The Solid Signal Blog

It’s hard to avoid one simple fact: DIRECTV’s Gemini Air is a hit. It’s the smallest-ever DIRECTV device. It’s smaller than most DIRECTV remotes, in fact. It has a great remote with a built-in backlight. There’s so much to like about a small device that runs DIRECTV’s internet-streaming service as well as any app that you can find in the built-in Google Play Store. But, there’s one thing it can’t do. And, I can’t quite tell you why. No, you cannot use a Gemini Air for DIRECTV satellite If you have DIRECTV Satellite, there’s a Gemini for you. It will let you watch your DIRECTV satellite programs on the same box as all your streaming apps. In a lot of ways, that makes it an even better value than the Gemini Air. After all, a lot of...

An RV solar kit night not save you as much money as you might think. Here’s the truth about solar power for RV. If you want solar power for your RV, you need three elements: RV solar panels, batteries, and an inverter. The panels are made from silicon and phosphorous. Sunlight causes the electrons in these cells to break and bond over and over, which creates electricity. This electricity gets stored in the batteries as DC power. The inverter transforms this into AC power, which runs electronic products. So, with solar panels, batteries, and an inverter, you can generate free, renewable energy. Just how much energy will you get from your RV solar kit, though? How Much Solar Power do I Need for my RV? If you’re considering RV solar...

For most of us, winter is a time to stay home. It’s time to hunker down by the fireplace and try to stay warm on those short, dark, grey days. Spring is coming though, and with it comes the opportunity for fun on the water. If you’re one of those lucky folks who has a pleasure craft, you know that there’s nothing like the fun of sitting out on the water relaxing. Just staring out at the sunset is great, but what if you’re feeling tech withdrawal? What about the fear of missing out? The unfortunate truth about cell signals Cell phone signals do travel astoundingly long distances over the water. It’s not uncommon to get reception 5 or even 10 miles offshore. This has a lot to do with the fact that there’s literally nothing between you...

If all you did was read this blog, you’d think that my two mortal enemies in life were Netflix and Hulu. In truth, I do like both services. I don’t like them enough to stop complaining about their prices. That’s true. And, when it comes to the way they implement those massive price increases, I think I have a fair beef with them. Here’s my latest story. It all started with the last price increase… last year Before the 2022 price increase, I paid for Disney+ and Hulu separately. I had gotten into Disney+ for a special price when they launched, and I was paying annually. As for Hulu, I paid monthly and never failed to remember that time I told the whole internet I’d never pay for Hulu. But when the last price increase hit, and it was...

This is a great time to get DISH. Even I’m surprised by how much the entire satellite TV industry has bounced back in the last year. Thanks to some boneheaded moves by the major streaming apps, suddenly satellite TV seems like the best choice for low cost and high value. That’s a huge change in perception from just a few years ago. I’ve always been a big fan, and a lot of people are starting to see my point. A bit about DISH hardware First of all, let’s say the quiet part out loud. The company and the service are called “DISH.” For years they were called Dish Network, and you’ll sometimes still hear the company refer to itself that way. But I call it DISH because, that’s what they want me to call it. But, it does make it a little hard...

Gemini Air is the latest little box from DIRECTV. It’s only for folks with the internet-only service (in other words not for satellite TV customers.) It’s one of the hottest product launches we’ve had at Solid Signal in quite some time. Do you have yours yet? Here’s what’s so different about Gemini Air Gemini Air is the second generation device for the service that’s been called DIRECTV NOW, AT&T TV NOW, AT&T TV, and DIRECTV Stream. It’s live TV over the internet. That’s not a revolutionary idea anymore but the way DIRECTV does it is great. You get almost the same exact channel selection you get with DIRECTV satellite, even down to the same channel numbers. You get a cloud DVR with unlimited storage, and over 50,000 on demand programs...

DIRECTV receivers have a built-in test screen. If you’re like most people, you’ve never used it. But, one day you might need to. Suppose your dish is moved out of alignment by wind or weather. Maybe you plan on calling DIRECTV to fix it, or maybe you want to make sure it’s as good as it can get. It is possible to aim a satellite dish without a meter, using only that built in test screen. To do it, you start with loosening the alignment bolts and moving the dish from side to side. That’s the most likely point of movement. But, before you start making changes, take a moment and look at the signal strength screen in DIRECTV receivers and what those numbers mean. How to get to the test screen I have a pair of tutorials which will tell...

Let me set the stage. You have a business, but you don’t own your building. You want DIRECTV satellite TV, and you also want to occasionally watch using an antenna. Until recently, the only thing I could tell you was that you absolutely had to run a separate line for the antenna, instead of “piggybacking” it onto a satellite cable. That’s been the standard line for about 15 years when it came to DIRECTV. So what if I told you that there’s now a solution, but it’s only for business? Here’s what you need to know. The pieces you’ll need Let’s start with the dish itself. In most cases, businesses will use a legacy dish and bring six lines into the building. This gives the most flexibility because instead of being limited to 13 receivers...

During some downtime, I found that someone had remastered or AI’d or something’d the infamous Windows 1.0 commercial that’s been floating around YouTube almost since it started. The quality is a lot better than I’d ever seen it. Take a look for yourself. Now, the YouTuber who posted it doesn’t say how they came into possession of this high-quality copy. Honestly it’s probably the best this video will ever look unless there’s some serious postprocessing added to it. They don’t claim to have used the original version as a source, and in fact I don’t think they did. I think they must have somehow gotten a version on tape or something that was closer to the original master. AI can do amazing things but it’s no way that you’ll get anything...

This question came from our tech department and luckily, it’s one of the easier ones to answer. But, before I do, a little background. DIRECTV H25 Commercial Receiver This is DIRECTV’s H25 Commercial Receiver. First released in 2011, it was a followup to the successful H24 receiver. Compared to the H24, it’s smaller, has front panel buttons instead of a fragile touch panel, and runs exclusively on DIRECTV’s SWM system. It was DIRECTV’s first receiver to use an external power supply. Keeping the power supply outside the box keeps it cooler and makes it easier to replace if it fails. DIRECTV H26K Commercial Receiver This is DIRECTV’s H26K Commercial Receiver. It’s hard to believe that it was first released in 2023, since it bears...

Here’s the conventional wisdom: teens don’t watch traditional TV. Fewer and fewer incoming freshmen count a television as one of their must-haves, instead preferring to stream. Making things even more complex, most don’t pay for their own streaming services. There’s some questionable legality there since many still count their parents’ house as their home address, but arguably don’t live there during the year. All of this would lead you to think that colleges wouldn’t be interested in satellite TV. That’s where you’d be wrong. The truth about college campuses There are plenty of times when college campuses choose satellite TV. It’s still great for public areas. It’s a benefit for classrooms and offices, too. While it’s true that more...

Qi wireless charging has taken over the cellular world. It started out with higher-end Android phones, and with its adoption on iPhones in 2017, Qi has effectively won the war for wireless charging. Let’s back up a little bit and take a look at Qi’s history and why you may want to think about Qi in the future. “Qi” (pronounced “chee”) is a Chinese word meaning power or life force. But that’s really not the point, I just thought I’d mention it so you wouldn’t get distracted thinking about it. A little bit of history Wireless charging has been with us for a hundred years. It was the great Nikola Tesla who first demonstrated the potential for wirelessly powering devices, but his goal was to eliminate the power grid altogether...

Could it be almost thirty years ago that The New York Times launched nytimes.com? According to their own article, the official start date was January 22, 1996. The site went on to become a pioneer in high-quality news online. It’s not just the quality of the reporting, either. The site was one of the first to try to echo the look of a print edition. The team worked extremely hard and given the technology of the day, it was an impressive accomplishment. The look and feel of real news Keep in mind that at the time, most news web sites looked something like this: Now, there’s nothing wrong with that, per se. It just doesn’t look like a newspaper. That may not be a dealbreaker today, but back then, newspapers were the way people got...

Folks in RVs love their live TV. Can you blame them? Streaming is fine and all, but there’s nothing like settling in for an evening of live TV. Consider this, too: if you’re off the beaten track, you may not have very good cell service. It may make for a very bad streaming experience. That’s where Winegard’s Roadtrip T4 and other similar satellite solutions come into play. The Roadtrip T4 is unique in the marketplace because it’s designed for permanent installation on the RV. It’s also an in-motion dish, meaning that your passengers can keep watching TV while you drive. That can make the difference between a happy family and a sad one. Now, if you have DIRECTV Satellite at home, you know how great it is. If you want to bring that...

We all know that most forms of content sharing are illegal. You can’t share your Netflix password. You can’t share your satellite TV account with your neighbor. You’re not even supposed to share music that you’ve ripped from CDs that you’ve bought. (OK, not sure anyone cares about that last bit anymore.) But what about broadcast television? That’s free, so shouldn’t you be able to share it? There are some confusing legal bits to consider, but the basic answer is YES. You can share an antenna, and the signal that comes with it, with as many people as you want. The only thing you can’t do is charge for it. Let’s dive deeper. Sharing a TV antenna with more than one home The very first cable TV systems were known as MATV, or master...