Before you buy/lease that satellite receiver here is one thing to consider: cable. I am specifically referring to that harmless looking piece of black coaxial cable leading from that dish on the roof to your receiver. Cable is cable, right? Not necessarily. The correct type of cable one should be looking for in regards to satellite tv is called RG6, with a minimum frequency rating of 2150 MHz.

Not all coax cable is created equal. Usually the quickest way to identify your cabling would be to look at the external jacket of the cable. It would tell you the manufacturer's name, type of cable (RG6, or RG59), a maximum frequency rating, the gauge of the center conductor, and so on.  The two most common cables found in homes today would be RG59 or RG6. There is another type of cable called RG11 but is only used in extremely long runs where signal loss should be kept to a minimum. RG59 is not recommended due to the fact that it will lose signal on a long cable run and is often not frequency rated for the newer receivers like those made from companies such as Dish Network or DirectTV.

The shielding on a piece of cable is composed of aluminum foil and braid. Higher performance coax may have copper braiding. It can have standard or sometimes double and even quad shield layers based on it's application or preference of the home builders. Your only concern in this case would be to make sure the line is free of cuts, abrasions, animal bites/gnawing, and corrosion of any exposed splitters/connectors.

If you are having thoughts about using that pre-existing RG59 cabling that is in your walls then don't. You may get away with it on an older satellite receiver such as a Dish 301/311 (standard definition, single room) but with a top of the line Dish Network receiver such as a ViP622 (dual tuner, two room HD with built in DVR) your cable would simply not handle the bandwidth needed. In short, you will start seeing "acquiring satellite signal" screens, pixelation/artifacts on your channels, and unexplained glitches on DVR performance.

In an ideal world every new satellite installation would entail the use of brand new cabling throughout the home. In reality the installer or DIYer will often make use of the existing household cable runs due to time limitations or due to the aesthetics of the house. If the installer tells you that new lines have to be run then take his or her advice. It is often for your own good and will ensure years of trouble free TV enjoyment.