No, this dish still won’t do HD.

Forgive the impatience, dear readers. This article’s run before, about seven years ago. Surprisingly this information is still very necessary. It’s important to put it out there as many ways as possible. As standard-definition channels continue to disappear from DIRECTV, there’s been a lot of confusion about what hardware you’ll need for the future.

What is that dish?

What you see above you is the Phase III dish. At Solid Signal, we sold it from about 2005 until 2017. It looks a lot like the Slimline-3 dish but you can tell it isn’t by looking closely. Slimline dishes are marked “Slimline” on the reflector and Phase III dishes will either say “multisatellite” or say nothing at all. Also, on the LNB, there are three equal-sized plastic feed horns, while the Slimline-3 has one large plastic feed horn. The big giveaway for this dish is its old-school DIRECTV logo, while newer dishes have the AT&T “globe” logo on them.

What this dish will, and won’t do

The old Phase III dish receives signal from DIRECTV’s 101 and 119 locations. It also can receive signals from the 110 location, but that location isn’t used by US DIRECTV anymore. More importantly, you can’t get HD service with this dish. Yes, it’s true that before 2006 this dish was the one to get if you wanted HD service, but that was before DIRECTV went to MPEG-4 service on its 99 and 103 satellites. This dish won’t receive signals from those locations, so it’s no good for HD.

What to do if you have this dish

Really, the answer is simple: upgrade it. This dish has been obsolete for about 14 years, ever since DIRECTV’s large influx of HD channels started at its other locations. If you’re still using it, it’s time to change it out and change out the receivers in your home.

Things have changed a lot since the mid-’00s, and you’ll be glad to see the improvement. Hundreds of channels of crystal-clear HD, virtually unlimited DVRs, and small quiet receivers are the standard now. Wiring is easier and there are fewer little black boxes needed. Not only that, you can get tens of thousands of programs free, on demand, using an internet connection. It’s a whole universe of entertainment, and it’s all ready for you.

Get your upgrade from Solid Signal

Did you know that you can change your DIRECTV service at Solid Signal? That’s right, we’re not just about selling parts. We are an AT&T Preferred Dealer, which means we can offer the same discounts and packages on DIRECTV that you can get by calling AT&T. You’ll also get great personalized service from our 100% US-based call center. You’ll get a rep you can talk to over and over, and who is really knowledgeable about your needs. If you’ve been waiting to upgrade, you’ve probably hated the idea of talking to an overseas call center. With Solid Signal, you don’t have to.

Call us at 888-233-7563 and we’ll take great care of you. Call during East Coast business hours and you’ll get the “A-Team” of professionals ready to take care of all of your needs. You may never want to look at at that old Phase III dish ever again!

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.