Thanks to Signal Pro Rachel for the idea for this article!
Sometimes, you can train people a little too well. For years, I’ve been talking about tuner math. I’ve recently updated this article which talks about the idea. It’s a simple one, and I’ll summarize it here.
Tuner math is the idea that it’s not the number of boxes you have, it’s what those boxes do. When you’re planning a larger DIRECTV system, you need to be aware of how many receivers, DVRs, and clients you have. The math is pretty simple:
Equipment
# of
tuners
HS17 Genie 2 DVR
11*
HR54 Genie 1 DVR
7
HR24 DVR (or earlier DVR)
2
H44 receiver (commercial customers)
1
H24 / H25 (or any other receiver)
1
Gemini Internet-connected client
0
4K Genie client
0
HD...
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For the most part, here in the 2020s, we just take it for granted that we’ll be able to make calls and use the internet on our phones. We tend to ignore the bar measurements and just try to use the phone. And you know what? That turns out to be the right answer. Why? Because you probably can’t get a good answer as to what your signal strength is anyway.
It’s not just about the bars.
Real techies measure cell phone signals in dBm, and ignore the cell phone bars. Why? Because as I said a few years ago, those bar measurements are pretty much meaningless. There’s a lot more to measure on a phone. You need to decide if you need the more precise RSRP measurement. And if you do, are you going to measure 4G signals or 5G ones?
Before I...
Lately there has been a lot of talk about 5G. This tech was going to be the absolute biggest thing there ever was, and I think that honestly most of that hype fizzled. 5G is better than LTE, except of course when it isn’t. I think most of the time it is faster, especially if you live somewhere with “5G+” service. On the other hand, 5G signals have a tendency to work poorly over larger distances, and that’s where LTE still beats it.
One of the things that’s being talked about lately is 5G filtering. Most of our Televes antennas will filter 5G signals and you’re starting to see some companies with standalone 5G filters. But is it worth it? Is this even a problem, or is it just something that the antenna companies cooked up to sell you...
Here’s something that DISH customers have that DIRECTV customers, at the moment, don’t. Yes, you can take your plain-jane Wally receiver and turn it into a 1-tuner DVR. It’s absurdly easy. Pretty much any external hard drive will let you do it. Here’s the specs you need:
Self-powered hard drive (not powered by USB)
Minimum 500GB capacity
Minimum USB 2.0 compatibility
That’s a very low bar and truth is you can find hard drives very inexpensively that will do it. If the drive itself is powered by USB, all you need to do is add a powered USB hub to the mix and you’re set. Solid State Drives tend not to work for DVRs as they do wear out more quickly. Besides, they’re more expensive.
The big question: why?
There will be folks who want...
Is it just me, or have the last five years seemed like about fifty years? Looking back at this blog, it was five years ago this month that AT&T rolled out its rebrand of the TimeWarner empire. Henceforth, and I expected it to be for quite some time, the business unit would be called “WarnerMedia.” It was in late 2016 that AT&T announced its purchase of what was then known as TimeWarner. The deal took a long time to work its way through the courts, partially because of investigations by the Justice Department. Now, as I’m fond of saying, this is not a political blog. I won’t go into the reasons and the feelings at the time. But, if you search your memories, you may remember a bit of the political climate of late 2016 and early 2017.
No...
I run into the same issue all the time when talking to folks with RVs. Satellite equipment from DIRECTV or DISH just doesn’t know where it is and it doesn’t expect to move. That’s why often times your satellite receiver will show the wrong time zone. It expects you to be in one place, and you’re not.
It’s actually more impressive to me when your satellite equipment does know where it is and does set the time zone properly. For the most part it just sort of happens. For both DIRECTV and DISH, the time zone is set by the service address, in other words the address where they think you are. In most cases this is your home, or where your bill comes to. The exact time is set using signals from the satellite dish, but the choice of Daylight...
Yesterday, DIRECTV and NFL announced that their satellite and internet platforms will have both NFL Network and NFL’s own Red Zone Channel. This press release from the NFL confirms it. In addition, U-Verse subscribers (of which, apparently, there are still some) will now have access to those channels if they have the U200 package. Rounding out the great news, DIRECTV for Internet and DIRECTV Stream customers will also have the option for a Sports Pack for the first time.
Shoutout to the folks at SatelliteGuys who managed to get this news posted before I did.
Why you care
Well, the first reason you’d care is if you owned a bar. It took quite a while for DIRECTV and the NFL to announce that NFL Sunday Ticket would be available for...
Why stay home when you can roam? That’s the motto of RV’ers everywhere and while you’re roaming, why not take your satellite service with you? Our new white paper shows you all the options in an easy-to-use interactive PDF. The text is listed below, but you’ll want to download this one and click away for a customized guide showing exactly what you’ll need!
Click here to download our interactive PDF!
Enjoy TV while traveling
Whether it’s a big, loud tailgate party or a quiet evening spent watching TV while it’s rainy out, there’s nothing like bringing your home entertainment experience withyou. It’s easy if you put up an antenna, but an antenna isn’t going to take you all the way, right? You want DVR service, recorded programs...
In this BONUS episode Ken welcomes actor, writer, producer, Battle of the Network Stars Champion, Chicken Mom and all around good human being Heather Thomas to the show.
Ken and Heather discuss social media, the difference in celebrity between now and the 1980s, Mercury in Retrograde, being outraged, fat penguins, always learning, not engaging, not getting purged (go to https://dontgetpurged.org/), voting, growing up in Santa Monica, Gidget, Malibu, getting yelled at by Leonard Nimoy, James Coburn, Ford, shooting in Canada, Three Men and a Baby parties, interviewing celebrities as a teenager on the NBC show Talking with a Giant, censorship, Patty Duke, almost drowning at the beach because your mom is talking to Tab Hunter, Rock...
Listen to this off-the-chain, unhinged podcast and then shop for the tech you’ll need at SolidSignal.com. Call us for more details: 888-233-7563.
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!
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Let me say this part up front. Solid Signal, the company that underwrites this blog, is a DIRECTV National Accounts dealer and a DISH Premier Local Retailer. Those distinctions might not mean a lot to regular folks, I get it. But it means Solid Signal is in the top, top tier in both organizations. And so, when people ask me which satellite service I like better, I tell them it’s like trying to answer which of your children you like better. Both services have evolved to the point where they’re excellent and it’s just a matter of the details. One service will have something you really want; the other won’t. And that’s how you choose.
The best satellite service for your RV
Choosing a satellite service for your RV really depends on a lot...
Satellite service has occasional rain fade. It would be great if it didn’t. But, it’s a fact that satellite signals sometimes have to travel through some very heavy clouds and that means that the satellite dishes themselves just can’t pull in enough signal all the time.
But how reliable is satellite, and how much rain fade should you expect? Both DIRECTV and DISH have said that their service is over 99% reliable. Let’s do the math. A year is 525,600 minutes (as fans of musical theater know), so 1% of that is 87.6 hours. That sounds like a lot of time spent down! Except, when you realize two things.
Taking a closer look at those numbers
First of all, that’s on the high side. DIRECTV and DISH have to be very conservative with their...
Faced with a deadline of July 17, 2023 for the end of ATSC 3.0 test broadcasts, the FCC has taken a step which essentially saves the new technology from extinction, while leaving a lot of other questions open for the future. Like the FCC of 2017, today’s FCC is counting on tomorrow’s FCC to solve those problems, but at the very least they haven’t allowed ATSC 3.0 to die from inaction.
What I’m really talking about
In a long public statement, the FCC has come to the rescue of ATSC 3.0, but done little else. The deadline for the end of testing for ATSC 3.0 has been pushed to July 17, 2027. The FCC has also put a little reminder in their calendars to look at things in 2026 to see if this deadline needs to be pushed again.
Honestly...
The post The #1 Reason for Signal Issues – Solved! appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
Here’s the basic problem. When satellite TV was first designed, it was designed for things that don’t move. Things like houses and restaurants. Looking back even further, all television was essentially built around the idea that you tended to stay in your local area. Back in the 1950s, driving more than 50 miles was rare. It was something you did maybe once a year to take a big trip. Today it’s no big deal– some of us commute that far to go to work.
And let’s think for a minute about boats. TV on your boat wasn’t a big draw in the 20th century. Back then, getting away from it all meant no one saw you and you saw no one, sometimes for weeks at a time. It wasn’t until the early part of this century that satellite TV for boats even seemed...
Chances are, the Windows PC you use has gotten an update lately. I’m not talking about the routine ones that show up every Tuesday like clockwork. This one, called “Moment 3,” is supposed to be a big one. It’s one of a few times a year that your computer will get a pretty comprehensive refresh. And it’s boring as heck.
Your phone may get an update soon, too. Or, it might have just gotten one. iPhone fans will be looking forward to iOS 17, while users of fairly current Androids might have already gotten Android 12. And you know what, they’re boring too.
Here’s what I’m talking about.
Windows’ latest update has huge new feature functionality like “This update provides the total amount of storage capacity of all your Microsoft OneDrive...
Is cutting the cord something you’ve considered? If so, don’t let these six totally untrue cord-cutting myths keep you from enjoying free HDTV.
Before we get into the myths, it’s best to define what cord-cutting is. At Solid Signal, cutting the cord is using an over-the-air TV antenna to replace subscription cable TV. The broadcast spectrum is a public trust, which allows TV stations to use it for profit as long as it’s done for the public’s benefit. What this means is that free over-the-air TV will always be available in every media market. Once you buy a TV antenna, receiver, and other equipment, it could be the last time you’ll have to pay for TV. This equipment receives most or all free TV transmissions from your local stations. In...
Does your TV turn on in the middle of the night? Does it change sources when you don’t expect it? Things like that can be symptoms of problems with the HDMI Control protocol that’s been part of DIRECTV equipment for about a decade. This protocol is generally pretty useful. It lets you pick up the remote you want, and just use it. You don’t have to worry about finicky universal remotes or anything like that.
What is HDMI Control?
HDMI Control, otherwise known as HDMI-CEC, is a way for devices to work together. Using the remote from one device sends commands to another device over the HDMI cable. Usually it works flawlessly, turning on the TV when you power up the DVR, and setting the right input. It’s used on practically every modern...
DIRECTV’s EPS10 power supply has been around for about a decade. It premiered with the company’s H25 receiver but is now used for pretty much every box except for the HS17 Genie 2. Whether you have an original C31 or the latest Gemini, this is the power adapter for you.
If yours breaks or you need another one, you can get one from Solid Signal. But let’s say for whatever reason you don’t want to do that. Maybe you have a bucket full of power supplies from other stuff and you want to use one of them. Can you?
It’s all about the specs
There’s a sticker on the EPS10 power supply that tells you everything you need to know. If you have a power supply that meets these requirements, it will work. Let’s go through them one by one.
First...
What’s better than a tailgate party? Fire up the barbecue, put on some TV and watch people find you! It’s a perfect way to make new friends. A lot of folks with DISH don’t want to tailgate, they tell me, because setting up the dish is a pain. You have to put the thing up on a tripod and spend time aiming it “just so.” That can really kill the buzz you get from being in the stadium parking lot. I hear you.
There’s a better option.
This is the Tailgater from KING. Even the name tells you that it’s the right thing for you. It’s a 100% DISH approved, self-aiming product that will give you HD programming when you hook up a Wally receiver to it. (Need a Wally? Get one here.) It’s really what you want.
Start by setting the Tailgater on a...
Last year, as I’m sure you all know by now, Discovery swallowed up what was then known as WarnerMedia. Before that, it was known as AOL TimeWarner, and before that, TimeWarnerTurner. Why am I listing all these deadnames? To get to the point that for about 30 years, there’s been a program source called TCM (originally Turner Classic Movies) dedicated to keeping the spirit of classic movies alive. I’m not just talking about the movies that we all liked as kids. I’m talking about important, award-winning fare from throughout the 20th century. To the extent that they’re available, even silent films are included.
For most of its life TCM was a cable or satellite channel. It gained a streaming app like everyone else. And when HBO Max...
If you have an RV, you have the world at your command.. There’s so much to see out there. All you have to do is drive, and you bring your entire home with you. You don’t have to worry about strange hotels or expensive restaurants. You have your kitchen and bedroom wherever you go.
But, of course, you don’t want to leave it all behind, especially your connection to the virtual world. At this point in the world, no one is leaving their phone or computer at home. Entertainment and connection are as important as the spirit of exploration.
What about live TV?
Let me tell you a secret. Live TV is alive and well. You can read plenty of stories about how live TV is “dying” and how “no one wants live TV anymore.” Folks, stories like that get...
We’re just days away from the latest Mission: Impossible movie. This is a franchise with an incredible life. It’s second only to Star Trek in its longevity and the number of films produced. We’re heading toward the seventh film, with many of the actors from the original 1996 film still in place. While none of the original characters from the original 1966 show ever made it to the big screen, the film franchise has been spectacularly successful. It’s been so successful that many people never even knew there was a TV series. If they’re aware of the show, most will say they’ve never watched it.
The miracle of the Cruise
Mission: Impossible in its current form owes it all to Tom Cruise. It’s his production company that’s produced the...
Bar and restaurant owners, you’re losing money each day you don’t have DIRECTV in your business.
When it comes to commercial DIRECTV accounts, some bar/restaurant owners focus on how much this service costs. They need to focus on the amount of money they’re losing by not offering this service at their business. The truth is, having DIRECTV in your bar, restaurant, or pub is a proven moneymaker throughout the year. This is one of the benefits of having DIRECTV at your bar or restaurant.
The Satellite TV Expert…
When it comes to all things satellite TV, we turn to Signal Connect, the part of our company company that specializes in satellite TV sales and activation.
The Profits of “Beer Math”
We want business owners to stop seeing...
Imagine your personal data is sitting in a data center in Kansas where strangers can see it. Now, just pretend that phrase uttered by the late, great Don LaFontaine. Does that scare you?
Seriously, there are people who back up all their data and never store anything online except spam e-mail. On the other side of the spectrum are folks who live their lives on the cloud… not just Instagram and TikTok but storing their entire lives on Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or other cloud storage services. How safe is it? Let’s compare three scenarios.
1. Someone wants to steal your personal information.
Well, it’s clear. If you store nothing on the web, there’s nothing to steal, right? Not true. Your address is a matter of public record… and...
If you dig deep enough into the world of cell phones, you’ll realize that there’s a real controversy as to how call quality is measured. We know that the bars on your phone don’t mean anything. So how can you tell if you’re likely to get good voice calls and fast data? RSSI is one measurement you could look at.
RSSI is one of those terms that’s supposed to tell you how bad your signal is so you’ll spend money on fixing it. Let me explain.
Received Signal Strength Indicator
RSSI stands for “received signal strength indicator” or “received signal strength indication.” It’s a number that is supposed to tell you how good your signal strength is, except it kind of doesn’t. It’s actually a relative number that tells you how good your...
See if this sounds like a familiar problem. You’re in a large group, maybe you’re at church or in a meeting or a seminar. All of a sudden everyone’s phone goes off at the same time. It’s an emergency alert. They happen every so often, and if you’re in a major city you’ve even seen one in the middle of the night.
Although the alert system has been around since 2011, hostility towards it seems to date back to 2013. That was the year when two high profile stories came up, one in New York and one in Los Angeles, where smartphone users heard a unique shriek arising from their devices.
Reaction to this system was all over the map. Many reports at the time said people got “alert burnout.” The Los Angeles Times responded with a story on how...
One of the most amazing things about Apple is the way they take something that’s 4-5 years old, something that someone else failed at and we all thought we didn’t wanted, tweak it a little bit and all of a sudden it’s the best thing ever.
Take augmented reality. It launched a while back with Apple iOS 11. You might have experienced this with Pokemon Go, but for the fuddy-duddies among us, let me explain it. You look at your phone, and its camera shows you an image of what’s in front of you. That’s not new. What is new is that the screen also shows you things that aren’t there.
In this demo of an upcoming IKEA app, the chair isn’t real… the app is showing you what the chair would look like in your real room. Get it?
All eyes are on...
Even though DIRECTV’s been on a path to transition away from SD for 7 years, there’s still a lot of confusion about how it’s going to be done and what it means to people out there. A lot of our RV and marine customers depend on SD channels for various reasons. While losing standard definition might not be a big deal for most customers, it has the potential to make a real difference to mobile and marine folks. So, sit back and let’s talk about what’s actually going on in DIRECTV-land.
First, let’s look back
DIRECTV rolled out its first HD channels around 2005. So we’re talking about 20 years since all this started. The US broadcasting system moved to all-digital in 2009, about 15 years ago. Yet, DIRECTV continued to provide standard...
For years, we at Solid Signal have been asked if DIRECTV offered a voice remote. Although I personally don’t understand it — I’m perfectly fine pressing buttons — voice remotes have been popular with other pay-TV providers. Unfortunately, the answer to that question has been “no.” DIRECTV did offer a voice control system through its app for some time. I reviewed it when it rolled out a decade ago. I just took another look at that review, and I remember how hard it was to say anything really nice about the whole system. 2013 was just too early for that kind of technology and it just plain didn’t work well. The voice control system never was a big hit. It proved so unpopular that they took it out. No one, myself included, noticed. I...
That’s right friends, summer is officially here. We talk about Memorial Day as if it were the first day of summer. Technically it’s today, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. We’re all set for three months of long, bright nights, warm days, and fun in the sun.
RVing, the real national pastime
I know everyone says baseball is our national pastime. It is, if you mean “watching baseball.” Most of us don’t actually play baseball. On the other hand, a lot of folks head off in the RV for the summer. Are you one of them?
Even if you’re out on the road, the last thing you want to do is leave the world behind. That idea went out with flip phones. No, you want to be connected and you want the best entertainment the world...
It’s more confusing than ever. When you’re planning your home viewing, you may be considering putting DIRECTV in every room. There’s a little more to it than just running a cable. You need to be using the right satellite dish and you need to understand how DIRECTV thinks about your home system.
You might think of the number of black boxes in the house, but DIRECTV thinks in terms of “tuners.” In DIRECTV parlance, a tuner is defined as the ability to watch or record one channel. In order to watch one thing and record another, you need two tuners. But it gets a little more complicated than that.
Receivers vs. Clients
DIRECTV has done everything they possibly can to make this as confusing as possible. On the one hand they have receivers...
April 20-26, 1985
This week Ken welcomes host of Arne Pod (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/arne-pod/id1454163890) and purveyor of the fun TikTok account @arnepod, Chris Arneson.
Ken and Chris discuss what we did at the start of the pandemic, Chris’ birthday, being born in 1993, why 1985 is one of Ken and Chris’ favorite years, Back to the Future, podcasting, Manhunter, Evil Dead, horror flicks, horror comedy, John Hughes, celebrity vibes, Rob Lowe, background acting, John Candy’s death, The Great Outdoors, Uncle Buck, Deborah Shelton, tobacco pouches, “dippin”, cigarettes, mouth cancer, mixing facts with fiction, docudrama, the truth vs the legend, baseball, why Stone Cold may be the greatest action movie of all time, The...
DIRECTV and DISH are the most popular providers of marine satellite TV in the U.S. As a marine electronics installer, do you know which one is best for your clients?
DIRECTV or DISH? One of your clients might ask you which is best for their marine satellite TV installation. If you want to provide total and complete service to your clients, you’d better be able to recommend the right satellite TV provider to your customers. When it comes to marine satellite systems, there are subtle differences between DIRECTV and DISH Network. Understanding these differences is the key to recommending the right satellite TV installation for each client.
The Marine Satellite Experts
To help marine electronics installers, I’ve brought in some of the...
Are you a marine electronics installer who has questions about satellite TV installations? Signal Connect, the division of Signal Group responsible for satellite TV sales and support, has the answers.
Signal Connect is a member of the NMEA, the National Marine Electronics Association. This organization is dedicated to helping its members streamline the process of outfitting boats with the latest tech. Even before the pandemic, NMEA’s remote presentations helped people all across the country participate in a roundtable to try to get as much information as possible. NMEA has called upon the Signal Connect experts time and time again to try to help explain the thornier parts of satellite television. Satellite TV is a strong part of marine...
It’s starting to make news all over the country. Smaller cable TV companies are getting out of the cable TV business. It’s astounding to me. These are often the same companies that were slow to offer high-speed internet, and now they’ve completely changed their tune. Now they only want to offer high-speed internet, and they’d be just fine if you stopped calling them “the cable company.” I guess cable really is a dirty word.
Why is this happening?
Well, it’s hard to give one answer that applies to every situation. But, I think that if you look at trends in the marketplace, it’s getting harder and harder for these smaller operations to compete. People either want to go streaming-only, or they want a really robust TV package that...
Solid Signal is now a SiriusXM dealer. You probably have no idea of the great services they offer to marine and fleet customers. They’re pretty good for your car, too. Call 888-233-7563 to find out more.
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
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TuneIn
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Option 3...
Thanks to Signal Pro Ryan McDonnell for this suggestion!
DIRECTV’s Gemini comes in two distinct flavors, as you probably know by now. One is designed for people who have a satellite dish and a Genie in their home. The other is for people who use DIRECTV’s streaming service. Yes, they are both called Gemini. Yes, they look identical. But the differences start to mount up when you get under the skin.
Gemini for Internet-only customers
The “Gemini for Internet-only customers” is the device that until recently was called the “DIRECTV Stream device.” Before that it was the “AT&T TV device.” Internally, it’s always been called Osprey, but it’s never been publicly advertised as such.
This is the device you want if you don’t want a...
Are you about to take an overnight RV trip and need some place to park and rest? Many people do this, while others wonder about free overnight RV parking. Specifically, they want to know where they can do this. There’s no rulebook that lists the places you can park your motorhome, but we have the next best thing. We talked with many of the RV owners we know and got some rock solid tips from them. If you need to park overnight, this information will help you plan your next RV trip.
Overnight RV Parking at Campgrounds and Parks
Anyone who lives the RV life knows that campgrounds and parks are the best place to stop overnight. You get water, sewer, and electricity hookups at these places, but those benefits come at a cost. If you’ve...
The post See 2023’s Best Low-Profile TV Antenna appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
Seriously. I’ve had one of these for about a year and it’s a blast. Yes, I know this Smart Sensor Non-Contact Digital IR Laser Point Thermometer is supposed to be a serious tool but once you get done checking the temperature of your refrigerator you’re going to want to play with it. Just point and shoot, and you’ll get temperatures in Fahrenheit or Celsius.
The idea of an infrared thermometer is dead simple. Everything in the universe (except black holes) gives off infrared radiation. When you’re on a planet like Earth that has air, that infrared radiation corresponds to heat. This device detects the infrared radiation on the surface of something and does some math to tell you its temperature. It’s not affected by hot air in between it...
If you look at a certain way, there are two kinds of RVers. Not that either is better than the other, mind you. And some folks might fit into both categories. Which are you?
Some RVers stay at RV parks pretty near the highway. These parks are near food and other amenities, and are often tricked out with things like cable TV service and Wi-Fi. On the other hand, there are other RVers who go out into the woods to stay for a while. They bring everything they need in the RV and go to RV parks that are really campgrounds more than anything else. The allure there is the fresh air and the ability to get away from it all.
This article is really for the first group. Nothing against you nature fans, because that’s a great way to be. But this...
Tell me if you’ve heard this one. Supposedly AT&T, Verizon, and other cellular carriers don’t want you to put a cellular signal booster into your office. The cell booster doesn’t make them any money and it increases the traffic to their cell sites, which are already overloaded. The story goes on to say that cell carriers design their coverage maps to make sure people inside get a great signal but people inside, well they’re on their own. They would rather that people inside their homes and offices use Wi-Fi Calling. Wi-Fi Calling decreases the load on the cellular network by shifting it to internet service providers (who, in many cases, aren’t the same people as the cell providers.
Except, that’s a load of horsehockey.
Over and over...
This is a rough time for marine installers. I know as well as you do. 20 years ago you could charge what you needed to charge and practically everything you put on a boat needed your special touch. Today, there’s more DIY than ever, and because people are used to doing a lot for themselves at home, they think they can do it themselves on the boat as well.
Sometimes, let’s be honest, that works out for you. The customer who gets themselves into a jam will pay you to get them out of one. You can sometimes even charge more for that kind of service. But you can’t count on it. While you’re out there hustling for new work, you have so much to worry about. It’s not just the DIYers, it’s the economy, the supply chain, heck you don’t need me to...
I must be the last person on the planet to get Hulu’s much-heralded new user interface. I mean seriously folks, they told me back in April to expect a new UI. So, I finally got it this week. In fairness I might have gotten it last week. Hulu has been a bit of a wasteland lately as far as I am concerned, so I haven’t used it a lot.
By now you’ve all seen it, so I’m not going to go into a review. I can’t resist posting one screencap, but that’s about it. I just want to document that I actually got the thing.
Here’s the problem
Hulu seems to have forgotten most of what it knew about me. It forgot about half the shows in my “Continue Watching” list. It thinks instead that I would like to watch… well you can see the list up top. Big...
Be honest… is your password still the name of your high school crush? If you’re like most of us you still use a password from your dial-up modem days, especially for sites like Amazon where you’ve been shopping for a long time.
It’s a pain to change your password and it’s a pain to remember a new one. We all understand. But there are a lot of hackers out there and if they can access your facebook settings, your amazon account, and a little freely-available information, they can take control of your life, ruin relationships with your friends, trash your finances and make your miserable. Isn’t that worth a little inconvenience now and then?
Here’s what to do
Take the opportunity around the time school ends every year to change your...
Well, simply, it’s what you see in the image above. “Panel antenna” is a term for any antenna that sits tall instead of wide. This particular antenna is a TV antenna, but panel antennas are used for a wide variety of things. Here’s another one.
This is a panel antenna too… except this antenna is designed for special purpose point-to-point purposes. Panel antennas are used in cellular, in Wi-Fi, and in almost any case where the frequency is higher than 500MHz.
Panel antennas work better in high-frequency applications for several reasons. First of all, in order to work properly in a low-frequency application like FM radio or VHF TV, the panel antenna would really have to be gigantic in order to work. The lower the frequency, the...
There’s a saying that goes, those who do not remember the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them. I personally think this applies strongly to fashion, as the current trend for crop tops attests. But that’s not really the subject of this article.
This article is about stereograms. If you were around in the 1990s, you might call these Magic Eye pictures, from the popular book series at the time. Computer technology made them possible at that point, and people just obsessed over them for a short time. And then, just as quickly, faded away.
Well, they’re back. Or at least I’ve rediscovered them. And I’m sharing my discovery with you.
What is a stereogram?
Hide3d.com
This is a stereogram. More precisely, it’s an autostereogram...
I remember the day that DIRECTV rolled the HR44 Genie out to the public. It was at the 2013 CES show and I blogged about it at the time. The HR44 was a big upgrade from the original HR34 Genie, in speed and in form factor. That’s pretty evident by the number of HR44s still in service today. On the other hand, the HR34 Genie has been discontinued for years.
The HR44’s time at the top of the heap was short. Its successor, the HR54, came out just two years later. At the time, few people understood the real difference between the two. It looked, in fact, like the HR54 was just an HR44 with the front panel removed. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The HR54 packs a faster processor, more memory, and additional tuner capacity to be...
Timing is everything. But then again, I’m not the first person to say that. When I look back at the stuff I’ve written on this blog, there are a lot of articles about things that were simply before their time. In this case, I’m talking about AT&T Watch TV, a service you’ve either never heard of or completely forgotten.
Take a minute to jog your memory
Jake Buckler, scoundrel that he is, told us all about AT&T Watch TV when it launched in 2018. It was a simple idea. About 30 channels of live TV, streaming only, for about $15 a month. It was even cheaper if you had one of AT&T’s top cellular plans… in fact it was free and you got to select a free premium channel too.
And honestly, these weren’t garbagey channels like some of the ones...
