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Ken Reid and Michael Pressman

This week Ken welcomes director Michael Pressman (The Great Texas Dynamite Chase, Some Kind of Hero, Doctor Detroit, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II The Secret of the Ooze) to the show. Ken and Michael discus COVID binging, The Bear, Slow Horses, The Crown, Call My Agent, having a comedy background but gravitating towards drama, having difficulty knowing when TV Comedy is working, Bad News Bears, working for Roger Corman, Picket Fences, how executives don’t understand funny, indie cinema, directing Vanilla Ice, special FX, non-Union shoots, Golden Harvest, Michael’s father being blacklisted, David Pressman’s directing career, The Actor’s Studio, visiting Hollywood sets after the blacklist was lifted in the 60s, the early days of...
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Podcast #572: Meet Scott Dreaver

The Solid Signal Podcast features Scott Dreaver from our Signal Connect team! Learn all about Scott, and call 866-726-4182 to get personalized service. Listen to the podcast your way! Just choose one of the following: Option 1: Click on the image above to stream the podcast in your browser. If you use the YouTube player above, be sure to subscribe to get future videos delivered to you! Option 2: The Solid Signal Podcast is available on several podcast aggregators. Search for us, or tap on the links below on your mobile device. If you want us to add another aggregator leave a comment below. Amazon iTunes Overcast TuneIn Spreaker Player.fm Spotify Option 3: Download the podcast in MP3 format. Option 4: Paste the following link into...
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The Gemini Air uses a Bluetooth remote. Does that mean you can use it with something besides a Gemini Air?

This question came from one of our customers. They really like the Gemini remote… and why wouldn’t they? It’s easy to old and has all the physical buttons that manufacturers have been removing for years. If you’re tired of a tiny remote with 4 buttons, the Gemini remote seems like a breath of fresh air. Why wouldn’t you want to use it on a Fire stick, Apple TV, Roku, or some other device with a Bluetooth connection? All Bluetooth is Bluetooth, right? I mean, think about it. You have Bluetooth in everything from your car to your computer. So, if that’s true, you should be able to pair a Bluetooth remote to virtually anything else. There are several different classifications of Bluetooth devices. For example there are keyboards, mice...
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Leveraging Tech for Financial Management and Investments

As time passes, we see the days of carrying and paying with cash go by the wayside. Instead, we’re gaining more ways to pay online and complete most of our budgeting and banking on a computer or smartphone. Luckily, tech has kept up with the times, and there are many different apps, programs, and websites you can use to manage your money, buy goods and services, and help with your investment strategies. There’s a lot out there, so here are some tips for learning and catering to your money personality by finding the best tech for your needs. Use Tech That Applies To Your Personality While many of the available financial management apps will have their benefits, it may be wise to learn about the tech that will help you specifically...
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The best streaming device for seniors?

Streaming video has been with us for a decade, but for a lot of people it is still a fairly new technology. It’s probably not on the radar for a lot of seniors. In fact, most seniors I’ve talked to don’t really understand why they would want it. A streaming TV device doesn’t show them what they want, they don’t understand the on-demand nature of streaming, and one senior told me it “just doesn’t seem like TV.” Yet, seniors are becoming increasingly smarter about how to spend their fixed incomes. With cable subscriptions far over $100 a month once the “teaser” period is over, it’s hard to justify. Yet, seniors remain wedded to live TV far more than any other group, and they’re looking for options. Back to basics: the antenna More and...
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Best of the Blog 2023, Volume 10

The Solid Signal Blog is your resource for thousands of articles and reviews, with new content coming every day. 2023 marks our seventeeth year since our humble beginnings, and today over 250,000 people read the blog every month. Every month, the staff gets together and gathers articles that really seem like they have long-term appeal. Here’s the list for October, 2023: DIRECTV Technical Support: Five Easy Fixes Cell Phone Bars, Signal Strength, and the Truth Who Remembers C-Band Satellite Dishes? MODERN PROBLEMS: “My H24 is giving me error 775 when I connect to my portable dish” It’s time to scan for channels again if you have an antenna Boat docked for the winter? Get a satellite upgrade! Can you still use a SATLOOK LITE satellite...
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Should you erase everything off your DVR before you send it back?

You don’t own the DVR in your living room. It’s as simple as that. Both DIRECTV and DISH use a leasing model. It keeps costs down, has big tax advantages, and most customers don’t want to keep an old device anyway. Most of us love the idea of upgrading to the latest every other year. If you don’t believe me, how old is your cell phone? Leasing vs. owning You lease the equipment, but it’s a little different from the way you lease a car or an apartment. First of all, you make a single payment at the beginning of the lease. The term is open-ended; you don’t have to make another lease payment no matter how long you have the equipment. Unlike a car, you’re strictly not allowed to make any physical changes to the device. In a lot of ways...
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Should you recycle old wall warts? (or other old stuff)

There comes a point in every geek’s life when he or she looks at the garage and realizes there’s a problem. Let’s just say you’re like me — for the last thirty-odd years you’ve been collecting little odds and ends, knowing you’ll use it “someday.” Along the way you’ve accumulated a staggering number of splitters, RCA cables, USB cords, and things like that. You probably have the plug from every device you’ve ever owned, because you know that sooner or later you’ll need it and let’s face facts those things are expensive. Kippleization An old short story by the prophetic Philip K. Dick coined the term “kipple.” In context, it meant the kind of trash that just seems to pile up by itself. Old wrappers, newspapers, that sort of thing. When...
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What’s the best satellite TV solution for a car?

“Hey, kids, let’s go on a road trip!” Seemed like a good idea at the time. Pile the fam in the car and let’s go see the world. Only one problem: bored kids locked in the back seat are going to misbehave. It’s a tale as old as time, I’m telling you. One option for keeping the kids occupied is live TV. It’s a great option and it’s worked very well in the past, but it’s gotten harder in the last decade. Finally, there’s an option that makes sense. Live TV and kids? Do kids even know what live TV is anymore? Yes, I can hear you thinking it. Truth is, kids like to be entertained. We tend to think of kids using screens today but they can be just as entertained by TV. Depending on your age, your folks had DVD screens in the headrests and...
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All QAM is not the same

QAM. Most likely you think it’s either an unpronounceable random set of letters or an Australian airline. In both cases you would be wrong. It stands for Quadrature Amplitude Modulation. That’s a fancy way of saying that unlike AM or FM which have one waveform, QAM has two and that makes it much more efficient. It means that HD channels can fit into much smaller spaces. Why should I care about QAM? QAM is used by cablesystems and also by DIRECTV in their COM3000 system. It’s also used in standalone headend systems such as those used in hotels and restaurants. Using QAM technology allows for systems like these to carry well over 100 channels in high definition, in a set of frequencies that should really only hold about 50 channels...
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Trust me, you need an inverter

Every so often, I poke through random pages at SolidSignal.com to try to find things that even I didn’t realize we carry. That’s when I came across this page. There are a lot more power inverters than I realized, and at quite a price difference. I have an inverter in one of my vehicles, I’m glad I do, and I have a feeling that if you had one you’d be glad you did too. So let’s take a dive into the world of inverters. I bet by the time this article’s over you’ll wonder why every car, truck, and SUV doesn’t have one. What is an inverter? In order to understand what an inverter is, you need to understand the difference between direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC). There are plenty of articles that will give you a “deep dive”...
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STREAMING SATURDAY: Is Rebel Moon really worse than Dune?

In the coming months, you’ll be able to stream part two of the defining sci-fi blockbusters of the last two years. Chances are you’re excited about Dune: Part Two, and you’re cringing at the very idea of accidentally starting to watch Rebel Moon: Part Two — the Scargiver. I’m right there with you. But does one film really deserve the praise while the other deserves the scorn? Here’s my opinion. Keep in mind that I’ve only seen part one of both films, so my opinion is based on that. Let’s start with direction A director and producer can really shape a film. The director traditionally concerns themselves with what you see on the screen, in other words the performances from the actors. The producer concerns themselves with trying to...
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Does weBoost Really Work? Exploring the Effectiveness of Cell Signal Boosters

Reprinted with permission from the weBoost Blog. In today’s digital age, reliable cell signal is crucial for staying connected, whether it’s for work, remote communication, or home entertainment. But with the increasing demand for connectivity, many people find themselves struggling with weak or unreliable signals, especially in remote or rural areas. This begs the question: Does weBoost really work? Do cell signal boosters work in general? Let’s delve into the effectiveness of cell signal boosters to find out. How do cell signal boosters work? Cell signal boosters (like those offered by weBoost) work by capturing existing weak signals from outside the building or vehicle, amplifying them, and rebroadcasting them inside. This...
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What is the best way to ground an antenna?

Big disclaimer: Grounding rules vary from city to city. Don’t just read this site, actually go to city hall and get the rules. Adding a TV antenna to your home is one of the easiest ways to get free TV and make your whole entertainment experience better. With an antenna, there’s nothing to buy after the initial purchase. You can get dozens of channels of live entertainment and most of them aren’t available on cable or satellite. I think it’s a must-have accessory. However, I’ve said it before: proper grounding is critical. Grounding is the process where the metal bits on the outside of your home connect to the ground (literally, the earth, the dirt, etc.) so that they aren’t lightning hazards. It’s an incredibly important part of any...
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