Tv-Geek

Cable television is one of the biggest innovations in entertainment in the past century. It has widened people’s choices when it comes to TV viewing. Because of it, they won’t have to be stuck with what’s offered locally. Because of it, they can watch national (and even international) channels without any dropoff in signal. Perhaps, you’ve been wondering how Cable TV exactly works for all this time. This article would answer that question in a step by step process.

1. It all starts with the network itself. There are 2 ways in which the TV network sends data to their affiliate cable company. One is transmitting their programming via satellite, as widely practiced by global TV stations such as CNN. The network transmits TV signals, which is then intercepted then broadcasted by the cable network. This is particularly advantageous if the network’s location is far away from the cable company’s facilities. Another way TV networks can send their programming to cable networks is thru a series of fiber-optic cables. These cables receive signals from the network then transmit it to the cable company. The advantage of this method is there’s no delay in satellite transmission, even though it only possesses limited range.

2. How does the cable TV company send all those programming to your home? The answer is actually relatively simple. Cable companies scramble their signal so that thieves cannot intercept them. The signals they transmit are then sent to a network of cables. A network of “boosters” located at strategic places ensures that signal and electric current is not lost as they travel along the long line of cables. These cables can usually be found along pole lines in streets, together with electric and telephone lines.

3. Of course, the final destination of these signals is at your home or facility. The cable lines are split once more, and one of them enters your dwelling. All that you have to do is to connect the end of this cable into your television set or cable box, and you’re set to enjoy cable entertainment. But if more than 4 televisions would share from one cable connection, a small booster is installed to ensure optimal signal flow for multiple television sets. For “premium” channels, a cable box is needed to unscramble the signals sent by the cable provider.

Cable TV has evolved in leaps and bounds over the decades. And until now, it has stayed relevant. Hopefully, this article can give you an appreciation of how this technology works.

Are you tired of watching the same thing over and over again on your television set? Do you feel like the current programming that you have from your cable provider isn’t really giving you the best channels out there? And do you feel like the cable companies charge way too much for the High Definition channels that are the staple nowadays because of the ubiquity of high definition television sets? Well, you’re not the only one who is complaining. In fact a lot of people are now in the hunt for the best alternative for Cable TV. And you’re going to be surprised once you know the options currently available in the market for you as a consumer.

So its early morning and you’re trying as best as you can to not be late. You’ve already had breakfast, but the thing is you really want to watch the morning news. The problem is you’re going to be really late if you still wait around for the news to finish. So what do you do in cases like these? Well, you can always use your trusty old DVR to record all the shows that you’ll be missing, right? But then again, why use outdated hardware that probably belongs to a museum when you can actually use your laptop or computer to access all the morning news from all the major networks just by going to their websites? Yes, such is the power of technology in this day and age, and not a lot of people are actually aware of it. They’d rather prefer to use their computers to play games on Facebook as well as update their statuses on the major social networking sites.

One other cable TV alternative that is slowly but surely gaining traction is the emergence of free video streaming websites. Since most of the people nowadays are online anyway, instead of tuning in to their Cable TV to watch the newest episodes of Vampire Diaries or True Blood, then they could just easily watch these episodes through the numerous paid, and free, video streaming websites. And what’s usually good about watching your favorite shows through these sites, is the fact that there aren’t any advertisements so you’re going to have pure unadulterated fun watching past and present episodes of the television shows that you like. Plus, for a better viewing experience, you can easily attach the computer to your TV via an HDMI cable and it’s more or less the same as watching Cable Television, only with little or no commercials.