Some DISH Terms...
Azimuth:
The horizontal direction of a satellite. It would have a different azimuth
in Los Angeles than in Chicago. Since the satellite is over the equator,
wherever you live it will be in the southern sky.
Beam:
A satellite transmission pattern. It may be wide, narrow or spot. This
affects the satellites footprint.
DBS:
Digital broadcast satellite. This high-powered satellite uses a Ku-band
frequency (12.2 to 12.7 GHz) to deliver programming signals directly
to small (18-inch) dishes installed at viewers' homes.
Digital Compression:
A process of translating video images into a digital code which takes
up less transmission space than the original signal would have. This
allows more channels per satellite transponder: from four-to-one for
live video to eight-to-one for film.
Fixed Dish System:
Satellite system in which the dish does not have to be moved. DirecTV
and Dish Network are fixed dish systems.
Rain fade:
The loss of signal from the satellite during a heavy rain. This happens
more or less to all DBS systems.
Transponder:
Equipment inside a satellite, responsible for receiving a single uplinked
channel and re-broadcasting it back to earth.
Uplink:
A signal’s path from the earth to a satellite. DirecTV's uplink
facility is located in Castle Rock, Colorado.The Best Satellite TV System
