. We published it
because it was the spreading of information. And
it sped up, I think, the maturing process of the
home satellite industry." |
 |
"Bob Cooper also founded a series of satellite
trade shows which served as an
indispensable training ground for manufacturers,
technicians, and sales personnel. The infant
industry became so successful that, by 1986, more
than one million American homes had satellite
dishes. Suddenly, satellite TV had become a force
to be reckoned with." |
 |
"Under an international agreement,
communications satellites are assigned to either
a fixed satellite service or a broadcast
satellite service." |
 |
"Generally, FSS spacecraft transmit TV
signals that are not intended for direct
reception by the general public. BSS
spacecraft however, do transmit programs
that are expressly directed at home viewing
audiences." |
 |
"The 12.2 Gigahertz to 12.7
Gigahertz frequency range is assigned to
DBS satellites within the Americas. In Europe,
Africa and the Middle East, DBS satellites
operate between 11.7 and 12.5 Gigahertz." |
 |
"Communications satellites contain
several subsystems, each with a
unique role to play. Three important areas in any
DBS satellite are: the electrical power, the
communications and the antenna subsystems." |
 |
"All communications satellites carry solar
arrays which convert sunlight into
electricity. These arrays not only serve as the
primary power source for the satellite, they also
charge the spacecraft's batteries to provide
power during solar eclipses." |
 |
"Most communications satellites carry 16
or more transponders, a combination of an uplink
receiver and a downlink transmitter which acts as
a repeater of a single color TV signal." |
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"All satellites must carry one or more
antennas which receive and then retransmit
communications signals. The satellite's spot
beam antenna transmits the television
signal in a particular shape, call a
footprint." |
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The economics of direct satellite
broadcasting are discussed by TCI's
David Beddows, who was involved in the earliest
DBS attempts. |
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Stanley Hubbard's USSB
(United States Satellite Broadcasting) is one of
two start-up services on Hughes' new digital DBS
satellites. |
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The secret behind the success of DirecTv,
the other initial digital DBS broadcaster, is
explained by Thomas Bracken. "Digital
compression really is the enabling technology for
DirecTv. -- With only two satellites in orbit at
one location, we'll be able to have 150 channels
of programming." |
 |
"Several U.S. corporations including
Hughes' DirecTv, United States Satellite
Broadcasting, Tempo Satellite, and Echostar
Communications have received approval from the
FCC to build, launch and operate high powered DBS
satellites for the United States." |
 |
"All of these high power satellites are
capable of transmitting TV programs into antennas
as small as 18 inches in
diameter." |
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"The U.S. has been assigned 8 orbital
locations for domestic DBS operations." |
 |
"The three foot dishes
and receiver-decoders used by customers to
receive Primestar's programming, are owned,
installed and maintained by Primestar
distributors nationwide." |
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"We (Primestar) were the first company
in the world to broadcast a digital signal on a
commercial basis to consumers." |
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Primestar control center. Don
Herr: "We don't see any problem with the
consumer absorbing 200 plus channels."
|
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"In 1994, DirecTV and USSB began using
the new DBS I satellite to
transmit more than 100 channels of TV programming
to households nationwide, equipped with tiny, 18
inch dishes." |
 |
"The Ecostar project,
we have the advent of something called digital
technology and high power. That means, watching
one of our Ecostar satellites, you get as much
capacity as you see today with 20
satellites," according to Charles Ergen. |
 |
"What that enables you to do is use a
very small antenna, as small as 16 to 18
inches." |
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"This 8 foot dish can receive more than
100 channels of television from various low
powered C-band satellites -- (but) requires the
use of a motorized antenna mount." |
 |
"High powered BSS satellites can
transmit using more than 100 watts per
transponder, as opposed to most FSS
satellites, which deliver from 16 to 47 watts per
transponder. Higher power means smaller antennas,
as small as 18 inches in diameter for most
locations." |
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"The receiver connects to the outdoor
electronics in several ways." |
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"DBS systems in use around the
world are reviewed, beginning in
Europe." |
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"British Sky Broadcasting
(BSB) was one of the original
broadcasters helping make Britain the leading
satellite TV watching nation in the world." |
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Satellite TV viewers enjoy Thaicom 1
broadcasts in Thailand.
"With the satellite, we can provide
education to every part of Thailand." |
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"AsiaSat 1, the first
commercial communications satellite designed for
enhanced coverage of Asian countries,
was launched by the China Great Wall Industry
Corporation's Long March 3 rocket." |
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"Australia's Ku-band Optus
communications satellites carry multiple spot
beams which can concentrate their signals over
selected portions of Australia and New
Zealand." |
 |
"These spot beams have long been used to
deliver the TV and radio services of the
Australian Broadcast Company to each Australian
time zone." |
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I"n 1992 the Australian government
approved the licensing of pay TV services for
Australia." |
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"DBS is sure to have a powerful impact
on the way human beings communicate." |
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