How long does a satellite last?
Here’s one more thing you have to worry about… space junk falling out of the sky. Not so much because it could hit you, but because today’s space junk was once a shiny new satellite. With…
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Do you still have this dish?
Look carefully. This is the DIRECTV AT-9 “Sidecar” dish. It’s different from other dishes because it has a separate LNB head set off at an angle. It’s been out of production for years. Chances are you…
Who should use powerline networking?
Everyone talks about Wi-Fi and cellular… but what if those aren’t an option? You don’t have to go to the expense of running network cables all over your house just because your Wi-Fi signal isn’t great….
Will you cut the cord before the end of 2017?
FREEDOM. That’s the promise of cord-cutting. Not just trading a big bill for a small bill but cutting out all bills, period. If you want to do that, you’re going to need an antenna. Streaming is…
NICE AND EASY: Will the FCC “repack” mean all LTE filters are obsolete?
It’s coming. Within the next two years, a lot of television stations will be moving to new frequencies. The goal here is that channels 37-51 will be given over to a whole new generation of LTE…
What would happen if you made an antenna out of copper?
We actually have a lot of data about the electrical properties of a massive chunk of copper, thanks to this lady. Although you’re extraordinarily unlikely to put a piece of copper 151 feet high up and…
Do you REALLY need the Slimline-5 dish? (2017 Edition)
It’s a fact. DIRECTV’s satellite at the 119 location is going out of service within two years. This will mean that pretty much all standard definition service will go with it, since the content on the…
NICE AND EASY: What is baseband video?
Another term that shouldn’t have you shaking your head. Nice and simple… baseband video is plain old video or audio over a wire. Think of composite video cables, or even HDMI. It’s a signal that isn’t…
Save some time wiring – use your coaxial cable!
If you’ve been around DIRECTV for a while, you may have some unused wiring in your home, and a few unused parts. The good news is that it’s possible to turn that unused stuff into an…
How many 4K TVs can run off one Genie 2?
This one’s easy, but you won’t like the answer. Although the Genie 2 can support up to 7 receivers or smart TVs, only two of those can be 4K. You can use the C61K 4K…
What is SCART?
A few weeks ago, I came smack dab against the limits of my knowledge. I’ve been playing with or working with home theater and audiovisual equipment now for about 35 years, and it’s fair to say…
Understanding Amplifiers, At Least a Little.
If you browse through this site, you’ll find a number of articles that tell you that amplifiers cannot amplify that which is not there but that they can help you get your signal to your…
Is there a limit to the number of RF remotes on a DIRECTV Genie?
By now you probably know that DIRECTV’s HR44 Genie uses a new remote technology to more securely “pair” the remote with the DVR. You probably also know that you can use more than one remote in the same room….
Best of the Blog 2017, Volume 6
June brings knowledge into bloom!
Will a Wi-fi antenna do you any good?
Probably not. Recently, one of our Signal Group forum members said he was looking for a wi-fi antenna. That’s all well and good, but just putting up the antenna won’t do anything if it doesn’t connect…