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NICE AND EASY: What is a “SBB?”
Engineers love to make up acronyms. I’ve known that for many years. However, something occurred to me recently. Engineers also like to make up new acronyms when the old ones don’t make sense. What is...
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Ken Reid and Adam Cayton Holland
Feb 15-21, 1997 This week Ken welcomes writer, comedian and man behind the new YouTube Comedy Special “Wallpaper”, Adam Cayton-Holland. Ken and Adam discuss climate change, Colorado, David Letterman,...
View ArticleTHROWBACK THURSDAY: Does your XBOX still overheat?
Sounds like a personal problem. Back in 2009, Solid Signal was still looking for its defining character. We started out with satellite television parts way back in 2002. Our web site from back then is...
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How to enable closed captioning on DIRECTV systems
DIRECTV receivers, clients, and DVRs support closed captioning. They have to. It’s the law. However, they also connect to your TV with an HDMI cable. Unfortunately, since the basic HDMI spec doesn’t...
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Still thinking about a standard definition headend?
We call it “standard definition” but until pretty recently we just called it “television.” I’m talking about the square, possibly wood-grained television of your youth. Yeah, this. This is how we...
View ArticleTech-Savvy Parenting in Remote Areas: Staying Connected with Satellite Solutions
The digital revolution has transformed childhood, with smartphones acting as gateways to education, entertainment, and social interaction. But for parents living in remote locations with unreliable...
View ArticleFUN FRIDAY: I go meow
If you read this column a lot, you’ll realize that one of the things that interests me in life is how people actually make money on YouTube. I’m sure that most people who try to make money fail, and...
View ArticleKu band? Ka band? What are these things?
If you’re around DIRECTV people long enough you’ll hear them talk about the Ka band and the Ku band. (For the record, they’re pronounced “kay-ay” and “kay-you” not “kah” and “koo.”) What are these...
View ArticleWhat’s the difference between a signal finder and a true satellite meter?
You may have noticed that you can buy a signal finder like this one very inexpensively while other meters like our AIM are priced much much higher. Both are used to help you aim satellites, so the...
View ArticleWhat Satellite Devices Are Ideal for Outdoor Entertainment Spaces
Designing an amazing backyard entertainment area needs more than just good lounge furniture. If you want to throw awesome parties, watch football games, and just relax outdoors, you will want to go...
View ArticleSTREAMING SATURDAY: Dune Part Two (the unpopular view)
Over the long weekend I watched Dune Part Two. You probably did too, if you have Max. It’s been hotly anticipated, and in order to really appreciate it I watched part one, as well as the rather odd...
View ArticleBest of the Blog 2023, Volume 12
The Solid Signal Blog is your resource for thousands of articles and reviews, with new content coming every day. 2023 marks our seventeeth year since our humble beginnings, and today over 250,000...
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NICE AND EASY: One power supply for all DIRECTV equipment?
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just have one power supply for everything? It’s not quite to that point, but almost every DIRECTV box uses the same power adapter. This makes it very easy to keep a...
View ArticleWhat is video compression?
Video compression makes everything possible. Not everything, I suppose, but pretty much everything I blog about, anyway. Video compression is the technology that makes it possible for you to get a...
View ArticleUnlock Extended Battery Life: Get Your Smart Charger Now for Only $24.99!
The post Unlock Extended Battery Life: Get Your Smart Charger Now for Only $24.99! appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
View ArticleIs the term “home theater” obsolete?
Language changes. It’s just something we have to accept as we get older. When I was a kid, “Google” was a one with 100 zeroes, or a comic book character. “Twitter” was something a bird did. If you...
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HOW TO DO IT: Sync up your Genie Clients or Geminis
It’s very rare that you would need to replace a Genie Client. I’m sure it happens but honestly, I’ve never heard of one breaking. I still have an original C31 from 2012, the one I used for this...
View ArticleCan commercial DIRECTV customers use the regular DIRECTV app to stream video?
The other day, I was talking to one of our marine customers. Most marine customers have their boats registered as commercial vessels. I don’t claim to understand the tax code, so I won’t go into...
View ArticleWARNING: Don’t paint the satellite dome on your boat
The other day, I was talking to one of the marine specialists at Signal Connect. These folks are experts in helping people get the best entertainment experience while they’re out on the water. This...
View ArticleCan you hook a Gemini Air up to an AV receiver or soundbar?
Recently our help lines have had several people asking this question, and it led me to thinking. DIRECTV’s Gemini Air is a real hit. It’s a small device that’s easy to connect and comes with a great...
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