Does DIRECTV still require satellite?

Does DIRECTV Still Need a Satellite?

DIRECTV is a leading direct broadcast satellite service company in the United States that serves millions of customers across the country. When DIRECTV was initially started in the year 1994, it was mandatory to have a satellite dish to tune into the channel and watch the programs. This created a perception that the brand was the large satellite dishes mounted on homes and other buildings. But much has changed with TV technology in the last couple of decades alone. Thus, can we still talk about the necessity of a satellite for DIRECTV in the present days?

In short, the answer to the question on whether or not DIRECTV still needs a satellite dish for it to provide its services is yes. Unlike some of the other companies that use underground cables and fiber optics to distribute their signals, DIRECTV only sends signals from satellites located about 35,000 or more than 35 thousand miles in space. The ability to obtain the programming offered by DIRECTV cannot happen without a dish that is pointing in the direction of these signals.

When DIRECTV transmits its entertainment, news, and sports programmings from its broadcasting stations, these signals go to geosynchronous satellites. From there the satellites relayed the signals back to earth over the continental U. S. To be able to get the signal a customer has to make sure that the dish is pointing towards the southern sky where the DIRECTV satellites are positioned.

The dishes that DIRECTV needs are much smaller than the huge backyard dishes that were used a few years back when satellite television service started. The Slimline dishes now used by DIRECTV measure about eighteen inches in width and are discreet when mounted in a home. They are also high performance enough that just one unit is needed for both standard definition and HD programming. This is important as it ensures proper alignment of the dish in order to capture the best signal as it is done by a professional.

A question which arises often is if this company provides an option which makes it possible for the customers to avoid the installation of satellite dish. The answer is yes – sort of. DIRECTV made some broadband providers to allow them share a bundled service where satellite signal reception is weak. This service is called as DIRECTV Stream or AT&T TV in the market. Unlike the traditional dish that is used in delivering the TV service, it is done using internet protocol technology.

But, it’s worth highlighting that the DIRECTV Stream/AT&T TV is a new streaming service that is not related to the satellite service DIRECTV even though it uses the name. Unlike traditional satellite broadband services, DIRECTV Stream employs a streaming device and internet connection. What this means is that it is only as expansive as the channels and packages that AT&T has negotiated with content providers. The options do not encompass the entire range of shows that one can watch through the real satellite DIRECTV service.

That way, while the Stream does help the DIRECTV name to penetrate other markets where satellite dishes are not feasible, the customer experience offered by the two services is quite distinct. While a satellite dish is still needed to get the full scope of DIRECTV’s offering and the bells and whistles such as NFL Sunday Ticket. The satellite service is still the primary offering of the company even as it has ventured into streaming deals.

In conclusion – yes, unfortunately, the fact is that the company with the same name as most of the DIRECTV branded streaming content bundles does indeed use a dish for its satellite TV service. Most of the TV packages are transmitted through satellite alone, and the company has more than sixteen million subscribers. In other words, it is impossible to get the DIRECTV service if the satellite antenna is not mounted in a suitable location that has a clear view of the southern horizon. Therefore, installation of satellite dish does not disappear after joining the company and becomes one of the key steps to register as a new customer. Innovations have affected aesthetics of the dishes themselves and they are not as large as they used to be some decades back; nonetheless, they are essential for realizing the complete experience of using DIRECTV.