Can you use a coat hanger as an antenna?
Why spend a ton of money for an antenna when you can use a couple of coat hangers and a 2×4? That’s the question being posed at several sites, including ours. We put our very own…
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How long can a satellite last? Try 50 years
Most telecommunications satellites today have a usable life of 10-15 years. The usable life of a satellite depends not only on factors like it not burning out, not having hardware failure, not being hit by a…
Does anyone “timeshift” anymore?
Tonight we’re gonna watch TV like it’s 1999. Literally. Back in 1999, two new products hit the market. At the time no one could decide whether to call them “personal video recorders” or “digital video…
Is laminated aluminum better for antennas?
If you want an antenna to last a lifetime, you want it to be solidly made. Our Televes antennas are designed to the highest standards of quality and should last you decades if they’re properly mounted…
Is there a “wrong way” to hook up a band stop filter?
If you don’t know what a band stop filter is, you’re missing out. This little device has a ton of different uses. It’s designed for DIRECTV systems, to block the connected home signal from getting to receivers that…
Problems with your DIGIAIR-PRO-ATSC? Upgrade the firmware
Our Solid Signal DigiAir-Pro-ATSC is a great, full featured antenna meter that not only shows signal strength but also several different measurements that are more important like bit error rate and signal to noise ratio. These…
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Invisible NightLight
Everyone wants one. You don’t want to walk around in the dark. That’s why you need this 2-pack of Snap Power Guidelights. They are some of the easiest and most useful things you’ll ever have. Installation is…
Goodbye “CSN California,” Hello “NBC Sports”
Not that anything’s really changed but as of today, regional viewers in California have two new networks in their lineup. NBC Sports Bay Area replaces CSN Bay Area, and NBC Sports California replaces CSN Sports as…
STREAMING SATURDAY: Netflix Original Movies Highlight April
A handful of Netflix original films highlight the April titles set to debut on this streaming. When I usually write about Netflix, I’m singing the praises of its dynamic and ground-breaking original series. Some of…
AT&T tapped to build wireless first responder network
AT&T has taken the next step toward building a nationwide wireless first responder network, according to an article published in Ars Technica. The network, called “FirstNet,” brings all fifty states into the same wireless network and will allow first…
Will AT&T Shut Down U-Verse?
Don’t believe everything you read. There are two stories here, and the story you think you’re reading isn’t even the interesting one. I think pretty much everyone knows that at some point, AT&T U-Verse, the company’s…
Solid Signal’s HANDS ON REVIEW: DIRECTV HS17 Genie 2 “Headless Server”
It’s time for a new generation to take over. The DIRECTV Genie 2 gives users 400 hours of HD recording space and the ability to watch TV in 7 rooms using wired and wireless clients. It…
Verizon tries to play catch up with 4K TV
As someone who lives in “Verizon Territory” I have to say their video product has been a disappointment. At one point they really had the lead in video, with a faster and more robust DVR and…
Time to retire that old HR34 Genie
Are you still staring at one of these in your living room? DIRECTV’s HR34 Genie DVR was the top of the heap in 2012, and I raved about it back then. Things change, and if the…
Should you be excited about NFL games streaming over the internet?
You’ve seen ads promising to let you stream NFL games. Are they even worth considering? Last year, Twitter began streaming NFL games. The social media giant reports that an estimate 3.5 million people used its…