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FUN FRIDAY: Spirit Duplicators

Call them Spirit duplicators or Ditto machines… if the mention of those words sends you back in time, you’re not alone. If you’re like me, you can actually still smell that duplicating fluid. Ah, there’s nothing like the smell of mimeographs in the morning. Smells like victory. The purple perfection In the days when photocopiers were expensive and finicky, the Ditto or mimeograph ruled supreme. These were simple machines that untrained people could use all day with little fear of breaking anything. Today’s teachers may do a lot online, but back in the 20th century, most teachers spent a lot of their time making copies to distribute to their classrooms. Ditto machines and mimeograph machines made that possible. A Ditto is not a Mimeo...
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THROWBACK THURSDAY:When someone thought the TiVo HD was “all that”

There was a time when this blog was really focused on TiVos. Look, don’t blame me. I actually started authoring The Solid Signal Blog in 2012. Five years before that, we published this article about the TiVo HD. It was all-new, all-exciting, and all the rage back in the late 2000s. Of course its specs seem puny today, when DIRECTV’s latest DVR gives you 200 hours of HD recording space and when virtually any device out there will let you stream content from Amazon. Still, I have to give “props” to TiVo for its early work here. The TiVo HD was the latest in what was then a very successful line of DVRs from the company. At that time, the word “TiVo” was literally synonymous with DVR, and it was common to hear people say “I’ll TiVo that.”...
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Still missing channels after Tuesday’s outage? Here’s how to fix that

I’d like to take one more moment to congratulate the folks at DIRECTV for the speed and efficiency they showed during the satellite outage on February 27, 2024. Yes, some DIRECTV fans were left wondering why this happened at all, or why it couldn’t have been taken care of in minutes, I’m not one of them. To me it’s amazing how much can be done remotely to keep these satellites up and running. Just this morning I read another article about two satellites that came within 66 feet of crashing into each other. What really popped out was the international effort to track literally every satellite in the sky at all times. Let’s remember, DIRECTV restored a large proportion of service to its customers before prime time and all service to all...
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NICE AND EASY: How far offshore will satellite signals go?

Boat owners rejoice: chances are that unless you’re on a long cruise, your satellite receivers will work. There are no hard and fast rules, but generally you will continue to get DIRECTV or DISH satellite TV at least 10 miles offshore. How satellite TV works All satellite TV transmissions are, essentially, spot beams. That is to say, they are designed to focus on the area of the planet where they’re needed. Even the widest beams, known as the “CONUS” beams, are designed so that they closely follow the borders of the United States. This is done on purpose. It’s not that they don’t want international customers, it’s that DIRECTV and DISH would need to get licenses for every country they cover. These licenses only cover the United...
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Why do so many web sites want to know your location?

All of a sudden we’ve all become much more aware of privacy on the web. Originally it was some of the news about Facebook and other social media. Then Europe enacted new privacy standards. That caused every web site to up its game. In 2024, we are all expecting Google to get rid of “cookies.” While I think that’s a good move it also creates a lot of uncertainty. It’s actually a good thing that we’re all paying a bit more attention, even though it can lead to some annoying popups like the one above. You’ve probably noticed this “know your location” message on more than one web site, and you might have asked yourself, “why do they need to know?” That’s actually a really good question. They probably don’t need to know… When a web site...
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DON’T DO THIS: run a coaxial cable through a swimming pool?

If there ever was a clearer case of “don’t try this at home…” well I haven’t seen it. This story is true. As they used to say in old TV shows, some details have been changed to protect the innocent. I was recently asked if it was ok to run a coaxial cable through a swimming pool. Apparently, this guy wanted to have DIRECTV programming out on the other side of his large backyard, too far for a wireless signal from his Genie 2. The easiest way, he figured, was a straight line. This straight line, apparently, went straight through the pool. Does it seem like you should do this? Coaxial cable is designed to be water-resistant, for sure. The rubber outer jacket should stop water from coming in. Coax cables work in the rain. They work in...
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There’s another option besides the Affordable Connectivity Plan

It seems like good internet service is as important as lights or heat these days. What would you do if you lost internet service? How would you even stay in touch with people. Now imagine not having internet at all, or worrying about it getting shut down because you couldn’t afford it. That’s why the federal government created the Affordable Connectivity Program, or ACP. If you or your kids qualify for pretty much any sort of federal aid, you can probably also qualify for a discount on your internet service and a one-time rebate on a new device. It’s a way to make sure you have the connection you need. To me, it seems like a great idea. If you’re asking, “how does our government even function?” The funding for the government’s...
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Does your Genie 2 have an amber light on the front? Here’s what to do

If you have a Genie 2, you know that it generally has two green lights on the front. The top shows the general status of the system. The bottom shows the status of the wireless adapter. For the most part they stay green all the time. What happens if one of them changes color? What should you do? First thing: check out our error code list. This site maintains the most comprehensive listing of error codes and error lights for DIRECTV. You can find it here. You’ll find a list of the lights on your Genie 2 and what they do. A yellow or amber light indicates some sort of signal issue. Before you do anything: are any of your channels affected? An amber light can happen for a lot of reasons. It could mean a temporary signal outage on a...
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Ken Reid and Mike Watt

June 13-19, 1970 This week Ken welcomes legendary bass-man, and all around punk rock royalty, Mr. Mike Watt to the show. Ken and Mike discuss San Pedro, first meeting D. Boon, moving to San Pedro in 1967 from Navy Housing, living in the projects, saying no to Alameda, George being from Brocton, strong accents, how all the Minutemen were transplants to San Pedro, D. Boon’s mom, how trippy the Summer of 1970 was, Blue Oyster Cult, UHF stations, Wild Wild West, Star Trek, Mission Impossible, not having a color TV, how The Prisoner is Mike’s favorite show, MAS*H, All in the Family, D. Boon’s love of Johnny Carson because his dad was from Nebraska, WWII movies, T. Rex, local horror hosts, the origin of “D.” in D. Boom, Steve McQueen...
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What can you do if your Gemini Air has Wi-Fi problems?

See if this sounds familiar to you: That’s a message from a customer after they got a new Gemini Air. People love the Gemini Air because it’s small and simple and has a real remote with easy-to-understand buttons. But every so often we get someone who complains about the Wi-Fi performance. Unlike other streaming devices, Gemini Air doesn’t have the ability to connect over wired Ethernet, so if your Wi-Fi doesn’t work with it then the device doesn’t work period. So what can you do? One thing you can do to test The easiest way to be sure there’s nothing wrong with your Gemini Air is to temporarily move it into the same room as your Wi-Fi router. If there isn’t a TV in that room, move the Gemini Air to a TV that’s as close to the...
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NICE AND EASY: Does DIRECTV’s Gemini Air support Dolby Audio?

DIRECTV’s Gemini Air has been one of the company’s best and most successful product launches. Folks just love the small size, voice-activated remote, and the ability to run DIRECTV’s internet streaming service alongside all the most popular apps. Personally I’m impressed by how easy it is to use and how it runs on USB-C power. The Gemini Air has gotten so popular that even home theater enthusiasts are getting interested in it. And that’s led to the question at the top of this article. Real quick, what is “Dolby Audio” anyway? When TV first started, all the sound was mono. In the 1980s, stereo was added. But that was just the beginning. Dolby Labs, a tech company that’s been around since the mid-20th century, has made it a mission to...
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Can you use the DIRECTV (satellite) app on a Gemini Air?

If you’re a DIRECTV satellite customer, you probably covet the Gemini Air. It’s an owned device, meaning no monthly mirroring fees. It’s the smallest DIRECTV device ever. It’s small enough to hide behind the TV. But, it’s designed specifically for the DIRECTV streaming service. It can’t be used as a Genie client. One question we keep getting People who call us tell us that they understand that the Gemini Air can’t be used in a DIRECTV satellite system. But, they also point out that if you use the DIRECTV app on a streaming device, you can sign in with your DIRECTV satellite credentials and use that app almost like a Genie client. So, people ask — can you use the DIRECTV app on a Gemini Air, sign in with your satellite credentials...
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Podcast #567: Your questions… answered

This podcast is all about you! I answer listener question about this podcast and about what I do in general. Listen, shop at https://www.solidsignal.com, and call Signal Connect at 888-233-7563 for the best in customer service! Listen to the podcast your way! Just choose one of the following: Option 1: Click on the image above to stream the podcast in your browser. If you use the YouTube player above, be sure to subscribe to get future videos delivered to you! Option 2: The Solid Signal Podcast is available on several podcast aggregators. Search for us, or tap on the links below on your mobile device. If you want us to add another aggregator leave a comment below. Amazon iTunes Overcast TuneIn Spreaker Player.fm Spotify Option 3...
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NOT JUST YOU: DIRECTV 99 satellite is down for everyone right now

If you are experiencing issues with local channels today, February 27, 2024, it’s not just you. Users across the country are reporting issues with the 99 satellite for DIRECTV. This affects local channels in many markets, as well as several national channels. DIRECTV is working hard to resolve this issue and as I write this has no official statement on their site or on their X.com accounts. What you can do: You can tune to the standard definition version of the channels. The standard definition versions are unaffected, although not every area has standard definition locals. Here’s a tutorial for Genie users to show SD duplicates. Here’s a tutorial for non-Genie users. You can use the DIRECTV app on your phone or tablet. The DIRECTV...
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Moving your DISH receiver from home to RV (or back)? Don’t forget this step

Streaming may be the hot thing, but you know that if you’re in your RV, satellite TV is still the best way to go. With satellite TV, you have service any time you have a view of the southern sky. You don’t need to be worried about being close enough to a cell tower. You don’t have to worry about data caps or tethering overages. It’s really simple: watch as much TV as you like, and pick any channel you like. A lot of folks prefer DISH as the provider for their homes and RVs. DISH’s technology is a little more compatible with the RV lifestyle, allowing for smaller dishes that even work in motion if you’re willing to invest in them. DISH incorporates all the software and tools needed to run a mobile dish right into their receivers, and...
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