How Does Cable TV Works?

Launched in United States around 1948, cable television (CATV) is a type of TV service that send data through cable lines, and it is the most popular connection in the market. The TV signal will pass by fiber optic cables (the most modern technology) or by radio frequency, which is connected to a satellite.

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Main Differences

The broadcast or terrestrial television contrasts with the cable service as the first one receives the television signal by a physical antenna attached to the equipment.

aThis is why older generation that were used to see these metal antennas connected to their television can perceive the TV evolution as, after the popularization of cable which can receive signal by radio waves over the air, they no longer exist.

What Are the Cable Channels?

Technically, cable TV is associated with an audiovisual content distribution system, which is the also supplies FM radio and other services that use coaxial cables. Throughout the subscripted television cables, this kind of service spread between American and world households.

According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which is an independent agency of the U.S government that regulates communications across the country, in March 2011, there were 1382 commercial and 392 educational television stations.

These include very high-frequency and ultra-high-frequency stations, and there are also thousands of other themes centered stations and many amateur ones. Cabled channels can also be delivered via satellite.

Cable TV Industry

The golden era of cable television was in the 2010’s decade. As the years passed by, the wire systems were upgraded to digital cables. Nowadays, these two models have been considerably integrated in practical terms, as most systems offer a hybrid analog/digital cable system.
When customers sign up with a cable television service provider, the number of channels they are going to have access will depend on the package features and prices.
This way, a basic deal will be a cheap option for those who does not need many varieties of channels. On the other hand, with a more expensive and complete package, a client can watch to over 400 different channels, which will always vary by provider and location.

Cable TV Evolution

First created by John Walson in 1948 in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, the cabled television was still a fresh innovation in the market by the 50’s. In 1968, 6.4% of Americans used cable television in their households. This number changed to 7.5% in 1978. By 1988, 52.8% of all houses were using cable. This rate further increased to 62.4% in 1994.

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