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What’s the purpose of the access card in your receiver?

Every satellite receiver and DVR in the US has some sort of access card. In most receivers it just looks like a credit card with a gold patch. So what’s the deal? And why does it seem like some receivers don’t have access cards? Let’s take a minute today and dive into this technology. Why access cards are there The access card forms one-third of the system used to decrypt your satellite signal. By putting one part on your hard drive, one part on a computer chip on the receiver, and one part on the access card, it makes it just that much harder to crack the encryption. It’s like those car keys with a computer chip. You can’t start the car without them even if you hotwire it. This whole system, known in the industry as “conditional...
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Podcast #546: Join the stampede back to satellite TV!

If you’re thinking that streaming’s a worse value than ever, you’re not alone! Listen to this week’s rant from lead podcaster Stuart Sweet. If you agree with him, call 888-233-7563 and join the stampede. 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 Google Podcasts Overcast TuneIn Spreaker Player.fm Spotify Option 3: Download...
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NICE AND EASY: Can you use Bluetooth devices with DIRECTV Gemini?

Here’s something I’ve been talking about for YEARS. I’ve wanted DIRECTV to support wireless headsets, keyboards, and the like. I was beginning to think it would never happen. Here’s a pleasant surprise, though: it’s happened. It’s all because of Gemini Gemini is the latest system for DIRECTV customers. Folks with satellite connections can use the Gemini for Satellite along with a DIRECTV Genie DVR. (An identical-looking device is still used for DIRECTV for Internet but is no longer available for new customers.) DIRECTV for Internet customers get the tiny Gemini Air device, shown nearly actual size. Either way, you can add Bluetooth devices like headsets and speakers. I’ve even gotten a keyboard to pair. The secret: Android TV...
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Is ATSC 3.0 done for? LG puts a nail in the coffin

Longtime readers of this blog will tell you that I’m not very optimistic about ATSC 3.0, or NextGen TV as it is also known. While I think we all like the idea of adding 4K and advanced services to over-the-air TV, it just seems to be too hard to do. (You can read several years of rants about this subject here.) The latest proof of this comes from TV maker LG. The company has recently announced that they are removing ATSC 3.0 support from their televisions, at least for now. It’s a bit of a spiteful move, but it shows the headwinds that ATSC 3.0 still faces. A (very) quick primer about ATSC 3.0 This isn’t intended to be a deep dive into what ATSC 3.0 is, or isn’t; you can read my many articles on the subject. But, it’s important to...
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BACK TO BASICS: Line of Sight

Line of sight. You’ve probably heard the term. It’s a pretty simple idea actually. Antennas work best when there is nothing between them and the thing that’s doing all the transmitting. RF signals do a decent job traveling through trees and walls, but not such a good job traveling through hills. Hills are a lot more substantial and have iron and other minerals in them that deflect RF signals. These signals are attenuated (in other words they lose strength) every time they travel through anything, even open air. That’s part of the reason that an indoor antenna doesn’t work as well as an outdoor one. The walls attenuate the signal. In fact, everything that comes between a broadcast tower and a receiving antenna will attenuate it. Some...
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Who can you call if your satellite TV breaks while you’re at sea?

Hey folks, it’s rare but it happens. You may be far from your home port when there’s a problem with your satellite TV system. It’s the last thing you really want to have to deal with. If only there were a way to make it easier. Tech support is available… for free! You probably don’t know much about the way your boat’s satellite TV system works. Chances are you’ve never had to think about it. So if it stops working, you’re probably not even sure where to start. That’s where the experts at Signal Connect come in. We can diagnose problems remotely and give you the steps to take. A lot of times, there are simple things you can do that will let you watch TV quickly. You don’t need to know how to fix the system or even how to twist a...
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The Best Cell Phone Booster for Overlanding Vehicles

Reprinted with permission from the weBoost blog. Overlanding has emerged as a popular way to get off the beaten path and blend the thrill of exploration with the solitude of nature. It’s about traveling to remote destinations while making the journey itself the main objective. As captivating as overlanding can be, staying connected in such remote areas can be challenging, to say the least. That’s where the best cell phone booster for vehicle, like those from weBoost, will come in handy. This is especially true for Drive Reach Overland, the first and only cell signal booster designed just for overlanding. Before diving into the merits of weBoost as the premier choice for overlanding enthusiasts, it’s crucial to understand what a cell...
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NICE AND EASY: What’s the difference between a splitter and a multiswitch?

Let’s say for a second that you are using an older satellite dish. You know, a plain old round one. It has two lines coming out of it, but you want to run three receivers. What do you do? You might have tried using a splitter like you see at home stores, and you noticed it didn’t work. What you really want is a multiswitch. Multiswitches have evolved in recent years from being relatively simple and inexpensive devices into specialized, provider-centric ones. In order to understand why, you first need to understand the difference between a splitter and a multiswitch. Here’s what you need to know: a satellite dish, any satellite dish designed for the US, will actually put out up to six different kinds of signals. This allows your...
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DISH Western Arc customers… having signal issues with the 129 satellite?

A few months ago, DISH removed all the channels from the satellite at its 129 location. 129 was always a relatively hard location for much of the US to see. By consolidating on 110 and 119 for its western customers, DISH can see real, meaningful cost savings. In today’s communications environment that’s really important. It’s almost a non-issue except when it isn’t. With something so big, you would think that it would have been broadcast throughout the DISH world with the force of a major weather event. Yet, most customers didn’t know this was happening. Most still don’t know that it happened. Why? It just… worked. After a long period of planning, DISH’s receivers were ready. Broadcasts move from satellite to satellite all the time...
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COMMUNICATIONS PIONEERS: Lee De Forest

Every day, you use a dozen or more communications devices. Your phone, your computer, perhaps a smart watch, even your car. In the 21st century we are more connected than ever, and it’s not just the devices we touch. Our homes are full of self-monitoring devices from thermostats to electric meters. Here’s the secret of all of it: none of it is possible without an amplifier. If it weren’t for the amplifier, there would be no radio, no television, no satellites and no cell phones. All those technologies rely on radio waves that are too weak to be used without an amplifier. Signals that come from satellites are measured in tiny fractions of a watt. That’s the same measurement as light bulbs… and a 10 watt bulb is barely bright enough to...
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STREAMING SATURDAY: The death of Disney+?

When I’m wrong, I’m wrong. When Disney announced its streaming service all the way back in 2017, I was there to comment. I said all streaming services were going to blow up in price (I was right about that) but I was wrong about one big thing. I figured Disney would simply grab users by the throat and never let go. I thought they would wall off all their content so you had no choice but to subscribe or you’d never see Darth Vader, Princess Jasmine, or Tony Stark ever again. This would make Disney a ton of money, but make us all poor and unhappy. Flash forward six years and you’ll see videos like this one: It is frankly inconceivable that an entertainment powerhouse like Disney could actually end its streaming venture altogether. Even...
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DIY RV Vent Cover Upgrade

Let’s be honest, how often do you think about the vent covers in your RV? Probably rarely if ever, considering the bigger issues that RV owners tend to worry about, such as fuel budgeting, water tank care, etc. Even air vent covers and floor vent covers are small, they can cost big if you have to replace them all. (They can cost between $5-$20 apiece, which quickly adds up if you want to replace them all.) Fortunately, there are ways to update your RV vent covers without busting your budget. Signal Connect is here to share these tips to help you improve your RV life. Prepping the Vent Covers in Your RV You know when you really take notice your vent covers? When you redecorate the interior of your RV, and those covers no longer...
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What is color temperature?

Simply put, It’s a setting on your TV that makes everything look bad if you set it wrong. That’s what most people know about color temperature. A slightly more enlightened soul might tell you that it’s what gives light bulbs that warm or cool color. The scientific definition Wikipedia weighs in with its utterly useless definition: Yeah, get back to me after you have a Ph.D. in physics because that’s probably the only way that will make sense to you. The more useful definition Here’s the lay person’s definition of color temperature: It’s a number that tells you how orangey-brown or how blue everything in the picture is going to be. (For reasons which are only clear after you’ve studied advanced color theory, things are either blue...
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OBSOLETE TECHNOLOGY: Floppy Disk

Maybe you think you remember the floppy disk. “Hey,” you say, “That wasn’t that long ago.” You’re remembering the 3.5″ hard blue plastic disks that were common as late as 10 years ago. Everyone used them back then. Where floppy disks started This is the 8″ floppy disk shown being held by an average adult person. This was one disk, about the size of an iPad. It didn’t have a hard plastic shell so it was a lot easier to damage. It held an amazing 100 kilobytes, which is a ridiculously small fraction of a gigabyte. You would need 7,000 of these to hold ten songs. When it first became available in 1971, it was the wonder of the age. Programmers in those days used gigantic storage platters that were 2 feet in diameter and 1 foot tall...
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