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STREAMING SATURDAY: Somehow Max finds a way to get worse

You’ve probably read the story already. Several months ago, Max threatened to take away 4K and Dolby Vision from most customers unless they upgraded to the “ultimate plan” or whatever they call it. If you subscribe to Max, that’s another $4 a month. It’s a bit of a kick in the teeth to folks who have already seen the service totally gutted in recent months. This week, Max made good on their promise, sending notices to existing customers saying, I’m inclined to use profanity here I do my best to keep this blog free of profanity. Even though the world has largely accepted that you can say most four-letter words in practically any setting, I think that it’s just bad writing and I tend not to do it. But Max, you’re really testing me...
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Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend

Note: Yep, I run the same article every year. But hey, at this point it’s kind of classic. Get ready for it to be dark at 4:30. Daylight Saving Time, that nationwide crock, ends this weekend and while most of your devices will be fine with it, you’re still going to have to set a bunch of clocks and stuff. If you’re an Apple user, be aware that some past updates have created problems for Daylight Saving Time so if you use your phone as an alarm clock, be 100% sure it works before depending on it to get you up for work. As you’ve no doubt surmised, I’m no fan of Daylight Saving Time and I have to say, I struggle every year to understand why we all put ourselves through it (with the exception of those few states and counties who smartly...
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Need a custom solution for better cell phone service? Call us!

Without cell service, your business is sunk. That’s right, I said it. No, it’s not the only thing that will sink your business if you lose it. You’ll need internet, for example. And of course, you’ll need customers. But I think everyone agrees on that. Not every business owner seems to think that good cell service is mandatory. But 100% of the smart ones do. Think about it. I mean, think of yourself as a customer out there in the world. How long are you going to stay in a store with no cell service? You’ll get fidgety after a few minutes, and a few minutes after that you’ll be counting time until you can leave. Tell yourself if you want that you lived a large proportion of your life before cell phones came along. That’s fine. But think...
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How to Make the Most of a Mobile Hotspot for Business

Reprinted with permission from the weBoost blog. The digital age has brought businesses an array of tools and innovations, ensuring that they can function with flexibility and efficiency. Among these, the mobile hotspot for business stands out as a key player, especially when considering the ever-growing dependence on smartphones and the internet. In fact, as of 2023, the U.S. boasts over over 310 million smartphone users. This staggering statistic means that if you have a smartphone, a data plan, and a cellular signal, you’re walking around with a potential WiFi connection right in your pocket. For businesses that are constantly on the move or find themselves in locations where WiFi is either weak or non-existent, mobile hotspots...
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Can you use a DISH Hopper in an RV?

When you take your RV out on the road, you want all the comforts of home. Of course, that’s what the RV life is all about. You can sleep in your own bed, eat your own food, and generally enjoy life on the road without worrying about hotels or weird restaurants. Having entertainment is a big part of that experience, too. That’s why so many of our Solid Signal customers have chosen satellite TV for their RVs. It’s reliable entertainment that’s available everywhere with a view of the southern sky. That’s a big difference from streaming, which might not work in the campground you want to stay at. One of the best choices is DISH’s Hopper. There are two versions. The Hopper 3 gives you the complete experience with 16 tuners available for...
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FUN FRIDAY: Friends bloopers

Editor’s Note: I personally think it is a mistake to venerate someone just because they passed away unexpectedly. That said, I think it’s worth taking a moment to remember Matthew Perry. Perry was an unquestionably flawed person who not only did flawed things, but also read flawed words as Chandler Bing, words that aren’t appropriate today and weren’t appropriate then. But he also made us laugh, a precious commodity in today’s world. I present the article below, which originally ran in 2018, in honor of Matthew Perry. Friends is available on Max as well as on many local stations. Millennials ruin everything. At least that’s what some of my more curmudgeonly friends say. I will admit that I’ve heard more than one millennial complain...
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How to fix Wi-Fi problems with your Gemini Air, Chromecast, Roku Streaming Stick, Fire Stick, or AirTV Mini

Those little dongles from the major media companies sure are convenient. They plug into your TV’s HDMI port and sit there completely invisible. While it would be even better if they got power from that port too, don’t blame them… the HDMI standard on most TVs doesn’t support this. It will probably be about 5 years before you see something like that on the majority of TVs. A lot to like about these little devices With one of these devices like the DIRECTV Gemini Air, Sling/DISH AirTV Mini, it’s easy to upgrade an older TV to watch practically any app you want. Most of them work with some variant of the Android TV operating system so any app in the Google Play store will work. The Amazon Fire stick and Roku Streaming Stick each have...
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THROWBACK THURSDAY: When GPS was still a thing

Of course, GPS is still a thing. But it’s a different thing than it was back in 2018 when I wrote this article. I would say that was about the tail end of the standalone GPS’s heyday. I haven’t seen a standalone GPS in years, and I’m willing to bet you haven’t either. It’s just so convenient to use your phone. The odd intersection that was 2018 2018 was a time when our very thoughts about GPS systems were changing. While the Global Positioning System had been in use since the 1960s, but it wasn’t until the 1980s when consumer GPS devices first hit the market. They were little more than just readouts of coordinates, though. It took until around 2001 before we started seeing any sort of GPS device with built-in mapping. It would be...
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TRUTH TO POWER: Starlink isn’t that good for watching TV

“Starlink? What’s that?” … said no one in 2023, ever. That might be a little bit of an exaggeration but not much of one, is it? The low-earth-orbit internet service has certainly made a mark in the last year. SpaceX has rolled out mobile and marine plans to complement their home plans, and among the well-heeled traveler, interest is growing by the day. But, I’m going to be the one to tell you this, right now, at the risk of drawing the wrath of Elon: Starlink isn’t that good for watching TV. Why would I say such a thing? As an internet service, Starlink is pretty good. It’s not flawless. It’s pretty good. If you have the option for traditional fiber-based internet at your home, fiber is an easy choice. It’s faster, cheaper, and...
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OPINION: The importance of broadcasting

Television and radio broadcasting have been with us for almost 100 years. They’ve been the core of an information revolution that drove every single one of the events of the 20th and 21st centuries. In 1914, before radio, a single event triggered a world war simply because there was no real-time information. As news spread of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, countries all around the planet responded through the use of treaties and pre-made alliances. There was no time for a voice of reason, and no way to distribute it. That was the last war fought without mass-market telecommunications technology and it was in many ways the fiercest and most cruel war of all time. Broadcasting’s role in worldwide peace Radio, then television...
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Top Customer Service Strategies to Retain Customers and Boost Your Bottom Line

Retaining loyal customers is the key to sustained success. The age-old saying “the customer is always right” holds more accuracy than ever, as modern consumers have more choices and higher expectations. To thrive in this environment, businesses must attract new customers and keep their existing ones satisfied, engaged, and loyal. In this blog, we will explore the indispensable customer service techniques that retain your customers and contribute to boosting your bottom line. So, discover how exceptional customer service can be your secret weapon in achieving sustainable growth and profitability in your business. Personalized Support: Tailoring the Customer Experience Central to any effective customer service strategy is the delivery...
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What do the different color lights on a Gemini Air mean?

It’s been a long time since any piece of DIRECTV gear generated the amount of excitement that we’re getting from the new Gemini Air. This tiny little device hides discreetly behind your TV and gives you the full DIRECTV live TV streaming experience, plus all the apps you love. However, one thing we’re finding out from our techs is that there isn’t a lot of documentation on it. The Gemini Air is designed to be installed by the person using it. This means you don’t need a tech to come to the house and don’t have to wait for an appointment. When your Gemini Air arrives, plug it into power, connect it to your TV, and follow the instructions. It’s that easy. What if it isn’t that easy? It seems that for about 99% of installations, things...
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Best of the Blog 2023, Volume 5

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 May, 2023: Can you use a commercial cell phone booster in your RV? Is it better than an RV booster? Will a satellite amplifier improve your picture quality? NICE AND EASY: Is this a dome, an antenna, or a dish? Will a cell phone signal booster help my GPS? QUICK QUESTION: Do you have to reaim a dish after you replace the LNB? Signal Connect is your activation destination How often...
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Ken Reid and Josh Spiegel

August 5-11, 1978 This week Ken welcomes The Horror Timelines guy himself, author, YouTuber and fellow horror fan Josh Spiegel. Ken and Josh discuss LA heat, cats, dogs afraid of flies, growing up in Pittsburgh, working at The Monroeville Mall, George Romero, Horror Conventions, Dawn of the Dead, being born in the 1930s, being older than you look, The Jeffersons, the weird English neighbor, cable, non-24 hour HBO, movie rentals, Full Moon Features, TV Violence, when computers take over, cigarettes, cufflinks, The Bionic Woman, The Eighties Project, The Archie Situation Comedy Musical Variety Show, Moose, drugs that totally are not weight loss drugs that are weight loss drugs, Diff’rent Strokes, MAS*H, how the Korean War stood in...
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NICE AND EASY: Do you ALWAYS need a SWM multiswitch with a DIRECTV H26K?

Over in our Signal Connect division, we can’t stop talking about the new DIRECTV H26K Commercial Receiver. It’s the most exciting thing to happen to DIRECTV’s business customers in close to a decade. The H26K is small, efficient, and outputs 4K programs. It’s compatible with the same matrix switches that work with DIRECTV’s older receivers as well as the DIRECTV app for business. Best of all, it’s brand new so that customers with aging, decade-old equipment can feel confident upgrading. But do you need a SWM multiswitch? It seems like a strange question. The answer is YES, the H26K can only be used with DIRECTV’s SWM technology. But in order to understand the question, we need to kind of look back a little bit and understand why...
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