Can you get DIRECTV’s international channels with your marine dish?

Most folks associate DIRECTV with great national programming, the most local channels, and exclusive sports. But there’s a whole group of people — several groups, actually — who rely on DIRECTV for international programming from many different locations. (As of this writing, Russian programming is not on DIRECTV but there are hopes it will return in the future.) There’s stuff from South America, Asia, and all over the world. I’m not just talking about US stations with foreign content. I’m talking about real networks from other countries.

How it works for home-based customers

DIRECTV has had amazing international programming for decades. Unfortunately, for most of that time it’s required a separate dish because the programming was on one of two satellites outside DIRECTV’s normal constellation. That’s all changed, Today, all you need is the most modern DIRECTV dish, the SWM-enabled Reverse Band 3 dish, and you’re in business.

This one solution works because DIRECTV has retired its secondary satellites and moved all its international programs to their primary satellites. They originally used the “Reverse Band,” which is a group of frequencies originally intended for 4K channels. Remember at one time we thought there would be thousands of those. So far, not so much.

How that translates to marine customers

International channels for marine customers have always been a challenge. The satellites used didn’t work very well off the Pacific Coast, and they required a second, expensive satellite antenna to work. Even today, most marine satellite systems will only get international channels that aren’t on the Reverse Band.

Today, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Most satellite systems for marine still don’t support the “Reverse Band.” However, it’s expected that future ones will. It may even be possible to retrofit older systems, depending on what they are. You will need a high-definition-capable antenna for sure.

There’s really only one way to know if those international channels will be available for sure. You’ll need a friend in the business. You will need someone who follows the trends. That means a true expert. Luckily, I know just who to recommend.

Choose Signal Connect

Signal Connect does more marine activations than anyone else on the planet. We’re the top dogs in the marine satellite space. Not only do we serve customers directly, but we also help marine dealers and marine installers with their activation issues. You can get the help you need easily and quickly.

Call us at 888-233-7563. We’re here during East Coast business hours. Once you have that initial meeting with a tech expert, you’ll get real contact info. I’m talking about a real cell phone number and a real e-mail address. Our folks are dedicated to serving marine customers. We’re here for you. I’ve lost track of how many times one of our team has answered the phone on evenings and weekends. It happens all the time. This is the service you deserve, and it’s here for the asking.

When you’re serious about the marine life, call Signal Connect. We will help with satellite, internet, and all sorts of marine electronics issues. We love taking care of our marine customers!

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.