My Signals Are Getting Weaker
Back in the winter of 2013-14, we had some very big ice storms here in the Washington, D.C. / Baltimore area, which took out a large number of branches and a few trees as well….
Read MoreTutorials
TIME TO MOVE ON: It’s getting harder to find Spaun Multiswitches
The season of Spaun is coming to a close. Yes, there was a time when we recommended Spaun multiswitches to our marine customers because of their durability and features, but that day has passed. If you…
Can you live for a week as a cord-cutter? Here’s how to find out
Ain’t nothing to it but to do it. So goes an old quote, attributed to Maya Angelou of all people If you’re thinking about ditching cable, cutting the cord and going with a free TV solution,…
In a hotel? Don’t steal that remote!
So the story goes like this. You’re in a nice hotel and they have “the DIRECTV Residential Experience.” You see a remote on the nightstand just like the one you have at home. You turn on…
Get to know the satellite dish types for DIRECTV
If you’re going to delve deep into the world of DIRECTV, you need to know everything.That’s why we’ve compiled this list of satellite dish types for DIRECTV receivers. Most of these dish types won’t ever…
SWM 101: How can you use SWM to watch programs in other rooms?
One of the most compelling features of the modern home entertainment system is the ability to watch a program recorded in another room. It can be watched from another receiver, or in some cases watched from…
SWM 101: How does a SWM16 work?
DIRECTV SWM Technology lets you use a single wire to every receiver or DVR regardless of the number of recording tuners. It also lets you use inexpensive splitters along the way instead of having to run…
SWM 101: How does SWM work?
So, you’re having trouble wrapping your head around it. DIRECTV’s SWM system allows one wire to each receiver no matter how many tuners. It’s different from the old system where you needed one wire for each…
Use a digital camera to diagnose remote problems
We’ve all been there. We don’t know what’s going on with the remote. Something isn’t working, and we try new batteries but we’re just not sure where the problem is. You want to know if…
What do the symbols on the back of the phone mean?
So you’re stuck at the airport and your phone is dead. You’re so bored you turn the phone over to see what’s on the back of it. It’s not terribly interesting and depending on the light…
How long should you expect an antenna rotator to last?
Here’s a case where they really don’t make them like they used to. When I was young we had an antenna rotator that cost about $100 – the equivalent of about $650 today. I don’t know…
What is a “skinny TV bundle?”
It seems like it’s all the rage. All of a sudden every pay TV company is talking about a “skinny” bundle. Even DIRECTV Chair Mike White referenced the term in a recent conference call. Verizon’s gone…
FROM THE FRONT LINES: Add cable TV to a DIRECTV system?
Can you use one cable for both cable internet and DIRECTV at the same time? In general, no. DIRECTV’s networking signals tend to occupy the same space that is used by many cable TV systems….
What is HDMI-ARC and is it for you?
What’s the best way to get the sound on your home theatre working? That used to be a pretty easy question to answer, back when the humble RCA cable was the height of modern technology. Now,…
Why is DIRECTV using big power bricks now?
If you’ve been using a newer DIRECTV receiver like the H25, you’ve noticed that DIRECTV has started using big “power bricks” instead of simple power cords. It’s kind of silly that the power supply for the tiny C41…