COMPANY TOWN : Sony to Launch Satellite Dish Venture

Sony Corp. will begin selling satellite dishes next month, adding more fuel to a business that got a rocket-speed start last year and eventually could challenge cable as the way Americans watch TV.

Sony--the world’s best-known maker of televisions, stereos and compact disc players--joins Thomson Consumer Electronics Inc.’s RCA brand in the new market of broadcast entertainment delivery known as direct satellite TV. Sony was to formally unveil three satellite receiver systems today that range in price from $750 to $950.

The company hopes to stand out from RCA by offering better on-screen guides and components that operate more simply. Its dish is oval-shaped compared to RCA’s circular one, which is often compared to a large pizza dish.

Under a deal with developer GM Hughes Electronics Corp., RCA was the only manufacturer for the first 1 million units or 18 months, whichever came first, of the direct satellite system.

The company began selling nationally in September. The system was a popular consumer electronics item during the holidays.

The satellite systems are based on digital signals, the language of computers. They can be controlled and cleaned up by the receiver, resulting in a clearer picture and CD-quality sound.

Like RCA’s system, Sony’s will be programmed by DirecTv, a unit of GM Hughes, and USSB, a division of Hubbard Broadcasting Inc. Monthly programming fees start at $17. The system has up to 175 channels.