One of the biggest advantages of the introduction of satellite TV was the increased number of channels available to the public in comparison to what the cable television companies were providing. These extra channels available provide the viewing public with a larger range of viewing options from sports channels, entertainment channels, children's channels, and including channels covering news and current affairs, and channels dealing with local news and events.

One of the fastest growing genres of these additional channels in terms of viewer preferences are the channels that educate as well as entertain. These programs are generally called documentaries. Such channels allow viewers the opportunity of increasing their knowledge of a subject, and present the information in a manner that makes them easily comprehensible.

The documentary segment usually includes subjects relating to {the animal world; biographies; military; science; history; sport; geography; travel|animal sciences; history and politics; warfare; places of interest; sport; and much more. The range of subjects is endless and covers every {conceivable topic|imaginable theme.

But in spite of the unlimited number of subjects, almost all of these programs have features applicable to all of them.

The photography is of a professional standard and is perhaps the one aspect of these programs that is most appealing. This is especially the case with subjects such as geography, animal behavior, and animal sciences.

Secondly the commentary accompanying the program is most likely spoken in a clear, precise manner without any bias or particular point of view.

Thirdly the overall production and presentation are of the very best quality and comply with the demanding criteria of the most discriminating viewer.

Finally most documentaries are suitable for viewing by the whole family. There is an absence of material that most parents would find objectionable.

Many of these instructive/educational programs are well-regarded world-wide by educational experts, teachers, and parents. In fact such is the recognition of these programs as educational resources for school children that many of the companies producing these programs have released them as DVDs for sale in stores.

Many of the wildlife and animal science programs produced by the BBC fit into this category. The David Attenborough series of Life on Earth programs are examples of the very best programs ever made. The remarkable quality of the action photography and the knowledge and professionalism of the commentary ensures that programs of this quality will always be seen to be educational aids of the highest order.

Programs of a historical nature about a particular country or a period in time allow the viewer to learn the effects of events on the development of a country, and how some events in the past influenced a country's or

society's future actions. Old film footage of bygone incidents improve a viewers understanding of history and make people much more aware of why certain events happened.

Even though many programs can be considered to be educational in nature, there are many more that the public feels are outside this group. Programs dealing with cooking; child rearing; parenting; gardening; crafts and hobbies are examples of genres that the viewer may fail to recognize as being educational. But each of them has educational features.

Educational programs come in all shapes and sizes, it can be said that most programs have an educational aspect to them. A program that tells the viewer a fact they didn't know before marks the program as an educational tool.

The public acceptance of HDTV (high definition television) and the role of the program suppliers in meeting the demand for HDTV programming has led to many educational programs being viewed using the superior HDTV function. The improved audio of HDTV together with a better quality picture are the products of a much improved signal reception. This technical improvement is most evident with programs that rely heavily on photographic material.

For those families wanting to keep up to date with the ever-changing improvements in television technology then satellite TV is best able to meet those expectations. The recent introduction of 3D television will ultimately be accepted by the public in the coming years, as will the knowledge that satellite TV will be the optimum means of signal transmission for the latest in TV science.

For a subscriber to take full advantage of the range of educational channels being shown on television there are two components they need. Firstly a High Definition Television to take advantage of the first-class photography, and the superb audio, and secondly a television service provider that is able to provide the largest range of channels at the best possible quality. Satellite TV is clearly the most suitable for this.