Gone are the days when cable TV was a simple matter of turning the idiot box on and settling down to a baseball or basketball broadcast. With the advent of technology, Satellite TV has come and occupied a premium place in the hearts of the people. The first satellite television signal was relayed from Europe to the Telstar satellite over North America in 1962.

Satellite TV is dominating the US market with its best quality picture, maximum number of channels for the least amount of money and thus awesome value for the money spent.

Earlier the satellite TV was limited to the towns; but now even the farmers and country dwellers could have the entertainment option through the satellite TV. Even the gigantic satellite dish sizes were changed to sleek models and no more installation headaches. The satellite TV has meta-morphsized a lot. Today's satellite dish is sleek and compact , and satellite TV offers strong competition to cable TV.

In fact, the intense rivalry has forced cable TV providers to add extra services like high definition TV signals and movies on demand in an attempt to compete with satellite TV. Unfortunately, the cost increase led to the constant rate hikes in the subscription for viewers and thus operators lose customers. This led to the growth of satellite TV which offers an alternative to all these frustrations.

Let me explain in brief regarding the satellite TV. Satellite TV is a television delivered by way of communications satellite , as compared to conventional terrestrial television and cable television. Satellite TV gives you a clear and comprehensive picture of your best alternative to typical cable TV. Right now, over 45 million people in US subscribe to Satellite TV. Satellite TV is no longer an obscure or exclusive club for people with big wallets. With most retailers offering free installation, you can start enjoying satellite TV for as low as $19.99 a month!

Satellite TV provides the best picture quality and the most channels for the least amount of money. Thus creating the most awesome value for the money spent over entertainment.

Today, there are three major providers of Satellite television: Dish Network, DirecTV and VOOM. Each one offers a large number of channels and several low-cost options for service. In addition to that, they offer freedom from the binding stresses of your local cable company, and that alone is worth it.

The best deals on satellite TV are available from authorized retailers. While your monthly bill will be the same regardless of where you procure your equipment (the providers dictate the monthly cost either way), these authorized retailers offer you a far better selection of promotions, such as free installation and equipment, discounted HDTV dishes and receivers, and free trials of premium channel, and credit towards your first month's bills (refund of activation fees).

Now you can watch more channels than your standard antenna could ever provide. You can receive more than 250 stations from favorites like CNN, MTV, HBO, and ESPN, to more obscure options like the Speed Channel, Discovery Wings, and the Love Stories network, Nickelodeon and HGTV, plus plenty of movies, sports, local channels (in many cities) and even HDTV programming. Subscribers also receive more than 30 commercial-free music stations-from Top 40 to Jazz to Classical and everything in-between. There is a satellite TV channel to suit every imaginable interest. Whether you're into sports, fashion, travel, music or romance, you will find it all, and much, much more, on satellite TV.

Both Dish Network and Direct TV received the highest possible reputation and ratings in almost every category, including reliability, cost, and customer service. In contrast, the major cable companies' scores were not even close.

According to JD Power and Associates, 133,000 consumers nationwide and discovered that they gave both DIRECTV and DISH Network "outstanding" customer service ratings…while only two cable providers were found to perform "above or at" the industry average. J.D. Power and Associates ratings are based on research studies that survey a representative sample of owners, they are indicative of what typical buyers may experience. Truly they are based on the opinions of consumers who have actually used or owned the product or service being rated.

When it comes to satellite TV system providers, Dish network Satellite System is the top rated satellite TV system provider. It is known for its delivering unsurpassed customer satisfaction and excellent product quality, all at cost-effective prices. DISH Network is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service that provides satellite television and audio programming to households and businesses in the United States. By the end of the year 2006, there are over 13 million installations of Dish Network. So one can judge the popularity it enjoys in the hearts of Americans.