If you've been paying any attention to the kinds of entertainment options that Dish Network provides for its subscribers then you probably know that this satellite TV company offers a lot of channels and a lot of different ways to customize its programming packages, but you may not know about the extra electronic features that you can get with a subscription. There are actually a lot of different kinds of high end features that you can enjoy through Dish Network that are supported by the satellite receivers that it supplies to its subscribers.
Satellite receivers are the devices that receive the satellite signal that's been captured by the satellite dish and processes that signal before sending it to your TV set. This device is necessary for a couple of different reasons. First, the signal that Dish Network transmits through its network of satellites is digital and most TV sets are only capable of understanding analog signals. Second, Dish Network encrypts all of its TV signals so that people who don't have subscriptions can't watch the programming. In other words, people who don't pay for Dish Network programming are prevented from stealing it. This makes the receiver responsible for decoding the programming.
Dish Network approaches receivers from the standpoint of matching equipment to the needs of the subscriber as closely as possible rather than a one size fits all approach. This saves everyone money in the sense that it doesn't make sense to give a top of the end HDTV and DVR capable receiver to someone who only subscribes to standard definition channels and who has no need of DVR capability! With this interest in efficiency in mind, Dish Network bases the matching of receivers with subscribers on the programming package that they're subscribing to and what they intend to do with it. For example, someone who wants a very simple system that enables them to watch standard def channels on a single TV set will get a model that does that, and only that.
If the subscriber wants to be able to watch standard def programming on more than one TV set, then Dish Network will provide a model with a second tuner, second set of connections, and second remote control that can be used with another TV set. If the subscriber adds DVR capability into the mix, then Dish Network would provide a model with the additional functionality needed to record TV onto a built in hard disk. Basically, as the subscriber wants more capability in the home entertainment system, a higher end satellite receiver is provided.
Of course, if the subscription includes HDTV channels, then the process can start over again. For example, if the subscriber has simple needs with their HDTV subscription, then they would get a high def equivalent of the simplest standard def receiver. One thing that it's interesting to note though is that the highest end receivers are the HDTV capable ones. For instance, while the standard def DVR receiver can record only one hundred hours of video, a higher end HD DVR receiver can record up to three hundred and fifty hours of standard def programming.
Given all of these factors, you can be certain of getting a receiver that matches your needs through Dish Network.
