PrimeStar
This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2014) |
Direct broadcast satellite broadcasting | |
Founded | November 1990 |
---|---|
Defunct | September 30, 2000 |
Fate | Acquired by DirecTV |
Successor | DirecTV |
Headquarters | Denver, Colorado |
Website | Primestar.com |
PrimeStar was an American
Technology
PrimeStar was a medium-powered DBS-style system utilizing
Broadcast originally in analog, they later converted to digital technology. The system used the
PrimeStar was owned by a consortium of
The company was in the process of converting to a high-powered
History
The system initially launched using medium-powered FSS satellites that were facing obsolescence with the onset of high-powered
The ASkyB company sold the incomplete
PrimeStar Partners sold its assets to DirecTV in 1999 and after briefly being known as PrimeStar by DirecTV all subscribers were converted to the DirecTV platform in 2000. The PrimeStar brand and its FSS broadcast platform was shut down. Meanwhile, Tempo 1 and Tempo 2 satellite remained and were renamed DirecTV-5 and DirecTV-6, respectively, and moved to several locations to serve DirecTV customers.
Features
During Primestar's years as a competing satellite television provider, it originally had a 95-channel lineup. However, beginning on April 20, 1997, Primestar announced it would add 65 channels, for a total of 160 channels. However, due to a lack of capacity on the FSS platform, many channels only aired for part of the day or week (e.g., MuchMusic USA aired weekdays from 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, and weekends from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. ET[7]). Primestar, also at this time in 1997, grouped their channels by category, (e.g., "NEWS", "FAMILY", "SPORTS", "MOVIES", etc.), and added a color-coded button on the remote for each category. When pressed, it would bring the user to the beginning of that category, (e.g., pressing the orange "FAMILY" button would bring the user to Nickelodeon which was first in that category). Primestar called this feature "Hyper-Surfing". (Earlier remotes that lacked the buttons could instead use repetitive channel numbers to bring them to the desired category.)
New uses for old equipment
Old PrimeStar satellite dishes are popular among hobbyists for free-to-air (FTA) satellite broadcasts on the Ku band transponders of FSS satellites.
The dishes are also popular for wireless computer networking as high-gain Wi-Fi antennas. The antennas are also used by amateur (ham) radio operators to transmit two-way amateur television.
See also
- AlphaStar (satellite broadcasting service), a defunct satellite broadcaster that also used medium-powered FSS satellites and larger dishes.
- DirecTV, a direct competitor using high-powered DBS satellites and smaller dishes.
- Dish Network, a direct competitor using high-powered DBS satellites and smaller dishes.
- Orby TV, a short-lived discount DBS operator that leased service instead of operating their own fleet.
- Shaw Direct, a Canadian broadcaster using medium-powered FSS satellites and larger dishes.
- Bell Satellite TV, a Canadian broadcaster using high-powered DBS satellites and smaller dishes.
- Free-to-air
References
- Washington Business Journal. Archived from the originalon November 15, 2002. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ^ Hewitt, Rod (November 24, 2003). "North American MPEG-2 Information". coolstf.com. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ Rozansky, Michael L.; Kanaley, Reid (August 7, 1997). "Primestar Satellite Service To Move Offices To Colorado". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- CNNMoney. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ "Tempo 2 / DirecTV 5, 6". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ Ray, Justin (May 7, 2002). "DirecTV-5 broadcasting satellite launched by Proton". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ Primestar Promos and Commercials (1997-2000), retrieved 2020-01-08