5 Ways to Get HD (High Definition)
With the 2009 Digital Television switch being less than a year away, many are left wondering, “How can I get the best HD reception for the least amount of money?? To answer that question, here at Solid Signal we believe people need to understand their options. We aim to educate our customers on all of their options and help them make the correct choice. There are currently 5 mainstream methods to receive an HD signal. We have outlined each one below: As always we are here to answer your questions and help you find the best products for your needs. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us at 1-866-374-4625.Your friends at Solid Signal!
Miami, there are over 40 stations available for free.
U.S. viewers receive their signal through cable. In order to get an HD signal you will need an HD-capable tuner/descrambler from your cable provider.
Wednesday ~ April 04, 2008 by SolidSignal_MikePosted in General News| Comments Off
2007 Marked ‘Year of the Woman’ for Consumer Electronics Inquiries
For the first time in Solid Signal’s five-year history, a majority – some 55 percent – of calls received by the consumer electronics e-tailer came from women. Solid Signal specializes in products geared towards helping consumers get the best possible reception on their personal electronics. More and more women are buying high-definition TVs, satellite systems, cell phones, GPS systems, antennas and other new technology. They want to ensure that they get the reception they need, so they turn to Solid Signal for questions. Solid Signals reports that women seem to prefer personal dialog to e-mail communication. This year’s telephone call stats are validation of that preference. Many factors play into the rise in women on the consumer electronics customer service scene. Many of the latest consumer electronics products have become more mainstream, and more accessible in recent years. This accessibility helps break down the intimidation in the female market, and empowers them to engage in personal dialog to get the help they need. In response to the shift to female callers, Solid Signal recognized quickly that they needed to staff differently to handle this demographic. Female callers seem to like dialog and personalized help. They typically aren’t afraid to ask a lot of questions. As a result, call center employees carefully are chosen for their ability to engage in this type of dialog and offer the step-by-step solutions sought after by women. It has been part of Solid Signal’s mission, from the start, to help customers to find products, solve problems and enhance technology. Solid Signal was founded in 2002 to help customers find new solutions to enhance technology. The company offers satellite, outdoor antenna, consumer electronics and commercial media. It sells thousands of products to help distribute high quality, digital audio and video to a variety of media outlets. Solid Signal provides advice for product selection, installation and troubleshooting to enhance customers’ experiences. It is a CEDIA member, allowing the company to better serve professional media installers. Solid Signal was named to the 2007 Inc. 500 List as one of America’s fastest-growing retailers. It also is an Internet Retailer Top 500 retailer. For more information, visit www.solidsignal.com or call 1.866.374.4625.
Friday ~ January 01, 2008 by SolidSignal_MusaPosted in General News| No Comments
Consumers can get on track with handheld GPS units
Top brands offer various reliable choices Historically, the people who needed handheld GPS units the most — the chronically lost — were the same people who couldn’t figure out how to use them. But there are several user friendly, handheld GPS navigation systems now on the market. Some of the most reliable helpers in this diverse group are manufactured by Cobra, Delphi, Garmin, Jensen, Lowrance and Magellan. All are described and sold at the online consumer electronics retailer, Solid Signal (www.solidsignal.com). A full menu of about 50 handheld GPS units, with features explained, is at http://www.solidsignal.com/cat_display.asp?CAT=Handheld%20GPS&page=1&main_cat=11&siteREF=SSCOM&sort=&DIR At Solid Signal, three of the most popular handheld GPS choices are: For more information on a GPS unit or other consumer electronics, go to www.solidsignal.com. Solid Signal was named to the 2007 Inc. 500 list as one of the fastest-growing companies in America.
This unit’s exclusive ASAP II makes it start up and run twice as fast as other recreational GPS receivers. It has 4 MB of internal memory, stores up to 500 waypoints, is preprogrammed with coordinates for hundreds of world cities, and can calculate average speed, ETA, altitude, date, and miles traveled.
The Cobra includes a PC interface and cable, 32 MB of memory on an SD card, and Rand McNally StreetFinder software.
Garmin prices range from $104.99 to $549.99. A pair of Garmin units with two-way communication runs $559.99. See all of the Garmin units at http://www.solidsignal.com/manu_cat_display.asp?cat=Handheld%20GPS&main_cat=11&manu=Garmin
The NAV200 comes preloaded and ready to quickly calculate your route. Just insert its 1.5 GB SD card (included), which carries U.S. and Canadian maps.This GPS unit also sports an MP3 and movie player. You must download the entertainment onto an additional SD card (sold separately). The Delphi’s product’s other major virtue is its real-time traffic readiness, which allows city commuters to use Traffic Monitoring Channel (TMC) programming. (TMC is a new subscription-based service that sends up-to-the-minute traffic information over certain radio stations.) Using TMC on the NAV200 requires an optional adaptor. After receiving TMC traffic information, the NAV200 adjusts your route accordingly. More NAV200 features include a photo viewer, game, world clock and calculator. This handheld GPS has a 3.5-inch bright, anti-glare, full-color LCD touch screen. It has dashboard and windshield mounts.
Friday ~ January 01, 2008 by SolidSignal_MusaPosted in General News| No Comments
Cell phone booster rescues busy offices, talkative families
Does your cell phone suffer from interference or poor reception at your office? Is reception iffy at your home? Solve both problems by buying two stationary cell phone boosters. The Wi-Ex zBoost YX 510-PCS/CEL Wireless Extender is the ideal booster for home or office — anywhere that calls must not be missed! Moreover, this YX510 is guaranteed by Solid Signal (www.solidsignal.com), which is the premiere online retailer for signal products, from HDTVs to GPS systems to antennas. This YX510 is on of the few dual-band amplifiers available. It boosts cell phone signals to improve coverage for 800 and 1900 MHz carriers. If you don’t know your cell phone’s frequency range, go to http://www.solidsignal.com/cellular/find_cellphone_range.asp and Solid Signal will tell you. The YX510 provides up to 3,000 square feet of coverage, or up to 10,000 feet with an optional upgrade. At Sold Signal, this Wi-Ex zBoost YX510 is available for a discounted price of $294.99 – which is a whopping $105.00 off the suggested retail price of $399. Solid Signal is so confident that the YX 510 is a great product that the Web tech retailer offers a no-questions-asked, 30-day return policy on the unit. Go to http://www.solidsignal.com/cat_display.asp?main_cat=07&CAT=Repeaters and it’s the first unit featured among wireless extenders/boosters on the page. You may count on Solid Signal for all of your cellular solutions.
Monday ~ December 12, 2007 by SolidSignal_MusaPosted in General News| No Comments
Are you making the most of your DIRECTV HD experience?
As more and more people invest in HD televisions, the popularity of products such as HD antennas and HD satellite receivers are increasing. In fact, two of Solid Signal’s most popular products are the DIRECTV H20 DIRECTV® MPEG-4 High Definition (HD) Receiver (H20) and DIRECTV®s New High Definition MPEG-4 DVR (HR20) HD DVR. Realizing the power and appeal of HD, DIRECTV will soon have the capacity to offer over 150 channels in high-definition to its viewers. In addition, next month, DIRECTV plans to launch a HD DVR that can store up to 100 hours of high-def programming. See a recent article from Multichannel Merchant http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6476815.html?q=directv to learn more. DIRECTV has also recently introduced Game Lounge, where you can play classic games directly your DIRECTV remote control. As Solid Signal continues to see convergence of the Internet, TV, home theater, gaming world, etc, we can bet we’ll see more things like this feature. We know many of our readers know the benefits and features of DIRECTV like they know the backs of their hands. But for those who don’t, or who are thinking about signing up, Solid Signal is happy to help provide the facts about what is right for you. See a list of tips for maximizing your HR20 - http://www.solidsignal.com/hr20/hr20_tips_tricks.asp or call us today - 1-866-374-4625.
Tuesday ~ October 10, 2007 by SolidSignal_MusaPosted in General News| No Comments
Get your Cell Phone to Work Virtually Anywhere
We’ve all been there – in a basement or office where your cell phone just won’t get a signal. And of course, it usually happens at a time when you are expecting an important phone call. Or maybe even your whole house or office gets little to no quality reception. A few years ago, there was not much you could do about it. Maybe pay a fee to break your contract with one carrier to switch to another – or consider moving! Not anymore. There are several effective, affordable (starting from just $199) ways to improve cell phone reception. Extend. Repeat. Boost. Sounds like a work out plan, right? Maybe, but they are also terms that can mean getting better cell phone signals. We at Solid Signal came across these products originally because of poor reception we were getting in an office space. Yes, there was some skepticism at first. But both boosters and repeaters are effective ways to increase cell phone reception. You can check out some reviews and info about Wi-Ex boosters here - http://www.wi-ex.com/Page3591.aspx. It’s estimated that 35 percent of cell users have trouble with cell phone reception in their home or office. Let us help you get the right product to meet your needs – send us an email at http://www.solidsignal.com/contact_us.asp.
Friday ~ August 08, 2007 by SolidSignal_MusaPosted in General News| No Comments
Evidence to support our prediction… LCD vs. Plasma
In our blog entry from June 6 - http://blog.solidsignal.com/index.php/2007/06/12/hd-predications - we predicted LCD would continue to emerge as a frontrunner in terms of HDTV. A recent article from the Financial Times discussed this trend. “Hirotsugu Terada, the head of Sharp’s audio/video group, forecast that sales of large LCD TVs in So it sounds like LCD sales could be more than double that of plasma. Although plasma was originally the frontrunner, LCD technology innovations have positioned it for future growth, a trend Solid Signal has been noticing, especially as more 1080p LCD TVs 50 inches or larger have been introduced. Now – we are not saying not to buy plasma. Different factors, from budget to use to personal preference can influence the decision. At Solid Signal, our goal is to help you find the best product to meet your personal needs. We’ve gone as far as to contact a customer after they order something to let them know something else might be a better fit. This is why there is a “Have a product question” button by every product – we are happy to answer anything to help you find the right products to enhance your technology!
Japan would reach 1.1m units in the half year from October to March 2008, compared with 478,000 units for plasma televisions.”
Tuesday ~ July 07, 2007 by SolidSignal_MusaPosted in General News| No Comments
Do you have an HDTV set… and do you have HD programming?
Although these should go hand in hand, they are very different questions. A recent study from the Consumer Electronics Association shows that 30 percent of U.S households have HDTV…but less than half (44 percent) of HDTV owners receive HD programming. Owners cite a few reasons for not getting HD programming… including cost and disinterest. In addition, many admit to not knowing if they have HD programming or not. If cost is the issue for you – we understand. HD programming can be expensive. One cost effective way to get HD programming is an antenna. For a low, one-time cost, you can receive high quality over-the-air HD content. Antennas provide free access to regional channels – some areas have more than 30 stations available over the air, including music and weather channels. But for those of you who can’t live without HD programming from ESPN and other networks, cable or satellite is the way to go. The moral of this study is that many of you aren’t experiencing the true benefits of your HDTV set. We can help you pick out an affordable antenna or the right satellite provider to enhance your experience – without breaking the bank.
Tuesday ~ July 07, 2007 by SolidSignal_MusaPosted in General News| No Comments
Solid Signal is expanding!
Because we’re an online electronics retailer, you probably don’t think twice about our office space. However – this space is used to fulfill all of our orders. Unlike many online retailers – who don’t warehouse their own products – we have inventory of all products right here at Solid Signal headquarters. This is multi-functional, giving us access to our own products to ensure quality, take detailed, in-house photos and have extensive product knowledge based on actual experience. And because of our growth since 2002 – thanks to your support and loyalty – we are out of space. So, next month, we are moving! As you can imagine, it is busy (as usual) around here, but we are excited to more than triple our space to be able to continue to expand our product line as well as customer base.
Monday ~ July 07, 2007 by SolidSignal_JerryPosted in General News| No Comments
Have a “Ghost” in your house? How to get rid of it.
We’ve all had them in our house. You’re watching TV late at night, in the dark…and all of a sudden… no, not poltergeist. We’re referring to that image on your TV screen that does not belong – usually appearing as a replica of the desired image that is fainter and offset from the primary image. It’s called a ghost. What causes this? Well, many structures can reflect TV signals much like they reflect light. This can lead to the TV receiver “seeing” more than one version of the TV signal. Ghosting results when a TV signal arrives at the receiver via more than one path. Low areas in a neighborhood are especially susceptible to ghosting. Structures that cause this include church steeples, apartment/condominium buildings, school buildings, office and industrial buildings, large communications/radio/TV towers, athletic field lighting towers, and high tension power lines and towers. Trees and foliage aren’t usually a problem, but in some cases foliage can absorb TV signals and reduce their strength. Visit our forum for more info on what does and doesn’t cause ghosting, and discuss your own experience. More importantly, how can I fix it? If ghosting is caused by a single structure that creates one distinct ghost image, a medium or large multi-directional antenna may be useful with careful positioning to eliminate the reflected signal. However, the antenna may require different positioning for each channel. Directional antennas are the most ghost-resistant antennas since they “see” in only one direction and have a tendency not to see the reflected ghost signal. The further away from structures the antenna is located the less likely a problem will occur. Many factors, however, such as the structure’s total surface area, the direction it faces, and neighborhood terrain, will influence how much effect the structure will have on TV reception. Visit http://www.antennaweb.org for additional info. In 2009, ghosts will permanently disappear when we switch to digital. See our previous blog posting for more information on this, or call us at 1-866-3-SIGNAL.
Friday ~ June 06, 2007 by SolidSignal_MikePosted in General News| No Comments
