This article has been updated and contains very different information than it did in 2018 when it was first posted. It’s here so that Google doesn’t pick up older or dated information.
DIRECTV has hundreds of international channels. If you’ve moved here from another country you can get a real taste of home right on your TV. These aren’t just foreign-language channels based in the US, these are rebroadcasts of actual channels from all over the country. Take a look at a partial list, as of April, 2024:
- MediaSet Italia
- Rai Italia
- Rai News 24
- Rai World Premium
- VGN TV Tviet
- Viet Face
- S Channel
- Vien Thao
- Vietv
- Film 24H
- Honvietv
- NHK World News
- Phoenix TV
- Phoenix Info News
- CCTV4
- CGTN
- Charming China
- CTI TV
- CBO
- TFC – The Filipino Channel
- GMA Pinoy TV
- PBO
- Cinema One Global
- OPM TV
- DZMM
- Myx Sari
- Sari Channel GMA Life
- ANC
- TV5
- SBS
- MBC
- KBS America
- YTN
- SBS Plus
- KBS Korea
- LifeS
- EBS
- MBN
- Tan
- CTS
- Arirang TV
- GZTV
- 88 TV
- Phoenix Hong Kong
- 88 Films
- I Cable Finance
- I Cable News
- CTI Zhong Tian
- CCTV-4
- Phoenix TV
- Charming China
- CGTN
- TV Globo
- SporTV
- RTVI
That’s just a portion of the foreign-language programming available to DIRECTV’s customers. There’s nothing like a little taste of home, and these channels give you that without any need to stream from illegal sources.
Best news: you don’t need a separate dish
Until about 2023, you did need a separate dish for most of these channels. DIRECTV maintained a satellite at the 95 degree location which was used for this content. That meant you always needed two dishes even if you only watched those international channels. Why? Because every satellite receiver also needs to see the signal from the 101 satellite in order to function. Before the days of HD, you could get that 101 signal by adding a second LNB to the international dish. However, with HD programming mostly on the 99 and 103 locations, you were really cutting your options if you only watched from 101 and 95.
DIRECTV operates three of the largest communications satellites ever made, at their 99, 101, and 103 locations. These satellites were put up in the sky with the goal of supporting hundreds of 4K channels that still haven’t launched as of today. So, there is plenty of extra capacity up there. DIRECTV has made smart use of it by moving all international programming to the 99 and 103 satellites. That means with one dish you get HD, 4K, and international channels!
What if you still have the second dish on your roof?
If you have that second dish, it’s not being used at all. If you’re comfortable with a little bit of rewiring, you can remove it and take the line from it out. It’s probably connected on the other end to a multiswitch that looks something like this:
into one of the ports labeled “Flex Port 1” and “Flex Port 2.” That line and that dish can be completely removed. There is no programming coming from the 95 satellite and this shouldn’t cause a problem. It’s generally good practice to reboot your receiver anyway after something like this, and in rare cases you’ll want to change your satellite setup and turn off the “International” setting. Generally this is done for you automatically and you don’t have to mess with it.
New customers don’t have to worry about a second dish
That’s the great news, of course. If you want international programming, you can have it! Not only that, the new setup also lets you get 4K programming if you want, without confusing extra wiring schemes. It’s a great option for everyone and it’s just more proof that DIRECTV is still fighting hard for every customer.
If you’re looking to change or upgrade your DIRECTV system, call the experts at 888-233-7563. We can help you decide what options to pick, and we can even arrange to have an installer at your home to get everything put in if you don’t want to do it yourself. Call us during East Coast business hours, or fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you.
