Monday, June 1, 2009




Stop Dreaming of a Better Service and Get It, With Satellite TV

Many people have nothing better to do when watching the tube than to drift off and daydream about a better, more comprehensive TV service that allows them to get all the best channels, have access to all the latest and coolest home entertainment technologies, and really convert their TV room into a den of ridiculously excellent entertainment options. Fortunately, the time for daydreaming has come to an end, and the time for action has arrived: by simply picking up the phone and calling a leader in the satellite TV industry, any such people could be enjoying all the best in home entertainment in less than two days, guaranteed.

That's right-installation and activation of the service usually occurs within less than 48 hours, which is one of the incredible aspects of satellite that most people fail to realize and grasp. What they do grasp is how incredibly better their home TV connection is with a satellite dish on their roof; all the many benefits that satellite opens people up to are a rude (though ultimately delectable) awakening for most people. Before even turning on their satellite decoder for the first time and sitting down on the couch to take in their new connection in all its glory, they need to make sure that they have got the appropriate home hardware in place to be able to make the "glory" of satellite TV shine through. Specifically speaking, it is absolutely necessary to have a high definition TV set in place in order to get the best out of your satellite connection, and this is not just a trifling consideration. Whereas many people who have high def sets in their homes are probably not even receiving more than a few dozen channels that are actually in high def format, with satellite there are over 130 channels being broadcast in exclusively high def format, which is quite a lot. In fact, it is the most high def availability on the market today, with cable lagging way behind at less than 100 total channels in HD at best.

Furthermore, it is a good idea to tell the operator when you first make your order to have the installation boys bring along an HD DVR, as you will most definitely want to include this little box in your home entertainment line up. The benefits to be had from a DVR are beyond fathoming for most people, especially those who don't make a habit of keeping up with the latest technological developments in the field. If a person's last referent for recording devices is a VCR, then a DVR will seem like a gadget out of a sci-fi novel to them. With the ability to record two separate channels at the same time (even while watching one), a DVR helps guarantee that you will always have quality entertainment waiting for you when you sit down to watch the tube. The outstanding 14-day programming guides on most DVRs are nothing short of comprehensive, and there are very advanced search functions like the ability to find programs given a certain keyword, an actor's or actress's name, and even the ability to select an entire season of a given show for recording.




Satellite TV is For Quality-Lovers

There is one TV connection that all quality-lovers are craving-if they don't already have it-and that represents that pinnacle of modern home entertainment: satellite TV. The comparisons are simply futile, and people stuck with an ordinary broadcast TV connection or a cable TV service don't know what they are missing out on until they actually see it with their own eyes. Whatever aspect of a quality service people most appreciate, from better signal quality to more HD programming, or whether they want nothing short of a fully comprehensive pack, satellite is the only plausible answer.

The signal quality of satellite connections is simply too good to pass up, and given the fact that satellite technology has advanced tremendously over the last decade, today's subscribers do not experience annoying service interruptions or interference. The size of satellite uplink dishes has been increased and the frequencies at which the signal is relayed have been modified, with the final result of guaranteeing a superior, quality connection. Though many people have the notion that satellite means unreliable, the simple fact is that today there is no other type of TV service that can stand up to satellite.

High definition programming is another area in which satellite has excelled. Again, no other provider can hold a flame to satellite's reputation in this regard. Subscribers will find all their favorite high def channels on satellite, with many more options than can be had on cable...in fact, to put numbers down, with satellite subscribers have access to over 130 different strictly high def channels, whereas with cable there is a maximum of between 50 and 70 on average. Who would want to have only half the high def programming they could possibly have? Nobody would want to submit themselves to that sort of retrograde treatment, and it is one of the big reasons so many people switch to satellite every year.

Sports are also one of the crown jewels of satellite television: with more exclusive packages on satellite than anywhere else, real fans can get their full share of game time no matter what leagues they follow, from what region or from what country. Satellite offers a broader array of live games than cable, which usually on feeds their customers games from the surrounding area, meaning people from the other side of the country and people interested in foreign leagues are out of luck. Whether it's football, soccer, tennis, rugby, cricket, volleyball, hockey, gymnastics, or whatever you could possibly want to watch, it's on satellite for sure.

Finally, the superior quality of a satellite connection is rounded out by the improved customer service in the industry. In fact, customers have rated satellite TV over cable and the rest of the competition for more than seven consecutive years now, which is the most official seal of approval that anyone could ask for on the topic. Surely it has something to do with the fact that satellite providers have more customers and have a presence that extends throughout the entire country and many parts of the world, something no cable company can speak of.




Architecture School - A Reality TV Show Unlike the Rest on Satellite TV

Reality TV shows are a dime a dozen. You can find them on network TV, you can find even more on satellite TV and there are more and more making their debut on the internet. We are fascinated ate taking an inside peek at the lives of C list celebrities, their siblings and parents, former sports stars, wannabe fashion stylists and hair stylists, potential models, dancers, singers, even business executives and adrenaline junkies. There seems to be a reality show for everything these days.

Now, the Sundance channel, which you can watch with a satellite TV subscription, has come up with a new reality show about architects. No, this is not a competition pitting Koolhaus and Renzo Piano against each other, in an effort to design the coolest, most avant-garde opera house or Prada store. It's actually a little more humble. This show is about architecture students in New Orleans.

The show follows 12 students from Tulane's School of Architecture as they try to build, or rebuild New Orleans, using sustainable, design-forward principles. Their mission is to construct single family homes for those who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. You won't find cut throat, anything goes competition here. It's a more charitable show, more akin to something you'd find on the Home and Garden channel, than a VH1 show about aging rock stars. Nor is this a mega event like the NFL Sunday Ticket. It's a little more low key.

But that does not mean either, that this is all good deeds. There is a competition at work here. It does not involve a panel of high powered, HD good looking star judges. And there are no weekly challenges. The students don't have to build houses out of piles of garbage or tin foil. The show takes a look at the actual design process and the workshops as students endeavor to design low cost houses. We as an audience are thrown interesting tidbits about modern architecture concepts and ideas.

There is conflict, but again, it's not the kind you'd see on Top Model or Project Runway where contestants happily bitch about each other in confessional camera shots. The conflict is composed mostly of discussions. The professor eggs his students on asking them how their designs contribute to lower income housing, or how their designs actually function for those going to live in the house.

Much of the show is spent taking a look at the lives of the Katrina victims themselves. The show asks them about their hopes, their dreams and how they perceive the future. The other part of the show is focused on the winning design and the building process. The students don't just sit at their drawing boards dreaming up fancy roof structures and innovative doors. They have to help in construction as well.

All in all it is a fascinating look at the inner workings of architecture. It takes a peek at creative thought processes, discussions and new ideas. The show is a refreshing break from all those other reality shows which really have no humane spirit behind them.