Cable delivery of television started as a way to improve reception. Today, cable television is popular because of the wide variety of programming it can deliver. Many systems now provide more than 100 channels of programming. Typically, a cable television company receives signals relayed from a communications satellite and sends those signals to its subscribers. The first transatlantic television broadcast was accomplished by such a satellite, called Telstar, on July 10, 1962.
Some television viewers use small satellite dishes to receive signals directly from satellites.
Most satellite-delivered signals are scrambled and require a special decoder to receive them clearly. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.