Getting Free Digital Satellite TV Requirements and Alternative

By: Davion W


Free digital satellite TV is within reach but to the unfamiliar, it could mean a big deal of trouble. And you must take note that the only free satellite TV you are going to get is what people call Free-To-Air (FTA) TV. This is the only kind of free digital satellite TV you would get without scrambling or stealing signals from TV stations. We will study some of the requirements in order to receive free digital satellite TV as well as a powerful alternative that could become mainstream for all who want to watch satellite TV for free.

Free digital satellite TV or FTA TV are basically TV programs broadcast by satellite TV stations that are unencrypted for viewing. There is a list of equipment you need in order to watch satellite TV for free such as the satellite dish, TV and peripherals like LNB. There are many online classified ads and auction sites like eBay, Craiglist, US Free Ads etc that sell such satellite dish. You can also buy them at your local hardware stores but at a higher retail price in most cases. Let us take a look at the following components you need to watch satellite TV for free using free digital satellite TV signals.

1. Satellite Dish

Commercial satellite TV signals are often stronger than FTA signals and therefore do not require a huge dish. As such, to receive free digital satellite TV, you would need a bigger dish of at least 90 cm or 1 m in diameter. This is to improve the reception of TV feeds.

2. Low Noise Block (LNB) Converter

Low Noise Block (LNB) Converter is an amplifier which receives the free digital satellite TV signal from the satellite after it has been reflected by the satellite dish. You need a linear polarized LNB in order to watch satellite TV for free. To enable your TV to display multiple channels at once, you need a multi-output LNB. And one thing people often overlook is to buy the LNB bracket.

3. Rotor

Free digital satellite TV or FTA signals are scattered and do not originate from the same satellite. A rotor is required to enable the dish to move around and point towards the different satellites carrying the desired channels you want to watch. But it is not cheap to buy a rotor which can be as expensive as the dish.

4. Receiver

Free digital satellite TV receivers are available for about $100 per piece for brand names like Pansat, Digiwave, Coolsat, etc.

5. Cables

This is an important piece of equipment you need to connect the receiver, rotor and then the rotor to your LNB. Heavy duty cables like RG-6 are ideal as the transmission of signals would be much better.

The beauty of watching free digital satellite TV is that you do not need a digital TV at all to watch satellite TV for free. Something for you to pay attention to is the receivers for receiving TV feeds are not built with digital outputs. Thus, you need to sort out the cabling from the receiver to your TV set. By using three RCA cables, you can work around it.

This set up is necessary in order for you to receive free digital satellite TV. But if you are not good with mechanical stuff or simply cannot understand the technical jargon mentioned, there is an alternative for you in the form of a proprietary PC satellite TV software which you can read about at my TV blog. With the software, you can easily tune into thousands of satellite TV channels and watch satellite TV for free without any challenging equipment installation. All it takes is a couple of minutes to plug and play the free digital satellite TV programs listed.


Davion is a TV fanatic. Discover how you can instantly watch satellite TV on computer, tuning into hundreds of LIVE sports events, game shows, news, movies and so on without monthly subscriptions. Also read his popular article on how to watch satellite TV on PC instantly for pennies.