Satellite information

Monday, April 30, 2007

Watch Any Sport On Your PC

One of the favorite pastimes of millions of people worldwide is watching sports. Whether it is baseball, soccer, football or basketball, when there is a game about to be played, you can be sure that sports enthusiasts will be watching.

In past decades, when a game was played in an area that did not broadcast everywhere, people would have to go to places such as pubs to be able to watch their favorite baseball team play a game or pay an exorbitant fee for pay per view.

Today, with technology growing by leaps and bounds, watching your favorite baseball team score the winning home run is as easy as turning on your PC.

Watching satellite TV on your PC is one of the newest forms of technology to be introduced to the world. It is Internet based, making more channels available worldwide. You can watch any game from the comfort of your own home.

For millions of sports enthusiasts who have children, watching a baseball game can be impossible. With the children running around in a chaotic state, many sports enthusiasts just give up and go somewhere else to watch the game.

The convenience of watching a baseball game from your PC is that you can go into your room and turn on your PC. You will not have to fight for the television, or throw anyone out of the room. Satellite TV for your PC is the perfect answer to any sports enthusiast who has tried to watch a game with children running around. The picture clarity has astounded those who watch their favorite team over and over again.

Satellite TV for PC has changed the way sports enthusiasts watch their favorite sports team. They have the option to view any game that is played anywhere in the world today.

Watch Any Sport On Your PC

Copyright © 2007 Tony Pescatore.

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Friday, April 27, 2007

Website And Email Footers - Important

Companies in the UK must include certain regulatory information on their websites and in their email footers or they will breach the Companies Act and risk a fine.

Every company should list its company registration number, place of registration, and registered office address on its website as a result of an update to the legislation of 1985. The information, which must be in legible characters, should also appear on order forms and in emails. Such information is already required on "business letters" but the duty is being extended to websites, order forms and electronic documents.

The information is likely to appear in the footer of every email sent from a company, to avoid having to decide whether each email amounts to a "business letter" or not. Many companies do this already because the term "business letters" was thought likely to include emails even without this new clarification.

For websites, contrary to the fears of some, the specified information does not need to appear on every page. Again, many websites will already list the required information, perhaps on their "About us" or "Legal info" pages.

The Ecommerce Regulations, passed in 2002, require that certain information is listed on a website, including, "where the service provider is registered in a trade or similar register available to the public, details of the register in which the service provider is entered and his registration number, or equivalent means of identification in that register".

That has been understood as including the company registration number and place of registration. The Ecommerce Regulations also required a note of "the geographic address at which the service provider is established" – which many have taken to mean the registered office address.

However, the wording in the Ecommerce Regulations is ambiguous compared to the new provisions. Further, many organisations' sites currently omit the information, perhaps making the mistake of thinking that the Ecommerce Regulations do not apply to websites that do not sell online (in fact they apply to almost all websites).

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Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Watch Satellite TV on PC Freely

Watch satellite TV on PC is fast becoming a hobby for many TV viewers. Take out an address book, and randomly pick out five American families. Chances are at least one of them watch satellite TV, or watch satellite TV online. This should not come as a shock to us since Americans love to watch TV and do not mind gluing to the screen if they can. Figures already show that we spend about a quarter of our lives watching TV. Sooner or later, the rest of the world would catch up in the statistics as well. After all, a computer or PC is a common commodity at home and more people are starting to surf the net. Let us understand a little bit more about why people watch satellite TV on PC.

Is it so good to watch satellite TV on PC? Satellite TV and cable TV have penetrated many American homes since half a decade back. There is no question about their popularity. Both satellite and cable TV have been supplying families with billions of hours of TV playtime. People not only get good entertainment at affordable prices, many kids have grown into their teenage years watching satellite TV and cable TV. But what about PC satellite TV then?

It is no different to watch satellite TV on PC or watch satellite TV online. You too get hours of TV entertainment. The exception here is that you get satellite TV without paying a monthly bill satellite and cable TV services charge you. While it is affordable, if you can get satellite TV for cheaper price, why not? You only need a piece of software or PCTV card to do the job of transforming your computer into a PC satellite TV. Both require you to be connected to the internet.

Better to watch satellite TV on PC with PC satellite TV software or PCTV card?

PC satellite TV software costs anything between $50 and $100 depending on the number of TV channels available and you can download PC satellite TV software online quite easily. Installation is easy and after that, you are free to receive satellite TV feeds from international TV stations and watch satellite TV on PC. You will be able to watch hundreds to thousands of satellite TV programs and enjoy a wide variety of programs like news, LIVE sports games, movies, TV dramas, music videos and more. The beauty of this software is you can plug it into more than one computer or PC. So if you have two computers at home, one a desktop, another a laptop. Both can become PC satellite TVs. Content and channel management is organized, systematic and user-friendly.

PCTV cards are installed either externally via USB or internally. Typically, it would set you back by at least $100 for a basic card. A more sophisticated one can easily cost you several hundred of dollars. In terms of pricing, it is hardly a match for PC satellite TV software. Program variety is comparable with using software but content and channel management is still lagging behind PC satellite TV software. You also cannot use it on more than one PC.

As you can see, people do see merits in using PC satellite TV software to watch satellite TV on PC. Discover how you can also watch satellite TV through my satellite TV blog.

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Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Satellite Shopper's Guide - Dish Network vs DirecTV

Anyone who's looking for satellite TV deals will be asking this common question: Dish Network or DirecTV? Both Dish Network and DirecTV offer quite the same programming packages in close price ranges; more over, their satellite system, DVR functions, and promotion free gifts are quite alike as well. Considering all the similarities on their services, it is not surprise that most satellite shoppers faced dilemma when choosing between Dish Network and DirecTV. However, there are still substantial differences between these two satellite companies when you dig deep enough. The purpose of this article is to sort out the plus and minus point for both Dish and DirecTV which in turn, help you to choose between them.

Dish Network

There are lots of advantage with Dish Network when compare to DirecTV.

If you own a HD television, I am sure you wish to have as much HD channels as you can. In this case, Dish Network is the choice you should go with, as Dish Network is offering the most HD channels in the States (31 national HD channels plus a big chunk of local channels in HD including their latest release in HD regional sports network). In contrast, DirecTV has less HDTV programming to offer (11 national HD channels at time of writing).

Despite HD channels availability, monthly subscription fees is also lower with Dish Network. Dish Network monthly fees starts from $19.99/mo (with DishFamily); DirecTV, $29.99/mo (with DirecTV Family). Both programming package offers 40+ programming choices but the monthly price turned out $10 in difference.

For other standard programming packages, Dish Network America's Top 100, Top 200, Top 250, and Everything Pak cost $29.99, $42.99, $52.99, $89.99 monthly; compare with DirecTV similar package: Choice $39.99/mo, Choice Xtra $54.99/mo, Plus $59.99/mo, and Premier $99.99/mo – the difference should tell you clearly who's the winner.

On the other hand, there is weakness with Dish Network services as well. The main negative point with Dish Network services is their customer service. Dish Network does provide 24-7 live call customer support. However, the quality of the support is where it should be improved. Many complain that the persons who answer customer calls hardly speak English and do not have sufficient technical knowledge in answering their questions. A simple search of 'Dish Network complains' on the Internet should provide you enough customer feedbacks on the problem.

DirecTV

DirecTV is so far the top satellite company in United States in term of customer subscriptions.
The main advantage DirecTV has in the competition is their special sport package subscription. On top of their standard programming, DirecTV subscribers get more sport actions than Dish Network users. A good example is DirecTV's NFL Sunday Tickets; you will get 14 live games per week! That's a whole lot more NFL actions than what Dish Network subscribers getting. Beside NFL, DirecTV also owns some other sport event broadcast rights such as HotPass (for Nascar race) and Mega March Madness (extra college basketball games). The amount of live sport game broadcast in DirecTV is incredibly big.
Nevertheless, as said at above, there are a few minus points with DirecTV when compare with Dish Network – mainly in term of the price and the HD channels.

Conclusion

The choice between Dish Network and DirecTV is simple. If you want the tons of live sport games more than anything, DirecTV is your choice. In case you can live with a little lesser live sport games on your TV, but more HD programs and in a cheaper monthly price, then you should go with Dish Network.

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Sunday, April 15, 2007

Broadband Video Opportunities And Challenges

Broadband Video is here large and small production companies have awakened to the opportunities and challenges that broadband video presents. As a result, the market is characterized by rampant experimentation, with free content being posted on such places as YouTube. As more and more people switch to Broadband to benefit from its streaming capabilities so the opportunity grows to use broadband video.

The birth of truly on demand media is here. Large media outlets are frightened as small independent production companies release their own channels online. Channels range from cooking, current affairs to sports. To be successfully positioned for the future, the key challenge is understanding how to embrace new broadband-enabled models while preserving and extending the value of current assets and existing business models. With terrestrial and cable channels in the UK looking at how they can exploit broadband they are finding it difficult to come up with a model that will not damage there bread and butter business. The power of the broadband medium is in finding new ways to present content and to offer interactive capabilities to audiences that have never been possible before. The companies that "crack the code" on these new models will be the eventual winners in a broadband-dominated world. Crack the code means how do they make this commercially viable. Small independents are playing around with broadband in an attempt to see what consumers are willing to put up with, from forcing the viewer to watch an advert before they view the real program, others have advertising on their web pages, charging a subscription, charge per download where others simply just seem to be providing it as free content to attract people to their sites to buy their products.

It will only be through the steady process of experimentation, research and iteration, that will allow content makers to better understand what consumers want and what business models work.

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Thursday, April 12, 2007

T1 Internet Connection

T1 carrier is one of the most popular leased line options for digital transmission that offers high speed internet connectivity at 1.544Mbits per second. A T1 line is comprised of 24 individual channels, each capable of transferring data at 64Kbits per second. With T1 Internet connection, you can have uninterrupted and reliable data transfer within seconds. In normal phone lines, voices are transmitted through copper wires as analog signal and you can transmit data at around 30 kilobits per seconds with your normal modem.

A T1 Internet connection, on the other hand, is capable of carrying 24 digitized voice channels at the speed of 1.544 megabits per second. A T1 carrier can carry 192,000 bytes of data per seconds – nearly sixty times more data than that of a normal residential modem. T1 Internet connection is capable of providing uninterrupted data transmission which you would not get if you use ordinary modems. If you want to transmit audio or visual data through your residential modem or through your phone service you have high risk of getting jammed since the speed is so slow. With a T1 service, you can eliminate this risk significantly.

Internet service by service providers convert all voice calls as analog rather than in digital format, which not only takes longer time but frustrates customers now that high speed is available. With a T1 line, you not only increase the speed of your data transmission, but also save time for your valuable online work. With the advancement of fiber optics, lesser time is required to convert analog signals to digital format. Fiber optical wires are sometimes used for T1 line to provide maximum speed, although the normal wires are by copper. In case of ordinary modem or residential telephone connection, thin copper wire is used which can rarely carry much load at the time of transmission of data. In T1 Internet connection, broadband internet connection is used which ensures two-way transmission of data at a faster rate than any other method of transmission.

Apart from that, hundreds of users can comfortably share T1 connection, which is impossible if you use modems or telephone line or an ISDN line. If you are interested in online songs and movies, then you will find the ordinary modem or residential telephone service can not meet your demands, as these lines take hours to convert any MP3 files or video files to analog format and to transmit them at the desired destination. A DSL or cable may be options but a T1 line, if you can afford it, is the best option. For a business of 20 or more employees, a T1 service is required. By implementing T1 circuit, you can easily transmit digital and video data at the required destination at great speed and at the same time, have a T1 service that's more reliable.

If you have a small business with twenty to twenty five users, T1 Internet connection is most suitable for you. T1 Internet service works better than ordinary business DSL. It is economical to have T1 bandwidth if your business is small in size and internet is critical for your business. A Channel Service Unit (CSU) is used to connect non-data terminal equipment with a T1 Internet connection to get the desired T1 line speed. A CSU is a device which connects a leased line and remains attached to the customer's system. The main objective of CSU is to encode data, which comes through a broadband T1 line. For the T1 connections, one needs to have a channel service unit.

T1 circuits work simultaneously with your existing phone wires and equipments, though you may require special jacks and connections and some alteration in the wiring to get T1 connection. It is the responsibility of your network service provider to install new wires and equipments according to the requirements. The connection not only runs through conventional metal wires but also runs through fiber optical wires, twisted pair copper wire, coaxial cable, digital microwave, and also through infrared. T1 Internet connection is used for linking remote LAN's. It can also be utilized to bring Centrex service from the telephone company's central office to the business areas cost effectively.

While DSL is a quick and cost effective medium of acquiring high-speed bandwidth, it is usually not intended to support commercial applications or many users at a time. A T1 Internet connection is the ideal solution. Businesses mainly use two types of Internet access – DSL and T1; and from though DSL is less expensive; it is not as reliable as T1 circuits. For installing T1 service, you need to spend the cost for T1 line price, which would include installation fee, although it is at times waived. Customers have an option to negotiate T1 prices but for this, they need to sign a 2 or 3 year term. Today getting a T1 price is easier than it used to be. In conclusion, to get dedicated high speed internet connectivity you can get a T1 internet service. You can enjoy dedicated, reliable and uninterrupted internet connectivity.

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Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Will EVDO Knock Satellite Internet Out of the Park?

2007 will be the year that Cell phone providers like Sprint, Alltel and Verizon push strong into Suburban and close-in Rural territory staked out by Satellite Internet operators and attempt to take market share away. Will they succeed?

When EVDO Revision A (and soon thereafter Rev B) comes out in Q3 2007, there will be a full blown skirmish between Cell operators and the Satellite Internet industry for available consumer and business internet accounts. The territories they are trying to claim are the areas where concentration of homes and business is great enough to build out advanced cell service, but not great enough for terrestrial providers like cable and dsl. These suburban and rural areas have historically been the territory for Satellite operators and some adventuresome WiFi businesses.

Current Status:

With the current levels of cell service available (EVDO rev.0), cell operators are taking a fair amount of business away from satellite operators in fringe suburban areas....why?.... younger users who want to stream video, trade music and video, play internet games and not have any limitations on usage. So far, the cell operators are filling the bill for about $50 or so for the "Aircard" and charging about $59 per mo. for high speed internet....well, sort of.

The speeds on most EVDO plans are about 400-800 kbps download and around 200 kbps upload. Much higher speeds are promised when Revisions A and B come in to play later this year and beyond.
Latency is around 200-350 ms - 50% lower or more than a satellite connection. This latency allows gaming without too many bumps along the way. For those who have been experiencing oppressive limitations from the satellite operators, it seems like heaven....but for how long?

Some of the providers already have a limit of usage each month and it's pretty restrictive (as low as 4GB per month - lower than the satellite operators are assessing). There is no decent data to report on what happens when the network begins to "load up" with users. I was in Denver's airport during a recent snow storm and the EVDO service was non-existent until you were several miles from the airport.....so it's not perfect, by any means. I personally believe that the cell operators are going to learn the same lessons that satellite internet operators have learned........bandwidth is expensive! You can lure people in with attractive prices and speeds, but when you can't maintain those speeds as the network loads up, you just become another one of those lying, cheating, false advertising no good internet providers that we have too many of already! Just kidding........it's not easy to balance a high speed internet network in this day and time.

Future:

When cell operators build out and offer Rev B. EVDO high speed internet service (about 2 years out), the landscape for service will be incredibly competitive. City, suburban and rural individuals and companies will have a lot of choices and the providers with foresight and innovation will be the one's to survive. It should be good for the consumer!

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Cell Phone GPS Surveillance

Boyfriends are using it to stalk their girlfriends, employers are using it to track their employees and parents are using it to control their kids. But, is it legal? The cell phone GPS surveillance industry is exploding. In the next few years it is expected to be a 20 billion dollar a year industry.

For a relatively small fee you can contact a cell phone provider and turn a portable phone into a surveillance and tracking device. But in most countries surveillance of an individual without their explicit consent is against the law. Whether it be monitoring whom you call, the contents of the conversation or your location it is a violation of privacy laws in just about all civilized countries around the world. You either need a law court's permission or that person's documented consent to use a cell phone GPS surveillance device to monitor them. Unfortunately the new technology is being used illegally far to often.

A terrifying example of abuse of cell phone GPS surveillance occurred recently in Oregon in the USA. A wife divorced her husband because he was trying to control everything she did. This type of situation is not unusual. Often the ex-husband will continue to stalk and try to control his ex-wife long after the divorce. In this case everywhere she went he would follow. There was nothing she could do to shake him off night or day. She was justifiably afraid he would kill her. If you look through the history of murders this situation often ends up being the motive. An excessively controlling man feels that he is losing his wife or ex-wife and in a fit of rage murders her as the ultimate act of control. She complained to the police but there was not much they could do. After several months of this going on the police checked her vehicle and found a cell phone behind the dashboard. The ex-husband had purchased a cell phone with GPS surveillance, hooked it up so that it's battery was charged by the car's battery and set the cell phone to silent answer. At any time he could call the cell phone and unless she was out for a long walk he would know exactly where she was and could even listen in on conversations going on in the car.

Unfortunately, your own cell phone can be used against you in a similar fashion if you are not careful. All it takes is for someone else to get a hold of your portable phone for about 5 minutes without you knowing about it. They can go on the Internet, register your phone with a cell phone GPS surveillance service and pay for it with their own credit card. All of this can happen without you knowing about it. The service will send several messages to your phone right away notifying you that you are being tracked but if the person erases those messages you will never know they set up GPS surveillance on you.

This GPS surveillance technology is not just for cell phones. It is showing up in a variety of portable electronic devices. It appears that watches will be the next big item to integrate GPS surveillance and tracking. Even today you can buy any of a dozen or more Timex watches that have integrated GPS tracking and surveillance. But along with this incredible micro technology goes a huge legal problem. Currently the software for these GPS surveillance devices does not contain significant safeguards against legal and privacy abuses but hopefully that will change before things get out of control.