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Visit the all-new SignalConnect.com!

Every so often, one of our web sites needs a complete re-do. In 2018, it was this blog. In 2021, it was SolidSignal.com. And now, I’m proud to announce the all new SignalConnect.com! The history is kind of interesting Signal Connect started out quite differently. Back in 2008, when Solid Signal was just a web site selling stuff, we realized our customers wanted more. They wanted installation service. Not only that, they wanted more than just satellite TV installs. They wanted complete solutions. So, we launched a new division, which was originally called Signal Installs. Yeah, by today’s standards that site looks kind of lame. But it worked like gangbusters. Customers called us for installation services and started asking if we...
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What to Do if Your Security Cameras Aren’t Compliant Anymore

The integration of AI and cloud-based technology into security systems has driven a massive development in security camera hardware and software. However, this rapid evolution has created challenges. Among them are the challenges of compliance with legislation and guidelines. Meeting these hurdles is essential if companies want to stay on the right side of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) legislation among others. The problem is confounded by the ever-changing legislative landscape that exists around technology. This means what is compliant today may not be compliant tomorrow. So, let’s have a look at what to do if your security cameras aren’t compliant anymore. Assessing the Compliance Gap The first stage of the process...
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Should you ground a coaxial surge protector? Do you even need a coaxial surge protector?

What you see above you is a coaxial surge protector. It’s this one, in fact. While most coaxial surge protectors are designed for 50-ohm cables with N connectors, this one is designed for home cell booster systems with F connectors. It’s a mysterious piece of equipment, and a lot of folks don’t know what to do with it. This particular one has a lug for a ground wire, while most of them don’t. So what’s the deal? What is a coaxial surge protector (or lightning arrestor) This is a little device that you put in between your antenna and your indoor equipment. It’s supposed to do things. First of all, it stops power surges that may travel up the line and potentially damage cables. Second, it’s supposed to protect your home, RV, or boat...
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STREAMING SATURDAY: Once a week or all at once?

Remember when Netflix started producing original series? Their first original was called Lillyhammer back in 2012. These were the days when Netflix was known mostly as a company that sent DVDs in the mail. The streaming service was a free add-on that most people didn’t use at the time. When Lillyhammer debuted, it made sense that all of the episodes were available at once. After all, Netflix’s other TV shows were all older so every episode was available at once. The company was at the forefront of bingewatching, a word which was so new at the time that most people didn’t even know it. For many folks their first experience with bingeing was by renting a TV series like 24 at the local Blockbuster. Yes friends, it was a different time...
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Which is better for your DIRECTV Gemini, wired or wireless connection?

With so many people upgrading to Gemini, this question was bound to come up. Gemini is DIRECTV’s latest device for watching live TV and recordings. Unlike earlier devices, Gemini lets you watch that great DIRECTV programming as well as use your favorite streaming apps, all with the same device. But, choosing and installing your Gemini can be difficult. That’s why Solid Signal has guides like this to help you make the best choices. Which Gemini do you need? There are two Gemini devices. They look identical from the outside. The only difference between the two is the app they run at startup. Unfortunately though, you can’t convert one Gemini to the other, so it’s important to choose the right one. If you have a satellite dish on your...
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NICE AND EASY: Where’s the 30-second skip button on my Gemini?

It’s official. DIRECTV’s Gemini for Satellite is a hit. This little box lets you watch satellite TV and your favorite apps all on one box. That’s something DIRECTV customers have been wanting for years. The Gemini also comes with a voice-enabled remote that’s easy to use, and that’s something our customers have wanted for a long time. When the Gemini launched, our most commonly asked question from upgraders was, “Can I use my old remote with it?” The answer, by the way, is yes you can as long as it’s in infrared mode. But that question was quickly eclipsed by another set of questions like “Where did the button for (X) go on my Gemini remote?” People like the new remote, you see. It’s light and feels good in your hand. Even if you...
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NICE AND EASY: Can you hook a DIRECTV HD Receiver or DVR to an old TV in your RV?

Our RV customers know that they’re special. Using satellite TV in your RV can be completely different from using it at home or in a business. One of the things that sets RVs apart is that many of them still have old tube TVs built into the wall. If your RV has that TV as part of the furniture, you’re probably considering upgrading it to a modern flat TV. The TV itself isn’t that expensive. The problem is the cabinetry work. That takes time, planning, and money. While you’re getting all that together, you might have a problem. DIRECTV no longer offers standard-definition receivers. They stopped activating them in 2015, and if you still have one today it may not even get every channel you want. The solution is to use a high-definition...
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Need help with an enterprise-level project? Call Rob Young!

Signal Group is now celebrating its 21st year. Most small businesses fail in the first five years, and hardly any of them make it 20 years. The companies that do, usually succeed because of the people who make the company work. One of those is Robert Young, who works in our Signal Connect division. We’re more than just an online retailer You might know Solid Signal as an online retailer of satellite and cellular products. We’ve helped millions of people over the years. But many of our customers don’t realize that there’s another side to us. Our Signal Connect group specializes in offering full-service solutions. If you need an activation for your satellite receiver, need help with putting new equipment on your boat, or want a custom...
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FUN FRIDAY: Snopes.com

Here’s something we’ve all learned in the last two decades. The more information is in front of you, the more wrong information will be there as well. The idea that the internet would be this broadly trustworthy library free for all to use… well that sounds good but it didn’t come to pass. The internet, as we all know, is just as good at spreading false statements as it is at spreading true ones. Sometimes false statements spread faster than true ones, because they somehow feel better to believe. That’s part of the science of memetics, which concerns itself with how information spreads as if it were a virus. At one time or another we’ve all believed something that wasn’t true, and we may have even spread false information ourselves...
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What can you do with an old cell booster?

This Wi-Ex YX500 cell booster was all the rage way back in the late ’00s. It worked well with the older-style analog cell phones and anything else that used the 1900MHz band that was used for voice back then. AT&T still uses the 1900MHz band, but they more commonly use the 850MHz band for their 5G broadcasts. The data I was able to find suggests that Verizon still uses it too. Today the world has changed and if you’re going to boost your signal you need something that not only covers the 1900MHz band, but the four other bands most commonly used by voice and data services. Today, one band just won’t cut it. So what can you do with a very old cell booster? Unfortunately not much. Like most older technology today, it’s not designed to be...
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Has all this AI gone too far?

A while back, our marketing department started putting out some Facebook ads. You might have seen them. They asked for a photo of a confused and angry person with a remote. I dug up this one: We all agreed that the image didn’t really “pop” but we liked the subject. Using AI tools, I was able to do this one in about 3 minutes. The results aren’t perfect but they’re darn close. It got me thinking about how long it would have taken me to do this sort of thing back when I spent time doing it for a living, 30 years ago. My best guess would be about an hour, and I’m not sure the result would have been any better. Masking out hair is a pain in the neck and never works as well as you want. Or at least that was the mantra in the 1990s...
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OPINION: Time to put replaceable batteries back in laptops

If I had to guess, I’d say the last “desktop” PC I had left my office back in about 2013. For me, it’s been laptops all the way since. It’s not like I spend a lot of time out of the office, but the laptop form factor just makes sense today. The price isn’t terribly different between laptops and desktops, since most desktops just use the same components anyway. Pretty much the only thing you’re getting with a laptop is a keyboard and a display. Oh, yeah, and a battery. That’s the point of this article. Laptops have batteries. Desktops don’t. That wouldn’t be too much of a problem, except it kind of is. Laptop batteries aren’t that good. Here’s why. First of all, let’s separate out the two kinds of laptops out there. There are the slick...
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THROWBACK THURSDAY: When I said movies weren’t worth it

Oh, to be back in 2018 when we didn’t know what we didn’t know. Back then, I wrote an article called “OPINION: Worth it to go to the movies?” which you can still find on this blog. In it, I lamented the fact that most people stopped going to the movies. Data at the time suggested that the average person went to the movies fewer than five times a year, and many of those slots were filled with Disney summer blockbusters of declining quality. It’s five years later. A lot has changed. A lot hasn’t. The summer’s largely devoid of Marvel and Star Wars films, although Disney and Pixar have made a showing. Those films, The Little Mermaid and Elemental, haven’t been well reviewed and I’m not sure that they’ll meet expectations. But hey, Disney...
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Why would you want a big ugly antenna like this one?

Take a look at the antenna at the top of this article. It’s our Xtreme Signal HD8200XL, the biggest TV antenna made for consumer use. It’s also a bit time consuming to set up. I know, I did it for this video. It’s so big that some homeowners associations won’t even let you put it up. And, although I like its old-school bare metal look, a lot of people say it’s big and ugly. I mean, it’s the 2020s and you can get an antenna that’s much smaller and packs a big, amplified punch. So why would anyone even consider getting a dinosaur like this one? Turns out there are a few reasons to go old-school with an antenna like this one. 1. You are really really far away from the broadcast towers An antenna like this one will pick up signals from...
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Ken Reid and John Safran

August 9-15, 1980 This week Ken welcomes Australian writer, TV personality, journalist and author John Safran to the show. Ken and John discuss John Safran vs God, John’s range of work, talking listeners out of liking John, documentaries, Gonzo journalism, Always Wear Sunscreen, Not the Sunscreen Song, having a hit single, novelty songs, Raspberry Cordial, High School accomplishments, Music Jamboree, backmaked Ozzy Osbourne, how helpful dressing up is, Yeshiva College, Brooklyn, loving hip hop, Public Enemy, Professor Griff, Judaism, antisemitism, youthful confusion, Vanilla Ice, the pre-internet days, compartmentalization, Steve Vizard, stealing from Letterman, ABC, multi-cultural programming, offensive stuff, Jocko, Eric Bana...
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