All magic aside, there's actually quite a bit of science behind all that great DIRECTV Programming, science that has drastically changed the way we look at home entertainment.  After all, before Satellite TV and cable there was only traditional television broadcasting antennas.  These antennas use radio waves to transmit programming from source to DIRECTV Receiver, producing the Local Channels you receive on your television set. This works fine if you're close to the source but throw a little distance or a few obstructions between the two and the signal quickly becomes distorted.

But then came the satellite.

To get that multi-channel premium DIRECTV Programming you love so much, your satellite provider DIRECTV) contracts with all the various programming companies like Showtime®, HBO^®, Cinemax, Starz^® and yes, your Local Channels Networks too.  They put together DIRECTV Programming packages for you to purchase, depending upon your personal needs and preferences.   The programming providers send their signals to the satellite tv providers where it is compressed and converted to MPEG-2, the same format of your DVD's.  This converted signal is sent back up to the satellite so it can be sent out to the subscribers.  When the digital signal reaches your DIRECTV Receiver, the smart card inside determines which portions of the DIRECTV Programming you should have access to.  Those portions are then decrypted and converted back to analog so that they can be read by your television.The result is a crisp, clear picture and sound unlike anything you'd get with the traditional antenna.