DIY Friday: FTA Satellite
No, politicos, we’re not talking about a "free trade agreement." This is rocket scientist shorthand for "free-to-air" satellite – free, unencrypted satellite television broadcasts.
Downlinkers looking for specialized content are the common customers – especially ex-pats looking for hometown TV.
There is nothing ticky or illegal here. Just buy a dish and receiver (or satellite pc card), look up a station, find its signal, and enjoy free-to-air’ing. You will also want an antenna motor if you wish to receive channels from more than one satellite.
More information is available here and here. Details on each satellite, including a list of all free HDTV channels, are available here.