Satellite television, or sat tv as it's sometimes called, is one of the newest offerings in the television lineup. Back in the day, there was reception via an aerial on your roof and rabbit ears on top of your set. Then came cable, and soon thereafter the advent of satellite.

Television transmission travels in a straight line. However, the earth is a big ball, which means that unless it's traveling through wires, a ground-based transmission is going to head off into space at some point, never to be seen again. So you can only receive an over-air transmission from a ground-based source for a certain distance.

However, if you shoot that television signal straight up to a satellite and then bounce it down again at a different angle, you can cover a whole lot more of the earth with your signal. And that's how satellite tv works.

Today there are literally thousands of channels available through sat tv. Many are free, but lots of others are subscription-based. Most satellite tv providers offer several "packages" of television lineups. The more channels, the more expensive your monthly price will be. So you want to weigh the amount of time you spend watching your television against the monthly price.

Do you like to watch movies? Sports? Is there a certain show you just can't miss every week? Compare packages from the various satellite providers in your area and see which one has more of the stuff you care about most. You might even want to rank them in order of preference. Then start comparing prices.

Almost every satellite tv provider offers specials for new subscribers. But it's the ongoing price you want to compare, because so long as you're happy with the service, that's the price you'll pay on a continuing basis. If needed, re-shuffle the order of your preferred provider and package.

Now check out how happy people are with the service of, say, your top three choices. A great deal isn't so great if the service is sporadic and there's nobody to help fix it. A simple Google search by the provider's name and "customer service" should bring up information for you. Just don't take it from the company's web site. They might not be a disinterested party.

Re-shuffle the order again, if needed. Now find out who installs your top two or three choices, and also find out about any fees they charge. How long will it take to get everything up and running? What additional equipment is needed, if any? Do you buy it or is it on a lease? What happens if some of the equipment breaks or malfunctions? When is their customer service available? These questions could make or break your potential deal.

But once you've decided on the provider, package and installer, you should be set for many hours of great sat tv viewing. Now, where's that popcorn?