Our RV customers know that they’re special. Using satellite TV in your RV can be completely different from using it at home or in a business. One of the things that sets RVs apart is that many of them still have old tube TVs built into the wall. If your RV has that TV as part of the furniture, you’re probably considering upgrading it to a modern flat TV. The TV itself isn’t that expensive. The problem is the cabinetry work. That takes time, planning, and money.
While you’re getting all that together, you might have a problem. DIRECTV no longer offers standard-definition receivers. They stopped activating them in 2015, and if you still have one today it may not even get every channel you want.
The solution is to use a high-definition receiver like the DIRECTV H24. This receiver will work with older TVs since it has composite outputs with good old RCA jacks. Commercial customers can also use the H25, which doesn’t have those outputs but has an “AV” jack which can connect to this composite adapter.
The answer you need
Using a high-definition receiver with a standard-definition TV isn’t hard, and it’s something RV users do all the time. You just need to know how to do it.
All DIRECTV receivers except the 4K Genie Mini will output SD and all except the tiny H25 have connectors on the back for SD output. For that, you’ll need this composite adapter. If your receiver has those outputs, any set of composite cables will work. Connect them according to color. Yellow is used for video, while red and white are used for audio.
For Really Old TVs
For older TVs that don’t have separate inputs for video and audio, add an RF modulator. This will let you output your HD Receiver’s content to channel 3 on your TV. These items aren’t expensive, but they are getting hard to find. If you think you might ever need one, it’s best to get one now.
If you get a naggy message
In some cases, you will see a naggy message like the one below. It’s easy to get rid of.
If you see this message, press and hold EXIT on the DIRECTV remote for a few seconds until your receiver is set for SD. You must use the DIRECTV remote, it can’t be a universal remote.
If everything is “smushed”
Sometimes when you do this, you’ll see that the image on the screen is very tall, like this:
This is easy to fix. Just follow these steps:
- Press MENU
- Arrow to Settings&Help, press SELECT
- Arrow to Settings, press SELECT
- Arrow to Display, press SELECT
- Arrow to TV Ratio, press SELECT
- Change the ratio to Standard 4:3
If everything is still smushed, press the INFO button and arrow over to Audio and Video, and with Change Resolution and Format highlighed, press SELECT until the problem goes away.
If you see two of every channel in the guide
You might want to hide the HD versions of every channel if you don’t want to see duplicates in the guide. This is a very simple process and I have a detailed tutorial with a video, here.
Solid Signal is your RV satellite HQ
No one does more RV satellite activations than Solid Signal. We’ve been doing them for over two decades and no one has more expertise. We’re ready to help you! Whether it’s satellite TV, internet, cellular boosters, or anything else you’ll need to live life away from home, we’re here for you. When you’re ready to talk, call the experts at 888-233-7563. We’re ready to listen. If you’d rather have the discussion over email, fill out the form below and we’ll get right back to you!
