Sometimes, DIRECTV’s loss is this blog’s gain. The confusion around its recent new products has meant a bonanza of new readers here at The Solid Signal Blog. If you’re one of them, welcome!
DIRECTV has two products that look identical. To make matters worse they even have the same name. The Gemini for Satellite is for customers who have a satellite dish on their roofs and have a Genie DVR. The Gemini for Internet is for folks who get their DIRECTV programming from the internet 100% of the time. This article is about the satellite version specifically.
The way Gemini (for satellite) works
The Gemini is a rather interesting beast. It’s not a satellite receiver, not really. It’s not even a satellite TV client similar to the company’s 4K Genie Mini. The Gemini is really an Android TV box. It’s most similar to something like a Fire Stick or something along that line. It tricks you into thinking it’s a DIRECTV satellite box by running an app called “Gemini” that looks and acts just like a DIRECTV box. That app starts when you turn the Gemini on so that you feel like you’re using a regular DIRECTV client box.
The Gemini gets its satellite information from a Genie DVR. It gets the ability to run apps from the internet. Both of these come from a single wired or wireless connection. But what if you lose satellite, internet, or both? I’ve done some digging and some tests. Here are the answers.
If you lose satellite connection
The Gemini will work if the satellite signal is lost. You still need a connection to the Genie DVR, so it won’t work with a cut cable or lost Wi-Fi. But, if you have some temporary rain fade or a bad dish, it will work for a couple of hours.
The Gemini won’t work if you take it on the road with you. It will stop working after a few hours of being disconnected from the Genie DVR. If you have a long-term satellite signal loss, DIRECTV’s Signal Saver technology works great. However, it doesn’t work forever. It’s designed for short outages, not long ones.
So, here’s the bottom line. You can’t disconnect your Gemini and take it with you. It won’t work as a streaming box unless you connect it to a Genie DVR. That’s just not what it does. If you want to stream, you’re better off picking up a reasonably priced streaming box. Several retailers routinely have them for under $30 on sale. That’s a better way to go.
If you lose internet connection
Let’s say you lose internet for a while. Imagine there’s severe weather. There’s a storm and a cable gets cut. Will the Gemini work for regular satellite TV?
The answer is, yes. You will lose some functions like voice control. Obviously you won’t be able to stream anything. But, you should have access to live TV. You’ll get a naggy message about reconnecting, though. If you can live with that, you should be fine.
Honestly I’m not sure how long a Gemini will work without internet. In my tests, it worked for a day. I have a feeling that means it will work indefinitely. But, I’ll admit I only tested it for a day.
Still, it’s enough to prove a point. Satellite TV is the best form of pay television. It’s roughly 10 times more reliable than cable and when outages happen, they’re usually brief. They also fix themselves most of the time. If you put all your entertainment eggs in one basket, you could find yourself without any entertainment. If that thin fiber strand going into your house breaks, you could be completely disconnected. With a satellite TV system, you’re still getting live TV. That’s a big difference.
Get satellite TV from the leaders
Solid Signal has over two decades of experience providing satellite TV solutions. We’re DIRECTV dealers. That means we have access to the same deals, the same computers, and the same everything you’d get if you called DIRECTV’s call centers. What’s the difference? The difference is simple. We don’t have overseas call centers. We have experts in our US-based offices who answer the phone. Our team is here to help. That’s one thing we take very seriously. We want you to have the best DIRECTV experience. Solid Signal has helped customers in boats, RVs, homes, and businesses since 2002. Let us help you with the satellite system of your dreams.
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